Carved Cup

From the Hidden Realm, the Nine of Swords; from the Heart of Faerie Oracle, the Lady of the Forest:

Moore describes this young fairy as someone who has been running and fighting for so long, she has forgotten what stillness and rest was like. I think anyone who has been through a traumatic experience knows what it is like to have an overly sensitive, inner trip wire. Nearly everything can trigger us, causing a fight, flight or freeze response. Our survival instinct keeps us from seeing that not everything that sets us off is an actual threat. The Lady of the Forest symbolizes the feminine, embodying the characteristics of creativity, compassion, connection, courage and receptivity. She would likely tell this fairy that what she is running from is the threat within her mind, not something tangible that surrounds her. Perhaps with the help of a therapist, she could learn some self-soothing techniques and train her mind to listen to her body with gentleness and intimacy. 

The “mud” and mess of our most painful experiences can become the fertile ground for the blossoming of our understanding and self-compassion. This is a hard truth to accept if we are resolved to seeing a good life as consisting only of positive events. It is true that the cool waters of happiness are sweet and precious, but it is suffering that carves our cup.  —Sister Dang Nghiem

Don't Fish for Worries

From the Tarot of Hidden Realm, Temperance; from the Heart of Faery Oracle, the "Lady of the Forest:"

Usually when I draw my cards in the morning, I pause and think, "What is the most important thing for me to attend to today?" But after a drama-filled week and an emotional drenching last night, I just had one thought, "Help." It wasn't too surprising that I got Temperance; her two cups are full of symbolism for me. One represents all the good things I wish for those that I love and care about. The other represents all those painful, overwhelming situations I would prefer they would never have to deal with. But this fairy shows me quite plainly that life is a mix of the good and the bad - no one gets one cup without the other. Yet even as the water rushes by, advice is implied by her firmly planted feet on the stones. Stay grounded in what is real, deal with what is happening now, and don't fish for worries in the future.
The Lady of the Forest represents the Feminine; she doesn't run from emotions, she embraces them. She suggests that I stop using up all my energy to try to make things disappear that I don't want to deal with. Instead, in that quiet, still place of acceptance, I may find an intuitive answer in dealing with what is.