Death \\ Tarot Topic

This is a new series on my blog where I will be randomly drawing a tarot card from my deck to inspire a topic of discussion/reflection. If you’d like to know more about this series or want a general explanation of how I use tarot for the purpose of this series, check out my recent announcement!

Sasuraibito Tarot Deck by Stasia Burrington

General Card Meaning

The death card does not literally mean death, in most cases. Usually the death card signifies the end of a chapter in one’s life/relationship in preparation for a new one.It is a card of new beginnings and endings with a focus on letting go and a change of state (whether physical or mental). This card is usually a bittersweet one, because it deals with letting go of something in order for something new to blossom. Similar to the idea of a Phoenix rising from its ashes. Life from death. You cannot grow without losing who you used to be. We are never the same person we were the day before, which brings about positive and negative feelings.

As you can tell, I love this card for its duality. It’s not the grey area in the middle, it is both black and white. A contrast. I love it.

Inspired

This card got me thinking about some major life changes that have been and will be bittersweet. This last year was full of some pretty big life changes for us, and we have some pretty big ones in the near future as well.

Last summer, I graduated from university. Losing touch with all of my academic friends, passing off the club I ran, and moving outside of the comfort that a school schedule provides were all things I was sad about. On the other hand, I was super excited to have more time, move on to the next chapter of my life (getting married and starting a family), and no longer have homework.

Last autumn, I married my soul mate and finally accepted that we were going to be a family of three. Getting married during a pandemic was less than glamorous, because we literally walked in to the courthouse alone then ate a piece of cheese cake at our dining room table in celebration. That’s it.. we never had a get together with family or friends, which I am not mad about. My introvert self wasn’t too excited to be the center of attention at such a big event. On the other hand, we were thrilled to finally announce to family and friends that we were pregnant. It was so much fun. Pregnancy was not a pleasant experience for us, but we were so happy that baby was healthy and that everything was going well.

This past winter, I had to stop working at the library. I am devastated to not be working anymore, but I am so excited about my new job as a home maker. I wouldn’t trade anything for the time I get with our baby.

In April of this year, we gave birth to our daughter. The birth was not as beautiful of an experience as we had hoped, but we were over the moon in love with finally being parents. It was a super difficult time, but it was also one we will cherish in our memories forever. We lost our independence as adults who could just go places and do whatever they wanted, but we are getting to begin the next chapter of our lives as parents. We will get to watch our hilarious daughter grow and learn. We will get to play with her and give her life experience. We mourn our youthful freedom, but are thrilled to make new memories as a family.

In the next few years, my husband’s job will likely be a bit different and we will be looking to buy our first home. We may even rent a different house as soon as next year until we find our forever home. We love this house for many reasons, so it will be sad to say goodbye to this neighborhood we first lived in together, but we can’t wait to be rid of the issues we have here and in a new house in a new area. It’s sad, but also exciting. We hate the work involved in moving, but we love getting cozy in a new home.