Card of the Day: Borage (for Courage)
April 24, 2018 by Thistle in Avalon
To be courageous and daring, you must also be able to forget. If you hold every eventuality in mind, you will never act, and being courageous often require a magnanimity that forgets personal slights or errors in judgement. Going beyond judgement or recrimination, true courage is a brave open-heartedness that restores our confidence in human nature, bringing with it joy and happiness.
On the flip side, while there is a courage that lies in action and fighting for what you believe is right, there is another kind of courage that is less flamboyant and outward. Sometimes it takes more courage to be still and not to act than to take a stand and react openly to a situation. Sadness can come into our lives for many reasons and there is much suffering in the world. If you have chosen this card, it may mean that you are coming to terms with the suffering of life, and Borage urges you to “take heart” – to know that however difficult life appears to be, your heart and soul are growing strong through your experience of being in the world, with all the pain and hardship this might involve.
Caution can sometimes arise out of fear or cowardice, but it is also often wise to be cautious, avoiding impulsive decisions or actions that appear to be courageous but which, in reality, are based on bravado. Choosing this card may also simply indicate that you have forgotten something important. Rosemary, which grows beside Borage in the card, has a reputation for enhancing memory – it might be wise to start drinking rosemary tea!
The Druid Plant Oracle by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, art by Will Worthington