The Tower & The Death Card: When Lightning Strikes The Tree
This is the song that was playing in my car when a drunk driver rammed me on the freeway on Winter Solstice 2000. I lost that CD to the totaled wreck of my vehicle, and reacquired it many years later. I created this video to accompany the blog post I wrote about that night.
If you'd like to support me and my writing, here is the tale on Medium:
https://medium.com/@thehartebeast/blam-merry-christmas-from-a-drunk-driver-fbd6bf3c636f?source=friends_link&sk=8240caa46246d989f58fe6036f825739
Or on my website:
https://www.hartebeast.com/single-post/2019/12/29/BLAM-Merry-Christmas-from-a-Drunk-Driver
Music:
Magic Shadow Show by ZaZa, Nights One and A Thousand
Unlearning by Music for Makers
The Tarot:
A Keeper of Words, The Arthurian Tarot
Written & Illustrated by Anna-Marie Ferguson
My Readings:
I consult my cards with the understanding that they are not going to tell me anything I don’t already know. It may be buried deep within me and come as an epiphany, it may confirm something obvious, or it may poke me in the forehead about something I haven’t wanted to hear, admit, or acknowledge.
This Reading: Celtic Cross
This is a common placement of the cards, with the majority in a cross position around the central cards, and the final four in a vertical line to the righthand side. This deck utilizes different meanings depending on if the card was laid upright or in its reversed position. I often ask myself what I would need to do or change in order to draw in the positive interpretation of the card. If the querent desires a clarification, additional card(s) may be drawn.
1) The Querent:
THE FOOL
The beginning of an adventure; establishing a path. Unaware of the pitfalls, one embraces the future with great optimism. Enthusiasm…innocence…
2) Querent’s relationship to the question:
STRENGTH
Having the courage and vitality to realize one’s goals. Ambition tempered with serenity—a gentle strength. Discipline; drawing on resources of inner strength…
3) Crossing - positive assets or obstacles that hinder the path:
8 OF SWORDS
Feeling bound and trapped. Inability to free one’s self from a difficult situation.
4) Above - message from the “higher self”
THE HANGED MAN
Restriction; self-sacrifice. Suspension of plans. In many decks, the man is represented as hanging upside-down, indicating the need to look at things from another perspective.
5) Below - preoccupation of the subconscious, emotional undercurrent
2 OF SPEARS
Executive responsibilities. Proving one’s self capable of managing a large project. Using all of one’s talents to achieve a communal vision.
6) Behind (left) - recent past
8 OF SPEARS
Excitement. A rapidly approaching opportunity to prove one’s self. Events unfolding at great speed. A journey or experience which tests one’s limits and entails a spiritual lesson.
7) Ahead (right) - relationships with others (often interpreted as near future)
3 OF SHIELDS
Skill and growth. Making progress in one’s vocation. Meaningful, constructive use of talents. Pursuing a dream with the advice and cooperation of others. Laying the foundation for the success of future ventures.
8) Psychological state and attitudes
THE PRIESTESS
A deep stirring within the self. A subtle but powerful connection with the collective unconscious. Seclusion and self-reliance. Meditation brings new solutions to light. An inspired state of being.
9) Environment and unseen forces
4 OF SWORDS
Recuperation. Healing. Convalescing. Retreating to a calm, safe environment. Gentle soul-searching.
10) Hopes and fears
THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE - REVERSED
Upright: Change of fortune; karma. Beginning or end of a cycle. Good luck.
Reversed: An unforeseen bad turn of events forces one to ride out the storm. Feeling frustrated with the inability to influence a difficult situation.
11) Ultimate outcome
THE TOWER
Unexpected trauma and financial losses. Revolutionary change and anxiety. The breakdown of a belief system under pressure. Destruction of the old paves the way for the new.
12) Clarification
DEATH
Death and rebirth. Transformation. The end of an era or relationship. The illusion of death, separating the self from the past in order to begin anew.
13) Additional clarification
THE STAR
Hope; a good omen and inspiration. Rejuvenation of the spirit after a trying and traumatic time. It is only in the darkest of nights that stars are the most visible.
You can follow more of my adventures here:
https://www.hartebeast.com/blog
https://www.hartebeast.com
https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/