This Week's Minoan Tarot Cards

Two cards plus some musings about this particular calendar date

I’ve drawn two cards today, like I do almost every Monday. But this isn’t an ordinary Monday. [Skip to the end for the card interpretations, if you’re in a hurry.]

For those of us in the US, it’s the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. So of course, I have some feelings about this date. And apologies to the rest of the world who use the much more logical date structure of day/month/year - you can put our month/day/year structure in the same category as the Fahrenheit temperature readings that we’re still stubbornly clinging to.

But for me, today is also - and more importantly - the anniversary of the birth of my first child, Anna. She was born in 1991, a decade before the attacks that made September 11 such a well-publicized date.

Anna was also born with severe orthopedic disabilities that put her in a wheelchair for all of her short life. To say that being her parent was a challenge is an understatement, but it was one I threw myself into, heart and soul. When she was two, I divorced her father, among other reasons, so I would only have to parent one person.

I was a single parent (even before the divorce, if I’m honest). But I never felt alone. The local Pagan community was an incredible help and support. They were open and accepting in ways that I experienced nowhere else. I don’t think I could have survived those years without them. They were my extended family, the village in the “it takes a village” saying.

Anna passed away in 1997. When my second child, Sky, was born in 1999, I still had that Pagan community plus another “layer” of close friends. I didn’t need as much physical assistance the second time around, but the emotional support was invaluable.

When I look at the way modern life compartmentalizes us into separate nuclear families, I can’t help but think that this kind of arrangement makes it terribly difficult for all parents, not just those with special needs kids.

But it’s not like this everywhere. Our next door neighbors were Romanian, and when they had a baby, her mother moved in with them - not temporarily, but permanently - as part of the family, and other relatives stayed for extended periods on a rotating basis. Because to them, it was completely insane to attempt to raise a child alone.

In Ariadne’s Tribe, one of our sayings is, “Together we are joy.” I’m delighted to see people moving back to the idea of extended families (blood kin or chosen family, or both) in terms of living together or close enough to be able to easily help. Some of this movement is due to economic pressure, to be sure, but I think it’s still very much a good thing.

How does this tie into today’s reading? That second card, the Ten of Daggers, is about carrying a heavy load. Note the single hand in the picture. It’s not such a heavy load with more hands, now is it?

The Card Reading:

Five of Rhytons: You have experienced loss, and that can be painful. But don't let the loss fill up your vision until all you can see is it. There are positive aspects to this situation. Focusing on them may or may not lessen the discomfort, but it will allow you to put the situation in perspective and begin to move forward again.

Ten of Daggers: Sometimes the weight gets to be too much. This might be due to choices you have made or been pressured into, or simply due to life circumstances. Regardless, it's time to remove some of that weight: hand responsibilities to others, lean on others (this includes deities if you're inclined in that direction). Lighten the load a little so you can move freely again.

May your days be full of people you care for and who care for you. Together we are joy.