Suzanne Wilcox
Healing Arts Facilitator
Matka
Matka represents liberty, movement, travel, and surrender to what is. In the image, we see a woman on the back of a wild creature. She carries no saddle, no map, and no reins. Below the feet of the creature, we see chains that have been broken, representing freedom. We see a dandelion full of seeds blowing in the wind. If Matka has arrived in your life today, prepare for new horizons and adventure. Just as the woman in the card travels with no luggage, be willing to leave behind the stories, patterns, and baggage of the past. Relinquish control. Cast away the values, political constraints, gender requirements, and traditions of convention and judgment. Go boldly where no one has gone before. Go into the wild.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
Break the chains of the past and go boldly in the direction of new people, new places, and new opportunity. It’s up to you. Every great journey begins with the first step. Light the spark of fire towards your next great adventure.
1. Ancestor
The Ancestor card represents discipline, authority, and rigid thinking. Imagine your most strict school teacher watching her students with eyes in the back of her head. This card demands respect for tradition and the rules and conventions of society. It can represent law, religion, or structure. If this card has visited you today it is an opportunity for you to evaluate your relationship with authority. Are you acting as the rigid dictator of a relationship or situation? Or perhaps you have found yourself under the heavyweight of family expectations, institutions, or cultural conventions. Ancestor demands that you dot your I’s and cross your T’s. Will you comply?
If this card comes in the context of advice:
Harness the power of your inner authority. It’s time to develop grit and self-discipline in full commitment to work or a project. Develop the structure and consistent habits that will transform you into the master of your domain.
-1. Reverse Ancestor / Candles
The Candles card represents the guiding light of a sage teacher. She is patient, intuitive, and understanding. She knows your capabilities and she is waiting to mentor you beyond your limitations to your greatest potential. The candles in the chandelier represent the light that is available to you now. If the Candles card has visited you today, the message is one of hope and gentle nurturing. You are the initiate, rich with understanding. Is it time to be a guide for others? Or perhaps you desire greater education through a wise mentor who will show you the path? Either way now is the time to receive the guidance or to become the intuitive guide that lights the way.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
You provide guidance and illumination. The Candles card instructs you to look within to receive that which you seek. You have access to the wisdom of the ages-- resources of ancient ancestry. Pick up the lantern. Light the path for yourself and others.
2. Storm
The Storm represents chaos and destruction. On the card, we see a tree and a row of houses being uprooted by tumultuous waves. Three men cling to a boat, and a woman cries out as a baby is torn from her arms. The raging clouds and lightning render everyone helpless and out of control. If this card has visited you today, it can mean that there is a storm raging in your life that has stripped you of the controlled, predictable life that you once knew. Shocking to the core, this card signifies complete and utter destruction. Some part of your life is succumbing to chaos, spinning out of control. Take heart in knowing that nothing is permanent. There is no need to rage against the storm. Your options are to resist or surrender. Nature will have her way.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
Although you cannot control the chaos around you, you can control your reactions. Take a deep breath and ride it out. This is storm season. The sun always shines after the storm.
-2. Reverse Storm / Infant
The Infant card represents great cleansing or clearing. On the card we see tumultuous waves uprooting a tree and a row of houses. Raging clouds and lightning render everything into a state of disorder and chaos. In the top, right corner of the card we see the infant, the symbol of new life and potential. Although the storm creates upheaval, take hope in the fact that this card is charming. The water washes away the old, outdated rubble to create space for something new. Imagine a great flood that leaves fertile land in its wake, making way for new growth. Imagine the great forest fire that clears out the dying, rotting trees to make way for seeds to sprout anew. If this card appears in your life rest assured a great cleansing is taking place. Old, familiar patterns, beliefs, behaviors, or relationships are being washed away to allow for new growth and greater potential. After the clouds clear your life will be fresh and renewed.
If this card comes to you in the context of advice:
It is time for the levy to break, the volcano to erupt, and the storm to rage. Take a firm look at anything you have been allowing to collect; negativity in the form of people, emotions, physical junk, or beliefs. Wash it away, light it on fire, or simply let it go.
3. Mountain
The Mountain represents struggle and endless work without reward. In the image we see men and women attempting to climb a mountain while carrying immense stone columns on their backs. The task is impossible, yet they continue to work and struggle without hope of success. If this card has visited you today you have an opportunity to assess the areas in your life that require struggle. The Mountain teaches us that we are engaged in a difficult, arduous endeavor. It is relentless and unforgiving in its demands. Even the most basic needs are difficult to meet while on the mountain. The steep paths deceive us. Just when we think we have arrived at the top we discover another peak up ahead. When we are on the mountain we believe that to exist is to struggle. Are you enduring a path of misery and struggle without end? If so, brace yourself for the task at hand. Or, consider asking the cards for a new direction. It doesn’t have to be this way.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
Examine your relationship to work. Perhaps you need to let go of the glory or the destination and focus on the task-at-hand. Consistency, servitude, and even toil are what is required for this moment. Exert the needed effort and carry on.
-3. Reverse Mountain / Crane
The Crane card represents perseverance, strength, grit, and hard work. It signifies the breakthrough that we experience when, against all odds, through sheer determination, we arrive at the impossible. Through sustained hard work and determination we achieve the unachievable. In the circle at the bottom right of the card, we see a crane. The crane is the bird that soars to great heights in thin air to sit at its perch at the top of the mountain. When the Crane appears, this charming card assures us that our efforts are not in vain. Whatever your dreams, you can be sure that in the end, all your hard work will pay off. Your continued dedication serves you well.
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If this card comes to you in the context of advice:
You will soar to greater heights than you ever thought possible. Dig deep, reach high, and go beyond the limits you have placed upon yourself. It is not guaranteed to be easy; it is guaranteed to build a more expansive version of you.
4. Labrynth
The Labyrinth represents confusion, indecision, loss of direction, and obstacles. In the image we see a four-headed creature split in four directions. The card depicts paths leading to nowhere and doors opening up to doors that open up to more doors. If you have drawn this card today, it might be time to evaluate your path. Perhaps you are pulled in too many directions at once. Or perhaps you are taking the path of life too seriously, frustrated by locked doors and dead ends. Have you forgotten that the journey is just as important as the destination? How do you want to walk the path of life? The Labyrinth may be reminding you to surrender to the uncertainty, the tangled twisted journey that is life.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
Explore all possible paths at once. Locked door? No problem. Dead end? Not to worry. Because you have a lot of options it’s not a problem when one thing doesn’t pan out. Your situation requires that you approach solutions in every direction.
-4. Reverse Labrynth / Key
This card depicts a golden key in its center. The key is a prize for all who are called to the search for truth in the snarled labyrinth of life. All who have a brave heart and a curious mind are invited to join the ranks of those who seek the key. When you embark on this path, be aware that there are no absolute answers, and that for every question you explore you will discover more questions. The Key card is the path of the philosopher. There is no guarantee that you will find a destination. No guarantee you will find the prized key. The only guarantee is the charm of the quest and the satisfaction of the asking and seeking.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
It is time to ask the big questions of life, not simply to get the answers, but to journey to your own truth. The Key card is summoning your inner seeker and philosopher. The thrill of the great unknown is calling you. What will you ask?
5. Tiger
The Tiger personifies instinct and aggression. It does not premeditate. It does not assess and analyze its options or consider the wishes of others before making an attack. In the image on the card, we see a tiger that is disproportionately larger than the elephant that is under attack. We sense the strength of the tiger and the weakness of its prey. No one is safe in a jungle that houses a tiger. Have you found yourself terrorized by a predator in your own jungle? Or perhaps you yourself have resorted to violence, fear, and aggression on your rise to the top of the food chain? Either way, the Tiger card is here to alert you to a competitive instinct that has run wild. There can be only one survivor.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
Rely on your animal instinct and act with radical assuredness. It is time you recognize the tiger within you; the king of the jungle and top of the pyramid. For a tiger, the only way to handle a conflict is head-on.
-5. Reverse Tiger / Tigress
The Tigress embodies the boundless love of a mother along with the strength and instinct of a predator. She is primal, skilled, and powerful. She will summon all her powers to protect and defend that which she loves. If the Tigress card has visited you today, you are called to act with absolute precision in the defense of that which you love. You are reminded that you have the power to defend the weak, the young, and the marginalized. The Tigress urges you to follow your instincts and be aggressive in protecting your “young”, whether it be a new project, a person, or a value.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
Show no mercy. Go to any length in protecting your new endeavor. Be aggressive. Don’t overthink it. Follow your gut.
6. Mask
The Mask personifies hiding and deception. On the card, we see insects and specimens that have been preserved to look as though they are alive. Now, pinned to the wall, one can easily see that what remains are empty vessels. The mask meets our eye, devoid of life. If the Mask card has visited you today, consider what part of you is hiding. Are you presenting an exterior image that doesn’t match what is on the interior? Are you pretending to be someone that you are not, in order to please other people? Perhaps you use the mask to deceive in order to get what you want? The mask causes harm to self and others. When we work so diligently to hide our needs, feelings, or desires from others, we no longer occupy a life that is our own. When we mask our motives, we can not be accepted and loved for who we are. Have you lost trust in who you are? Take a moment to consider the cost of living behind a mask. How does it feel to occupy an empty vessel?
If this card arrives in the context of Advice:
At the moment it is best that you hide your true feelings or motives from others. Keep your hopes and dreams to yourself for now. Wear a mask when you go out in public. Now is not the time to reveal your authentic self to people who don’t understand or cannot be trusted.
-6. Reverse Mask / Laugh
The Laugh signifies the energy you embody when you role-play. You are on a stage with a script and you exchange places with others for the roles of the lead and supporting characters. For one act you will be the Hero and I will be the Villain. In the next act you will be the Servant and I will be the Queen. One day you will play the role of Teacher and the next day you will be the Student. The trick is not to get attached to the roles you play and not to take them too seriously. There is not one single role that is your identity. Every role can be your identity but only for a moment. The Laugh invites you to play along in a grand theater of life, with endless possibilities of roles and dramas. When you realize that it is all for fun, you can wear any mask and it will make you laugh.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Be flexible in the roles you play. Do not become too attached to one identity. We are the friend, the teacher, the servant, and the comedian all at once. Can you see the absurdity of it all? There’s no reason to be so serious. What roles do you play today? Laugh about it.
7. Dragon
The Dragon represents inflammatory language, fury, explosion, adversity, and conflict. When the Dragon breathes fire we feel the heat of its anger and rage. If the Dragon card has appeared today, take a look at your relationship with anger. Have you been keeping your anger inside? Allowing it to fester or escape in ways that are ineffective? The Dragon card may be calling you to be direct in your communication, even at the risk of becoming inflammatory. Or, on the other hand, it is possible that the Dragon is calling your attention to the fury and conflict of a situation, warning you to beware of a volcano about to erupt. Is there a dragon in your life? Perhaps there is a situation exploding with conflict? Whether you have become the Dragon, or you are in proximity to the Dragon, this is an opportunity for you to assess, express or expect anger and hostility.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Express anger. Be direct in your communication by using inflammatory words. Face confrontation head-on and don’t worry how your words fall on the ears of others. Express your anger in its raw form, in its entirety. Be direct. Don’t hold back. Be honest in how you feel. Be the dragon and breathe fire.
-7. Reverse Dragon / Knight
If the Knight has appeared to you today, you have the gift of compassion and service. You may be a caregiver serving and protecting someone in need. Or you may be an advocate, using words, skills, and power to protect the underserved. Knights are often in a position to share or keep secrets, as a trusted listener or confidant. In the card, we see an image of a knight now positioned above the dragon. This brave and courageous champion wields a spear against a mighty, fiery dragon. Perhaps it is time to slay some dragons using dialogue to quell the fire. Perhaps it is time for words of kindness, encouragement, and inspiration. The Knight serves with compassion, courage, and bravery of heart.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
The world needs your compassion. Use your skills to deescalate conflict through kind words and good deeds. Command the powers of deep listening at this time. Speak words of inspiration and lend a loving ear.
8. Tower
The Tower represents isolation and separation. In the card we see a narrow tower atop a cold and imposing castle on a dark, starry night. In the choppy water below, fish feed on two men. These men are lost, a reminder that visitors are not welcome at the tower. If the Tower has visited you today, it may be time to look at the need to emotionally or physically withdraw from others. Ask yourself if you are living in an ivory tower. Have you built a moat around yourself in order to keep away from people or situations? One could go mad in that castle rehearsing all the hurts of the past. There is still a choice. If you built the tower, then chances are you know how to climb down from there.
If this card comes in the context of advice:
It is time to withdraw from what has been swirling around you and focus on your own life. This is the season for you to be alone. Hunker down in your own castle and be with your own emotions.
-8. Reverse Tower / Lotus
The image in this card depicts a vibrant red and yellow lotus springing from the base of the castle. It signifies the depth and beauty that comes from finding peace from within. The Lotus card is the charming aspect of solitude, the quiet contemplation of a babbling brook or a walk in nature that brings self-introspection and self-exploration. Lotus reminds us that within one’s self, we find good company. If the Lotus card has visited you today, you are entering a time of quiet meditation. You have the ability to listen to your own inner voice and discover the soft beating of your own heart. Are you listening? What does your inner guidance have to say?
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Practice quiet meditation, solitude, and reflection. Traverse the universe of your own being. Discover the celestial stars and navigate the emotional waters within. Go deep. Embrace the quiet breath of your soul.
9. Rose
The Rose card is shocking. It represents a strong, magnetic, irresistible attraction to temptation, passion, infatuation, and allure. No sooner has the rose blossomed into full bloom, emitting an intoxicating fragrance, reaching a climax of perfection and beauty, than it begins to die. It is dying love. That which makes it most beautiful is the very thing that makes it unattainable: its short life. It has a soft fragility ensconced in piercing thorns. It can represent illusion, jealousy, or fatal attraction. People seek it in lusty pursuit only to realize that as soon as they have it, it has already disappeared. If the Rose is visiting you today it is gifting you with beauty, glamour, and the awareness that it is a fleeting passion. Just because the rose has a short life doesn’t mean it is unworthy of pursuit. Just remember, beauty isn’t meant to last.
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If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Seek beauty. Pursue what stirs your heart. Yes, the rose most certainly will wilt and die. All the more reason to revel in a fleeting moment of glory, to dance in the last golden drops of a setting sun.
-9. Reverse Rose / Lovers
The Lovers card exemplifies pure, heart-felt love. Just as the rose blossom welcomes the bees to partake of its nectar, so the Lovers open their hearts to give and receive love with one another. The Lovers card offers a love that is without condition. It has no ulterior motive. It has no restraints or limitations. It is a love that is long-lasting, sustainable, and ever-growing. Deep and abiding, it has endured the test of time. Despite its maturity, it retains a quality of passion and intrigue, a living witness to the mystery and wonder of love. If this card has appeared today, you offer an open and loving heart. You are engaged in something beautiful and profound. Receive the grace of rare and pure love.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
The Lovers card reminds us to offer an open and loving heart. Purify your thoughts, mind, and actions through the filters of compassion and unconditional love. Give freely. Receive openly. Be the ever-flowing stream of true and lasting love.
10. Sword
If you are holding the Sword today, there is no question that you are in power over your domain. You are the victor of a bloody battle and the king’s head is at your feet to prove it. You have summoned all your resources and demonstrated greater, stronger abilities than your opponent. If the Sword card has appeared in your spread today it may be time to look at your relationship with power and duality. Do you seek to win at any cost? In your world, can there be only one winner? Is the only path to peace a fight? Maybe the battle is not “out there,” but rather the battle that rages on within oneself. Either way, the Sword is reminding you that the power is yours. And so is the choice.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
It is no longer time to sit on the fence. The Sword is beckoning you to take up arms and pick a side. Now is the moment to claim your territory, gain domain, and claim your rights. You have the power. Unleash the warrior within.
11. Idol
The Idol is anyone who feeds off the attention of others. It is a rock-star who becomes bigger than life before his adoring fans. It is a charismatic power-monger able to manipulate its followers into self-betraying behaviors. The card depicts a puffed up, monster-like creature with people bowing before it. The people gladly give their power to the idol, even though it causes them visible harm. If the Idol has visited you today, it may be time to observe the ego. Has your need for attention or admiration dominated? Do things always need to be or go your way? Or perhaps you have found yourself on the other side of the equation, giving up your personal power for a person or position. Either way, it is time to check the distribution of power. Take it back or keep it in check.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Others want to follow and worship you. Step into your full power. Be in the spotlight and bask in the attention of others. Like the rock-star on the stage, the applause will make your performance larger than life.
-11. Reverse Idol / Torch
The Torch represents the charismatic leadership and influence of any beloved teacher. Imagine the human characteristics of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Jesus, Siddhartha, Mohammed, or Buddha. Any person who embodies the Torch is a teacher or servant in the highest sense of the word. If the Idol has visited you today, you may have taken up the task of being a light for a noble cause. You are committed to acts of kindness and service to your fellow man. Do not be alarmed by the attention you might draw to yourself at this time. Others are taking notice of your leadership, influence, and radiant charisma. Remember, the Torch provides light to the world and a beacon for others to follow.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Be a source of light for yourself and/or others. Walk the path of the humble leader. Use your charismatic influence for noble works of kindness that uplift your fellow man.
12. Laboratory
The Laboratory represents the methodical, logical, calculated mixture of a potion containing special properties. The card illustrates a laboratory filled with scientists, measuring devices, books, and mechanisms. It conveys the exercise of calculation, formulas, and the scientific method. It is strategic, analytical, and research-based. If the Laboratory card has made an appearance today, it may be highlighting your relationship to logic and the mind. Is there a tendency to look at life through the scientific method? Has the need to be systematic and calculating sapped possibility, creativity, or spontaneity? Look at your method used to arrive at decisions. The need to overthink or over analyze might leave you missing the point.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Use logic and strategy in your current situation. It will serve your highest good if, at this moment, you take time to calculate and measure the effects of your efforts. Put on the lab-coat and view the situation through the scientific method.
-12. Reverse Laboratory / Alchemy
The Snake card represents the perfect marriage of right and left brain activity. It is creative genius. In this charming state, the logic of science succumbs to the creativity of vision, fantasy, and imagination. It is pure alchemy, the act of inspired invention that magically transforms based elements into precious metal. On the black board, behind the magi, there is a symbol written in gold chalk. It is a snake biting its tail. It symbolizes eternal transformation and the insatiable quest for completeness. If the Laboratory card has appeared today, you can access the gift of inspiration to transform a recipe into a dining experience or musical notes into a soulful symphony. Merge logic with the creative. These are the makings of an innovator and genius. You can turn lead to gold.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Blend logic with imagination and fantasy. Wave your magic wand and follow your most extravagant inspiration, this is your time to break through any barriers of convention. Be creative. Follow the muse.
13
This is the only card in the deck without a name. And, it is the most powerful card in the deck. When this flame appears to you it means that some aspect of your life is in transformation and will never be the same. On this card is the Phoenix, a magical, mystical creature that settles into its nest, lights itself on fire, becomes consumed by fiery flame, and is reduced to ash. Out of the ash, the Phoenix rises up to become stronger and greater than ever before. If you are fortunate enough to be visited by this card you are undergoing a process of rebirth. Rest assured that a new and improved you is already underway. Be aware that the card 13 is shocking and charming all at once. Expect that the flames will be hot and the rising up will be glorious.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
You are in the fire of transformation. What must go will die. What is ready to emerge will be born. This is the cycle of death and creation. You will not be the same on the other side.
14. Embrace
The Embrace represents surrender, self-abandon, trust, loyalty, caress, and sensuality. The lovers in the image are all-in. They do not withhold. They do not think of the past or the future. They abandon everything outside of their immediate, heightened, sensual awareness. A white statue of Madonna and Child looks down on them, blessing the sanctity and purity of the moment. There is no shame. No guilt. No complicated expectations or adherence to exterior voices. Theirs is a royal, sacred space as depicted by the red velvet bedding and exquisite furnishings. If the Embrace visits you now, breathe in the juicy colors, textures, scents, and sensations of the moment. You can trust this embrace, whether it involves romance, friendship, work relationship, family, spiritual life, or other, now is the time to surrender to the moment and revel in the tenderness of what is.
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If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Surrender fully to Love. Allow the tender, warm waves to draw you in. You are held by something greater than yourself. Embrace it.
-14. Reverse Embrace / Cord
The Cord depicts a man and woman ensnared in one another’s embrace. They have become so integrated that it is difficult to say where one person ends and the other begins. Fused together, their embrace has become a prison that fosters addiction and codependence. Under the bed we see a cord that connects the two heads, attaching them to the neediness, emotional swings, and bondage of the other. If you find yourself holding the Cord card today, inspect the radius of your personal boundaries. It may be time to rebalance the scales of responsibility. Are you taking ownership of patterns and behaviors that don’t belong to you? Are you blaming others for outcomes that are yours alone? This is abandon gone too far. You are left drained, without an identity of your own.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Embrace total integration. Evaluate the facets of your life that are separated by boundaries. Perhaps the boundaries between work and pleasure are dissolving. Perhaps all the separate compartments of your life need to be melded into one large compartment. Perhaps there is no need for personal boundaries in your life at this time, rather a need for fusion.
15. Community
The Community represents celebration, solidarity, and oneness. In the image, we see people of all ages and backgrounds interacting together. A young couple dances. Men and women share wine at a communal table. An old man holds a young boy. A young girl places her arms around the neck of a younger girl. A youth braids the hair of a teenager. A man plays the harp. In the distance we see ships passing in a harbor. We sense movement, vitality, connection, and community. This is a celebration at which everyone has a place at the table. If you have received this card today, consider your place in the world. You are engaged in a community that is all-inclusive, engaging, and supportive. It is a space for all people to thrive and celebrate life. This is a place where people come alive.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Participate in a greater group effort by engaging in a community that is all-inclusive. Step into the world and enjoy the dance of life: we grieve, we laugh, we celebrate, and we rejoice. All for one, and one for all.
-15. Reverse Community / Members
The Members card represents a select group of community. It is the country club with membership and monthly dues. It is the congregation whose members have a shared creed. It is the clan that gathers together with a shared heritage. If you have received the Members card today consider your interactions within and without social groups. This card wants to raise your awareness about the costs and benefits of insulated social circles. Have you been substituting your own thoughts for those of the group? Have group demands and ideologies left you feeling claustrophobic? Conformity creates stagnation. Consider whether your tribe really represents what you stand for.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
The Members card is asking you to be selective in your social interactions. Don’t spill all of your energy out on the undeserving or unappreciative. As you make intentional choices about whom you invite into your circle, you can attract like-minded, passionate people who help you thrive and come alive.
16. Unicorn
The Unicorn is a magical, mystical creature. It walks boldly through life, honoring its own path while honoring the path of others. The horn on its head acts as an antenna receiving extra information, which grants the unicorn higher awareness. Because of its confidence and sense of purpose, the unicorn is keenly diplomatic as it honors the temperament of others without becoming disturbed or imbalanced on its own path. The Unicorn genuinely respects the needs of everyone without veering off-course to accommodate others. If you are the lucky recipient of the Unicorn card, you have become initiated into the realm of psychic energy, empathy, conciliation, and diplomacy. Embrace the superpowers of the Unicorn and attune to its radar. As you radiate your power you brighten the path of others, while granting others permission to do the same.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Point your antenna to the sky and attune to higher guidance. See the world with enlightened vision. Be empathic. March to your own drum. Honor your pure goodness. Create magic.
-16. Reverse Unicorn / Crystal
A unicorn turned on its head is persnickety. It has strong opinions about how to do life properly. It prefers blue skies and rainbows. Atop its head is a finely tuned antenna, on high alert for what may be out of order in the world. Near the feet of the unicorn we see a crystal glass. It is fragile, refined, and in danger of becoming shattered. In the Crystal card there is a sense of perfectionism and high propensity for manners. The crystal must remain perfectly intact. If you have received the Crystal card today, examine your tendency for perfectionism. Become aware of a need to fix people and make everything better. Maybe you have a penchant for poking around in other people’s business to provide unsolicited advice. Perhaps the obsession with everything needing to be beautiful has turned ugly. What does your antenna pick up?
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Pursue perfection. A situation, project, or relationship is demanding the height of refinement and beauty. There is no room for error. Anticipate any obstacles. Affix your antenna to anything out of place. Right now, perfection is in the details. Additional meaning: the Crystal could be giving you permission to meddle in another’s problem.
17. Tree
The Tree is stable, predictable and reliable. It provides shelter. It is a structure of perfect balance. The tree's roots penetrate deep into the earth to sustain branches, which extend into the heavens. In the image we see the moon on the left and the sun on the right, representing symmetry and harmony. The tree branches represent a network of resources connecting and contributing to the wellbeing of the whole. If you have been visited by the Tree card today, its message is one of nurturing and balance. Perhaps you are increasing your efforts to be a resource for loved ones. Perhaps you are reminded to nurture and shelter your inner self. Congratulations on your upright, solid, and selfless demeanor. Bravo for the gifts that you so generously offer to the world.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Anchor your roots deep into the earth to facilitate more growth. Develop structure, practice balance, and create stability. Be a resource for others and utilize the resources surrounding you. Network in order to branch out.
-17. Reverse Tree / Archer
The Archer represents competition, selfishness, and frustration. The card depicts a tree that has been flipped upside down. Operating from a place of scarcity, the tree pours all of the energy into itself. There is no food or water for the plants around it. If the Archer card has visited you today, perhaps you have been under the impression there are not enough resources for all. Have you been playing a winner-take-all game of competition? Are you drawing those around you into scarcity thinking? The Archer challenges you to view the world in a different way. Feelings of lack and limitation may be draining everyone around you. A negative pattern keeps you from seeing a better way.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Use your resources. Be self-centered in your pursuit of growth. Conserve your energy and ask others for help. You have been giving too much and taking too little. Absorb what you need to survive and thrive.
18. Garden
The Garden contains the seeds we sow and the fruits we reap in life. It is the visual representation of how we do life and how we receive the world. Is your garden composed of weeds and rocks and heavy overgrowth? Or perhaps it requires high upkeep with carefully manicured landscape and intricate, delicate flowers? In the Garden card, we see a picture of whimsy; the foot of a giant, a flying house, flowers with scarab heads, an oversized fuchsia-colored fruit. In this garden, anything can happen. It is a place where seeds of fantasy manifest into a world of wonder. If the Garden card has visited you today you are the cultivator of your own life. You plant seeds and watch them grow. There is a need for domestic creativity, to welcome others into your space. You reap the bounty of the harvest you grow. You design a paradise all your own.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Dream. Make goals. Plant seeds of intentions and nurture them with tender care. Devote time and energy to creating a space where you can receive the world on your terms. Focus on your living space, projects, relationships, and art. Harness your creative and natural resources for intentional living.
-18. Reverse Garden / Terrarium
The Terrarium card represents mechanical agriculture. It takes place in a controlled environment, with a regulated climate, using genetically modified seeds in order to guarantee a projected outcome. The Terrarium does not submit to the whims of nature. Instead, it takes every measure to overrule her through micromanagement, exactitude, and precision. If you have drawn this card today, you may be over-managing the people or activities in your life. There may be a lack of trust in others. The Terrarium card does not allow for mistakes. Its exacting nature stifles creativity. Have you been narrowing your universe? Take a look at structures you have projected onto your life.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Build and maintain systems in your life for optimum efficiency. It is important at this time that you pay attention to detail and carefully tend all areas of your life. Let nothing fall to chance. Follow your program. Stay between the lines. Be an assertive manager of your affairs.
19. Pearl
The Pearl represents the beauty and elegance that we experience in the pinnacle of our imagination. It is originality and creativity. It is the moon on a silver platter that is ours for the taking. In the card we see a fisherman standing in a pearl-studded boat. He holds an immense pearl that is dripping with stars that glitter and coral that sparkles. He holds the pearl with reverence and we sense that this may be what he has been anticipating all of his life. Now he holds the ultimate gift. The fisherman does not stash the pearl into his boat. Instead, he holds it above his head with arms outstretched. In his receiving he has made an offering. The action is the same. If the Pearl card has blessed you with its charm today you are in a process of beautification. You are simultaneously dreaming and living the dream. Life is charmed.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
The Pearl represents the dream. If this card has visited you today, you are being asked to use your imagination to aim for the impossible. Charm surrounds you. Opulence, luxury, beauty, and inspiration are yours. Open your arms. Receive the gift. Repeat the words, Yes. Please. Thank you.
-19. Reverse Pearl / Mirage
The Mirage represents illusion, narcissism, and superficiality. It is the house so opulent and oversized that, in fact, it functions poorly. It is the chair so ornate it is uninviting. In the image we see a face reflected on the surface of the pearl. The face is in anguish, yet the pearl is exquisite. This contradiction illustrates the illusion of the Mirage. When we attach to outer beauty, in order to quiet or deny our inner despair, we have fallen into the Mirage. When we convince ourselves we are happy by creating a world that is based on appearances then there too, we are in the Mirage. If this card has appeared before you today, consider your relationship with truth. Are you disconnected from your inner self? Is your outside environment in sharp contrast to your inner world? Perhaps it is time to be honest about your inner feelings. There is a possibility that you are living in denial. Is it time to take off the rose-colored glasses?
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Create a dream and escape into it. Write your own story. You are the character of your design. Feel free to fake it until you make it. Live the Midas touch. Be the strong, provocative jungle cat. Distort the truth to your liking. In your world anything can happen.
20. Eye
The Eye symbolizes every level of knowledge and intelligence. In the image we see bones depicting experience and history. A book illustrates literary and scholarly intellect. A man closes his eyes in deep contemplation, reflecting the power of thought and mind. And finally, a large, single eye depicts the highest level of awareness; emotional intelligence and the wisdom of the soul. If you have attracted the Eye card today, you have access to all information. The wisdom of the past, emotional intelligence, spiritual awareness, writing, poetry, and your own reflective thoughts are available to you. The power of knowledge and discernment is yours.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Embrace a time of study, contemplation, and knowledge. Explore ideas and subjects that excite. The Eye has cast its visionary gaze upon you, beckoning you to rummage through the knowledge of the past and present. Transcend the limits of understanding. Envision the future.
-20. Reverse Eye / Magnifying Glass
The Magnifying Glass represents curiosity, spying, and voyeurism. It is the obsession with detail to control an outcome. It is the detective who focuses on the details to the extent that he loses sight of the big picture. It is hyper-controlled supervision, or surveillance, based on distrust. If you have captured the attention of the Magnifying Glass today, consider your relationship with information and control. Do you enjoy catching people in the act of impropriety? Are you unusually curious about the personal behaviors of others? Do you derive pleasure from getting the scoop about someone so you can feel better about yourself? Be alert to how information can be used to manipulate situations. Remember, that which ye seek, ye shall find; self-fulfilling prophecy. So where is your focus in your viewfinder? You may have lost the bigger picture.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Consume yourself with details. Affix your focus to the current people and situations that perplex you. Observe the behaviors of others. Have you missed something? Hidden information will be exposed as you dig deep.
21 Honey
Honey represents pleasure, sweetness, delight, abundance, and wellbeing. It remains an ancient symbol of fertility, health, and prosperity. In the card, a man emerges from the honeycomb dripping with honey, several flowers extending from his body. The flowers offer pollen to the bees, promising perpetual production of honey. His virility is unmistakable. The heavily laden fruit trees in the background reinforce the theme of abundance and fertility. If the Honey card has visited you today, congratulations, you are living the good life. Your life is rich with abundance and pleasure. Honey invites you to breathe in the sweetness. Life is fertile, rich with goodness. Healing is available to you now. Eat toast with honey. Experience pleasure for the sake of pleasure.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Indulge in the sweetness of life. Seize this opportunity for healing and abundance. Spread honey into your relationships and aspirations. Recognize that what surrounds you is sweet and pure. Enjoy.
-21. Reverse Honey / Glue
The Glue card represents overindulgence, lassitude, routine, and excess. It is the teenager who loves donuts so much that she has them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is the stagnant employee who stays at her job because it pays well and is easy. It represents any situation that is just sweet enough that we become stuck in it. On the card we see a purple butterfly stuck to a red flower on the man’s chest. The butterfly has lighted onto the flower, attracted by the sweet pollen, only to find itself trapped in stickiness. If the Glue card has visited you today, ask yourself if you have become lazy, asleep, or complacent. Are you settling for a life of mundane routine, just because you are unwilling to get outside of your comfort zone? Glue conveys one of two messages: stay stuck in the sweetness for the moment, recognizing that it won’t last; or, conversely, wake up, escape the glue-trap, and get back to real living.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Stay comfortable. Take the path of least resistance. The Glue card has appeared to encourage the continuation of what you already know and enjoy. Rest, relax, and fulfill your desires. This is your comfort zone. Stay awhile on this pleasurable plateau.
22. Gold
The Gold card represents generosity, wealth, success, happiness, accomplishment, and tolerance. It is the graduate, returning home with degree in-hand, eager to contribute to society. It is the prophet, willing to share his wealth of wisdom and experience. It is the business owner committed to charity. It is the scientist dedicated to curing disease. In the card, we see a man riding a strange, exotic creature on a path paved with gold. He has returned from a journey to foreign lands with gifts to share and tales to tell. His elongated arm depicts the large extent of his outreach. If the Gold card has appeared to you today, consider yourself charmed. You embody success. You have compiled a wealth of knowledge, experience, or gold and now you bless the lives of others through your generous spirit and fortune. Your nature is to give. As you do so, your success multiplies.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
You have gold to share. Perhaps it is your wisdom, your experience, or the abundance you have accumulated. Either way, the Gold card is advising you to give generously. Recognize yourself as the prodigal child returned. What gifts have you to share?
-22. Reverse Gold / Poppy
The Poppy card represents opportunism, greed, vanity, corruption, and ruthless ambition. It is the person willing to lie, cheat, and steal in order to achieve fame and fortune. It is the parasite that attaches to others for social status or financial gain. In the card we see a girl extending poppies to the man on the horse. The poppies signify addiction. Just as one can become hooked on opiates, it is possible to become hooked on the superficial benefits of wealth. Those who dare to partake of opiate lose touch with truth and remain gripped with material gain. If the Poppy has visited you today, ask yourself if you have sacrificed your honor in exchange for a job, relationship, or pursuit. Perhaps you are being alerted to the danger of lurking parasites that seek to take advantage of you. Or, possibly, you are addicted to status, power, money, greed, or selfish pursuits. If enough is never enough, you have an addiction.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Pursue success ambitiously and vigorously. Look for opportunities to hitch your wagon to a rising star. What or whom can you connect to in order to advance your standing in the world? Seek out power and profit.
23. Source
Source is the fountain from which all youth, vitality, and creativity flow. It represents initiative, freshness, joy, fertility, and sustenance. It is the creation of an original, innovative product. It is the inspiration drawn from the well of contemplation and connection to higher consciousness. It is the project that has been fermenting, percolating, or gestating and is now birthing and coming to life. It is that which has never been done before. Like water coming from a mountain spring, it is pure, non-polluted, non-recycled, non-treated, original Source. In the card we see a woman hanging from the heavens, her hair becomes a river in which people frolic and dance. She has six breasts, representing her role to give and sustain life. If you have been visited by Source today, you dwell in a charmed state. You are experiencing exuberance and are giving or receiving inspired, fluid support. It is likely you have become a Source for your inner self or others. Celebrate in the fountain of creativity and ideas that are springing forth to you now.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Connect to Source. Partake in what makes you feel alive, fertile with ideas and inspiration. When we connect to the source of all things, we experience a never-ending stream of bountiful plenty. Be a vessel for joy. Let it spring out of you. Create.
-23. Reverse Source / Swamp
The Swamp represents scattering, fluctuation, and escape. It is the teenager who dabbles in dance class, music lessons, tennis matches, and poetry all in the same week. It is the overwhelmed, new mother that throws herself into community volunteer work while neglecting to give time and attention to her children. It is the project manager that repeatedly interrupts the flow of the project with revisions and new objectives. It is the artist who starts ten paintings and finishes none. If the Swamp has visited you today, assess your ability to begin and complete a project. Contemplate your short and long term goals. Do your habits reflect your short term or long term desires? Are you feeling stuck or unfocused? If your energy is a river, make sure it is flowing in the direction that you want to go. After all, water without flow is nothing more than a swamp.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Marinate in the swamp. Freely embark on random projects with no objective and no clearly defined goal. Allow yourself to spread your energy thin and wide, going at your own pace or no pace at all. It’s time to play around in the mud. Allow your energy to spread out into many channels. Be distracted. Start too many things. It’s not important that your efforts lead anywhere.
24. Turtle
Turtle represents serenity, peace, composure, patience, and wisdom. In the card we see a turtle with an ancient calendar on its back, representing its long lifespan and its ability to move at a slow, comfortable pace at all times. The turtle is unfazed by the passing of time. At its side is a menacing sea creature cowering under the turtle’s hold. Nothing affects the turtle without its consent. It maintains complete control because it has surrendered control. If Turtle has honored you with its presence, you have been given a glorious gift. Like Turtle, you carry the universe on your back. Everything you need you already have. Like Turtle, everywhere you go you are at home. This hearkens a time of trust; a tender and sacred step towards inner peace and balance. Take your time. You are Zen embodied.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Be calm. Take your time. Trust the abundance of time. What is up will come down, what is down will surely rise. So why worry? Keep the composure of a turtle. Practice balance. Live life one step at a time.
-24. Reverse Turtle / Shell
The Shell embodies fear, caution, and withdrawal. Instead of a shell of serenity and protection, this turtle carries on its back a heavy burden, a shell filled with fear and dread. It is the young lover who puts the brakes on a relationship for fear of rejection. It is the entrepreneur who stalls a business deal because of insecurity. It is the shy, prospective employee who delays submitting paperwork because the job requires relocation to a new city. It is the deer in the headlights. When a turtle is flipped on its back it becomes immobile and risks death by suffocation. If the Shell card is visiting you today, assess your relationship with risk. Are your fears keeping you prisoner in your shell? Are you procrastinating on a decision because it feels risky? Do you suffer from analysis paralysis? Self-sabotage is tricky business. Get clear. He who risks nothing risks everything.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
Halt! Proceed with caution or retreat to the cover of your shell. Perhaps the timing is just not right to take a risk. The fear you have been experiencing is for a reason. It’s time to put on the brakes. Play it safe.
25. Child
The Child is the card of wonder, spontaneity, amusement, and innocence. It represents learning through play. It is the eagerness to try something new while laughing at our own silly awkwardness. In the card we see a child with angel and ladybug wings on the back of a pink flamingo. We sense the magic and enchantment of the child’s worldview. We imagine pleasure, joy, discovery, surprise, music, laughter, and lightness of being. If you have encountered the Child card today, congratulations! You are invited to bring your light-hearted nature to everything around you. You infuse the world with a sense of play and magic. You are free; free as a child rejoicing.
If this card arrives in the context of advice:
The Child card has invited you to play. Bring your toys. Bring your sense of curiosity. Learn through laughter and discovery. See the world through the eyes of a child. Be prepared to experience the magnificence of life, as only a child can.
-25. Reverse Child / Tantrum
The Tantrum card represents frustration, childishness, and reckless immaturity. It is the child screaming for candy in the market. It is the protester breaking windows in the streets. It is the ex-spouse that, in a fit of rage, blocks visiting rights and shared custody of the children. When we are consumed with conflict, outrage, and crisis, we have entered the realm of the Tantrum. We have fallen into the dramas in which we, ourselves, are both the perpetrator and the victim. We are exasperated and we won’t stop until everyone feels our pain. We see in the top right corner of the card a doll that has lost an eye, depicting the inherent violence of this card. If you have drawn the Tantrum card today, consider your ability or inability to manage your emotions. Are you aggravating a situation or relationship? Do you take responsibility for yourself? Take a good look at how you express the frustrations and upsets in life. It might be time to grow up.Advice:
The time has come to throw a tantrum. Something is not okay with you and it’s high time that everyone knew about it. Right now, today, express your anguish, frustration, and anger. Throw your hands in the air. Shake your fist at the sky. Cry yourself into a puddle on the floor. Invite everyone to the party, the more drama the better.