But Did You Die?

From the Nature Spirit Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Australian Wildflower Cards, Royal Bluebell:

          Our mind can be the wellspring of wonderful ideas, but it also has the power to immobilize us, just as the black widow spider's web seems to be doing to the anemones (aka windflowers). The fears and insecurities that grow there can develop into a feeling of vulnerability and indecision. According to Greek mythology, the anemone flower grew from Aphrodite's tears when her beloved Adonis was killed by a boar. I was listening to a talk by Vidyamala Burch, and she said we often deal with great loss or drastic change in two ways: blocking or drowning. We may try to block (deny) it through busyness or a myriad of addictive behavior patterns (shopping, alcohol, etc.). On the other hand, we may decide the pain we feel is all that there is and choose to drown in it. We withdraw and lose all sense of perspective. The generosity of the Royal Bluebell suggests we not be so frugal with the possibilities of our mind. There is room to accept our loss with room for joy too. When we expand our mind, we also find alternatives and resources to help us adapt and accept reality. A friend who works at a wildlife park told me a phrase the employees often say to each other: "But did you die?" It isn't meant to invalidate a terrible experience, but to remind the other that they are still alive and thus have the freedom to choose how they respond from this point on.