Energy Use

This week I'll be using the Stone Tarot, a self-published deck by Alison Stone. I may also dip into her book of tarot poems (Ordinary Magic), although it wasn't written as a companion book. The oracle I'll be using is the Buddhist Quote Cards, painted and published by Diana Altenburg. I have paired each card with a verse from the Dhammapada (a Buddhist text). Today's draws are Justice and a verse from chapter 32:

That stunning bright red in this Justice card surely speaks to how injustice and inequality creates a passionate reaction in people. When things are greatly imbalanced (and the voices of the affected go unheard), neighborhoods are burned, people are attacked, and chaos ensues. Yet Vanessa Zuisei Goddard offers another perspective: "Remind yourself that anger is just another form of energy; that you can use it to sustain the hard work of caring for whom or what you love." Such energy can be channeled into productive and creative purposes rather than just used destructively. The verse from the Dhammapada is a reminder that it takes honest self-reflection and open-mindedness to achieve Justice's objectivity; recognizing our own ignorance and prejudice is required:

As a smith does with silver, the wise person gradually, bit by bit, moment by moment, removes impurities from herself.