Here I am, on a quiet Sunday evening, reflecting on the ace of swords.
Earlier this afternoon I came across an interesting post , you can see it here Beth Owl’s Daughter
I enjoy silence. I love candles, so I jumped at the opportunity to try the simple ritual she suggested.
Her reference to The five agreements didn’t hurt either, since I am a big fan of Don Miguel Ruiz.
My post is not about the exercise, rather the thoughts that it inspired.
So here I am reflecting on the ace of swords.
This ace represents the potential of the element of air, clarity of thinking.
As suggested, I started by pondering over darkness.
Fears and negative thoughts came to my mind and how they express into our world.
The greed of many, being the cause of so much suffering.
Big profit at the expense of nature. Huge oil spills that barely make the news.
Mass exploitation of animals for the sake of cheap food and big profit.
Selfish people using their position of power to exploit others sexually.
Ego trips and greed making corruption possible and resulting in the suffering of so many.
Wars, ethnic cleansing, religious fanatics, racism.
A sea of people abandoning their lands, their homes, stuck in refugee camps, drowning attempting to reach Europe, or sold at markets in Libya.
Earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes 2017 has seen all these aspects of misery.
Darkness seems to be everywhere.
So many good causes are competing for our signatures, our voice, financial contribution.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed and just give up. What difference does it make? I cannot help them all.
True, but I can help some and make a difference in somebody’s life.
I like the idea of lighting my candle, knowing others are lighting theirs.
A single light in the dark can be seen from far away. A single spark can ignite a fire.
As I light my candle I ask myself what can I do today, tomorrow and for the next four weeks?
I can be inspired by the ace of air to try to be objective in my thinking.
I can examine information carefully so that I can learn to distinguish between fact and propaganda.
I can ask questions when I am in doubt and avoid assumptions and misunderstandings.
I can speak my truth when I see injustice and unfairness.
I can ask people what are their intentions, goals and motives.
I can question their justifications. I can also examine my thoughts, words and actions. I can explore where my values come from.
Do my actions support my words? If not, why?
I can learn to speak with integrity by recognizing the power of my words and the effect they have on others and myself.
I can chose to say only what I mean and am ready to support with my actions.
What about you?
Are you going to light your candle?