The In-Between

From the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Six of Wands; from the Dreaming in Color Deck, Upheaval:

          These two cards seem to be polar opposites, one representing victory and success and the other disruption and insecurity.  Actually they are two sides of the same circle that life moves in, we just like to try to separate and divide them because we like one and not the other. As Pema Chodron explains, "To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest." It would be easier if we could view these phases as natural occurrences, like when the hot water in the shower eventually runs out and starts getting cold. However, our preferences often keep us stuck. Perhaps even scarier is that place of limbo, when we don't know what comes next. Yet as Chodron explains, this is our training ground:

Holding the paradox is not something any of us will suddenly be able to do. That’s why we’re encouraged to spend our whole lives training with uncertainty, ambiguity, and insecurity. To stay in the middle prepares us to meet the unknown without fear; it prepares us to face both our life and our death. The in-between state—where moment by moment the warrior finds himself learning to let go—is the perfect training ground.