The Process

From the Swietlistej Drogi Tarot, the Hanged Man; from the Mirrors of the Heart, Sexuality:

Patience doesn't mean making a pact with the devil of denial, ignoring our emotions and aspirations. It means being wholeheartedly engaged in the process that's unfolding, rather than ripping open a budding flower or demanding a caterpillar hurry up and get that chrysalis stage over with. 

―Sharon Salzberg

The ladder leaning against the tree in this illustration suggests this man has acknowledged his position of powerlessness; he no longer battles what he can't control. Like the caterpillar who wraps itself in a chrysalis in order to transform, he needs time to cultivate a different perspective and gain a broader understanding of what is going on. Patience, watchfulness, and listening with an open mind are what will create his metamorphosis. The Sexuality card encompasses gender identity, orientation, attitudes, and behavior. The great divide between those who accept those who identify as LGBT and those who denounce them squeezes my heart. I long for the day when people are judged by their kindnesses and cruelties rather than their sexuality, but that will take patience, openness and getting to know rather than label others. As Amandla Stenberg put it, “The continual process of unlearning heteronormativity and internalized homophobia can be difficult, but one of the biggest blessings lies in the magic that comes from having to understand love outside the confines of learned heterosexual roles.” I regret that some of the more hardhearted folks might die in their cocoons.