Six of Swords and The Sturgeon Moon

This card represents growth, transition and the rite of passage. The Six of Swords portrays moving away from turbulent events and feelings, toward a calmer and a peaceful state of mind.

We see Orestes standing stalwart in his boat in spite of the turbulent waters underneath. He is focused at what lies ahead, on the calm waters in the distance, until he reaches his destination.

This is a fitting card to draw today and particularly at this juncture of my life, as it coincides with the Sturgeon Moon, signifying a time of growth and abundance.

Spending a good part of my morning outside in my garden today, I planted some seeds for Fall crops. My heart did a little jump up and turn around jig, seeing that all my hard effort was finally starting to pay off. A number of my vegetables are getting established and are growing.

 I can look forward to an abundant harvest into the Fall. In spite of bugs eating my first crop of beans, drought and the seeds that didn't germinate I forged ahead. I mulched, transplanted, watered, weeded and replanted new seeds that I was certain would germinate.

I try to approach life much the way I do my garden. There are good years and not so good, but you don't give up, but persist, pray and trust that there will be a better season next year, if this one wasn't the best. There is always some kind of abundance to be found and with help, we grow, face toward the sun and the moon, grateful for the light and the dark, as we can't have one without the other.


The Six of Swords reminds me, I can't reap the harvest unless I do the work. Unless I'm persistent without getting distracted and discouraged by all the stormy waters going on around me, otherwise I will not likely reach my destination. We reap just what we sow.

Mother's Prayers Are Carried To The Grandmother

Three of Cups - Rite of Passage

 
Oh Three of Cups, how I love you and how I hate you. I say this because I am reminded by this card of the first flush of love, of the happiness and joy of committed love and the loss of love. Simultaneously I think of it as being party time, a celebration is eminent, and a moving toward retirement. I never imagined looking forward to being 65, but the fact is, I am in four more years. I will have a somewhat improved standard of living, and now I've finally come to the end after 20 years, my mortgage will be paid off in a few months. This will give me the feelings of fulfillment and completion, much like the way one feels when you fall in love. But the Three of Cups is a card of transition or rite of passage, with further developments to come, as the journey is not finished, and there is still hard work ahead.

Having spent most of my life single, becoming a young newly wed widow at 27 years of age, and then was divorced  six years later, escaping an abusive husband. Honestly, I would be lying if I said I am glad to be single, but at the same time I can't say I am unhappy with my single life. There are many worse things in life than being single. Being married or coupled with someone you are not in love with, is the worst kind of loneliness and unhappiness. As well my identity is not defined by a married or single status, by my age, colour, race or creed.

According to the Mythic Tarot deck, the Three of Cups indicates that I am at the beginnings of initiation into deeper levels of the heart experience, heralding further explorations in the future, as the Three of Cups divinatory meaning suggests. Well that's good news, and I feel this in my bones.

 We never know what the future holds, but what is important to me is having hope about emotional fulfillment and promise regardless of my past losses in life and love. Finding contentment in whatever life circumstance, is vital to my happiness, and peace of mind.

The Handless Maiden- Egg Tempera on Wood Panel, 12"x 12" 2012, Catherine Meyers