Center of Balance

From the Rosetta Tarot, the Priestess; from the Ascension to Paradise cards, the Secretarybird:

          The Priestess stands calmly between the ebb and flow of life; the cycles of the moon shift from one phase to another, yet she has found an inner source that keeps her from being dashed by the tides. Meditation for her is not a spiritual bypass, a search for bliss or a way to distract herself from what is tossed upon her shore. As Meleen describes, her practice allows her to become "a middle pillar of wisdom and equanimity." She doesn't hide from life but deals with it on its terms with awareness and quietude. The Secretarybird is a mostly terrestrial bird of prey, catching its victims on the ground and stomping them to death. Its name likely came from the long, quill-like feathers at the top of its neck. I can relate to this bird, wanting to stomp into submission those situations that ruffle my feathers. But although this approach can make me feel powerful and in control, it rarely brings about a lasting, useful solution. Writing down what is surging through my mind often lets me pause long enough to see my own insanity. At that point, I can meditate and then contemplate what a sane response might look like.

I found a new definition of sanity... This sanity offered serenity, a feeling of wellness or well-being, possession of a center of balance from which to operate, and a feeling that my place in this world was just right. — February 1999, AA Grapevine