The Arm of the Empress

My sleep has been disturbed of late. The bones in my neck have ached and the joints in my hands feel rusty, so getting comfortable has not been easy. It is probably down to my chronic fatigue, but that doesn't stop me from worrying. I think too much when I am supposed to be sleeping and am often hit with the shards of panic around 4am. For anyone who understands tarot, these experiences lend themselves to the 9 of Swords. But now that I am up, the sun fills my room and removes the night's shadows. For today's card, I have drawn the nurturing and life-giving Empress. This one has a bowl of her fruits to share and a soft embrace to soothe nightmares.

For me, this card is very much about giving. The Empress wishes to care for the world and those around her, which is why she is often linked to the mother archetype. As well as sharing her fruits of nurture and warmth with her children and family, the card is also about checking our own health and providing our body with what it needs. I didn't get out to run much last week and the fried chicken I had on Saturday evening is still laying heavily on my conscience. There is most probably a good reason why the The Empress carries a bowl of fruit in today's draw, as appose to a KFC ten-piece bucket. She knows my secrets.

So I took my run in the sunshine early this morning. Last week's chill has evaporated and all around is thick with greenery and small flowers. That's The Empress showering us with her goods, I expect. Unfortunately, I will probably need to stay inside today, since I have a lot of mundane stuff to do; write-ups on previous lessons, invoices, plans for future school projects, and propositions for agencies. The best I can do is to throw open my windows and draw my blind up as far as it will go. If I can't get to Mother Earth, then she'll have to come to me.

My father is meant to be going into hospital today for an operation. He has been up since 7.30, waiting for them to call him and tell him that he has a bed. It is midday now, he is still dressed and waiting, and has had nothing to eat or drink. I am hoping that the extended arm of The Empress will look after him and keep him safe while he is away from home.



Illustration from The Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law