Melting Snow

From the Victorian Fairy Tarot, the Seven of Winter/Swords; from the Haindl Rune Oracle, Eoh/Eihwaz:

A fairy and his rat henchman have broken into a family's store of food for the winter. The Seven of Swords brings up the question of ethics: Can a wrong ever be considered right if it is done to correct an unfair imbalance? We all have a moral code that influences our conduct, but we often judge others by it as well. Stealing is never okay in my code, but neither is hoarding or a lack of generosity. Yet still I harbor a subtle "Is he or she deserving?" in my mind. The rune Eoh/Eihwaz relates to the yew tree, a plant that is evergreen and also poisonous. Its symbolism of both death and life points to an initiation that brings transformation and illumination. Such an initiation is not for the faint of heart; it requires that we "die before we die," a process of stripping ourselves of our pet concepts and opinions as well as our preferences and prejudices. It is only when our ego relinquishes control that we can see the world with clear vision.

Be melting snow.

Wash yourself of yourself.

~Rumi