In Tarot, The Tower card represents an event that strikes like lightening. Coming seemingly from nowhere, it arrives quickly, knocking down the ivory tower we've built for ourselves, then vanishes just as suddenly as it arrived. Shocked and shaken, we are left to figure out exactly what happened, assess the damage and determine a plan for moving ahead. During a recent reading on my own behalf, The Tower card was selected and sure enough, disaster struck when I found myself soon to be out of a job. Standing amidst the rubble that was once my career, I'm struggling to decide what's next. I started my first job the day after my 16th birthday and have never been without one in the 26 years since. Often, I held 2 or 3 jobs, doing anything I could to provide for my family. So what now? With time to reflect, I can see that though terribly frightening, this is exactly what I needed to take my passion for healing and turn it into my life's work. It's my opportunity to do what I love and to love what I do.
Raised with a strong work ethic, all my life I've done what needed to be done but at the same time, knowing full well that this was not the life God had intended for me. I was the square peg, hammered into the round hole and I didn't know how to wiggle my way out. With children to support you can't just take off and do what you want to do, life doesn't work that way. Just over a year ago, suffering from a severe bout of depression coming on the heels of my remarriage, giving up the home my boys and I had created together to move into my new husband's, and the struggle we were all having adjusting to life with a blended family, I went to see a therapist. Little did I suspect that it would change the course of my life in such dramatic fashion.
God brings people into our lives for a reason and Sharon was brought into mine to introduce me to the healer within. In a few short sessions she gave me an overview of the concept of energy medicine. She taught me about meridians and helped me overcome fear and anxiety using EFT (Emotional Freedom Therapy), an amazingly simple but powerful form of mental acupressure. I joined a yoga class, studied chakras, color therapy, reflexology, tarot, bio energy and spiritual healing. A friend brought me to a Reiki share event and after that one 20 minute session, I knew what I wanted to do with my life and have since become a Reiki Master. A local massage therapist invited me to join her team and now have a treatment room in her studio where I meet clients during the hours when I am available while still holding down my full time "day job"...Well, did hold down my full time day job.
Admittedly business with the Reiki practice is slow so far. Most people in and around the small midwestern town where I'm located have no idea what Reiki is. There's marketing materials to develop, demonstrations and informational sessions to hold, club and group meetings to attend, hands to shake and deals to make all while working 40 hours a week, seeing clients on nights and weekends and maintaining a household. No wonder it took a bolt of lightening to shake things up.
When reading Tarot cards, it's important to understand that no card is inherently good or bad, there are positive and negative aspects to each. Just as life, Tarot is full of duality. While as scary as being unemployed and losing the comfort of a steady paycheck is, I've gained the freedom to follow my bliss and make a positive contribution to the world at the same time. With the 40 extra hours a week once devoted to a job in which I'd never find fulfillment, I can now focus on expanding my services and reach more people in need of healing.
Take some time to look back over your life. Do you see any "Tower" events that while devastating at the moment of impact, turned out to be opportunities you'd never expected. I'd love to hear your story so please post a comment and share.
