The Tower

Those who know me well, especially those who know me well as a reader, know I have a very personal relationship with The Tower. I pull it, and encounter it, over, and over, and over again. One would think this is because I haven't quite learned or ingrained the lessons of this particular step of the journey and thus need to repeat it.

You might be surprised to know I have never viewed it this way. I think some teachers on the Fool's Journey have more than one thing to teach you, and that one should not be afraid to return for more schooling. The High Priestess is hardly the only temple you should be able to return to again and again to receive new insight.

Heck, I visit Kali a lot more than I visit my High Priestess. Judge that whatever way you will, but I have learned many important things from my return visits to The Tower:

1. Sometimes everything has to fall down at once and sometimes it doesn't. Remember when things feel like they're falling apart that not every structure in your life has become weakened, unhealthy, or has outlived its usefulness. Your life is a series of constructions, and usually, they wear out one at a time. Don't burn the village just because the roof caved in on the town hall.

2. Don't be afraid of the leveling earthquake or of Pompeii. Before the phoenix comes the ashes.

3. Sometimes you need to take it apart to see what's inside.

4. Courage and character are not tested or acquired in happy rose gardens. What defines you are the choices you make when the storm comes.

5. If you decide you're tired of building with the same materials, try some new ones. You might surprise yourself.

I hope The Tower proves to be as rich a mine of wisdom to you as it has to me. What revelations has The Tower given you?

May Angels Send You Home

It is a sad week for those of us who attend the Women and Spirituality Conference every year in Mankato. We have been missing, for two years now, a familiar face. This last week, our favorite angel painter, Paul Klages, died after a long struggle with cancer.

Paul was a gifted artist and a great human being and a friend of the Blessings and Breathing Center. His angel artwork was inspiring and uplifting.

He will be greatly missed, both from the Mankato conference and from our lives.