A Universal Experience

From the Tarot of the Enchanted Forest, Black Shuck (Death); from the Mushroom Spirit Oracle, Split Gill:

Black Shuck is a spectral dog-like being with glowing eyes that is the portent of death. A warning by W.A. Dutt in 1901 reads: "You will do well to shut your eyes if you hear him howling; shut them even if you are uncertain whether it is the dog fiend or the voice of the wind you hear." Unfortunately, life doesn't care if you have your eyes shut - loss comes to everyone in a variety of forms. Sometimes it is a small thing like a sentimental figure that is broken; these little griefs are practice for the deeper ones. Split Gill is a mushroom with unique gills which appear to be split lengthwise. When conditions are moist, the slits open and allow spores to fall to the ground, but during dry periods, the gills curve inward, which protects the spore-producing surfaces. It is a fungus that knows how to adapt. Psychologist Mary-Frances O'Connor explains that grieving is a form of adaptive learning for how to be in the world without the thing or person we love. "Grief is a universal experience," she notes, "and when we can connect, it is better." We're all going to need to extend or receive compassion at some point, so let's start practicing now.