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

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Fear vs. Love

From the Revised New Art Tarot, Death; from the Viking Lenormand, "Bear:"
          The booklet speaks of the "irresistible impulse of Nature;" the physical realm wears down, breaks and dies. There are endings that keep pace with the beginnings. Yet the authors claim this is only "reabsorption" - what is destroyed is form but not life. Matter moves to spirit (the square merging with the triangle). I've always viewed Death as symbolic, but seeing it this morning gave me a jolt. My mother-in-law (age 94) had a fall last night and is now in the hospital. It is a tenuous thread from which we dangle in this physical world. Yet the she-bear shows up and reminds me of the strength of love, of the sturdy shoulders that can carry weight that would otherwise seem impossible. As Omid Safi expressed, "the path of love is not being impervious to fear. It is simply the stubborn refusal to let fear have the last word."

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9 comments:

  1. EllenMarch 7, 2015 at 8:50 AM

    Beautiful quote! I do hope you MIL will fully recover Often bear is also a symbol of the strength of a mother. The thread can be thin but is often also very resilient.
    Hugs

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    1. thesycamoretreeMarch 7, 2015 at 9:37 AM

      Yes, I was very happy to see Bear show up! We feared she had broken a hip, but it appears it was a tailbone. Which is not good, but MUCH better than if she had a pelvic fracture.

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  2. Sharyn Mallow WoerzMarch 7, 2015 at 9:38 AM

    death appears as a gardener with a hoe in this version

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    1. thesycamoretreeMarch 7, 2015 at 11:58 AM

      Completely missed that connection. :) Probably why the authors talk about reabsorption (back to the soil to regrow something else).

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    2. EllenMarch 7, 2015 at 12:03 PM

      So we both missed something today :D

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  3. UnknownMarch 8, 2015 at 8:30 PM

    We have similar topics today Bev. I drew the Page of Cups and entitled it Love Vs Ego. Sure hope your mum-in-law recuperates without too much problem or pain. <3

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    1. thesycamoretreeMarch 9, 2015 at 6:41 AM

      Thank you Catherine. :) I'm afraid her injuries and health are a bit worse than were originally thought. She's got a battle ahead.

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  4. Inner WhispersMarch 9, 2015 at 11:28 AM

    In the face of sad trials, there is always much to be organised. Maybe not the greatest job, but a necessary one. Thank goodness for the Bear's strength.

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    1. thesycamoretreeMarch 9, 2015 at 12:13 PM

      I think the organization and attention to those details are one thing that can keep me sane during such times!

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