The Collective One

I expected one of these two cards to come up today, but I am a little surprised that both have.

The first card shows a group of people huddled together on the shore of the Dark Beach. They all share the same vision of the red sea, as it hypnotically jumps and bubbles about in front of them. Each member of the four sits close and are touching. As much as being individuals, they are a collective one. I see them as friends and my social community, tasting each part of the Dark Beach together. There is something warming about this seemingly dark and cold image.

The second card shows a man. He lays horizontally under the setting sun. The winding trunks of trees behind him almost look as if they are exiting from his head. I see these as loose and stray thoughts that need to be abandoned so that he can sleep. For me, this card is all about rest and the stilling of the mind. Like the setting of the sun, we all need to be able to close down.

By the time I went to sleep last night, I felt awful. My chest and stomach were aching from too much coughing and sneezing, my head felt as though it contained a bowling ball, and I was beginning to get a little shivery. Eventually, I did manage to get a good night's sleep, and despite feeling pretty much the same when I awoke this morning, the edge had been lifted from my cold. I knew that the second card would turn up today because it suggests that I need rest and mustn't over-do things. I also expected to see the card of friends and social community, due to having planned a picnic in a park for lunchtime. Thankfully, my boyfriend took care of all of the preparation by going to the supermarket at 8am to buy the provisions and then rushing home to make sandwiches for us. All I needed to do was get in the bath and be waiting for 10 o'clock, when he arrived with his two nieces and nephew.

Today was a stripy Nepalesian pants with wooden jewellery and sunglasses kind of day. Not feeling my best, I drew on the calm and bohemian side of my personality; kind of akin to the Dark Beach, I guess. It was also a day for bottles of water, Neurofen, and man size tissues. It was as hot today as any of the others recently and we found ourselves a space to lay three blankets in the very busy park. In the end, we were six adults and seven children, sharing food and drink, and chatting the afternoon away. Even though I still didn't feel well into the evening, the company took my mind off of my cold and I think being outside in the fresh air did me some good; even if I do resemble a panda now, through not removing my sunglasses all day.

This is what the four friends in the first card mean to me. While feeling unwell, they distracted me from how I was feeling. Good friends can do that, when you need to escape. The second card put me straight to bed when I got in. I was very tired and snuggled up in my duvet while my boyfriend watched the football., which is where I intend to return when I have finished here.



Illustrations from The Dark Beach Oracle by Prince Le Normand