Divine Demons

Betrayal

We come into the world with innocent faith in an unwritten set of rules. Simple rules, like:

Parents love us unconditionally
The world is a safe place
We are worthy just because we exist
People who love us treat us with respect

We have a right to all of the above, but life doesn’t always seem to play by those rules. Experiences sometimes teach us different lessons – lessons that leave us feeling worthless, powerless, and unloved. We stop trusting. We give away our power to others by looking outside ourselves for self-worth. We betray ourselves for love.

Little else cuts deeper into our ability to trust others and trust ourselves, than betrayal. Whether it is betrayal by a spouse or lover, co-worker, business partner, friend or acquaintance, we are left feeling vulnerable, hurt, and ashamed. How could I have been so gullible? What did I do to deserve this? How will I withstand this humiliation? And most importantly, how can I prevent it from happening again?

Betrayal is such a personal assault on our emotions that it lends well to overreaction. Swearing off relationships, holding more tightly to our money, and withholding information are all defensive reactions that may make us feel more secure. But they also make us victims of our fear. And because they aren’t the underlying cause of the issue, they will not prevent betrayal from happening again.

The key is to restore the sense of power and trust that we have lost. By releasing the fears, emotions and beliefs that our experiences have brought, we can recover a sense of love and trust and uncover our true selves. And we will come to know that with or without experiences to back it up, we are worthy of honesty, love, happiness and respect.

When we learn to trust ourselves, we can trust others. If you have drawn this card, you are ready to remove betrayal from your life and restore the love and trust that you deserve.

* * * * *

Consult the book Divine Demons: Reclaiming the Power of Your Destiny for exercises and suggestions for working through this issue.

Return to Pick a Card