World Card in the Tarot: "You Are the Greatest," Actually "You Were"

 How do you go from being a star quarterback, US President or CEO of Disney to, well, a more ordinary life and personal branding? Not easily. The transition usually is not only brutal. It's also confusing.  

In John Grisham's novel "Bleachers" there is the saga of Neely Crenshaw. He was there in the football big time and then he wasn't. Yeah, an injury in college ended Sports Everything. The book's meme is about being able to let go of that particular former glory and build something new. In the Tarot the potential for putting together the pieces in a different way is signaled by the World card. It is the most important of the cards and it comes at the end of the major arcana. 

The message that you have started out toward the Next comes when the World card is upright. When it is in reverse, that is upside down, the probability is that you are stuck. Go to most retirement communities and the chatter defaults into the highs of former careers. My hunch is that there are a lot of reverse World card readings there.

There is more to this. That’s: There is no absolute one way to navigate this transition. 

For Crenshaw his shot at resuming an existence in the present, whatever that might be, comes through returning to small town Messina. There he had been told over and over again "You are the greatest." That was on the Spartans football team coached by Eddie Rake, who was a god, at least in that small piece of planet earth.

Crenshaw resurfaces for Rake's last days and funeral. During those few days he digs within himself to ask forgiveness from the girl he dumped and to forgive Rake for a long list of grievances. No, the girl whose heart he broke does not offer him absolution. And the coach, with whom he had major conflicts, must have forgiven him since his last wishes include a request that Crenshaw deliver a eulogy at the memorial. 

But action brings clarity. That transports him to the now. Previously, he had sat around with all that running around his head, sucking up more and more oxygen. The guy was depleted. 

"Bleachers" isn't happy-clappy. There are no promises those action will liberate Crenshaw from his current lonely not-too-successful existence. But he drives out of Messina with a lightness of spirit. The switch has been flipped on his inner life. Finally, there is an opening to establish other kinds  of "peak" experiences. Being a "star” can mean being able to hope, no matter what. And having the strength and courage to take action. 

Obituaries focus on the star phases. But for those who know those big names as human beings the measure of a man or woman is how they embrace their now when the wattage dims. In Grisham’s book Rake didn't do that too well. That's more a takeaway than Crenshaw's opportunity to be reborn.

Reality is that too few make it beyond “You are the greatest.”

Tarot Card Reader. Medium. Intuitive Career Coach.

Don’t Give Up Before the Miracle.

Empathy and compassion.

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