Reading tarot cards has been a part of my practice long before I self identified as a witch. I find the rich symbolism to be both a source of inspiration and guidance that have guided me through this confusing world. And now that I am stepping into an important phase of my life I feel like I am shedding off a bit of who I was and becoming someone new, but who is this new me?
One thing I know for certain is that I am moving out of the Hermit phase of my life. The hermit card is all about solitude and contemplation. Living away from the noise and chaos of society. You know the hermit - that shy man or woman hiding out in their cabin in the woods or maybe even a cave in the wilderness. The hermit spends their time on their goals - be it developing their art, magick, or garden. The negative aspects of the hermit is, of course, being so isolated that he or she forgets how to be a part of society when it is necessary.
The Hermit era of my life has lasted for about the past five years. I suppose I should say that I haven't been the stereotypical hermit these years, I live with my partner, have a couple of close friends, and had an in-person job for most of the past 5 years. Inside myself and in all of my free time, however, I felt like the hermit - enjoying my solitude greatly and very often cursing society.
And now, at 32 I am feeling more confident in myself, what I have to offer, my outward appearance, and am eager to open up my friend circle and step (lightly) back into a visible role in society.
So, hermit no longer!
but ... what is next?
I laid my ceremonial cloth on our rustic outdoor table, covered the perimeter in daisies, shuffled, then spread out my deck of tarot cards.
I was hoping for a positive card like the Star, the Sun, or even the High Priestess but ... no.
From my favorite deck of cards called the Herbcrafter's Tarot I drew the Hanged one. This card has come up many times in readings I have done for others but never for myself. I was hoping for a more optimistic card but, it seems, challenges wait ahead.
In other, more traditional, tarot decks the hanged one is called the hanged man and depicts a man who is, of course, being hanged. But, not by his neck, rather he is strung up by one of his feet. It is a strange image but, luckily, doesn't depict the death of the person in question. Instead the hanged one is going through a trial from which he will come out a better, wiser human.
Whenever I read tarot I like to play with the traditional meanings of the cards as well as consult the guide book of the tarot deck in question. The Herbcrafter's Tarot is a deck I adore because it associates each card with an herb and is about the path of the herbalist/gardener. This deck is great for guidance because it is quite a bit more positive than the traditional associations.
This card shows a burdock root rather than a hanging person though the runes which are an important part of the original card remain. And when I flipped open the guide book I found a couple of gems that made me feel more optimistic about this cycle ahead. As this deck is oriented toward gardeners and herbalists more so that esoteric practitioners, the images and book are full of practical advice.
This card in particular is about nourishing the soil. It reads "The presence of burdock may indicate where the land is lacking nutrients. Using the large leaves as mulch can bring nourishment to the surface. Flip the script on a difficult situation. See the problem as the solution. But, keep in mind, healing the land or the body requires a long-term commitment. Surrender to the process. Deep change takes time".
I will be mulling this card over for a while, playing with the meaning given in this guide book as well as other books I own and my personal associations of the hanged man. I wonder how long this phase will last and what the challenges ahead could be. Maybe it is simply that my task ahead is to nourish the soil of this place - both physically and spiritually - and create the environment to plant seeds of change.
