I recently had my tarot cards read by my friend Mary who is in that sort of thing. She actually threw a tarot reading party--wine, tacos, and tarot! I'm not really into astrology but there was wine there, so naturally, I went.
My Cuban abuela always had a deck of tarot cards out and I'd ask her to tell me my future. Clearly, I was a born planner. She wouldn't say much of anything though. She'd flip 10 or so cards and say, "You're good, no evil cards here." I'd just stare at her quizically, one eyebrow casually raised and think, I need more than that, lady.
Moving on. So, Mary flips my cards, 13 of them, and she looks at them with that look that doctors give you when something is terribly wrong. And then she says, "Can you give me a moment alone with the cards?" "The cards?" Jesus.
10 excruciating minutes later, I sit back at her table staring at her with anticipation. She looks at me and says, "The cards are telling me you are at a transition point in your life--[Isn't everyone?]-- also, there are a lot of giving cards here. It means you keep giving and giving but you're not getting back what you want in return." Well that was vague and anti-climactic, I thought.
When I got home that night, I thought about what it means to give. You can give things-tangible objects that may or may be useful, you can give love or other abstract emotions, you can give me heartburn because you are a pain in the ass, AND, my favorite, you can give the gift of food!
I think "things" are stupid. I do not want another thing to clutter my apartment. Giving the gift of food is not only thoughtful, it's helpful. I am providing you with the basic need of satiating your hunger. Food is also an extension of myself. So technically, I am giving you myself. Lucky you!
My favorite part of the holidays is cooking yummy treats for others. I will be writing a post in a couple weeks with my finished products- recipes and photos!
