Reading in Short: Problems with ego plus disharmony and imbalance yields the end of cycle. Something in this relationship has got to give!
Divorce can often times be a tricky subject. Most major religions teach against divorce, and some religious communities can be very strict and unyielding in their stance on the matter. In my last parish we had an Amish woman who was divorced. Even though her husband was a drunk and known to be abusive, her particular community held to the ?till death do you part? rules of the wedding vows and shunned her. She left that community and stayed in our extended ecumenical family for a time until she was ready to move on again. She paid a high price for doing what she felt was best, and is a good illustration of the problems some people face when considering the possibility of divorce; namely the social and religious stigma which is still associated with it in some societies.
My views on divorce are formed by my family background and understandings of various Scriptures. I was born and raised in a moderate Roman Catholic family. My father married my mother a few years before I was born. Since my mother was divorced and strict Church doctrine taught against divorce and re-marriage, my parents chose to get married in a civil ceremony outside of the Church, much to the dis-satisfaction of the family. Still my parents continued to go to weekly Mass, even though they were being denied the Sacraments on account of living in a union which was not officially recognized as legitimate by Rome. It took several years, but my parents did go successfully through a process called annulment which ?cleared? their way to an official Church marriage and brought them back into union with their local faith community. I was 6 years old when this process came to its conclusion after 12 long years of work on their part, and was one of the members in attendance at their final ?Church approved? wedding. Since I was technically born outside of this wedding (civil weddings not being recognized by Rome) I am still classified a ?bastard? in the eyes of the Official Church.
All this served to teach me that while having rules and regulations can serve a good, these rules and regulations have got to be ones that people can live with. Jesus once asked the question ?Was the Sabbath made for man, or was man made for the Sabbath?? There are times when human needs and necessity call us to go above and beyond the doctrines of men and accept people (as Jesus did) right where they are. Yes the ?till death do you part? teaching is important, but it should never be taken as meaning ?until you are killed in an act of domestic violence.? Not all unions are entered into for sound reasons, and not all will work out in a manner that is good and healthy for all parties involved. Sometimes it becomes necessary to severe those bonds so that a greater good can be achieved, and severing those bonds is never an easy call, social and religious stigmas aside.
The cards above represent a union which is on the rocks in more ways than one, and the end is in sight. The Devil stands for problems with ego and speaks to possible addiction and addictive behaviors. In the context of this reading The Devil reflects unhealthy behaviors on the part of one or both people involved in this relationship. The Lovers reversed stands for dis-harmony and imbalance; an up-side-down marriage one might say. The last card, the Ten of Swords, reflects that the end has come for this union, at least for this union in its present state. Clearly something has got to give; either a divorce is in the making, or both parties have got to work hard and sincerely to turn things back around for the good. If this latter option is not taken seriously by both, then divorce becomes inevitable. This reflects a painful stage of life where hard choices have got to be made, and a stage of life where the unconditional love and support of a solid spiritual community is priceless. Sadly few spiritual communities deal in unconditional love these days.
In my experience I have known many people who have gone through the process of divorce. These people include everyone from factory workers to ministers. Rarely have I seen a person enter into divorce lightly. In most cases the need for divorce was carefully thought out and the decision to end the union was not a casual one. It was deemed a necessary action to take for the greater good of the people involved, especially the children. Sometimes good can be accomplished by standing firm and facing your difficulties, while at other times the best thing one can do is to walk away. It takes wisdom to know which path to take, not blind rules and doctrines made and enforced by unwise people.
In the end the highest law is the Law of Love, and we must ultimately do what Love would have us do, always acting for the Greater Good, which is often times more difficult than it sounds. Yet, be we speaking of reconciliation or divorce in a relationship, Love will always prevail. Each person and each couple must be free to choose their own path in life, as ultimately they are the ones who will have to live with the consequences. It is up to us as fellow sisters and brothers to support one another lovingly and un-judgmentally so that a greater good will be achieved. We all enter into difficult times. Laws, especially religious laws, should exist to make those times less difficult, not more so. ?This, as I see it, ?should be the goal of all religious and spiritual community: to always serve the good and to do no harm!
Blessings and Peace Profound,
Frater Ralph
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Minister with an avid interest in Inter-Faith harmony and understanding. Big fan of Emmet Fox, St Francis of Assisi, Gandhi and other like minded spirits.iowa gop meteor shower tonight annie oakley edc paranormal activity 4 love and hip hop 2012 nfl mock draft
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