Having grown up Christian, this season is all about rebirth for me and as I started thinking about what I was going to write about for this blog hop, the Six of Cups from the New World Tarot jumped out of the deck and as I was reading the meaning, I was struck by the words, "The Six of Cups is healing from trauma through accessing youthful joy that you may or may not remember." That sentence opened up my heart in very unique ways and I realized that for this Blog Hop I was going to take a journey though the sixes of the New World Tarot.
For those of you who are not familiar with this deck, it is a deck that makes what many consider ugly (fat people, trans people, women with hairy legs, men in drag) beautiful and empowering. Christy C. Road, the deck creator said, "The New World is misfits owning their cultures without guilt." She also said, "The New World is a foundation for reconnecting to our ancestry and dismantling magic that's been harmed." For me, working with the New World Tarot has been magical because I have seen the beauty and wonder in images that look more like me than the skinny white women and men that populate more traditional tarot decks. In terms of the order I've presented this journey through the sixes, this was the order that the cards presented themselves to me, but I could also see how a different order could make sense to someone else.
Six of Cups
This is card that I have traditionally had a difficult relationship as the traditional card with the young man giving flowers to the young girl has always struck me as slightly creepy and I've always felt a deep inequity of power in the card. However, the card as Road has drawn it has more innocence to it and feels to me more about letting love wash over you. Road also said that this card was also about roots and about a connection to the people that raised you. This sentence along with other healing literature that I'm reading has helped me to see that I was loved growing up and that my parents probably did do the best they could for me. That doesn't mean they didn't hurt me, but I'm realizing that I need to look at intent and not results. This card is also showing me that I need to open my heart and be open to the love and playfulness that is all around me.
Six of Swords
The six of swords speaks to us of journeys and letting go of the past. The RWS version of this card has a woman being ferried across the sea by a man. The New World version has a woman standing by the side of the road with her luggage. Road says, "She represents the end of a toxic past and the end of oppressors disguising themselves as loved ones. She represents the moment where you reclaim your personal power and walk away." I love this reminder that it is my choice to walk away. There is no one physically holding me to the past and I can leave the baggage behind at anytime. This card helped me to realize that I was making some decisions based on things I hoped would happen if I had the decision. It also helped me realize that it really is time for me to cut all those cords (maybe with a sword?) and leave the baggage behind. It is festering and ugly and I don't need it any more.Six of Pentacles
The six of pentacles is another card I've often struggled with as my first tarot deck was the DruidCraft Tarot and my immediate impression of the six of pentacles was someone being asked to give more than they could afford. What I've realized since is that the Six of Pentacles is about opening our hearts to both give and to receive. Sometimes we are so ashamed that we need help that we refuse to ask for it and suffer in silence and sometimes we are oblivious and do not think to offer help. Another scenario that I often have is that I think that what I have to give in terms of advice or time is of no value to someone else so I don't offer assistance. Although this card is labeled as redistribution, in my heart I know that it is really about opening ourselves to giving and receiving help and giving and receiving love.Six of Wands
Oddly enough, one of the cushions that the woman is sitting on says Rebirth, which I did not realize until I went to write this post. I love what Road had to say about this card. She says, "The Six of Wands knows we deserve to fully experience our setbacks, our rage, and our personalized methods of healing from pain; yet she manages to sit above the pain, embracing outside successes and smiling at the face of support." This card is about embracing our worth and knowing that no matter what is going on in our lives, we are worth it. What I truly love about this card versus the more traditional version is that it is about accepting and acknowledging our own worth, versus relying on external accolades. One of the things I have realized lately is that I rely way to heavily on external sources of validation. I like to get As in school, I like my boss to praise me, and while those things are nice, I need to learn to validate myself and that is really hard sometimes.
As we enter this time of balance and rebirth, I hope that this post gave you something to think about and if you want to continue hopping, you can hop backward to see Traci's post or hop ahead to see Katalin's post. Visit the Master List to see a list of all our great bloggers.