And Now, Begin Again

From the Victoria Regina Tarot, the Nine of Coins; from the Alchemist Oracle, 'Birth:'

          Maybe it is the arc of pocket-watches or simply the woman feeding the birds, but my first thought about this card was 'retirement.' In this illustration there is a sense of being unhurried and relaxed, rather than being 'on the clock.' There is a calm, confident self-reliance about this woman who obviously had done well for herself financially. But what she doesn't have around her is a few solid friends to enjoy this time with. The Birth card suggests that it is time to grow something new in her life, to expand in other areas that may have taken a back seat due to work or simply the duties of daily life. In the words of Anais Nin: "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Perhaps it's time to courageously seek out and explore some of those new worlds.