For the April 'poem a day' challenge this year, I'm writing haibun to explore and reflect on my new Tarot deck, Forests of Enchantment.
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This Devil card is called The Liar. His lies are seductive, to entice you off the path, and reassuring, to still your doubts about going astray. Yes, that seems like a fitting description of the Devil.
Pagans such as me like to regard him as ‘an invention of Christians’ (in reaction to those who mistakenly suppose we worship him). However, we can still acknowledge the existence of temptation – which comes to us all, often repeatedly.
The traditional Devil card is often seen as denoting excessive materialism. He holds two humans chained around their necks. They don’t seem to realise the chains are loose; they could choose to lift them off at any time, if only they allowed themselves to know that. Is it we ourselves who tell us the lies?
The text here says, ‘You must chose to escape, for he will never let you go of his own accord.’ It's much the same thing: we must take that step to cast off the chain. First we need to face and accept the truth.
I’ve done it twice. One thing this card can mean is addiction. Decades ago I faced the fact I was drinking heavily. I was immediately able to change to occasional social drinking – by which I knew, thankfully, I had not yet become an alcoholic.
A different story with nicotine – my real addiction! I started at 16, and stopped at 49. Before that I tried a number of times and ways. I'd go all right for a while – even as long as two months – then someone would offer me a fag at a party and I’d think, ‘I can take it or leave it’. Oh no! It's like being alcoholic: one was too many, a hundred not enough.
Finally I found Smoke-enders, an eight-week course put together by behavioural psychologists, addressing it on many fronts and weaning people gradually. I never relapsed. That’s 34 years ago – but I know I must never have another, not even one puff.
Temptation can be strong, addiction stronger. I can see why some personify the Devil.
chocolate
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