I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Cycles of Completion and Starting Anew

From the Golden Dawn Tarot, the Five of Pentacles:
A hand holds the trunk of a flowering tree; the flowers on each of the branches seem to be losing their petals.  Here in the South, the dogwood trees have been blooming for several weeks, thanks to an early spring.  But now the petals are beginning to fall, leaving the ground looking like we've had a light snow.  But as the flowers fall, the new leaves will come out.  In the autumn, the leaves will fall, but the red berries will appear.  After the birds have eaten them all in the winter, the cycle starts over again in the spring.  For the dogwood, it does not rely on just its flowers; likewise, I need to remember not to put all my eggs in one basket or isolate myself by burning all my bridges.  Hopefully the trunk of the tree in this card has deep roots that will aid and sustain it as it begins its next cycle.

     From The Circle comes "Completion:"
A lone hiker has reached the top of a mountain, and pauses to look at the view below.  What will he do now?  He can't stay up there forever - eventually he'll have to hike down and find another challenge.  This card reminds me of some of the jocks and cheerleaders in high school who enjoyed being popular and admired by other students.  But what happens when they graduate?  Will they be lost, wondering what to do with their adult lives?  I am reminded by this image that life moves in circles and phases; while I can enjoy completing some part of my life, I must move on to the next cycle. 

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