The uses that Tarot can be put to are limitless. On Friday evening we lost a major cog in our history – Walter Cronkite. He was more than a reporter, more than an evening anchor (and I was surprised to find out from a special that CBS ran on him this am that he was the very first evening anchor to have a thirty minute news program, and that he invented the word anchor in its application to providing the news).
Walter Cronkite was very much a part of our daily lives “back in the day”. There were only three basic TV channels, and most homes did watch CBS news because of him. I wonder (as did one of the commentators on the special this am) whether all of the options that we have now broadened our horizons or simply diluted them (my words, not his).
I decided to do a three-card reading on Mr. Cronkite, to see what his affect on our lives really was. I thought that this would be a good example of how Tarot can be used to help interpret events (current and past), and put them into perspective.
I defined the positions as:
- On a conscious level how did Walter Cronkite affect our lives?
- On a sub-conscious level how did Walter Cronkite affect our lives?
- What is Walter Cronkite’s legacy?
The cards drawn were: The Hierophant, Death, Three of Wands
I find it interesting that two out of three cards are Major Arcana (spiritual). Mr. Cronkite was very much a part of the spirit – the soul – of this country.
The Hierophant – Death – Three of Wands
On a conscious level, Mr. Cronkite was very much the middle America “everyman”. He was our conscience, he held his beliefs sacred and had a very strong work ethic. He was who he was – hard working, ethical, wanting control over his work, and verification of every story before he presented it to the world. We believed in him, and, in extension, we believed in the “authority” of the evening news.
On a sub-conscious level, Mr. Cronkite helped us to transition from the world of our parents, to the world as it evolved. And he did this with grace, authority, and caring. He was “Uncle Walter” to those that worked with him – never placing himself above anyone. He covered the Viet Name war, Watergate, President John Kennedy’s assassination, the space program from its infancy – and so much more! He took us from point A to point B with style and accuracy. We needed someone like this to depend on – and we got it in Walter Cronkite.
What is his legacy? He taught us to be enterprising, resourceful, and open to the future. He taught us that with hard work there are no limits. He taught us how to live an authentic life. He is not gone – he continues to live on in each of us that were touched by his words.