This morning around 5:00 in the morning, I was awake early. As I’m prone to do, I use this time to write, to ponder, to meditate and to think about life and what’s going on around me and the world at large.

What was on my mind, was the current Supreme Court nomination and nominee. This story has been consuming the news for the past two days, so this was what I was definitely thinking of.

The words and image of the Hanged Man from the Tarot deck popped into my mind and I immediately posted about it on Instagram very early this morning because the meaning of and the association of the Hanged Man was exactly what was going on  on Capital Hill – especially after yesterday’s testimonies by Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh.

I could tell the country was divided in opinion and I was worried that there would be a repeat of the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings and that Kavanaugh would be pushed through creating more unrest and violence, and the opportunity for healing would not take place. This is an extreme situation that required extreme measures.

What the Hanged Man actually represents is:

• Taking a pause
• Taking a time out
• Changing perspectives
• Surrendering to other forces
• Letting go of old paradigms
• There are victims

This pause, this time-out is especially relevant now as it relates to all the sexual-harassment and sexual assault allegations across the world that has plagued men and women for centuries – but more currently over the last year with the beginning of the Me Too movement. It’s a time to release and let go of old mental models and behavioral patterns that are no longer serving any of us. We need a fresh new perspective to prepare ourselves to embrace new opportunities that would have otherwise not come about without the MeToo movement and the spotlight on these issues. We have seen many powerful men being taken down on the world stage since the Harvey Weinstein story broke about a year ago. And yes, it is possible to experience pauses in situations and there can be interruptions to the flow of things – if people become conscious of the immediate environment.

Today was the pause we needed and we can thank Senator Jeff Flake, because he gave us the opportunity to hit the pause button – to hit the brakes, to put things on hold and to set things straight before proceeding. Thank you Senator Jeff Flake for giving us this pause to hopefully course correct.

The senate Judiciary committee, which votes to send the nominee to the full United States Senate for confirmation, have made a difference today by enforcing the Hanged Man. Even though the current nominee cleared the committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee listened to Senator Flake and deemed it proper (based on his negotiation) to delay the floor vote to allow the FBI to do an investigation on Kavanaugh.

As I was writing this post, using the Hanged Man as a point of reference, the news broke that Jeff Flake will only vote in favor of Kavanaugh if the FBI investigates the allegations against him. Flake actually used the term that the Senate needed to take a “pause” before moving pushing the vote forward. This was exactly what I was hoping for today. Something that would delay this process instead of just pushing Kavanaugh through.

My prayers were answered. Let’s hope for a positive outcome at the end of this confirmation process for all Americans. We all deserve to be respected, women deserve to be listened to, dignified and respected, our bodies are a temple that shouldn’t be harmed in any way, and and we all deserve an honest, ethical Chief Justice.

Many thanks and blessings to Dr. Christine Ford for being brave enough and having the courage to come forward to testify and call out Kavanaugh on his sexual assault of her when she was in high school.

Blessings ♥♥♥

Kathleen