0. The Empress and Death
on endings and birthing new beginnings
I went to the arcade last weekend, and it was weird how my winning streak in the games I played always fell on the number 3. I didn’t look too deeply into what it meant then, but the number 3 finally caught my attention after I pulled this week’s cards for the collective reading. Lo and behold, what came out were the 3 of swords and the 3 of coins. Okay, Universe. You have my attention.
In the Major Arcana of the Tarot, the card associated with the number 3 is The Empress, a card about birth and creation. And on the other end of the spectrum is card number 13, Death, a card about endings and rebirth.
Somehow the theme made sense to me since I was going through a major career transition, leaving my corporate job in order to create more space to pursue my passion. At one point, I doubted if I made the right choice trading stability for something I wasn’t sure about. I wish I could still have it both ways, but there will come a time when you can no longer hold two things together all at once. And if there is something that I’ve learned when it comes to choosing is that going with the choice that brings you closer to the life you imagine living is worth taking a risk for, responsibly.
Collectively, I feel like the theme is a reminder not to fear endings when the time comes. The Empress and Death, the embodiment of the cycle of life, reminds us that what follows death and destruction is life and renewal. Things end, but you can always choose to begin again.
The challenge with the Death card is accepting that whatever was supposed to end was inevitable, that no matter how long you prolong the ending, the grim reaper eventually catches up to you. But the blessing that comes with it is the realization, after the fact, that you have outgrown whatever has ended - a relationship, a career, a phase in your life - and you are ready to move on to a new chapter that requires a different, hopefully, better, version of yourself.
If you are caught dancing between moving forward and stepping back, give yourself permission to stay in the in-between until you are ready to make that leap.
If you are losing hope waiting for that new beginning to come, know that sometimes, it takes time. And sometimes it takes you creating that space to birth it. So be patient with yourself and your process.
But know that wherever you are, The Empress, the version of yourself ready to give life to something new, will be waiting for you.
Love,
Annie