Today’s card is from a darker deck. I used this one for this week’s Tarotscopes. It’s a self-published deck from the instigator known as Inappropriate Tarot. I saw an image on Alison Cross’ Game of Thrones blog (a marvelous blog on Court cards) and loved it. It’s dark. It’s funny. It’s tragic. It makes a statement.
Here we see either one giraffe with two heads or two giraffes perfectly silhouetted against one another. As one reaches up for leaves, the other reaches down for what look like skulls. The card is splattered (trademark of the art on this deck). The words read Balance, Restraint. If you’ve ever seen a giraffe drink, you understand immediately why this elegant but gawky mammal might make an appearance as this card.
And it reminds me that I am a lizard petter. Jarring transition? Maybe, but stick with me. On my morning amble with the wuppy dogs, I saw a lizard on the fence. An anole to be exact although many of us call them chameleons. This was a tiny baby. My little finger was longer than he or she. I reached down slowly. She (or he) turned to look at me with big little baby lizard eyes. This was no reaction of fear–just curiosity. I gently stroked his (or her) back. S/he didn’t run but s/he did indicate movement so I withdrew. Just as slowly. Then I walked on.
My mama used to laugh and tell me I thought I was St. Francis of Freaking Assisi because a sparrow landed on me when I was sitting in our backyard. By her telling, I was about five years old. But it is true that I’ve always had an affinity for animals. My friends and family who travel with me sometimes express amazement at the animals I can spot. It’s particularly surprising when you understand that my vision in my right eye is 400/20. No, that’s not at typo. I’m technically legally blind in one eye but it is correctable with lenses. I used to be the kid with coke bottle glass. Grin. Yes, glass since the other eye was 40/20 then. It’s gotten a bit worse now that I’m in my 50’s and wearing progressives.
But back to lizard petting and giraffes and balancing acts. That lizard and I performed a very delicate act of moderation. I wasn’t trying to grab for her/him. S/he wasn’t running immediately. We were restrained in our actions which led to a tiny, brief, miniscule moment of balance.
I pet lizards. Do you? Do you want some help learning to balance your own life? Contact me (look to the right and click that contact me button). I can help.
Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
Get your own copy of the Darkana Tarot.