Nature Is Not Just
Libra, Hurrican Helene, and Adjustment
I’m writing this post on day fifteen since the flooding from Hurricane Helene decimated my beautiful city and its outlying towns. So many in my community have lost loved ones, homes, and businesses. The landscape of our world is changed forever; structures reduced to bones piled miles from their foundations, streets covered in toxic mud or just missing altogether, parks that were once green are sandy deserts of silt, waterways have rerouted themselves through what used to be towns and homes, and cell phone towers toppled down mountains.
We were in a blackout for days—not just power but cell phone service, too. Without any communication or media, those of us inside the destruction had no idea how widespread it was. We could only see as far as we could walk, and driving was impossible with so many downed trees and power lines. Water was everywhere except our faucets.
From my street, I could see the French Broad River swollen to within three blocks of my home, engulfing a city park, a gas station, and a restaurant and entering homes that were built elevated above the now-former maximum flood level. I am lucky. My home sits on a hill just above.
For me, the electricity came back on day six. I am still without water and am told it will be quite some time because of extensive damage to the city water system. Again, I am lucky. So many won’t have anything for a very long time.
“Nature is not just…Nature is exact.”
The night after the storm, I pulled some cards that I wanted to share with my tarot community. But first, I feel the need to share some things that I had on hand that made maneuvering a complete loss of services less complicated, in case you ever need it.
CASH - I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough. Cards are useless without electricity or internet service.
BATTERY-POWERED RADIO - With no power or cell phone service, the radio was the hero of this storm, spreading information far and wide quickly!
CANDLES & MATCHES
POWER BANK WITH A LIGHT
A FULL TANK OF GAS - Even if you don’t drive, you can still charge your phone.
JUGS OF DRINKING WATER
A BATHTUB FULL OF CLEAN WATER - I forgot this one and remembered too late, but it should be on this list!
RAIN BARRELS AND CREEK WATER - For flushing toilets.
A SMALL GRILL & CHARCOAL
If you would like to help our community, a list of local, verified charities is at the bottom of this post.
MY HELENE TAROT READING
When I first began my tarot studies, I would test the cards by asking them to tell me things I already knew. Over the years, I developed a spread that is basically a timeline built to ease my inner skeptic. I still use this as part of my praxis by pulling a card to represent the past, present, and future. I always pull PRESENT first, then PAST, and next, FUTURE. I sometimes pull extra cards for clarity.
The night after the storm and after I had ensured that those closest to me were safe, I pulled this these cards by candlelight:
PAST, BEFORE THE STORM: 4 OF DISKS, POWER
This is where we were before the storm, safe in our little fortress. The waters surrounded and protected us from the outside. It's a perfect square, but this is humanity’s invention. The Fours are not natural, and any safety they provide is only an illusion and temporary at best.
PRESENT, THE STORM: ADJUSTMENT
Before the storm I had written a post about Libra and its tarot card Justice/Adjustment. In that post, I talked about how Crowley had renamed the Justice card to Adjustment because, as he wanted his tarot deck to be more in tune with nature, he felt that Justice was a human concept based on morality and, therefore, not natural.
Crowley explains this in The Book of Thoth, “This card in the old pack was called Justice. This word has none but a purely human and therefore relative sense; so it is not to be considered as one of the facts of Nature. Nature is not just, according to any theological or ethical idea; but Nature is exact.”
NATURE IS NOT JUST. This past week, I lived through one of history's most destructive storms, and these words have burned into my psyche. Each time I leave my safe little square and see the remnants of human-created spaces, these four words repeat in my mind.
The synchronicity of this card presenting herself in the “present” was not surprising. Adjustment is the card of Libra, the astrological sign ruling during Hurricane Helene’s appearance. Adjustment is a card that I connected with early in my tarot studies and with whom I have a strong relationship. She appears regularly to me, as I am always trying to balance too much at once.
I can hear this card. The chains holding the whole scene together make quiet sounds as minor adjustments are made to maintain balance. It’s a hard job. I have deep empathy for her, and she for me.
I used to see this card as a somewhat motionless scene. I still do, but after this last week, I see it as the eye of the storm—that dead-center quiet spot while winds and destruction circle around. The Alpha and the Omega represent Nature’s exact and constant building up and breaking down.
AFTER THE STORM: THE KNIGHT OF WANDS
I was so relieved to see this initiating force of the Tetragrammaton as the first action after the storm. Fire of Fire. Lightening fast help from another land. The swift, energetic force of spirit set new things in motion. Help was on the way.
FUTURE STEP 1: THE ACE OF WANDS
Focus on the Knight’s wand. Fire to deal with all this water from the storm floods. Qabalistically, the Ace of Wands is the first card in the deck, the first spark from the Unmanifest. The creative energy from outside to begin again.
FUTURE STEP 2: THE SEVEN OF WANDS, VALOR
More fire for the long battle. This card shows the strength and honor to rebuild. But, this effort will be engaged on the individual level. Each person will fight their own battles to overcome the current situation.
However, this card contains a warning. All the energy and effort will be spent regaining something we already had, not something new. There is no winning prize in this effort; it is just maintaining. Victory, but without joy. We will build our safe squares again and fight the same battle someday in the future. The waters will swell again; this isn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last.
FUTURE STEP 3: THE NINE OF CUPS, HAPPINESS
Stability is restored. The Nines are the culmination of all of the forces of the Tree of Life brought into balance on the Middle Pillar and directly accessible from Earth. This card shows the perfect balance of water. It flows peacefully from cup to cup, positioned in three perfect rows of three, circulating and purified through the Lotus flowers. In the end, we will come away with something better than we had before.
The Cups generally reflect emotions. After living for almost three weeks without water, I have a greater understanding of how water is an integral part of emotional well-being. Abundant, clean water is necessary for Happiness.
Thank you to all who sent messages and comments during this crisis. Numinous Press had no losses due to the storm and subsequent floods and is functioning normally. I hope to back to regular social media and blog posts once things stabilize in our personal daily routines.
M🔮
DIRECT HELP FOR VICTIMS
Below is a list of local, verified Western North Carolina charities that do amazing work for our community year-round and are making a huge impact on Helene's relief efforts while facing losses of their own. Donating to these organizations ensures that 100% of your gift goes directly to those impacted by Helene.
Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministries
List of Ways to Donate and Help from Blue Ridge Public Radio
Following Helene, Hurricane Milton caused massive destruction to our neighbors in Florida. Please consider a donation to these verified organizations that are on the ground currently for the recovery.
Thank you for writing this, M. I'm so sorry to hear about what you, as one of the 'lucky' ones, have to endure. Managing without clean water is difficult. That 9 of Cups can't come soon enough. My heart goes out to all of you--especially those who suffered personal loss and injury.
i hope you have found more ease since writing this. i have been praying for the south. and weeks before helene, i was grappling with the word 'justice' and its connection to tarot/spirituality/astrology. what is justice? i appreciate the shift to adjustment.
thank you for the lovely writing, sending lots of love.