Use Your Anger

Inner Fire Sparks Outer Action

We live in a time where there is constant strife and struggle between polarized factions that want to control us and tell us how we should live our lives. The ugly, hateful, spiteful and cruel may seem louder than ever, but we must never forget that incredible beauty, love, creativity and benevolence are always to be found. We need only look a little deeper.

When the darkness you see in the world incites anger, you can choose to fall into victimhood and despair, or you can use the power of your inner fire and become a trailblazer for something worthy. You can complain and become consumed by your suffering, or you can proactively work to create a better world for everyone. The choice is yours.

Ask yourself what you can do to awaken others to your vision of a better world. Can you write, speak out, plant trees, volunteer or raise awareness for a cause? Are you willing to put your time or money behind your beliefs? Are you ready to take positive action in your family, community or the world?

You are being asked to meet each person where they are and to act with empathy. Even when you disagree, remain open to developing and understanding of perspectives that diverge from your own. By investigating other sides of an argument, we can begin to see the picture more clearly and find ways to breach the divide.

Ask yourself whether it is necessary to change or alter your perspective. Resist the urge to remain stuck in your opinion to the exclusion of reason. Enlightenment only comes to the receptive. Be kinder to yourself and those around you and you will see your perspective expand and your life evolve.

Learn to discern a worthy fight from one where you should put your weapons down. This card asks you to meet your anger with a sense of maturity and to exchange reaction for responsiveness. Become a conscious awakener of others and you will awaken anew.

Healing Practice

To integrate the guidance of this card, you may wish to perform one or both of the following healing practices.

Exercise

Sit comfortably. Place your hands on your liver and take slow, deep breaths. Become aware of any anger stored there or in any other part of your body.

Write down what makes you angry. If it’s how others treat you, ask whether you might be doing anything to incite, invite or encourage that behavior. Be honest with yourself. The only actions you can control are your own, so it’s important to understand how you could be contributing to those situations so you can make any necessary changes.

If your anger is related to an injustice you have witnessed, in person or through media, take several slow breaths and write down all the aspects of the wrongdoing. Ask yourself what you can do to patiently create change related to this event. Can you donate to a cause, volunteer or otherwise use your anger in a productive manner? Be tenacious and committed. Progress takes time.

In the next 48 hours, do something to advance your cause, even is it’s small. Create a plan or mission statement and think deeply about what you want to do and why. Do something every day that makes you feel empowered and transforms your anger into action.

Visualization

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by anger or cannot utilize it productively, shake your body vigorously to release the charge. Visualize the anger as a person with a body and face. It can look human or animalistic. Question this anger and let it offer insights into what is bothering you and the steps you need to take to remedy the situation.