Columbine = ADDICTION “Just when things are going so well -”

This flower is named for an eagle’s claw because of its unusually spurred flower. The Columbine was treasured by Shakespeare and American Indians as both a funeral adornment and a delicious condiment; but owing to its cousinhood to Deadly Nightshade its leaves and root can be fatally poisonous. This dual history of desire/danger makes The Columbine representational of addiction: substances we desire which are dangerous in quantity or just plain not good for us. Word to the wise: Beware.

Why poison ourselves? Especially now, when we have someone to share souls with. Perhaps that’s exactly why. Our toy-box of pleasures is quite pathetically small. We are wired for addictions, with a biological view to turning such basic pursuits for food, mating and recreation subconscious so we can use the front of our mind to think about other things.

But if the addictions are destructive (and not all of them are!) they crowd out human flourishing and ruin both sharing and our ability to share. “I want to feel pleasure with you” becomes, “Let’s cycle through my tragic past of suffering before I found you.” Not good. To get out of this mess we cultivate the gift of change, of evolution. We will share and learn to tolerate discomfort. Hold tight. Often the addictions gained their grip over us because we were seeking to escape change or discomfort! The good news it, it’s never too late. The better news is, this is one of the life-transforming experiences to share with a soulmate and if you have no soulmate yet, here’s a crucial step to getting yourself ready to present to the world as the Real, the Essential, the True You.

The Columbine card says: look for help. Set up a program and a feedback system for accountability and efficiency and spiritual support for the inevitable withdrawal that’s coming. It’s only giving birth to your stronger, better, best self. You know it’s time.

#HAIKU: The Columbine

Gambler’s inferno
Dissolves will
Slavery
Wrecks pleasure-
Luck? Loss?
Choose.