Maturing with Grace - The Nine of Pentacles by Dawn Alice

Maturing with Grace - The Nine of Pentacles by Dawn Alice

Enjoy the fruits of life! Somehow this statement sounds like it came straight out of a menopause book.

When I turned fifty, all sorts of minor health and emotional issues were triggered off. Suddenly, I was regarded as a mature woman because my hair needed dying every six weeks. My skin was drying out, and all my clothes became tight. I constantly lost my reading glasses and developed a reputation for picking up the wrong car keys – oh, yes; I also had my gallbladder out, piles and a few other embarrassing problems!

When I first started going through puberty, my mother gave me a book and said, “Now you are becoming a woman, you should read this.” Thank goodness for having an older sister!

About the time I turned fifty,my closest girlfriend, Chrissie, who has a four-year leap ahead of me in the age of womanhood, gave me a bundle of books on menopause. Does this mean I am now at the opposite end of puberty? Yes, I think I am!

The Nine of Pentacles is nearing the end of the tarot journey, but the best is yet to come. This card is generally known for the material accumulation and comfort of life. Wealth is useless without appreciation. I am trying to consider menopause as a time to pause and take in what I have stockpiled so far. Material accumulation takes a back step to collecting memories. All my experiences and challenges have only served to strengthen me. Both puberty and menopause are distinct times for not only women, but also the men in our lives who awaken us to who we are.

The garden of this person on the Nine of Pentacles looks so abundant. The grapes could represent the basic ingredient for a good wine. Wine making is a complicated process. The right grapes need to be planted in
the most suitable soil. They need to be picked when ripe; not too early and not too late. They are then crushed and fermented. We need to go through all these stages before we come out the other end mellowed.

Looking rather serene, the person on the card is from a good vintage. I can’t say I am totally unperturbed by the process of menopause but, fortunately, I am surrounded by women with the strengths of this card.

This article has been adapted from my book, Life Love Tarot. You can enjoy more sneak peeks at http://www.dawnalicebooks.com

Blessings

Dawn Alice xo