I love to dabble in the Tarot. Having been a literature major in college and a lover of fairy tales from a very early age, I really connect with the archetypes and stories behind the cards. For me, the Tarot is another tool, like journaling or art,  by which I can interpret my life and raise awareness by turning off the part of my brain that is the censor so that I may enter into introspection with a different perspective. We have all found that sometimes, when you are too close to a situation, you fail to see it for what it really is.

So the other day, I followed a link to a website called Beyond Worlds, and listened to a Tarot podcast by Donnaleigh de la Rose. (Air date: March 5, 2011) During the program, she shared a great tip for a quick read. It was based on a Swedish proverb that says, “Shared joy is a double joy, and shared sorrow is a half a sorrow.” She then suggested pulling two cards and ask: 1)  How can I make joy a shared joy this week? 2) How can I make someone’s sorrow a half sorrow this week? Always enjoying a new tip, I pulled two cards. They seemed pretty self explanatory, so I nodded and went about my business. It wasn’t until later in the week that I actually connected with the reading. I met a friend of mine for dinner. We had a nice evening, and in a moment of sharing, we opened up to each other. Now I know this is not an extraordinary concept. Friends depend on each other all the time. But sometimes we do hold back, we don’t want to burden the other person. We may have things that we feel are too personal to share, or not important enough.  We are afraid of others’ judgement. That night I connected with my friend on a deeper level than we had ever done. I truly feel that we had some bonding and it has greatly enriched our friendship. The next night I went out to meet friends, and even though I had been feeling down, the connection had lifted my spirits. It opened me up to the group and talking with some of the members, I remember thinking that we are all dealing with our own processes at any given time, but the act of gathering and sharing really brings us connection.

I enjoyed reading William’s previous blog about joining his friend at Lughnassadh. I could feel the sense of connection he came away with. So while still composing this I asked him what he took away from the trip – on a personal level. He said, “Separate from any experience I would have had on my own, it was a great honor to be invited into an intimate personal setting with my friend whom I greatly respect. I was able to share a religious experience from her perspective.” He went on to explain that trust was key. He trusted her completely to bring the experience to him and never once felt like an outsider. Friendship brings trust and meaning.

That is so simple. Friendship brings trust and meaning. Everything we experience, everything we must bear, every bit of joy, is what it is to be human. Human connection brings us joy and helps us on the journey for whatever may come. Life is a process and for better and for worse, we need each other to help us along the way.