Living by Vow

From the Animal Totem Tarot, the Devil; from the Blum/Gern Rune Cards, Algiz:

I guess a man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, and then steps in it.

―John Steinbeck

How many times have we made a vow - that we would or wouldn't do a particular thing - then find ourselves blowing up that promise spectacularly? We are easily triggered to slip back into old habits. But from the Buddhist point of view, vows are not something that we do perfectly; we just keep heading toward the horizon even though we'll never reach it. As Koshin Paley Ellison put it, "A vow is about the shape we give our life. Living by vow is a place of practice." Algiz is a rune of protection. Blum writes that the spiritual warrior must not collapse into the highs or lows of emotions. If we can be mindful rather than swept away, we'll keep heading toward the horizon.