Birth, Death, Rebirth (Fool, Death, Judgement). Let’s explore beginnings, endings, and starting again. I love this cycle. As we near the darkest days of the year, knowing that they will, yes, get longer yet again (good ole’ Sun, always comes back!), we contemplate shifts in our darkest depths, the losses that punctuate life’s course itself. And yet, always the rebirth, of Sun, of our feelings, of life itself, through us.
And on more mundane levels (maybe), things just change. Coming up on this particular Samhain, I contemplate a large-scale change in my physical home. We are set to close on a house purchase within a week after Hallowe’en. It’s an old house, too (well, not by British standards, but American West standards—built in 1929). Could be some resident ghosts, although I haven’t felt any weird energies in the visits we’ve made so far. We (hubby and I) hope to make this our home for the remainder of our time on the planet.
Our move here to Oregon is all three transition cards at once: the stepping off the cliff of the Fool (what, take on a new mortgage in a totally new space at age 60?), letting go of a past that did not serve us (living in a suburban subdivision of a huge city in Texas—death for our souls), being reborn in a new, quiet space, close to the beauty of nature with room to grow food, poetry, music, craft, all sorts of life.
We live ever in hope as we move through this birth, death, rebirth cycle, one of many within a single life time.
Jay Cassals provided a simple and very cool retrospective spread for this day. He used the past to represent my Fool taking off on the journey from elsewhere. Then he asked where we are headed, which corresponds more to my Rebirth card, I think. He finished with a reflective question about what has changed as a result of taking off from the old and heading into the new (Death).
So, let’s see what happens when we draw three cards on these questions, using the same deck in progress that I’m working on.
- What do the cards tell you about where this cycle has led you: Where have you been?
- What do they tell you about where you are headed: Where are you going?
- What do you feel has changed for you at the end of this cycle along your journey of life?
So, the way Jay’s questions are set, they seem to apply to the cards together as a message, so here’s what I see: Seeing the choice, use intuition to transcend the pain. We’re using both our physical/mental discernment (Two of Swords) and our even more powerful intuition (High Priestess) to move beyond a painful past in a space that did not support us (Three of Swords).
And here we are, ready to start anew, crazy old hippy wannabes, to live, as my husband puts it, as “Fools on the Hill” in rural Oregon.
Joanne your new location is beautiful!! I hope you can soon have the misery of house buying behind you and you can enjoy your new home in peace!
Thanks, Kati. We are getting there. Didn’t get to close today on Halloween, but by November 8 instead.
Not much longer fingers crossed!!
My heart just expanded when I read about your journey to Oregon. It looks absolutely beautiful and it feels as if this is exactly where you need to be. What really stood out to me the most in your post was when you stated: use intuition to transcend the pain. It really struck me to the core because this advice resonated with me to work through my PTSD. It is through others, we can truly heal! Thank you for crossing paths with me.
Wow! You are entirely welcome! It was indeed a great message. 🙂
I love your cards, Joanne – and the view from your new house is breath-taking!
Wow! I adore those cards, they are my kind of deck. I will keep an eye out for when they are on sale. Thank you for this entry it is amazing and perceptive.
Thanks for wrangling the hop, Jay. I have some tweaking to do on some of the cards, which I may ask my digital retoucher son to help me with, and then the deck will be ready. But meanwhile, I need to finish the companion book. More abstract cards like these definitely need a book. 🙂
Happy home! Does this mean I might see you at NWTS this year? I hope so. 😀
I’m planning on it. Wanted to go this past March but still in RV and didn’t want to spend the money and time until house was purchased. So, looking forward to the symposium in Portland in 2018. See you there!
You’ve got a great view from your Oregon home! Wow! And loving this groovy deck you’re showing!
Sounds like this past sun cycle has brought some very literal transitions and transformations! Have a grand old time as “Fools on the Hill” ^_^*!
Thanks, Benebell. Glad to see you joining the hop. It’s been a great prompt for me, with lots of new things learned along the way as well.
I have friends in Oregon, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about life there. The view from your new home is stunning! I’m a fan of older homes myself, and hopefully the new house has plenty of friendly quirks that keep you falling in love with it. Also, the deck is gorgeous! Can’t wait to see it hit the market.
What a gorgeous deck you’ve created! Best of luck composing the companion book.
I love how clear and straightforward your interpretation of the spread was; to me, that seems to indicate you and your husband know what you’re doing and where you should be.
The view from your new home is beautiful. I’ve been to Oregon three times in my life and it always feels like home. Many blessing to you in your new home.