Not My Wishes

From the Prairie Tarot, Temperance; from the Medicine Cards, Prairie Dog:

If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation. 

—Epictetus

This apothecary knows that only the right balances of tinctures make the medicine. Too much or too little might do more harm than good. I have a friend who is making some horrible life choices. I have gone through a range of emotions, from wanting to rage, wanting to fix or simply ignoring her (aversion, attachment, ignorance - the Three Poisons in Buddhism). Prairie Dog signals that it is time for rest and an internal quest. Self-awareness helps me understand what I can and can't control. Restraint allows me to recognize any reaction would be wasted energy and completely useless. The words of Jack Kornfield keep coming back to me: "The happiness and suffering of others depend on their actions and not my wishes for them."

I'm All In

From the Prairie Tarot, the Four of Swords; from the Medicine Cards, Prairie Dog:

          I would like to say age has made me wiser about burning the candle at both ends, but I think it is just that it has become a physical impossibility. I had a rollercoaster kind of day yesterday that began with attending to some emotional people and ended with linemen replacing my power lines to the house at 8 pm. Two years ago, damage by squirrels caused a power surge that resulted in a house fire. This time when I noticed the same weird things as before, I was able to be proactive. Prairie Dog's message is about retreat because of its swift withdrawal to its tunnel when danger is about. A description from the book reads: "[This] medicine teaches that strength and inspiration can be found by retreating into the stillness that quiets the mind." As poker players say, I'm all in.