The Feel of Freedom

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Tower; from the Archetype Cards, the 'Visionary:'

          In this particular Tower, St. Croix has placed the the Hindu deity Shiva inside. Shiva is known as the destroyer, a duty that is meant to liberate rather than punish. When life gets overwhelming or full of fear, it's easy to look for ways to protect ourselves. A behavior or attitude that proves comforting at the time can turn into a habitual pattern; it gives the illusion of safety but actually imprisons us. It's Shiva's job to break down our ignorance and denial by reminding us what freedom feels like. The Visionary is a person who can imagine themselves or a situation in a different place in the future. Most people have hopes for what is to come, but these could be fit inside a thimble because of self-imposed parameters. We want things to turn out a certain way and no other, which if we get attached to that idea will put us right back behind the Tower's walls. Life can't be forced into a small frame, because it will always be larger than our little thimble.

We are called to see each arising of our day not as a threat, but as an opportunity—a chance to open our arms, lay down our weapons, and surrender to this exact moment of our life.

—Reginald Ray