Let Go Completely

From the Daniloff Tarot, the Six of Swords; from the Kuan Yin Oracle, verse 5:

 artwork by Hasui Kawase

         I've never seen a Six of Swords illustrated with all of the swords left behind on the shore. But it makes sense to leave behind ideas that were the cause of distress and problems to go in search of better ones. It reminds me of a line from the AA basic text that states, "Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely." It might feel as if we will disappear if we let go of the way we think - identity is so attached to our thoughts and feelings. Yet that 'self' is simply a mental construct. Verse 5 of the Kuan Yin Oracle reads:

Pine and cypress grow and flourish,

Rain, snow, and frost cannot harm them.

One day, people will use their wood.

They are the beams and pillars of our world.

Clearing and plowing the mind's field allows us to plant new seeds that might grow something more useful and wholesome than the weeds and briers we've had there. It will take time to nurture these new seeds, but in the process, we will get to know and understand them deeply.