"After tragedies, one has to invent a new world: knit it or embroider, make it up..." Bjork
TAROT: Temperance / LENORMAND: Tower, Moon, Coffin / ADINKRA: Dwennimmen
The closer we get to the election, of course, the tenser we become; to quote someone, “on both sides.” Now that I am on YouTube three or so times a week, using Lenormand to look at questions sent to me by viewers, my attention is even more riveted to the news of the day. And while it is important to stay informed, it is also the case that the cost of staying that way is paid, among other things, by the nervous system, and one’s own peace of mind. Perhaps that is why Tarot’s Temperance card appeared when I pulled to see what I would be writing about here today:
In this card, from Nyasha Williams’ Black Tarot, a chef works to temper chocolate, which is the process of alternately heating and cooling it so as to achieve a high gloss. She is slow, methodical, and intentional in her work. The phases of the moon encircle her, implying the equally slow, methodical, intentional passage of time. It reminds me of the calm that can ensue when there is a rhythm to our days.
We have all experienced the tragedy that began with the golden escalator descent of a man to a microphone bank, and a country into division and chaos. While we have had moments of respite, of course, the man on the escalator is winding his way ever more downward, as we, the country, are deciding whether to take that same ride with him or to hop on an altogether different conveyance going in an altogether different direction. The prospect of that different direction can, of course be dizzying, and some will choose the downward trajectory as that is the terrain with which they are familiar.
The rest of us will take the upward way, braving nosebleeds and altitude sickness and, indeed, dizziness, as we aspire to explore and live up to our Founders’ highest ideals in ways we never have before. Bjork, she of odd costumes, haunting music and exotic Iceland, reminds us what we must always do after tragedy: take the upward trajectory and “invent a new world: knit it or embroider; make it up.” That is what we on the left seek to do.
Lenormand lends her voice with Tower, Moon, Coffin. Here’s a little story:
My deck, Erika’s Lenormand of Hope, first came out nearly a year ago. While I have several copies, of course, I have spent the last year using the only one I opened that first day they arrived in the mail. My partner noticed the cards were looking a little worn on camera, but habit and superstition dictated that I stay with that one deck. Then, this morning, as I sat down to write this post, I noticed I had dropped a card, my chair had rolled over it, and the card was ruined. As it happened, the rolled-over card was (Ship), the card for all types of movement, including the up and down trajectory of an escalator. I opened a new deck for today’s reading. In it, is a new Ship card. Perhaps we want to put the escalator metaphor to rest, and knit or embroider ourselves a new symbol for the new society we hope to usher in.
There are, in my world, and also in yours, no accidents. Lenormand’s three cards today, Tower, Moon, Coffin, speak to the fact that the structures with which we are familiar, be they governmental, economic, educational, (Tower) are in process of being redefined (Moon). In order for such redefinition to occur, such refining of what we actually mean when we say “a more perfect Union,” a huge transformation will need to occur (Coffin). Things cannot transform and simultaneously stay the same. We are in the process of such flux, and what unsettles us is that we do not know what the end product will look like, as we are still picking apart the stitches of old systems, examining what did not work and why, before we can do Bjork’s “knitting and embroidery” of a new American world.
Temperance asks that we not be reactive to every distraction meant to toss us back onto that Down escalator: Laura Loomer is a distraction; edible dogs and cats are a distraction; faked assassination attempts are a distraction. We must calmly continue the tempering of our chocolate, by getting out the vote; by being good stewards of the news we consume; by husbanding our emotional resources in these last weeks and days.
Adinkra’s symbol, Dwennimmen stands for a ram’s horns, and remind us that real strength requires the exercise of humility. None of us knows all the answers. No one of us can do all the work. Kamala is not our mama. But we each can do our part, by working as we are able, and by resting when rest is required. Writing these articles each week feels like rest to me. I hope reading them feels like rest for you. So long as, once we have rested, we return to our tempering of chocolate. May the sweetness we cultivate in the doing of this work prove to have made it worth all our tempering effort.
Amen and Ase,
Erika
The World Divination Association has nominated me for Best Lenormand Reader and Best Diviner. If you’re so inclined to cast your vote for me, thank you.
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Voted! Also, steady as we go. Thank you, Erika.
I voted for both you and Nancy on three different email accounts! Best of luck!