.::Elder::.
Homecoming
“I evolve through seasons of life.”
My Grandma repeats the stories of her childhood and cries for England and her mom. The war, the hunger, illness and loss all loudly revisit her as though they are banging a drum in her head. Grandma’s dementia often tugs her mind away but today she has a clear voice- if not repetitive. “My mom’s garden- she never cried when they dug it up for the air raid shelter- my baby brother, wrapped in yellow for his funeral- Rosy, our dog, stayed with us all through the war…” She is frail, and her stomach is bloated. I can’t reach my arms around her to hug. This is our last visit, we both know it. All of our memories have woven one line and I hold them tight to my heart. “Hush dear,” She says with her proper English. “I will see you in your dreams.” I choke out a sob and scoop up my daughter, one last kiss and I hold her face.
Elder is an echo from your ancestors, drawing out the wisdom encoded in your very DNA. Like a true mover of the stagnant, Elder does not hold still long enough to be pinned to one season. A welcoming green in Spring comes first, blades unfurling from a complex leaf. The sun beckons the flower crowns, usually shortly after Summer Solstice. Then the buds of white give way to black or red berries. Elder is a plant ready to dress for the occasion. Often growing along roadsides or wet ditches, they make their way through the muck towards the sky, bringing with them the moisture they draw from the earth.
Elder soothes the soul and the voice. They are for the throat that has been holding back what it knows, and for the grief or story that has been waiting a few generations for someone to say it out loud. What your lineage couldn’t speak may still be carried in you, and Elder knows how to coax it up.
This card asks you to notice what is shifting in you right now. You don’t have to hurry the change or explain it. Hold your hand open, the way Elder does, and let the season do its work.
Your body is calling you home.
Reflection: What is your body trying to say that your voice hasn’t yet?
