Gone to the 1918 Pandemic

Great-Aunt Belle was born on July 14, 1887 – the same day in July as my older brother, and died during the 1918 pandemic* that killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide.

Because I felt a connection to her, although she crossed the bridge decades before my birth, I wanted to know more about her. Using my Astro Gold astrology chart (time of birth unknown, so I can’t look at houses), I saw that her Chiron (the Wounded Healer) was in the sign of Gemini. Interesting, as this would have given her the capacity to tap into spiritually-based creative ideas. In addition, it gave her the ability to teach in a way that “benefits humanity”.  Although her life was short, I’m hoping that she – at least in part – was able to fulfill some of that promise.

Tarot as a Touchstone

Because I typically use stones and plants as objects of remembrance and blessing, I drew a Tarot card to see what would be most appropriate for remembering Belle. The card I drew using the Herbcrafter’s Tarot, was the Eight of Water (Cups). The plant associated with the card is Valerian – the herb of slowing down.  The Eight of Cups corresponds with Malachite – known as the Stone of Transformation.

In remembrance of Great-Aunt Belle and her all-too-short life,  as well as all who passed over during the 1918 pandemic, I will brew a tea of Valerian and place a small Malachite stone on my blessing cairn. As this post is being written so close to her July 14, birthday, that’s the date I will do a Remembrance. One hundred and one years ago she crossed the bridge. On July 14, I will honor her life.

Herbcrafter’s Tarot is published by U.S. Games System. Art by Joanna Powell Colbert, book by Latisha Guthrie.

Working With Your 1918 Ancestor

I wrote a post for Christiana Gaudet’s blog on how to communicate with your 1918 ancestor – even if you have no idea who that person was. Pop over and give it a read.

*Although often referred to as an epidemic, the Spanish Flu was actually a pandemic. What’s the difference? An epidemic attacks people at about the same time and spreads through communities. A pandemic is when an epidemic spreads throughout the world. ““The 1918 flu epidemic puts every other epidemic of this century to shame,” observed Gina Kolata in her book Flu. “It was a plague so deadly that if a similar virus were to strike today, it would kill more people in a single year than heart disease, cancers, strokes, chronic pulmonary disease, AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease combined.”