Card of the Month: April 2021

From the gorgeous Fleurot, A Floral Tarot Deck by my friend Stephanie McKenna, this month’s card is Hellebore, or the 10 of Swords in the “traditional” tarot deck.

Keywords: Defeat. Fear. Crisis.

If your first glance at those keywords makes you want to run away, I get it! We tend to shy away from the “difficult” cards, but if you keep reading you’ll see the beauty that blooms out of struggle. 

The 10 of Swords, represented in this deck by the plant hellebore, is typically illustrated with the swords piercing the back of a person lying face down. Not a nice image!

However, according to Rachel Pollack:

“The situation is not so bad as it looks… It signifies more of a reaction to problems than the problems themselves.” -Rachel Pollack, 78 Degrees of Wisdom

What does this have to do with hellebore? Hellebore blooms in winter and early spring. It is resistant to frost, which allows it to flower even before the seasons have changed, when the temperatures still dip below freezing.

This time of year is challenging even when there isn’t a worldwide pandemic. The temperature fluctuates, with a taste of spring one week followed by snow flurries the next, making it hard to believe that spring will ever arrive. But hellebore doesn’t wait for the perfect weather… it blooms right there in the middle of uncertainty.

“The road ahead seems long… or is it that the road behind is long, and you find yourself wondering if it will ever end?” -Fleurot, A Floral Tarot Deck by Stephanie McKenna

I love the shift in perspective Stephanie brings with this quote. Coming out of winter during a worldwide pandemic can at times feel hopeless, like it’s not happening fast enough. This card reminds me that there are so many things to be hopeful about, and that all of the challenges we face ultimately make us more resilient. 

Hellebore is also toxic, so it is best admired and loved from a distance. If that isn’t a metaphor for life right now, I don’t know what is! 

Where in your life are you waiting for perfect conditions before “blooming”? Is your attention focused on the problems and challenges you face? What would it be like to allow hope to coexist with your fear?

May we all find beauty in the struggle.