Psalm 23, KJV
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
The Good Shepherd
“. . . the Good Shepherd aspect of the Self leads the open and responsive ego to the water of life [the still waters]. The necessary descent into the unconscious is part of the encounter with that water—it’s a night-sea journey. Although it is experienced in part as going through the valley of the shadow of death, one learns by that experience that the helpful aspect of the Self is encountered there. [Jung quotes Holderlin], ‘Wherever danger is, there grows also the rescuing power.’ So it is in the valley of the shadow of death that you encounter the Good Shepherd aspect of the Self” (The Sacred Psyche: A Psychological Approach to the Psalms by Edward F. Edinger, p.73).
Evil Resides There
Trading is dangerous. You can lose a tremendous amount of money in five minutes or less and with the money goes your self-esteem. Oh sure, tight stops can minimize the extent of the loss, but tight stops can also minimize the potential gain. Trading is risk . . . personified. It is the walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And evil resides there. However, so does God.
Goodness Shall Follow Me
God appears in the valley of the shadow of death as comforter . . . protector. God makes His appearance because of the danger, because of your great need. God will strengthen parts of your personality as well as your intuition in order to help safely navigate the valley of death. God will provide you with courage and faith to help you make this perilous journey. And if you follow God’s guidance implicitly, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow [you] all the days of [your] life: and [you] will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”