wheel of fortune

The original (non-Disneyfied) fairy tales often don’t have happy endings. They do, however, still contain lessons. I’ve been off chocolate for three weeks and have only had one migraine—the day Trump was announced the next president of the United States. Not the happy ending many of us hoped for but there are plenty of lessons for Democrats to learn. I wasn’t surprised by Trump’s re-election, though his gains among people of color are troubling. How do we find a way forward when millions of Americans apparently don’t share the same values? I can’t say I’m finding answers in the Danish fairy tales I’ve been reading but it’s a good way to step back from the endless post-election analysis. Once my migraine cleared I decided I would start Xmas early this year. I haven’t put up any decorations yet but I’ve watched a couple of holiday movies, I started listening to carols this afternoon, and I ordered some new ornaments on Etsy last week. I brought some back from Denmark, too, so now I just have to wait for Whole Foods to start stocking live Xmas trees.

On Saturday I scheduled my annual birthday tarot reading and had forgotten that my lifetime card is the Wheel of Fortune. You add the numbers of your birth date, which in my case leads to 10; 1+0 would equal 1, The Magician, but Owen explained that that’s my soul card; ten in the major arcana is the Wheel of Fortune and I drew that card again this morning. When the world starts spinning out of control, find something fixed to focus on. Nature is a great place to find constancy and continuity, despite the disruption caused by climate crisis. It’s still quite mild here in Chicago, which I don’t love, but I looked out the window today and the leaves were golden against a pewter sky. Then the wind picked up and the sky was blue once more. Cycles remind us that chaos isn’t permanent. I’m focusing on my traditions to keep me grounded as everything spins around me. December has become my month of denying myself nothing and I might start that tradition a little early, too! But the Swiss chocolate advent calendar is out of the question now that I see what it’s like to live migraine-free…