Neither Punishment nor Reward

This week I'll be using the Norse Tarot, created by Clive Barrett and published by U.S. Games. I'll also be using the Viking Lenormand, created and self-published by my friend Carole Beasley. The draws this morning are the Prince of Discs and the Child:

Everything that ends is also the beginning of something else. Pain is not a punishment; pleasure is not a reward. ―Pema Chödrön

This Prince stands in front of what's left of a burial mound. Feeling a deep connection to earth and nature, he is aware of the seasons and the cycles of birth and death. He does not expect grains to grow in the dead of winter; neither does he expect them to continue to grow after being harvested. The Prince understands that the force that moves the circle of life is independent and does not take sides. The Child represents fresh starts and innocence. In this case, it points to embracing the truth that both pain and pleasure are inherent in life. To recognize that all beings are subject to these states can keep us from grasping or hatred, which only serve to forge man-made suffering.