Donnaleigh
"When I decided to be a singer, my mother warned me I'd be alone a lot.
Basically we all are. Loneliness comes with life."
Whitney Houston
Didn't we almost have it all? The velvet voice of an angel, the rugged lifestyle of a devil. Whitney Houston was both soft and rough, gifted and unfulfilled, abundant yet needing, unmistakable silky, robust vocals and the life of a rebel starlet...and now she is gone.
The news today shocked us all as we read of Whitney's sudden passing, dead at age 48.
With questions still unanswered about the how's and why's, I took out a new deck I was exploring tonight, the Blue Dog Rose Tarot by Nakisha. This is the story these beautiful cards had to tell.
WHAT'S THE SITUATION HERE?
(Ace of Birds) 1 of Air - Quaker Parakeet REVERSED
Lack of Joy, reduction of passion, unfulfillment, discontentment, the family or home of concern.
If a bird is not upright on a perch, it is like a goldfish that is not upright...this is the whisper of her passing. Quaker Parakeets are known for their clear voices...but they have another side, with a screech that can crack concrete. Soft and funny one moment, jarring the next. Reversed, we have the jarring qualities of this songbird (Whitney).
The Ace of Air/Swords reversed is also poor judgment, lies we tell ourselves or others, muddy thinking, not thinking clearly, and letting go of things.
WHAT CHALLENGED HER?
15 - Devil - Beagle Dog
Temptation and deception. Selfishness and self satisfaction. Things too good to be true. Giving in to temptation. Addictions. This dog is in a pristine home and he cannot help it, but he has strewn garbage over the living quarters.
We may hear of a mess in Whitney's home, maybe not only figuratively, but literally. The Devil card brings us to our darkest shadow sides, the things we are sure we can't control... but can we? Could he dog have left the garbage in the basket? What garbage has she spilled?
WHAT MAY HAVE HELPED HER?
4 of Rhodents (Earth)- A gerbil with a wheel of cheese.
The 4 of Earth is someone holding on tight to resources and shielding themselves, closing themselves off in order to hold onto something. It appears this mouse was so busy holding onto what she had or felt she needed that she wasn't open to offerings. Her cheese came between her and other people. She might even offer you some, as there is a wedge missing here, but her hands are firmly on it and it's hers, she won't let go.
Even the missing chunk of cheese is too big for this mouse. Too much. This is overabundance...more than one mouse should have or can consume. This is material goods and the love for material things, the attachment to that which we hold onto so tightly. Cheese is my personal weakness, drugs were hers...the advice here is to realize what we're hiding behind. She has it all, doesn't she? But he is alone in this picture.
This cheese is in the shape of a heart, with the point right at the mouse, but why is she hiding? What does she love so much? Whitney always was "the big cheese" in show business. The 4 of Pentacles can be a card of holding something too tight, of over-keeping, too much in the body, holding onto something. Perhaps this is an over-dose, or just an over-healthy body from over-indulgences. The advice is to put boundaries between us and our pitfalls.
It looks like not much could have helped her here....this mouse is alone, and he his shielding himself from those of us who took a piece of this cheese. Until this mouse wants to help herself, she cannot be helped. She's hiding behind her vice. The advice to her is to find her way around the vice and let go.
HER OUTCOME:
3 of Rhodents (3 of Pentacles) - Black and white mouse on a wire.
Moving on, walking a thin line, trying to keep a balance on a path too thin to walk. Will she fall off the thread? This mouse is moving on to better places....finding her way from one dimension to the next. The final frontier.. (or is it...?)
WHITNEY"S SPIRITUAL LESSON:
16 - Tower - Cat and Fishbowl
A sudden disruption, epiphany or event. A visitor, a disaster or a situation breaking down. Sudden, painful changes inevitable destruction.
This cat is looking for what he craves, what fascinates him, even though it may be forbidden or getting him into trouble...but he's about to spill not only the bowl, but himself as he holds on and his world comes toppling down. And there the goldfish will lie belly up, an echo of our first card with the reversed Quaker Parakeet.
The castle, the home, it falls with them. Even the home cannot keep it upright. This cat takes it all down with him.
Her spiritual lesson is dealing with breakdowns, walking toward inevitable destruction, living on the edge, being tempted with what is forbidden even if her world will topple. It's the temptation versus the home. The thrill of the risk versus safety. Just one more goldfish.....
"The ride with you was worth the fall, my friend."
Didn't she almost have it all...
Here's wishing you a tarot-filled week of moderation and sweet, silky vocal memories.
Warmly,
Donnaleigh
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