It's a Northern Thing

One of the things that I like about going away .. is the coming back. I can't knock the last three days, because everyone has been so hospitable and we've had a good time; there's just something about relaxing on your own bed, which I am doing now.

We left here around 7pm on Friday evening, listening to Bjork's dulcet tones as we whipped up the motorway. We must have reached The Black Country around 10.30 and our friend, Sarah, greeted us at the door with two large glasses of wine. I have known her for just a little less time than I have known my boyfriend, since he took me up to stay at her house when the two of them attended a friend's funeral at the beginning of our relationship. From the moment I met her, we got along. We both live on the more creative wave of life and enjoy shopping, talking about clothes, and socialising. Even though my boyfriend is her best friend, she treats us equally and we are close. I have stayed there a good few times and once we were there, I felt at home once again.

The wedding that my boyfriend and I attended this weekend was not hosted by a friend of Sarah's, so when she went off to the salon to work on Saturday morning, he and I got showered, suited, and booted. To be honest, I wasn't really looking forward to going, but it turned out far better than I expected. The church service wasn't long winded and as soon as it was over, we made our way to the venue for the reception. It was such a warm day. We were driven over by another couple and the four of us sat out in the pub garden, taking in the beautiful view of fields and hills. I had only met his other friend and her husband once before, so it was a perfect excuse for me to get to know them and them to get to know me. As with Sarah, Tara and her husband are very warm and generous people. I guess it's a Northern thing.

For the Saturday, I drew the 10 of Masks. I drew this card recently and saw it as a tray, filled up, with little space left. For me, it was looking at taking on too much and feeling the pressure of doing so. This might have been to do with our day, since we then took a taxi to another place after the wedding at 11 to meet with Sarah and other friends we had wanted to see, but I think that it was a general warning. I have been mentioning here that my boyfriend and I have taken on far too many social engagements for the next two months. I really can't take on any more, so when Tara kindly suggested we come up in a couple of months for her son's christening, we had to decline. It really is a long drive there and back.

For Sunday, I drew the 8 of Flowers. When I look at the card, I see it as an open road forward. The flowers stand back and open the way, but once we have passed through, they grow back together over the pathway and block our return. This is a card of journey; usually when drawn, I see it as a need to move forward and leave something behind for good. It seemed appropriate that Richard began his long journey in the air ambulance back to the UK on the Sunday night, arriving home at around 5am the next day. From what I have heard, he did deteriorate on his way but is now in a local hospital with the care he needs. It has been reported that the unknown benefactor has requested his money back in three months, so the fundraising is as important as it was before Richard returned. Even though the website is only updated manually, the total stands at £18, 632. The target is £80,000.

My boyfriend and Sarah (accompanied by her daughter and two friends) took me to Ironbridge yesterday. I had kind of turned my nose up at going to a shopping centre, since there are enough of them down here, so they decided on taking me there. It really was breathtaking; a rich and green valley, with a small and quiet town, where we visited a lovely quaint little shop called The Crystal Labyrinth and ate lunch next to the river. In the evening, we took the girls to dinner in a carvery near to home and relaxed out of the previous busy couple of days. The Knave of Crosses can often be about new experiences and career opportunities, which might be about prospects I am not yet aware of, but for that day, she reminded me of the elder of the three kids, Jesse, who is 13. She made me think of the knave in a different way. With her similar red locks, she was somewhat of an inbetweener. Due to her maturity, she didn't fit with the two young girls who were with us, since they were younger and enjoyed running here and there; but she was also a few good years away from the adults who she so wanted to seek the approval of. She is a lovely girl and has an older head than her years. Apparently, she takes her mother a cup of tea in the morning, then gets her younger sister ready for school before making their sandwiches for lunch. She is a down-to-earth girl and isn't work shy, which is what made me wonder if the Knave of Crosses (or Page of Pentacles) represented her.

My boyfriend and I made the drive back down South at around 11am this morning. After breakfast out, we made one last flying visit to see Tara, so we could meet her 4 month old son. Even though the drive wasn't bad and we avoided the heavy traffic, I still hate long car journeys. Once we were home and had unpacked the car, I opened my delivery from Amazon. Only two of the three Favole books had turned up while I was away, but they really are delicious. Victoria Frances' artwork is stunning and they are pulled together in a lavish and elegant way. I am not sure how useful they will be for unravelling the characters in this tarot deck, but it's great to see the original paintings (some have been snipped or fused together in the pack) and find out what inspired each of them.

Death is a card of endings or change. After a few drinks on Saturday night, my boyfriend kind of let a cat out of the bag by saying we wouldn't be travelling up north as frequently as we have been in the last two years. As much as we care about and enjoy seeing our friends there, going up can sometimes be a bit of a chore; I doubt it will have much of an effect on the good friendships we have, but in terms of today's card, I think what he said drew a line in the sand between the visits we have made and the amount we intend to make from here on. This is one of the more beautiful Death cards I have seen, showing a woman in a lake, surrounded by lily pads. Has she died or is she returning to life in a different way?



Illustration from The Favole Tarot by Victoria Frances