Tarot Discussion Group, Card of the Week.

I've mentioned this before, but it is my habit to do 5 Celtic spreads a year. One for each Sabbat, and one for my birthday. So it was out of the ordinary that I did a cross spread for myself the other night. Instead of the 3 card spread I usually do when consulting the cards. The spread was not all that unusual. For the most part the cards reflected, energies I observed at work in my own life. I was actually quite pleased to see the Ace of Pentacles in the Environment Position. I am working for my second new supervisor in as many months. My old super, was promoted just as I was getting used to working with him. I felt that the Ace reflected well on my position at work, and the new beginning there.

One card, gave me pause, in the future influences, sat the 10 of Pentacles reversed. Given the position of the Ace in the spread and how I was reading it, I did not let the 10 concern me much. I perceived it as a omen of a coming challenge, but I felt prepared. I am not and never have been a wealthy man, but I have more money in saving's and available credit than I ever have had before, and more than I would have thought possible 5 years ago. What ever the challenge, we would be up to the task. My family has seen challenging times before, we would see them through again this time. In fact given the Ace I came away from the reading feeling that what ever the challenge we will come away from it the stronger.

By 4am that night my wife was up puking, by 5 am, she was whimpering, and telling me I had to get her to the hospital now. I still had no clue. So bitching about, my own Ill health I had a nasty flu, and the hour, I forced myself to get dressed. I fumbled for my keys and out the door to warm up the car. I figured my wife had a bit of spoiled sausage in her or something, they would pump her stomach, and we would be back home in no time. A couple hours later she seemed to be resting comfortably. The Nurses had a IV hooked up to her. She had been given some meds for the pain. L. actually looked very cozy sleeping in the ER bed. I expected to be checking her out anytime, scare over, crisis averted.

Not quite, she spent the next 4 days in ICU. struggling with an infection in her pancreas. When they said that my first thought was, pancreas, that's one without the built in spare. Yet through all this the Ace of Pentacles was a beacon for me, like a promise from my higher self, that when we see this thing through, things will be better than before the fire started. It helped me weather the storm, pardon the pun. In the last week, I have seen my wife hospitalized, been snowed in at work during the worst blizzard here in 10 years, and watched my daughter grow up.

I had a decision to make, and I decided that I would not expend precious sick days, for hand holding at the hospital, when my wife would need me at home when she was discharged. So I went to work, knowing I would be snowed in and left her in the capable hands of the professionals at the hospital. My little girl came through like a star, zipping around in her boyfriends 4x4. Daph and Sam, watched over her mom at the hospital, kept the family pets feed and tended too at home, and took care of them selves without any "adults" supervising them. I am very proud of them both.

The Chinese have a famous curse: May you live in interesting times. Its been a very interesting week. My own Illness, The Blizzard, My Wife's much more serious Illness, any one of which would have been challenge enough for a given week. I've had a good months worth of challenges all at once. Its been quite the lesson. When reading Pentacles cards it is easy to focus on the financial aspects of the cards, after all they quite look like coins. Yet there is a bit of insight, that applies, from a very unlikely source. The old Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual, used to have a line for each creature, Ecology/ Economy, outlining how does the creature make a living. A simple creature, what does it hunt, or where does it graze. Humanlike creatures however, have more complex issues, and Economy seems to Eclipse Ecology, for the most part. This week however has been all about Ecology. The struggle to survive, as a material creature in the world. A knock on the head from nature: A reminder who is still top dog.

Lastly but certainly not least, thank you my friends for your prayers and emails of support. You have provided a welcome comfort in a trying time. We sincerely hope, your blessings will return to you 3 fold.

Blessed Be, BB and the Mrs.

Divination: Lord of Wealth, Symbolizes the possibilities and limits for good or ill, of great wealth. The Builder of a University, expanding the horizans of young people for generations to come.   or   The Builder of a Pyramid, creating a Cyclopean shrine to ones own ego. | Security, Prosperity, Inheritance. A return to health of an Ill family member.

Reversed: Dissipation, Familial Disputes over money, Litigation, Loss of Wealth. Illness