Not too far from my home in this virtual world lies a park where I love to go.  On this day I've hiked along the river downstream through the old growth woods.  Further and further I go, drawn by something seemingly just around the next bend.  Finally the mighty oaks and beeches give way to willows, and beyond the willows, a clearing.  And in the clearing stands a majestic old house, no, not a house, an inn.  At least is was a long time ago. 

*BeerLover walks through the overgrown meadow to the large porch of the Inn.  The old building is holding up pretty well for being abandoned.  The main sign is long gone.  He looks around for  another, smaller sign by the front door.  BeerLover tears off a "No Trespassing sign and underneath is another which says, "Leave your judgements at the door."  He is dismayed to find a new latch and paddlock on the door.  "Why this is an outrage!  This door was never locked.  He takes out his trusty pocketknife, unscrews the latch, and flings it into the grass.*

*He steps inside.  The first room was a library with a little coffee counter on one side.  The books are still there.  {Who has time to read a book these days?}  He spies one of Motherpeace Wren's round tarot cards on a table.  A smile crosses his face as he remembers Wren quitely turning over cards and dispensing advice on love and nutrition and all sorts of things.  And she was always there with a warm blanket and a sympathetic ear.  He thinks back to the fun times- Aerosmith playing for summer solstice and Alma sneaking away with Steven Tyler later.*

*A ghost makes its way silently down the stairs.  "Is this place really dead or just sleeping?"  The ghost shakes its head equivocally.  A few more ghosts join the first.  The beer cooler suddenly turns on.  BeerLover goes over to the cooler, but alas, it's empty.  A single mug sits on the counter, empty except for a little dust.  A timer goes off, and BeerLover instinctively opens the oven looking for some of Maylilly's fresh biscuits.  But the oven is cold and empty.  Grabbing the tarot card, he leaves.*

Sleeping, not dead.  It's time to wake this place up again.  People are out there watching and waiting, like ghosts.  It's time to wake up the spirit of unconditional acceptance which is the essence of Willow's Bend.  Check your judgements at the door and come back to this place.  The world needs Willow's Bend!

Can I get an Amen?

*BeerLover dons his blue host hat.*  Greetings Ahras!  Welcome to this little corner cyberspace.  At one time this was a very special place and I hope people want to make it alive again.  If you want to know some of the history of the place, look the the thread, "New Willow's Bend," especially the first posts. 

The old-timers around here will remember that I met my wife right here on the tarot boards.  We had our wedding IRL and a wedding here as well.

Blessings on your journey (It feels really good to say that again),

BeerLover

AKA Beer-Lo

How to make it alive again? Are you teaching tarot? I'd like to learn.

I have a Tarot deck but the cover (box) has long since disappeared.  Does it matter what kind I have?  The book is a little white book that came inside the box.  I've read the book many times trying to figure out what the cards mean, but either I am too close to my own reading and can't understand the meaning of the cards as they pertain to me, or I don't know what my problem is.  One thing is, I've never had a teacher.  I've had trouble in the past and have given up several times.  In the deck that I have, The Empress and The Fool look exactly like this picture:
compare.ebay.com/like/200655303239?var=l...

Oct 14, 2011 -- 6:59PM, BeerLover wrote:

Ah Christine, we are going to have fun together.  The Fool is Major Arcana 0, the numberless number.  The Fool has mastered the previous life lesson and now he is throwing himself off the cliff into the river of life below to start a new cycle.  A real world example of this would be the graduating senior in high school heading off for college, or the college grad leaving for the world of work- one phase of life mastered, a new one just beginning.  The major arcana are divided into three triads of seven cards each.  The first seven reflect our growth and development from childhood to early adult.  Here we have the cards which represent the male and female archetypes as well as the love relationship.  The High Priestess represents the maden, young, mysterious, alluring.  The Empress represents the mother, keeper of the house, nuturing.  The second triad represents how we fit into society.  This triad has many transformational cards in it.  It's one thing to be a woman (or man).  It's an entirely different thing to understand how you fit into society.  The third triad has to do with your spiritual development.  Once you have mastered this phase, you end up with The World, Major Arcana 21.  There is nothing to do at this point except for savor the moment.  And fling yourself off the mountain as The Fool and begin the journey all over again.  Look through the Major Arcana again.  Separate them into these three groups.  Does it make a little more sense now?

We will talk.

BL

Is Ahras09 here too?  Okay, I get a better idea.  Could you name the first seven, the second and the third?