The Moon + Temperance
What is really happening in this moment? And what is the residue on the lens from which we see?
To deepen my understanding of Tarot, I've made it a habit to ask the question,
What can I learn about the cards today?
I pull two cards and jot down my first impressions. I then observe how these cards show up on that day.
This was written on November 6th.
Be aware of how your past experiences, ingrained scripts, and unconscious biases colour your reality. Adjust your thoughts and behaviour as you do become aware. Situations are not usually as dire as our minds make them out to be. And if they are, they usually sort themselves out because an angel is watching your back!
Today, I caught myself grumbling about doctor visits as my personal support worker (PSW) helped me get dressed. “They do me more harm than good,” I moaned. “I always come home so dehydrated! Are they even necessary?”
I use a powerchair, so going to see the doctor—or just going out, period—does come with challenges. I worry about my PSW not coming on time to get me ready. I worry about having to use the bathroom. I worry about the jerky van ride that makes me feel as if I’m going to be flung out of my chair.
“The driver braked so abruptly once, I banged my head on the seat in front of me!” I heard myself telling her dramatically.
How many times had I repeated this anecdote, I wondered. It had been five years since that incident. I have nothing to worry about anymore because my new powerchair can tilt backwards, which helps keep my body securely anchored to my seat.
ENOUGH with the rote retelling of stale stories, I thought.
I hastily ate two mini falafels—my current salty snack of choice to delay the need for a bathroom break—and headed down the hall to the elevators. In the lobby, my neighbour Diane had just come in and we chatted while I waited for my ride. At 10:15 am—my pick-up time—I realized in a panic that I had forgotten my keys. Diane kindly offered to keep a lookout for the para-bus; and I motored back up to my unit, almost dinging the elevator door in my mad rush. My anxiety grew as I remembered a time, several years ago, when the rug in front of my door got stuck in the wheels of my chair. By the time a neighbour was able to extricate me, the bus had come and gone.
But that was then. And this is now. Today, I have Diane waiting downstairs, like an angel, ready to tell the driver to wait. Why am I stressing?
The outing turned out to be just fine. I had a lively and engaging conversation with my doctor. I was not thrown out of my chair despite the jostling ride. And I did not have to use the bathroom. The Moon card’s big bad wolf turned out to be a harmless yappy dog.
I was reminded of the Moon and Temperance cards again in the afternoon, when Feb, the woman who cleans my home every few weeks, found a wing nut on the floor of my bathroom.
“So that’s what it was!” I blurted out with relief.
The previous week, as I had plopped down on my toilet seat, I heard a loud clink, as if something had dropped on the bathroom tiles. Alarmed, I scoured the floor, I checked the ceiling, I looked inside the toilet bowl, but could not figure out from where the noise had come. Not knowing what else to do, I carried on with my business and tried to forget the confounding sound.
But, lurking in the back of my mind for several days were shadowy images of my toilet seat lift collapsing, or the water backing up because something had fallen down the drain. My brain is a master at conjuring up all kinds of scenarios when I’m missing pieces of information. That is the Moon card’s warning.
The Temperance angel too, with one foot on solid ground, and the other in the watery realms of our imagination, encourages us to find just the right balance between fantasy and reality. They’re both important, but let’s not get carried away.
Feb turned out to be the second angel of the day. I was overjoyed when she located the wing nut’s partner, a loose bolt that secured the electric lift to the toilet bowl. She tightened the nut onto the bolt and left me feeling safe again.
By the time night had fallen, I had heard the cards’ messages loud and clear. When I got a call saying my night PSW had to cancel and that they were looking for a replacement, I didn’t worry about it. I knew that things would sort themselves out. They would find a replacement.
And they did. Not just anyone, but one of my regulars, whom I was so happy to see. My third angel of the day!
