Usually I hold gevurah at a distance, no one likes severity. And judgment sounds so, well, judgmental. But judgment, like the suit of swords in the Tarot deck is about discriminating intelligence. The ability to separate things out and decide between them. This takes a sharp mind. And because separating things is connected to an understanding of law, structure and discipline. So all these ideas are connected. But the Gevurah of Tiferet is the ability to see differences and separate things out with an open heart — fully feeling the pain that separation or judgment can entail. This sounds abstract, but it has important human, personal, implications…
Sometimes we have to separate ourselves from others whose values or behavior can be dangerous to our own spiritual path. We may have a friend who abuses drugs, or alcohol, and who wants to take us down that path. Or perhaps we have been down the path of addiction and have come out of it. In order to remain sober, we must separate ourselves from those who would have us return to old ways. These may be deep relationships of long standing. And making the decision to part hurts. This is one aspect of Gevurah of Tiferet — seeing what must be separated, without disparaging judgment, but with the ability to feel all the emotions around that. Sadness. Grief.
Gevurah is also about limits and boundaries in the way that Chesed is without boundaries. This is also important in Tiferet, because when we come from the place of Tiferet we are showing our wounds openly. Revealing our imperfections and making ourselves vulnerable. The discrimination to set a boundary around this, to know when and where this is a risk that can or should be taken, and when it is inappropriate — this is one of the meditations of this day. Where can I really be more open and vulnerable in my relationships? And where am I being open in a way that isn’t healthy? Questions to consider on the 16th day.
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