This morning while I was in the shower, I was mulling over some recent advice from an intuitive I met at a festival a couple of weeks ago. “Transformation,” he said, would be my path to the life I have dreamed about. It’s all waiting for me, but I need to transform myself. I assumed he meant physically, but as I venture further down this path of spiritual development, I realize that it’s a holistic transformation I’m after. He showed me the card of a lotus blossoming, and said that that was what I needed to do.
So what’s my next step, then? As I showered, I thought of Althea, my spirit guide. I thought of Althea tending her garden, pruning shrubs and enriching the soil and watering the gorgeous plants. I thought of the garden as the landscape of my spirit–Althea is growing my spirit with her tending. I thought of her cutting some of the flowers, and sending synchronistic signs to me like bouquets. I thought of my spirit growing and becoming lush and full, as a garden will do over time–I thought of the before and after photos of home gardens, and I thought of my own mother, who loves to watch her garden grow. And it comforted me to think of my soul flowering for its gardener.
Later, for the first time, I heard the song “Balance” by the band Future Islands. The lyrics say it precisely, “And you can clean around the wound/But if you want it to heal/It just takes time.”
The Future Islands get it right–it does take time. The next stanza of the lyrics tells us that it takes more than time–but it takes something we all have–hard work, “And you can go up to the moon/but if you want something to change/you gotta change your life/and take your time/it just takes time/hard work and your time.”
My soul is a landscape right now with some dry patches, some places that need the enrichment of love, attention, mindfulness, compassion, patience, and joy. Althea and I are planting our spring bulbs and maintaining the earth, but we can’t make it flower overnight. We can, however, tend the gardens daily and watch the bulbs slowly unfurl, step by step, and push up through the earth in their glorious, natural process. And yeah, I’ve worked on going up to the moon, but if I want transformation, baby–I have to change my life and take my time.
And finally, when it’s darkest, you know, right before the morning comes, “there’s a certain calm/and then there’s light.” For those of you out there who are interested in Tarot, these lyrics speak to me of The Star–a card that heralds a time for healing, a time for balance, and most of all, a time for <i>hope</i>. This song and The Star card were messages for me because it’s time for me to heal the landscape of my soul–my soulscape, if you will–before I can achieve my goals.
It takes some time for us to understand the meaning when we get our messages for our selves lol great post, thank you for sharing.
Btw. When you started doing tarot cards did you buy a deck or was given one? My sister claims you have to be given them and she gave me hers but I’ve been longing for a deck of cards that I connect with.
Hi Tamera! When I started reading Tarot, I used a deck that my mother had given me as a gift. It is true that it is tradition to receive the cards as a gift, but I also believe that, when used benevolently, Tarot is a tool of the light, so I do not think there is a problem at all if you choose a deck on your own and bond with it from first sight. In fact, picking up the vibrations off of the physical decks that you choose from could give you an excellent head start with your deck. I have purchased many digital decks for myself and would have no problem purchasing a physical deck for myself. Just make it a ritual to use the cards and wrap them/store them in something you love, and they will respond to you. Thanks for the comment, please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @soulunfold or here if you have more questions. — Erica