February Affirmation: I manifest divine love and light
from the temple of my heart to everyone I meet.
As we continue our journey through the major arcana of the tarot, our next stop is the card traditionally called Strength. This is one of my favorite cards and it carries the energy of Daniel in the lion’s den. This card is all about courage and faith and trust. But even more importantly, it is about the strength of love. How many of us have felt that we were walking into a den of lions or even putting our head in a lion’s mouth? This is one of the ultimate tests of faith and we discover that our source of strength is within, not without.
In the Inner Child Cards, this card is symbolized by Beauty and the Beast. In the story, Beauty learns that the strength of love comes from within her heart, not from the illusions of the external world. How often are we blind to the reality of love because of our preconceptions and biases. We choose love only when it matches with our cultural stereotypes but when we have the courage and strength to go beyond what our physical eyes see to what our heart can feel, we move into the deeper level of love. This is the love that can sustain us in the “lion’s den” of life, when the darkness surrounds us and the alligators are gathering and snapping their jaws. When everything looks bleakest, we learn that love is still alive and well.
In 2010 thirty-three miners were trapped underground in Chili. You may remember the incredible story of their rescue after over two months. All of them came forth alive! How did they survive? In their darkest moments, they said they relied on their strong inner faith and each other. While those above them worked desperately to find a way to bring them into the light, they found their own light in the darkness. That strength and faith and love is so needed in this moment in the world around us. I would challenge you today to find a way to touch at least one person with your love and your positive faith. Know that the light is real and will manifest in our world once again. Share this knowing with everyone you meet. Stand strong in love and faith, and know that you are safe, you are blessed, you are Light and Love.
And remember: “In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”
Albert Camus
Loving Mother/Father God, we look to you for an example of what love can be. We know that you hold us always in your loving embrace. Open our hearts to the wondrous ecstatic risk of love. Show us how to love others as you love us; without conditions, without counting the cost, without expecting anything in return. Only by giving ourselves away in love can we hope to find ourselves. So it is.
