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Tarot: Moment to Moment
The Winter of Life |
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by Gigi Miner |
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Throughout my life, I have found that my tastes in seasons have changed. When I was young, I loved spring. Everything was new and growing, much like myself at that time. When I matured somewhat, I enjoyed summer. The warmth of the sun, the beaches, summer is nature's playtime.
Now I find that I prefer autumn. The cooler air and the amazing colors suck me in as if I am part of the earth's breathe. I could wander around in the fall woods endlessly. With the holiday season upon us, many of us will see snow. I have always been amazed at the first snowfall. Each snowflake is said to be unique, no two the same. As the snow clings to branches of the trees, it dresses our naked friends with a new, holiday ensemble.
Each season brings with it its own special dress and own unique feeling. The card I pulled for this article is the Three of Wands. A man stands with his back to us, one wand in hand, one behind him with a vine growing on it, and another to his side. He looks to the horizon, before which are three ships that are either entering or leaving the harbor. At first I was in doubt as to the use of this card, but not only did it come up after shuffling, it wanted to jump out of the deck during shuffling. While I do not always take a card that falls out of the deck, simply because I can be a tad clumsy at times, this one felt like it had something to tell us.
As I thought about this card in relationship to this article, it occurred to me that we, as human beings, have a tendency to be looking at the horizon, always waiting for our "ship to come in." It is human nature not to be satisfied with where we are but to always strive for something else; something more.
The holidays are upon us. The irony of it is as well. We search for the perfect gift for others and then are hit with depression when what we desire does not come to us. The holidays are well known for ushering in suicides and sadness in spite of the outward belief that this is one of the happiest times of the year. We are always wanting something more, something fulfilling. Why is it always out of our reach?
One answer I can see in our card is that we are not looking where we should be looking. We do not look around us to see what we have; instead, we look beyond to what we do not have. We compare our lives to that of our neighbors or, worse yet, to that of the media. All around us are advertisements for beautiful people with beautiful things having a beautiful time. Are you nauseated yet?
I started out talking about the seasons. I believe our lives mimic the seasons. When we are young, we see everything with potential. There are storms and there can be upheaval, but in general, youth is about growing and beginning our journey. Spring is often a rather messy time. Does that sound familiar? The "muddiest" time of our lives is during adolescence and early adulthood. We make a mess of most everything we do. That is part of learning and growing, overturning the soil in our lives.
When summer approaches, we are somewhat more mature. We have learned (at least we hope we have learned) about responsibility. The sun shines down on our lives and shows us so many things. Some of us refuse to see what is brought to light and try to continue in our spring-like behavior. Others start to smooth out the rough spots we now can see in the bright light of summer. We bask in the sun. Many of us take this time to build a career and make a name for ourselves. One of the detriments of summer is that it gets hot. Too much activity in the hot sun will cause us to burn out. Our balance is not quite up to par in this part of our lives. We tend to over work, over play, over spend, and even then, not quite live.
Autumn brings cooler temperatures. The colors of whom we created during summer begin to show. This is the "mid-life crisis" season. We no longer put work and success first. Now we start to see the wrinkles in the mirror. Suddenly, life is catching up with us. What we have sown in the spring and tended in the summer shows its colors in the fall. If we are not satisfied with what is showing, this is when we try to make major adjustments to our lives. This is where the Three of Wands really takes hold. Our vision is shifted outward, beyond the horizon. What are we missing? What did we fail to do earlier that now is so important to us?
I have always been a believer that one's insides will start to show on the outside as we age. If we lived a life that was less then kind, our faces will begin to show that harshness. If we have lived a life of kindness and caring that too will start to show on one's face. The colors of our lives will begin to show outwardly. Some of us will have brilliant colors and gorgeous foliage. Others will have brown and withering leaves. Is it any wonder that this is a time when so many changes are made and so much cosmetic surgery is pondered?
With the holidays, we are faced with winter. This is often thought of as the most barren and isolated season of them all. I tend to see winter as one of the most gorgeous. Yes, the cold is not exactly pleasant for many of us. Some of us have great pain due to the cold weather; and, still, there is a beauty at this time of the year that is unmatched.
Have you ever taken a walk during a snowfall? It is quiet. There is a sense of peace in winter that is unequaled in any other season. The beauty of the snow on the now sleeping vegetation, like finely crafted lace, hangs overhead and all around us. So, too, during the winter of one's life, there is a tranquility unequaled during the preceding three seasons. Our Three of Wands looks to find all of the things that are coveted in winter, but he does not really know that that is what he wants.
The epitome of someone in the winter of their life is one who has come to terms with who they are. Like the wand with the vine around it, the winter person is grounded and has their roots firmly in place. They are less likely to be shaken by life's surprises. The wrinkles are part of the beauty and badges of honor worn to prove that they have survived many a season. The wisdom garnered from life is unequaled. No book can bring you the kind of knowledge and understanding that comes from living life. Our modern cultures have pushed aside the winter of life. Our society fights age with every fiber of its being, trying to maintain summer far past its season.
What we fail to see is that during spring, summer, and even fall, all that we await lives in winter. If we were to return to some of our ancestor's beliefs and behaviors, we might find that the elders of our society are the keepers of the knowledge and wisdom that we seek, and that we find so difficult to procure. Everything that the man in the Three of Wands is looking for is waiting at the feet of his elderly grandmother or within the senior citizen that sits next to him. This older person is not looking at the horizon for what is to come; he is enjoying the sunset and remembering other ones shared with those he has loved.
The holidays are upon us. Along with them comes the rushing and the stress of trying to make it beautiful and perfect. Perhaps this year is one where we can take the time to stop the rushing, stop the plans for perfect, and instead look at what we already have before us. How does the senior next door see life? What do they look for to make their holiday pleasant? For some, a nice meal would suffice. For others, being able, once again, to embrace a loved one is their only desire. Those who have met the winter of their lives are often looking less for elegantly wrapped presents as they are for the truly important things in life; love, laughter, kindness, and caring.
Winter brings with it many lessons, if we are willing to listen. Those people who typify winter bring with them a chance for those of us who have not quite gleaned the wisdom from living an abundance of years to learn from those that have. Imagine being able, not only to learn from one's own mistakes, but also those of another? Might we make fewer if we did? If we could build upon knowledge already tested, could we grow even more then our forefathers? There is a reason for the seasons, both in nature and in our lives.
During these holidays, maybe we need to find a better gift then the ones purchased in stores. Maybe we need to be able to see the future through the eyes of one who has lived much of life already and knows the joys and the pitfalls. Not only would we be given an amazing gift ourselves, but also we would allow an elder to share with us a part of themselves. We can benefit from this, and it allows a part of them to live on in us, long after they cross from this world into the next.
For this holiday season, I wish you more. I wish you more then you could ever possibly have without the beauty of winter touching your life. I hope that you will find the joy and the abundance that is present in this season and in the life of one who walks this path. Winter knows what has gone before it. She knows what has been squandered and she knows what should be valued. May winter bless your holidays and guide you to something more then you could ever know at any other time of the year. I wish you all a full and wintry holiday.
© Copyright 2004, Gigi Miner
All rights reserved.
No part of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.
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Gigi Miner,
Tarot Consultant,
Author & Teacher
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Gigi Miner, author of "Light-of-Day Tarot & Dreamwork", is a minister, ordained by the Universal Life Church, and has a Doctorate of Motivation from the same. She is a professional Tarot consultant, author, and teacher.
She is presently the chairperson for the Advisory Committee of the American Board for Tarot Certification, working with other professionals in the world of tarot.
Moonlighting as an adult education instructor, Gigi brings that experience into her Tarot and writing work, helping clients and readers to find their own inner wisdom. Gigi has taught classes on tarot in regular and e-formats.
Believing that "laughter is the best medicine", there is often a lighter tone to her teachings. When conducting an adult-education class, one of the main questions she asks is, "Are you having fun?" If the answer is "yes" then she knows that her students are learning more then if she were teaching in a more traditional mode.
Contact Info:
www.geocities.com/ladyfogg
Email : ladyfogg@twcny.rr.com
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