So the last year has been one of endless transition for me. Between changing my work, moving, undergoing initiations, and having another child, it’s been quite a ride. The hardest part for me in all of these changes was not the work, or the actual change, it was that point of weightlessness in between being here and there – being in transition. And I have one thing to say about being in transition – it SUCKS! Okay, ranting done.
In the Tarot there are many cards that talk about change but there is one that stands out as being caught in that moment in between states – the princess of Disks. She is, in my reckoning, the last card in the deck. She sits there at the end awaiting the rebirth of the cycle in the return to the fool. In her hands is a large disk with a Yin Yang on it. If it was not so organic-looking it might seem to be a shield. This disk is the seed of what is to come. Everything in this card is about potential.
Timing is everything!
When the Princess of Disks surfaces in a reading her advice is simple – wait. Wait to find out if you got the job, wait for the child to arrive, wait to see if this person is the one. Just wait.
What do you do if you have this kind of time to kill? I don’t mean an hour or a day, but a month or a season? In fact what do you do while you are waiting for the rest of your life to move ahead. It is pretty common these days to just try to work harder, faster, and smarter to get there more quickly. But when the princess of disks shows up its not about the amount of effort exerted, so much as the passing of the hours on the clock.
During my year of transition I spent time going back and forth between angsting about reaching the end and turning my attention to things that were immediate. One of the biggest things I did this year was to become a better cook. You may notice this was not on the initial list, and this is because it was not a goal, but something I found a lot of joy in that passed the time.
The other thing that the disk looks like to me is a life preserver. Being in transition can certainly feel like you are lost at sea, waiting to find land, or be discovered. What can you grab a hold of to keep you afloat during this time?
Surviving Transition Spread
This spread is really geared to keeping you in the now and preventing despair from setting in during periods of transition. So draw three cards and lay them in a row.
1. Pastime – This card is here to suggest what you can do to keep busy, to divert your attention and to refresh you. Don’t look to the meaning of this card so much as to the images on it. If there are trees – get outside. If there are people being active – join a gym. If it’s about knowledge – read a book.
2. Are we there yet? Ok we all have an internal little kid that gets bored with a long journey. Think of this card as the new toy, treat or game that will help in those moments when the end feels far away. Look for something distracting in the card. My 2 year old gets a handful of gummy bears sometimes to help her move through the gap from one place and another, say the playground and the house. It helps with the momentary emotion and allows for easier transitions.
3. Confidence booster. Being in the space between often evokes insecurities. In this card look for some piece of wisdom to hold on to, to be your touch stone during the times when all seems lost or pointless.
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