Friendship

There is a lot of focus on romantic relationships in our culture. So many movies, books and TV shows are all about finding the right romantic partner, but hardly ever about finding the perfect friend. Romance is great and I love being married to my husband, but my relationships with my friends are also some of the biggest blessings of my life.

A good friend is a partner in your life’s journey, someone you can really be yourself with and who never judges you – but will tell you when you are about to make a big mistake. There is the saying that ‘you can’t choose your family but you can choose your friends’. For many people who come from dysfunctional or abusive families, the friends they make in adulthood can take the place of what their families should have been and give them the nurturing and care they need.

In the Tarot, friendship is represented by the Three of Cups. This card embodies the feeling of harmonious sharing and mutual support and enjoyment that comes with friends. The people are toasting each other and celebrating their friendship with pleasure. It also represents the process of opening up and asking for help and of giving help to others.

Sometimes we can be scared to be vulnerable with friends and want to show ourselves to the best advantage or play one-upmanship (Real Housewives of Melbourne I’m talking to you!) Healthy friendship allows others to see the messy falling apart bits and can give and ask for help when needed.

Then we have the fun and celebration in the Three of Cups. There is nothing like a good time with friends to help you cast your cares away and have a good time. This can be a night out with the girls, a cup of tea and a chat around the table or a big long, gossipy phone call.

Like romance, some friendships are for life and some are just for a part of your life. As we grow and change sometimes our needs change and we can grow apart. This doesn’t mean that the friendship wasn’t important or worthwhile it just means that it has served it’s purpose in your spiritual journey through life. For the life-long friendships the shared history and deep knowledge of each other can be very grounding and comforting.

I recently read that one of the top five regrets of the dying is that they didn’t keep in touch with old friends. Now is as good a time as any to reach out and make contact and reconnect. You can never have too many friends!