Don't Take It Personally

This week I'll be using the Shadowscapes Tarot, created by Stephanie Pui-mun Law.  The companion book was a collaborative effort between Stephanie and Barbara Moore.  Today's card is the Eight of Cups:

A mermaid swims away from a tumbling swirl of cups while holding one chalice in her hands.  The Eight of Cups involves realizing a situation is dysfunctional or unfulfilling and choosing to move away from it.  The swirls in this image remind me of relationships that at first seem like an innocent little eddy but quickly became a powerful whirlpool that pulls me under.  Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, offers "Don't take anything personally" as number two in his list of four.  He writes: "Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own dream, in their own mind; they are in a completely different world from the one you live in."  I don't have to choose to stay in their world, I can move on - after all, I have my own to live in.

     The oracle I'll be using this week is a set of cedar Elder Futhark Runes that were carved by Alaska Laser Maid on Etsy.com.  The book I'll be using along with them is The Serpent and the Eagle by Chris Travers.  My draw this morning is "Raido/Raidho:"

        Riding

joy of the horsemen
and speedy journey
and toil of the steed.
(English translation of the Norwegian Rune Poem)

It's quite obvious by reading the poem that this rune implies traveling, but it might refer to physical movement or a lifestyle change.  The "speedy journey" encourages me to get moving down the road, rather than stand around and ponder the mysteries of life.  The last line however is a caution to remember that the world does not revolve around me.  There are others who sacrifice their time and effort for me, and I in turn should repay their kindness.