Skillful Means

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Devil; from the Archetype Cards, the Poet:

 2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song

If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me

Threatening the life it belongs to.

~ Anna Nalick

          The preachers tell us to pray away our extreme emotions, but fear, anger, lust, and grief aren't sinful, they're just a natural part of the human experience. But we do need healthy ways to process these feelings that don't repress or express them in harmful ways. As Parker Palmer explained, "Violence is what happens when we don’t know what else to do with our suffering." We have innumerable ways of hurting both ourselves and others when we don't know how to channel that energy. For each of us, finding a skillful outlet will likely be different. I had one counselor who advised me to beat a pillow with a bat, which only pumped my rage full of adrenaline. But walking seemed to diffuse it with much better results. The Poet card suggests a creative expression to get these feelings out and allow us to see them in a more objective light. Soul friends who know how to listen deeply and self-created rituals may also help. What have you found helpful?