Because it is so real, pain is an available antidote to unreality—not the medicine you would have chosen, perhaps, but an effective one all the same. The next time you are in real pain, see how you feel about television shows, new appliances, a clean house, or your resumé.
Yet it is such pain that often precedes spiritual growth. It empties our cup of strategies and plans, and allows it to be filled with guidance we may not have taken otherwise. That cup contains hope for change and a new regard for the beauty around us never noticed before. Caput Draconis literally means 'head of the dragon' and is a symbol for a doorway leading inward or a new opportunity. This deck offers the additional keywords of 'restraint' and 'moderation.' When we have been freshly baptized by suffering and gain insights from it, we can become zealous in wanting to spread the good news. But each person has their own star to follow and their own cup to be refilled.
For those willing to stay awake, pain remains a reliable altar in the world, a place to discover that a life can be as full of meaning as it is of hurt. ~ B.B. Taylor
A very insightful post Bev. I've never considered this aspect of pain before. But now I read it here, it is so simple and pure.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this
As Brown says, it's not the medicine I would choose, but it can bring clarity at times.
DeleteSometimes the wound left from the dragon runs so deep that the pain blots all else, even growth and insight, hence the adage 'the blinding pain.'
ReplyDeleteThe dragon in this case is a good thing. :)
DeleteI've been thinking a fair bit about pain the last couple of weeks, having fallen down some stairs and done myself a nasty injury. Doing some mindfulness meditations, I'm coming to the notion that if I can tolerate this physical pain, I can also tolerate emotional pain. The latter definitely feels harder, though...
ReplyDeleteAs you say, each person has their own star to follow. Yet sometimes we may be the Hermit, too, guiding others at least a little way with the light of our star :)
Regarding pain, I would much rather be mentored by someone who has experienced something similar that someone who is simply offering advice. That is why all of us have something to teach!
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