Before posting the third part of the blog series on the tarot and communicating with the dead, I had some questions of my own. I profess to not having a blueprint of the afterlife. I am tempted to make sweeping statements sometimes that are not grounded in anything but opinion. I want you to know that I, too, am muddling through this.
My thoughts turned to our Beloved Dead and our Ancestors and how we are all connected through that amazing cosmic glue called love. What can I say with conviction? What is the truth of the matter? So I decided to do a tarot reading on it.
When I pull out my deck, I always look at the card on the bottom. That card is usually a reference to the reading that is about to come. This morning, the card on the bottom was Death. Can’t get anymore literal than that, can we? Here are the cards:
I started to write a long explanation of what each card means, but it all came clear after a minute or two. It’s so simple, it hurts. This life is a painful process. We die, becoming participants in the cycle of life/death/rebirth. We are enlightened and empowered on the other side. (The Sun card comes up so much in these readings. Usually in response to the question, “Are you okay?”)
Lest you think I’m flippant about this, I’ll give you a little more detail. The 5 of Pentacles is the card of loss and destitution. It speaks to impoverishment, to the human condition. The Empress is Mother Nature herself. She governs the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Where the 5 of Pentacles represents loss, the Empress represents abundance. She is a nurturer who soothes anxieties and eases pain. She is also the portal through which we must pass when this life is over. Having emerged from this life through the door of our death, we step into the next phase of existence. The Sun represents enlightenment and empowerment as well as creativity and rebirth.
Our Dearly Departed have much to share with us. They have completed the work of this life. They desire to help us by shining a light on the things that weigh us down—in the ways that they can. Yes, I believe they continue to participate with us here.
Okay, so I know you people. You’re thinking, “That’s all well and good, Yvonne, but what about the BAD spirits that we hear so much about? I believe they are out there, but I’m making a distinction here between random, maybe not so well meaning spirits and our loves ones who have made the next step into the soul’s progression. I call the later the Beloved Dead or the Dearly Departed because they care about us and their communications are helpful.
This should really be another blog entry, but it’s pretty exciting so I will continue. I consulted the cards again about the other kinds of spirits. This is what I drew:
Some fight against death and are so obsessed with their struggles here on earth that they can’t move on. Some can’t release this life and its trappings and refuse the next phase.
The 6 of Swords is a very literal ride across the River Styx, isn’t it? This represents death and the journey to the afterlife. Here are a couple of categories that spirits who refuse to move on may fall into: The 7 of Wands is about our struggles and fights. The uphill battle. These are the people so invested in some struggle or strife that they won’t move on. Maybe they feel they have to stay and help loved ones through hard times or see some problem to its conclusion. I believe these spirits can find some resolution and move on in time. Or not. Next is the 4 of Pentacles. This is the person who can’t let go. They clutch their lives and material trappings around them tightly. If they can learn to let go, they will move on.
I don't really know what happens to these spirits once they choose to stay here. Common sense tells me they can make the decision to move on later. Those who refuse to move on may grow in frustration and anger or simply fade out...I'm not real sure. That's an entry for another blog.
If you have questions about any of these things, ask away. We'll consult the cards about it.
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