“There were people who went to sleep last night,
poor and rich and white and black,
but they will never wake again.
And those dead folks would give anything at all
for just five minutes of this weather
or ten minutes of plowing.
So you watch yourself about complaining.
What you’re supposed to do
when you don’t like a thing is change it.
If you can’t change it,
change the way you think about it.”
― Maya Angelou
There is a lot of death stuff going on at the moment.
Not just the actual not breathing anymore kind of death which Covid has brought so massively and eloquently to our communities but the alchemical, transformational kind of dying that takes a lifetime to get to understand. Sometimes we are faced with our own mortality and there is nothing like coming face to face with self, that innermost confrontation which demands self-awareness.
From a Gnostic perspective, Death is the card that draws the line in the sand.
It shakes its skeletal finger and says ‘Ok, ready or not, now is the time for the old order to collapse, just go with it dear one, it doesn’t get any better than this!’ It is around this point that the ego flips into a panic, uncertainty knocks on the door and all the plans go marching out of it.
Humans aren’t particularly good at letting go. The desire to hang on, despite the pain and suffering, is akin to grabbing on to the floating log, lest we get swept down the river. Yet, it is that very thing, flowing down the river, just letting it happen that will be our saving grace and ultimately create the space for the much needed upgrade and for those promised vast improvements to happen.
Death speaks of cycles.
Our whole lives are ruled by them, from cradle to grave and nobody is exempt. Throughout life we experience the seasonal cycles but we also have our internal cycles which are governed by our peculiar, unique rhythms.
The zodiac sign associated with the Death card is Scorpio.
Pluto is also co-ruler and is linked to Judgement and there are distinctive resemblances between Death and Judgement. I find Scorpios to be enigmatic. They exude a charisma that is both charming but also has a hint of danger. Perhaps it is because they are so intense. Scorpios simply know what they want and aren’t afraid to work hard and play the long game to get it.
On a good day, Scorpionic energy is ambitious and enticing. On a bad day, however, the shadowy side of Scorpio is fueled by a relentless desire for control. Power-hungry Scorpios must remember that if controlled by their egos, they are at risk of poisoning themselves. This sign is at its best when that intrinsic intensity is applied to deep, soulful connections with friends and lovers. When they build trust with others, Scorpios demonstrate unparalleled empathy, depth, and commitment that brighten even the darkest parts of Scorpio’s magical psyche.
Scorpio in his persona as Pluto is Lord of the Underworld and will go to the bottom of the abyss to see what is there. Rebirth, reincarnation, even sex (little death) are all attributed to Scorpio.
Moving from one state of being to another.
There is an underlying dynamic amongst all of these attributes and that is the art of letting go and transforming the moment. In other words moving from one state of being to another. This makes going back impossible. The disassembled ego must now rebuild itself. As a spiritual renewal, Death is immediate and very real although there is a process because one must tarry in Van Diemen’s land and sit with our own spirits so part of the renewal is a revived faith. Death is a great teacher, the first lesson is to keep an open heart.
“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.”
― Rumi
A mini Tarot spread.
- What must I let go of?
- What will help me do this?
- My fears.
- My courage.
- What will transformation usher in?
- My contemplation. What should I be considering at this time?
