A Clearing

From the Anna K Tarot, the Emperor; from the Meditation Cards, "Self-reflection:"

The Emperor is described as being devoted to "stability, structure, and discipline." Is it any wonder that his mind is filled with strategy, plans and laws? He's good at organizing, securing and protecting, but his focus often forgets that there are humans with feelings involved in all of it. While some hard decisions might require emotional detachment, it's easy to get stuck defining "what's best" exclusively with personal viewpoints. The Self-reflection card suggests a way to get out of this rut:

Take away your opinion, then what? What is left? That is the point. Take away your opinion—your condition, situation—then your mind is clear like space.

—Zen Master Seung Sahn

Seeing the Light, Taking Action

From the Anna K Tarot, Judgment; from the Meditation Cards, 'Self-reflection:'

          Judgment signifies rising from the dark into the light, not in a religious sense, but as a type of awakening. Yet it goes beyond personal insight; it motivates us to take this awareness out into the world in order to give support and expose injustices. Those without courage best stay in the dark. It doesn't mean we have to fix anything or anyone. As Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche explains, "We cannot eliminate all of the challenges or obstacles in life—our own or anyone else’s. We can only learn to rise to the occasion and face them."
          Self-reflection isn't merely self-indulgent contemplation but a look at where we are missing the mark, where we have failed to see from a wide perspective. The quote for this card comes from Dzigar Kongtrül:

Self-reflection is the key to marrying our intention to specific actions.

Checking our intentions is important. Are we simply acting because we are angry and want to be confrontational? Are we disguising help that is actually subtle manipulation to make things the way we want them to be? To create something beneficial with our actions, they need to be tethered to wisdom and compassion.