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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.

We are all alone – Melinda’s Message

There are three people depicted in the Pope card, but they are all alone. The Pope is alone in his austerity. The two people who approach him come for different reasons. One, out of love for the Pope. The other person is there out of fear of the Pope and God. The Pope does not love in a way that can be fulfilling to people who come to him in supplication. He is not present and attainable to those who come seeking his love. The Pope does not alleviate fear in a way that can bring connection. To both supplicants he says “Do not ask me. Ask God.” Truly they are all alone.

We are all alone all of the time. If we are with God as the Pope is we cannot be in the world and are, therefore, alone. If we are in the world, yet seek to love God or the Pope, we are alone as the first person in the card is. Our love of God is the only way to connect(ing) with the divine, but if fulfilled leads us out of the world. If it is unrequited we are always drawn away from the world in our search of divine love. If we are in fear, we are removed from everything around us. Even when that fear is gone we are alone, because the absence of fear guarantees nothing.

In life, in the world, we are each of us alone. So what.

So long as we are in desire, or fear, or withdrawn into God we are all alone. Instead go out in the world. Look at what you have in front of you. Interact. When you see this card in yourself, it is here to speak of the need to act, to go forward, to learn and to grow. Instead your history and habits tell you to stay alone in your fear, or your love, or your devotion.

When the Pope removes his vestments what is it you think he does? Who is he then? He is none of these people in the card. He drinks coffee. He reads books. He jokes with others. He enjoys the sun on his face and dislikes the cold of winter.

When I read for people in my life time they all arrived playing a part. So sure of their devotion to love, to money, to religion, to family, to hopelessness, or passion. So sure that reaching a particular thing, or place, or person would end their isolation. They used this to stay alone. They held themselves faithful to this idea or that, which promised them everything and yet gave them nothing. Take off your vestments. Remove your fervour and the words you have learned to wear in life. Put it all aside. Walk out in the sun. Look to the sky. Greet someone on the road and look into their eyes. Not out of desire, or fear, or because of the clothes you wear, but so you may start to be no longer alone.

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:
Becoming the Queen of Swords
Interviews about Change – With Lon Milo DuQuette

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.

Image By phong ek (Flickr: loneliness soldier) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons