Inspiring fear in the hearts of many who pull this card, it should actually be praised for the blessing it is. Death is a transition. It's the signal that we are walking through the veil and developing a closer relationship to spirit. Parts of us need to die to be reborn.
I've enjoyed many conversations about death over dinner, with a family friend and Catholic priest. We've talked about death has been sanitized for many of us, kept hidden and removed. Many of us have lost our cultural practices or rituals when a loved one passes. Many of us no longer see the body - and this is a very important thing to do, though we want to avoid it. Yes it's scary. Yes it's painful, but as my friend describes with years of experience in this field, there is a spiritual understanding that happens when we see a body. Something like, "oh... that's not you. You're not in there."
Honouring the bones awakens our consciousness to the experience of spirit - we understand we are so much more than what we see. It's is not philosophical realization. It's something felt within the body. You feel a shift from tension, worry and pain, towards the calm. You hold within you a deep knowing. Sometimes this shift is dramatic, sometimes is dawns slowly and builds upon other experiences gradually.
And so when this card appears, we know a transition is taking place. We cannot be what we were. Life will not be the same. Something is ending so a new adventure will begin. The most significant thing to remember is that we are at the crossroads and being asked to rely on the unknown. We must rely on spirit to walk us through as it may be dark and we don't know the way.
The last few weeks have been a difficult mirror to look through. How many times have I uttered, I have no idea what's going on here. I want to know my destiny. I want to understand, to make sense, to make decisions and charge forward while the universe continues to whisper, bitch chill.
So many souls around me are feeling the pressure. We're having our buttons pushed. We're being nudged off the diving board before we're ready. Pain is surfacing. Loose ends are being tied. The new is calling us. And yes, it is scary. So lay the fuck down for a minute and be still. Be like the fainting goats. Take your time.
You will resurface, brand new.