A dreaming queen avoids the truth.
But high above, the wise one waits,
his lantern lit for those who dare to seek.
As I drew the cards, a message emerged: the dangers of illusion and the need to confront life as it truly is.
The first card, the Five of Pentacles, portrays an alley behind a church, where two homeless people struggle to keep warm on a gray and snowy afternoon. One figure is huddled under a patched blanked, her hand out in forlorn hope for charity from a passerby. Nearby, a veteran who has lost a leg and an eye stands proudly, his once-grand uniform now in tatters. He maintains a fashionable mustache while relying on a makeshift crutch. Although injured and alone, he appears ready to move on.
There are no passersby to offer comfort. There is no aid in sight. Can this man find meaning in his pain? Can he humble himself to seek shelter and warmth, or will he vanish into the snow, holding onto pride?
The second card is altogether different. The Queen of Cups is lost in fantasy. Crowned with an ornate tiara and enthroned upon a majestic shell that echoes Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. The pink glow inside the shell mirrors the ethereal hue of the setting sun. The scene is alive with bright clouds, crashing waves, a sandy beach strewn with starfish and other treasures, ghostly seals singing with longing, and the cry of seagulls. Wrapped in luxurious robes, one hand touching her own heart, the queen is absorbed in gazing at a veiled cup that glows with untold visions.
Yet she does not the veil from the cup. She gazes at the cup dreamily, choosing hopeful anticipation over the potential disappointment of reality. The queen of this card is the mirror image of the hopeless woman in the Five of Pentacles, neither one able to take action. Hope remains suspended, hidden beneath the veil of illusion.
Lastly, The Hermit appears. A gray-cloaked figure stands atop the Mountain of Knowledge, his long white beard flowing in the moonlight. The sky is dark and silent. A red feather dangles from his staff and his feet are wrapped in crimson. Holding his lantern aloft, he looks down at the city he left behind. Is this the man from the Five of Pentacles?
What do the red feather and red shoes mean? Do they mark a transformation forged by determination? Does he now carry wisdom shaped by experience, truths earned through struggle and solitude?
These cards deliver a clear message: See clearly. Step forward. Let go of illusion, and face your life with courage and truth. We are not meant to remain huddled in despair or gazing at veiled dreams. We are meant to rise, to question, to endure.
May the Holy One of Blessing walk beside me as I make this journey, offering insight, strength, and grace along the way.
