Today’s Tarot journaling prompt in the Death Deck Diary series is a Fate Worse than Death. Wich diagnosis do you fear the most and why? What can you do to ameliorate this fear and prevent a worst-case scenario?
Often, we fear a diagnosis we have been told runs in the family. Perhaps we have even watched loved ones suffer and die this way. The opposite is true too, of course. You may know of a family member who passed away peacefully in their sleep. This type of peaceful passing is what we all hope for and also what we wish for our loved ones to experience.
It’s always good to face any lurking fears head-on. So today, I’m going to ask the Tarot what I need to know about dementia and Alzheimer’s ‘running in the family.’ Yep, it’s (C) all the way for me. Cancer (A) you can beat and an instant death from a heart attack or stroke (B) doesn’t scare me.
Dementia – A Fate Worse than Death
I decided to pull three cards from the Runic Tarot for what I need to know about dementia running in my family. Odin (XIII Death) showing up as the first card is very comforting to me. One of the reasons I fear dementia is that I want Valhalla for myself rather than Hel. There’s nothing wrong with Hel but Valhalla is pretty awesome. Try journeying there to see for yourself!
The Ace of Pentacles is showing up as the challenge and that is obviously to look after my body/vessel in the best way possible. This I can do and am already doing as of earlier this year when I got back on the keto wagon. A ketogenic diet is excellent for preventing dementia. I also work out twice a day for vascular and microvascular health. Some refer to dementia as Type 3 Diabetes. It’s part of metabolic syndrome in most instances, for sure, no matter how big the hereditary component is.
Finally, we have The Hermit as the action advice. I am so in love with The Hermit card in the Runic Tarot! Here we have none other than Mimir, watching over the well of wisdom. The busier I keep my brain learning new things, the healthier and more agile it will stay. Ah, Odin! Guide the way, you who were willing to sacrifice your eye to Mimir in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom!
In the end, I don’t believe in hard control. We go when it’s our time but good health is about quality of life just as much as it is about prolonging it. The Tarot can provide excellent guidance in that respect!
Love,
Lisa Frideborg