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

Monday, April 13, 2015

Drowning Victim

From the Tarot of the Masters, the Eight of Cups; from the Key to the Kingdom deck, the "Queen of Diamonds:"
          The man in the Eight of Cups appears to be in agony. Whoever or whatever he chose to leave was obviously not an easy decision. I inexplicably had a flash of being certified as a lifeguard many years ago. One of the things the instructor kept impressing upon us was not to let our emotional response to someone in trouble result in us drowning too. Victims will often try to climb on top of their rescuer, pushing them under water. Not everyone can be saved; sometimes the only positive action you can take is to save yourself.
O Looking-Glass creatures," quoth Alice, "draw near!
'Tis an honour to see me, a favour to hear,
'Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea
Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen and me! Me! Me!
Then fill up the glasses with treacle and ink,
Or anything else that is pleasant to drink:
Mix sand with the cider, and wool with the wine -
And welcome Queen Alice with ninety-times-nine!
Thirty-times-three and ninety-times-nine!
Meeuwissen pairs the Queen of Diamonds card with a song from Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass. Alice, finding herself a queen, hears this song being sung. But she never said those words in the song, which makes her out to be a self-centered loon. Honest communication is a huge part of all my relationships, whether with family or friends. It is the raft that keeps us afloat, even when life gets complicated. It makes no sense to get sucked under trying to make a friendship or partnership work without it.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

8 comments:

  1. EllenApril 13, 2015 at 9:57 AM

    This post reminds me of the tragedy in China where a whole family drowned trying to save their daughter/sister. None of them were strong swimmers but tried to rescue the girl nonetheless when she fell in the water. Sometimes you just can't help yourself to do something desperate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thesycamoretreeApril 13, 2015 at 10:14 AM

      It made me think of parents or friends of addicts and alcoholics who try to "save" them.

      Delete
    2. EllenApril 13, 2015 at 10:26 AM

      Although they cannot it is so hard to let go

      Delete
  2. Sharyn Mallow WoerzApril 13, 2015 at 10:05 AM

    Alice as loon, my first laugh of the day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thesycamoretreeApril 13, 2015 at 10:16 AM

      I suppose some of the looniness of her associates couldn't help but rub off. :D

      Delete
  3. UnknownApril 14, 2015 at 9:06 AM

    I guess that dude like Persephone is headin' on down to the underworld. Doesn't wanna go. Who does? He's pretty darned depressed because he won't be coming back with out some kind of transformation, hopefully a good one. We've all been in this state of mind were we have to let go. No one is going to rescue us but ourselves. For sure panic is a killer.

    Never heard of Alice the Loon. I know of Alice the Goon, from the Popeye cartoon, lives on an Island, got a big head and arms. Just roams around aimlessly, repeating "I love Popeye!" She wasn't a good communicator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thesycamoretreeApril 14, 2015 at 9:35 AM

      She's Alice from "Through the Looking-Glass." :)
      Persephone is a good example of going down that solitary road!

      Delete
    2. UnknownApril 14, 2015 at 11:00 AM

      Not from Goon Island!? lol I loved 'Through The Looking Glass', first book I ever read on my own and my favourite as a kid. I was always trying and wishing to jump into a mirror!

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)