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I believe that an incredibly important way to empower our culture's change-makers--those out on the front lines doing critical grassroots work--is through financial support, especially to Black-led organizations, who have have *continually* asked us to stop with the performative virtue-signaling, and to help by literally sharing the wealth.
To that end, I am stating here my current list of social justice organizations I support, and who I encourage you to check out, as well: -Black Lives Matter -Anti-Police Terror Project -East Oakland Collective -National Lawyer's Guild -Coalition on Homelessness -San Francisco Food Bank -Earthjustice -Planned Parenthood
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There is so. much. HAPPENING in our world right now that it took time to pull back and suss out some of the larger themes around us. I was surprised (again!) to feel myself leaning towards exploring this archetypal pattern: JUDGEMENT / AWAKENING  Note: many contemporary decks, like the middle one pictured above, have given this card a much-welcomed image reboot and/or new title, since the word “judgement” has such negative connotations to modern ears. Additionally, references to organized Christianity can be especially troublesome to those healing from religious trauma, and so it may be helpful to recast this pattern as one of “Awakening." “Awakening” can refer to the very moment that we begin to see reality in a brand new light, and so its arrival suggests big epiphanies, realizations, and revelations. This card may also show up for us when we are reaching the end of one particular cycle or life phase. As our current chapter comes to a close, we are encouraged look back and reflect on the journey thus far. Where did this path take us? How have we changed? What have we learned? (Those doing 12-Step work get the opportunity to “take a full inventory” as part of the 4th-Step; we may be drawn to borrow from this tradition for our own conscious self-examination and appraisal of our progress.) The figures rising from their coffins--which many now find distastefully grim and zombie-like--are thought to symbolize the process in which all of our old stories surface, our hidden baggage is revealed, and our secrets emerge into the light of day. Once all our skeletons are out of the closet, we are then fully able to process memories and question old beliefs. We recognize that we need to acknowledge and own our historical burdens, taking full accountability as we move forward into the next phase of our lives. This transitional phase, where we begin to emerge from stagnancy, recalls the butterfly freeing itself from its once-safe, now-limiting cocoon. On the other side, we sense a potential rebirth, a second chance, a fresh start. We hope to atone for the errors of our past and feel the relief that comes when the whole truth is known. This card reminds us that ONLY once we are able to fully come to terms with the past, are we then able to move beyond it. Yet another perspective on this archetype is the experience of hearing a calling, whether that shows up as an inner conviction to align with a newly felt purpose, or a recognition of a true vocation. This wake-up call (loud trumpet! so rude!) inspires us to take a new direction towards a more meaningful existence; to make a difference with the time we've been given on this planet. We may find ourselves contracting here around our deep fear of the unknown, our shame over past actions, or the terror of contemplating a true day of reckoning, and so we must now remind each other how to access the courage we found in Strength, the hope we found in the Star, and the willing surrender and equanimity we found in the Hanged One. In the end, I refer back to the wisdom of Rachel Pollack, who notes "the person has already changed; the old situations, the old self, have already died. It is simply a matter of recognizing it... [otherwise] the person remains standing in the grave. [This card] implies that the reality of life has changed. The only choice is to follow." (78 Degrees of Wisdom) (Cards pictured here are from the Universal Waite, a recolored version of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the Numinous Tarot, a radical deck with diverse representations and gender-neutral language, and the Modern Witch Tarot, a modern interpretation of the classic RWS deck.)
Honestly, I did not expect to have this archetypal pattern show up so soon into our current situation, but still felt the emergence of... THE STAR  Here is where the particular order of the Major Arcana becomes supremely important: in isolation, it’s easy to give The Star a wholly positive spin, such as “hope” or “inner peace.” However, when taken in context as the card that immediately follows The Tower, its unique meaning begins to take shape. You may recall that The Tower brings--that’s right--violent upheaval as our established structures collapse and rigid belief structures are disrupted. The sudden onset and rapid rate of change can be scary, painful, and challenging (especially for those who have benefited for so long from those structures). But here is the payoff of that painful phase, the true gift that Tower medicine brings: On the other side of this dramatic shattering lies the clarity and inspiration that points us in a new direction. So the more nuanced reading of this card is about the calm after the storm, the healing that begins with a crisis, the distant light at the end of the tunnel, and most importantly, Hope In The Dark. When our personal or collective towers fall, even as we sit amid the rubble and settling dust, we may now notice the newly revealed night sky above. This larger perspective can bring a fresh burst of motivation and inspiration, which may sustain us on the path ahead. The Star encourages us to pause here to make contact with our own depths, to replenish ourselves by finding the still point at the center of our storm, to tap into our inner reservoir of strength. We recall that long before apps and printed maps, we used the constellations to navigate through the world. We may now be inspired to forge a new path, seeing the way ahead by following a north star. An important note: hope is necessary and yet not sufficient; this is a BEGINNING point, not a final destination. Such faith encourages us to persevere in our toughest moments, and without it, we’d never get started. However, we MUST harness this newly emerging optimistic note to ongoing positive action. Rebuilding a better world takes BOTH our ability to dream big, to believe that more is possible, as well as devotion to the hard work of developing practical solutions. (Cards pictured here are from the Modern Witch Tarot, a modern and diverse interpretation of the classic RWS deck, and the Black Power Tarot, the Tarot De Marseilles’ Major Arcana featuring Black American historical figures.)
I was reminded yesterday of the critical concept of Ring Theory, which articulates what I've been trying to get at for weeks now: We ALL need support, comfort, and to tend to our emotional needs. What may make that appropriate or not is WHO we seek that support from.
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Jessica Katzman, Psy.D.I'm a psychologist with a private practice in San Francisco's Castro District. I'm interested in harm reduction, LGBTQQIAAP issues, psychedelic integration, social justice conversations, size acceptance, and any intersections of the above. I welcome your comments! 
Photo credit: Tristan Crane Photography.
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