Gibbering Madhouse

This week I'll be using the Tarot of Mystical Moments, created by Catrin Welz-Stein and published by U.S. Games. Paired with it will be the Inner Eye Oracle, created by Steven Bright and published by Red Feather. Today's draws are the Ace of Swords and the Three of Hearts:

Your mind is a shrieking gibbering madhouse on wheels barreling pell-mell down the hill utterly out of control and hopeless. No problem. You are not crazier than you were yesterday. It has always been this way and you just never noticed. ― Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

We often assume the mind is our ally, but actually it is just a collection of knowledge, an endless fount of ideas, a holder of our memories and the keeper of our emotional patterns. For it to become a help rather than a hindrance, we must be aware of its thoughts, question what it tells us, and compare it to reality. We then must learn to steer it towards a beneficial focus and away from worrying rumination or excessive emotional impulses. The mind becomes a friend when it is trained to respond rather than reflexively react. The Three of Hearts is illustrated with a locket, signifying memories. Reminiscing about the past can be helpful in preventing us from making the same mistake over and over, or if our mood needs a little boost, by remembering a pleasurable moment. Yet there are some memories that poke our old pains and grievances and simply cause suffering. For those, we should take Shunryu Suzuki's advice: "Let thoughts come and go. Just don't serve them tea."