Seven of Vessels – Mourning

Seven empty vessels and a decorated human skull at the foot of a large tree are the main components of this beautiful card of the Wildwood tarot.

It is something entirely different than its RW counterpart which is all about fantasy ,illusion and options.

Perhaps it is not according to the guidebook but this is what I read in the card:

What stands out to me is the fact there are all kinds of different bowls. Most of the time when we think of mourning we immediately remember our greatest loss, our biggest bowl. The person we miss the most, a situation which has scarred us intensely. But I've learned the amount of grief increases by various losses (bowls). Sometimes we mourn parts of us we had to let go in order to move on to the next phase of our life (skull). So did I had to let go of being a mother of little children, in order to become a mother of adult women. I had to let go of the town I grew up in so I could follow my husband to a strange part of my country for a job he had found there. My piano was sold because I couldn't play anymore (neck injury) There are also minor events which I mourn for instance the chopping of the most beautiful Cherry Blossom tree by my neighbors.

This is not the place to list my greatest losses; the things I mourn the most. Everybody has their own empty vessels but I guess you will understand what I am getting at: Every day something is left behind. So our bowls gradually increase in number. Does that mean I am crying all  the time. No, sometimes mourning can be as sweet as honey: the most beautiful memories mixed with a longing for lost loves and sometimes finished with a topping of a few heartfelt tears. I always say grief is the downside of love. The more you love the more you will have to mourn.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  ~Kahlil Gibran