Full of Sound and Fury

From the Deirdre of the Sorrows Tarot, the Page of Swords:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

~ William Shakespeare, Macbeth

This Page of Swords, dressed in a knight costume, made me think of how we humans love to spout our opinions to the world.  We like to feel smart, important and worth listening to - no wonder Facebook is so popular.  Unfortunately all that intellectual spewing (whether about politics, religion, or people who are different) just serves to divide us rather than heal and unite us.  I was discussing with my husband about his back-and-forth comments he posts on a friend's page and had an epiphany.  We look at people who think differently from us and see them as completely opposite from ourselves.  But what we don't realize is that we are all standing on a circle; it appears we are on conflicting sides because they are across from us, yet we are on one circle.  We may be further apart on the arc than others who stand closer to us, but still we are all on the same circle.  I need to remember to focus on this connection the next time I want to pop off with some opinionated blather.

From the Victorian Flower Oracle comes "Nasturtium:"

These two nasturtiums mourn the loss of their companion, who was probably dug up to put in a salad or used in a herbal remedy.  The creators give this card the keywords "Sad Memories" to represent those regrets we have in life of things said that can't be taken back and words unspoken.  I know that feeling well.  My stepdad (who I consider my dad) died quite unexpectedly right before the holidays several years ago.  I grieved not only losing him but all the times I neglected to tell him how much I appreciated him.  I can't control the summons of death, but I can control my tongue, and use it to encourage and heal rather than to hurt.