monday
My card this morning. At first glance I thought, wow - didn't need to see this today! But according to most tarot meanings Death isn't a bad card - it doesn't mean literal death. It means change. End of the old and beginning of the new.
From biddytarot.com - lots of good thoughts on the meaning of the card:
The Death card is probably the most feared and misunderstood of all the cards in the Tarot deck. Just the mention of the card’s name has people shaking in their boots! In general, people tend to take the meaning of this card far too literally and fear that the indication is for the death of either themselves or others. Relax! The card of Death can be one of the most fruitful and positive cards in the deck.
Death is symbolic of the ending of a major phase or aspect of your life that may bring about the beginning of something far more valuable and important. You must close one door in order to open another. You need to put the past behind you and part ways, ready to embrace new opportunities and possibilities. It may be difficult to let go of the past at times but you will soon see how important it is so that you can bring renewal and transformation into your life. If you resist these necessary endings, you may experience pain, both emotionally and physically but if you exercise your creative imagination and visualize a new possibility, you allow more constructive patterns to emerge.
Similarly, Death indicates a time of significant transformation, change and transition. You need to profoundly transform yourself and clear away any of the old in order to bring in the new. Any change at this time should be welcomed as a positive, cleansing, transformative force in your life. The death and clearing away of limiting factors can open the door to a wider, more satisfying experience of life.
The Death card contains elements of a sudden and unexpected change. You may feel as though you are caught in the path of sweeping change and cannot escape its effects. Though the immediate thought is toward the negative, an end need not mean failure. The loss could be a series of unexpected surprises that bring an end to a period of turmoil or problems. You feel you can no longer go along with the status quo and want things to change radically. Many changes are going to take place to enable a new direction to emerge.
Finally, Death is an indication that you need to learn to let go of unhealthy attachments in your life to pave the way to a fuller, more fulfilled life of deeper meaning and significance. Death teaches you to let go of outworn and outgrown ways of life and move forward. This is a perfect card to use to break a bad habit or pattern of behaviour. This is a time of eliminating excess and cutting out what is not necessary in your life. This may be a good time to purge old belongings, memories and ‘baggage’ that is getting in your way.
Candy has a thing that she says frequently - we have many lives. I had my life as a protected child, as a rebellious teenager which morphed into me as a druggy hippy in my 20's, as a better mother and new wife getting counseling and learning about myself in my 30's and 40's, as a revitalized artist and writer during the time Sister Circle was in its prime, then as a caregiver without much of a life outside the house (but still having a rich inner life), and my latest life: as a free and active semiretired person getting out in nature. But perhaps now these health problems are saying I will be starting a new life. It is scary making changes. I drew the image as me holding Death and Death is looking forward. I am trying to see through the eyes of Death. Not that I will necessarily be dying soon but now might be the time to start to live with Death as my companion. Live life with the thought in the back of my mind that I am mortal. There isn't much time (really - even if I was to live another 20 years - that isn't much time). Be kinder, be more encouraging to others, laugh more, do more things that I love to do.
Anyway - had a nice Easter day yesterday. Was very busy - we had 12 people over for dinner - the regular family plus David Z and his little sister Lori. It rained some but it was a warm day and we could sit out on the back porch. We opened the windows of the house - felt like summer is nearly here. I was aware of Death at my side so I was savoring things more than ever. Maybe that will be the benefit of this cancer and heart condition scare - it will help me to savor life and the people in my life more.
I go to see my regular PC doctor for a follow up today - though I won't be seeing him - it will be his physician's assistant Heather who I have never met before. I hope to find out more about what is going on. I need to get busy and get ready to go...