That beautiful day when mums get to sleep in and their children bring them toast with a little bit too much Vegemite* spread over the top and gift presents bought at their school Mother’s Day stall, such as chocolates they actually want to eat themselves.
Mums are, of course, represented by this Tarot card…
The death of Prince Phillip, consort to Queen Elizabeth, has made news around the world this week. Let’s dive into the Tarot of this a little bit, shall we?
With his passing, Britain has been plunged into this…
Five of Cups: Mourning
The British press has been united in lauding him…
Knight of Cups: The knight in shining armour
Even though they spent years doing this…
Five of Swords: Sticking in the knives
Prince Phillip was definitely…
The Emperor Reversed: A fallible man (aren’t we all?)
However, he was also…
King of Wands: A man of great achievements
I currently run a Duke of Edinburgh club at the school where I teach. Prince Phillip created this award scheme to encourage personal growth in young people. It has been incredibly successful in this endeavour for many decades, and I am proud to be a part of it.
But perhaps his greatest achievement was this…
The Lovers + Queen of Pentacles: Supporting his wife and queen
It wasn’t easy for him to always walk two steps behind the queen, but he did.
Judgement: Serving a higher good
He had to give up this completely…
The Fool: Freedom to do what he wanted when he wanted
His experience must have felt a lot like this at times…
On Good Friday, we remember the story of Jesus’ death. He was crucified on a cross. Nailed by his hands and feet to the wood. Struggled to draw breath for hours on end. Until eventually he passed away.
It is said that he suffered on that cross so all of us may live. That God loved us so much, he sent his only son to suffer public humiliation and death. This belief is at the very heart of Christianity.
Which seems like a strange notion, when you think about it! Why did Jesus have to die to heal our broken relationship with the divine? Wouldn’t a lifetime of preaching and miracles have been equally as affective?
Traditionally, Good Friday is celebrated by Christians as this…
Five of Cups: A day of mourning
The death on the cross always reminds me of this Tarot card…
The Hanged Man: Waiting for something to shift
Which doesn’t seem a really good fit for the story of Good Friday on the surface. Although it does proceed this card…
Death: Major change
And Jesus’ death did precipitate a major change in world history: It spawned a whole new religion!
But for me, this event feels more like this card…
Judgement: Being called to serve others
The Son of Man himself did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).
Sacrifice was an important notion in the ancient world. A central creed. By the prehistorical era, it had been twisted into acts of animal, and even, human sacrifice. Jesus’ death was the ultimate example of this. But before we lost our memory of the origins of human civilisation, back when we lived in the forest and worshipped in the cave, it wasn’t an obligation imposed by our gods. It was an act of appreciation. A nod of recognition to the plants and animals that gave their lives in our food, so that we may live.
This was the original meaning of reconciliation.
Our ancestors wrestled with the knowledge that our lives came at the cost of others. To resolve that conflict they maintained an attitude of gratitude towards every creature that provided support and nourishment for humanity. Created customs to formalise that acknowledgement. Life is a great gift. And when we lived in nature, we were much more cognisant of that fact.
Which puts me in mind of this card…
The Magician: Having attitude
When we appreciate the magic of our very existence in this universe, when we treat every being on this planet, beit animal, plant or mineral, with respect, we will find ourselves on a richer and more fulfilling path.
Despite terrible reviews, I’m a big fan of the apocalyptic Netflix show, ‘The Rain’. In the penultimate episode of the entire series, my favourite character, Martin, bit the dust.
He reminded me a lot of my last boyfriend.
Six of Cups: Remembering happy times
Only better!
Knight of Cups: The ideal man
However, my mini-breakdown wasn’t about the character on tv, or even the old boyfriend.
It was about this..
The Fool + Two of Cups: The possibility of relationship
I was distressed that his partner lost the chance to grow old with him.
Which was a reflection of my distress at not having a life partner like him myself.
This is a classic example of this card…
Three of Swords: Opening old wounds
For no good reason, I felt consumed by grief.
Five of Cups: Crying over what you’ve lost, despite the good things in your life
The Three of Swords comes up when you’re reminded of a loss.
Even though you’ve done this…
Eight of Cups: Well and truly moved on
In fact, you feel like this…
Nine of Pentacles: Very content with your life
We all carry wounds in our hearts.
The longer we’ve lived, the more knives to the chest we’ve experienced.
People we’ve loved and lost.
Times when we were hurt deeply.
The important thing is not to be over-whelmed by these injuries.
Not to do this…
King of Cups Reversed: Drown your sorrows
Or this…
Six of Cups Reversed: Lose yourself in nostalgia or fantasy
Or even this…
The Moon Reversed: Succumb to a drug fuelled haze.
I’ve just finished mainlining series two of ‘The Walking Dead’. Seeing as how I can’t get those zombies out of my head I thought we might explore the Tarot of this television show.