Recently, I was asked by my friend Asa Nilsson who is also in my tarot group (run by the most awesome teacher Sinead Fine, owner of Tarot for Women) and is host to an amazing podcast called More Moss to the People, what my favourite Tarot card is and why.
I didn't have to think long. My reply was quite immediate and before I tell you, let me warn you, don't be grossed out, scared or creeped off your socks. You'll understand when you read the explanation. Here is my reply:
My favourite is the Death card (number 13 or Roman XIII of the Major Arcana in the Tarot). Being a Scorpio, that's probably not surprising. And as a snake lover. I love growing, which means, you have to leave old shit behind and make a fresh start. It's like a cleansing and a stage marker, telling me, look how far you've come. Be proud of yourself. You're next level - quite literally.
It's like, the old you is dead and the new you emerges like a snake shedding its skin. Obviously, mostly that is attributed to butterflies, going through the stages of caterpillar, cocoon and wings spreading, but I prefer snakes for two reasons:
They have more power for me. They are formidable and you'd think long and hard before messing with them. Especially my favourite, cobra (see my article Cobra as Power Animal).
They don't just transform once and die. They do it over and over again. Butterflies are final. Snakes keep gaining power, recreating themselves and growing.
The people I resent the most (judgy, I know, and what you judge harshly in others you usually don't like about yourself but it's there...) are those who are so fixated, clinging to everything that's familiar and routine because they're too scared to explore new ideas and concepts, to dare to have their worldview challenged and who are afraid to recreate themselves, or at least, try to.
No one's perfect, of course. But people who lack that willingness to look beyond the rim of their plate or beyond their garden fence, as two German sayings go, creep me out. It's actually a major trigger point because in my personal history, I have been clashing big time with such people in my life since I was old enough to question shit. And me questioning shit triggers them big time because they do their utmost to avoid scratching the surface. So that's been a theme in my life.
It's been a steep curve of learning to make my peace with this, and finally accept you'll never get certain people to look at things from a different perspective, let alone ever gain their approval, and I'm now feeling - finally - I don't need it. In fact, if certain people aren't the ones you'd turn to for advice or explore ideas with, why would I need their approval at all? I know my worth! Only took me 50 years to get there. But better late than never.
So yeah, that's my death card. Kill that shit, burn it down and create fertile soil to build new and better. Transformation as many as you want and allow. It takes work and it isn't easy to face certain things, most of all your own bullshit, because you've got to do the inner work and stop projecting outside to bypass self-development, but it's so worth it. And with every step, you grow bigger, brighter and stronger within yourself and that's a wonderful feeling that provides a little more self-empowerment, security, and inner peace each time. Who wouldn't want that?
I hope, my little excursion into the death card gave you some laughs, new perspectives and food for thought. I'd love to hear about your thoughts on this and what your favourite Tarot card is and why. Let me know in the comments or shoot me a mail at info@tirzaschaefer.com. Thank you!
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