If this your first time visiting my blog please take a moment to subscribe to my blog while you are here via email.

Welcome to another of my guide Melinda’s Friday messages about how to live life. If you’d like to know more about her and what she has to say you can find more in the first post in this series.

Melinda’s message

So the first thing I want to talk about this week is why I am speaking about the harder elements of life and the cards first. Why am I so focused on the hardship of life? I can tell you that it is because I am speaking to people who live and work in the world. If you do not understand what I am saying now do not worry keep reading if it feels right to you and if it does not feel right just let it go and move along.

Have you seen the Queen of Wands? You can tell who she is because she is in charge. In my experience she also likes to let people know she is in charge. look at that club she carries. You would be a fool to think for a moment that she will not use it if you cross her. People fear her, but that is not the same as listening to her. You can almost hear her thinking “What good is all this power if people do not do what I say?”

Despite the fact that she has all the outward signs of power, or the fact that she can be vengeful, she is not a tyrant. It is the fact that what she says is different from what she feels that causes some of the trouble. She is a woman full of dichotomy. If you make it past the wall of defenses she is the best friend in the world. If you make it over the moat, the walls and past the sentries you will find her warm and inviting.

Do you see how she is not living and working in the world? She is one of the hardest kinds of people to reach.

I can hear some of you rising to her defense right now. “She is not so bad.” “Is this card not also about other things?” Stop and listen to her tale and you will see that she is, in fact, withdrawn from the world.

Imagine how a person who loves deeply grows up in the world. They are at the mercy of fate. Either they are lucky, are raised in a good home, and find true love and live happily ever after, or they suffer greatly due to the overflowing of their own heart and its failure to find happiness. The first life never leads a person to become the Queen of wands, but the second often does. A lifetime of hopes dashed leads to a heart full of fear. In the Queen this fear has filled her belly with an anger that anyone who crosses her must endure.

Am I still off the mark? I think a better question is how do we redeem this Queen? It is not enough that she be surrounded by love and kindness. her distrust and defenses will not allow it in. She must meet with vulnerability of the most defenseless kind. Only in something so small and soft can she find the strength to change from fiery, wrathful beast to defending something, or usually someone, else.

Let me speak it out more simply: it is only the presence of a child that can help her awaken from her dilemma. Now this may be her children, or others’, often it is only with grandchildren that she can find the openness this redemption requires, a pet sometimes, or occasionally a cause. Despite all her strength there is nothing inside her strong enough to bridge her walled off heart into the world. Are you like her? If so ask yourself what in your world is worthy of the great font of love you hold within you? Find that and build a city around it. To everything else just turn your back.

Another point I want to make is that every card applies to you. I do not care if you are a man or woman – we all have this Queen within us. Just as all the cards are our life and the world and more. Why am I speaking of the hardest parts of life and being alive in these messages? Why not of love, life and fulfillment? It is because first the hardness of life must be cracked open. First the sorrow must be drained. First we must own our flawed humanity before we can truly learn. As I said I am only speaking to those who are willing to live and work in the world. True treasures are found in the earth with much effort.

Thank you for your time.
Melinda

I have been asked not to answer questions for Melinda but if you leave a comment she will get back to you.

If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy:
Bathe in the Rainbow of Renewal
Becoming the Queen of Swords

The Hermit’s Lamp is the blog of Andrew McGregor – Toronto Tarot reader, artist and teacher. The Hermit’s Lamp is also a storefront in Toronto selling metaphysical and spiritual supplies. Please visit The Hermit’s Lamp website for more information on readings and classes both online and in Toronto. You can also listen to the Hermit’s Lamp Podcast here.