Wise Choices

From the Llewellyn Tarot, Temperance; from the Beasts of Albion, Weasel:

Craving creates tunnel vision: We see only what we yearn for. Mindfulness allows us to see that and much more, giving us the choice not to act on our desires. 

—Joan Duncan Oliver

According to legend, Cantre'r Gwaelod was a low-lying, fertile land fortified against the sea by a dyke with a series of sluice gates that were opened at low tide to drain the land. Seithennin (now known with the subtitle "of the feeble mind") - a drunkard and carouser - was responsible for the sluices. In the first version of the tale, he got drunk and failed to open the gates, flooding the village. In another, he forced himself on the well's guardian, and as a retaliation, the well overflowed and consumed the land. Temperance is a reminder that desires without discernment rarely cultivate good fortune. Weasel has a reputation as a fierce, agile and efficient hunter. He is the "Holder of the Strength of Mind;" the ability to help us focus the mind can help us overcome challenges and avoid dire situations.