Fear is Failure

I have been thinking a lot about fear lately because the emotion is a mechanism for anger. I really do not have a lot of fears, at least I don't think I do. Perhaps, I have been desensitized. I am not extremely cautious about the things I do but I do prescribe to "calculated risks". For a recent tarot class, I came across four wands, all court cards. My analysis of fear and calculated risks has been so extensive that it showed up in my interpretation of the cards, which was the process of empowering oneself to preclude fear. The example of the martial arts came to mind. If one has a fear of being physically attacked, they could learn the martial arts. They could become so good at it that they make the discipline into something with their own style. After the process, the fear of being physically attacked is eliminated. I guess empowerment is the key to preclude fear. In my last post, I mentioned a particular means of empowerment, a voice.

Now, as I travel my Path, I tend to look for what I call "messages from the God/dess". It's typically little snippets of wisdom that contain a common word or concept that are spoken by a friend/family member, written on a billboard, posted to somebody's blog or any manner of places. Since I have a freakish memory for processes, I can usually connect the dots. The message usually screams at me for attention and hits me with a clue by far right across my head, "WOMP!!" "OW!!! That hurt!!" My mentors also have a tendency to say things too. Here are a summary of my "fear" quotes, which culminated with a reference to the last quote in a friend's blog today.

"Fear is failure"

“Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt First Inaugural Address

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” -Yoda

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. -Ambrose Redmoon

"and they were afraid to come near him." --Exodus 34:29-30
"...a warm smile works well for a veil" -Frater Rufus Opus

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain" -Frank Herbert, Dune Series

I think that PRETTY much sums up the wands tarot court cards...

Today, a significant change also occurred in my life. One that I could only deal with by facing my fear of something. My on-going legal battles completely halted as a result of it. I still need to Work on the issue more but I THINK I am heading in the right direction.