Today’s card is a grim one. It’s from one of Llwelleyn’s new decks. Here we learn about facing the dark things in our lives. We must understand that some things cannot be turned away from so easily. Even if we run, we cannot escape this specter.
Is it Death? No, it isn’t. Even though this card is the Major Arcana position, it is called the Shadow Side. While Death, aka the Grim Reaper, is present, the two in the foreground seem to cower in fear as if that will stop the inevitable progress of their lives. It’s a fact. We will all die.
What these two young people should be doing is living rather than fearing what will come. They should be standing up to look at the light behind the Reaper. If they did, they would see the welcome waiting for them.
But their time is not now. They are wasting time living in fear.
How much time do we waste? I recently had a chat with a loved one about some major changes in our lives. We both talked about the fear we had around them rather than the joy that could come. Instead of focusing on the good, we both scurried down the path of “OH MY GOD WHAT IF WE FAIL AT THIS?”
What if we had talked about the outcome if we succeeded?
It’s a good thing to talk about potential pitfalls and problems. But I don’t think it is the best thing to focus on them so much that you ignore the good. So the next time you have to have one of “those” talks, allow time for the bad but then focus on the good. Let the good carry you forward while the bad serves as boundaries and reminders of what you don’t want to cross.
Seek joy, y’all. Even when you have to face your own Shadow Side.
Shadow Side (Death), Witches Tarot