I am working with the Open Portals deck by James R. Eads. This week’s card is “Portal for the Heartbroken.”
The Portal for the Heartbroken is full of catastrophic emotions and reeks of sadness. ↓ This kind of loss wears on the soul. If you have opened this portal you may need to take time to bathe yourself in it and mourn for the change. ↑ Know that this portal will eventually shrink and the heart will start to heal. When it does you will come out on the other end and look back knowing that in all of that pain, love has always lived in the middle.
The imagery of this card feels quite dramatic. It looks like two halves that have been separated, and all this energy or emotion is rushing about, yet largely still anchored to the center while smaller elements escape.
A broken heart is often the result of change or an unexpected shift in our realities that is interpreted as a loss. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, the loss of choice, the loss of home, the loss of financial stability, the loss of sense of self… it can take a toll on one's spirit.
A broken heart is an emotional reaction, and we have to acknowledge that and be with that. As is often stated in meditation talks, we are not our emotions, but they exist alongside us. We must grieve, but we must also attempt to remain present, to not fall into a vortex of sorrow. There may be times when the sadness is overwhelming, and we may seek to suppress or evade it. This tactic may work momentarily, but the sadness may manifest with greater force in the next moment. These low feelings will pass, as all feelings do, but they are waves that we need to ride out.
We are not defined by our emotions but by the actions we take to address them. It’s okay to be sad, but there’s still work to be done as a being of this world.
Easier said than done, I know, but we have to dig down and find that inner strength and courage to persevere. Beauty and good continue to abound, which we may be reluctant to see, but, if possible, try to see it. Even if it’s a faint impression, we must allow that bit of light to guide and illuminate our way through the sadness.
Passing time caring for critters.
Creating while they nap.
