Which area of my life requires more self awareness?

Santeria Santera. Queen of Pentacles

This is the second card in a row that shows a swampy, marshy environment. In the last card the woman was at the edge of this area but in this card she’s in the heart of the swamp/bayou. She’s naked now, she’s left her things behind as she’s ventured into the bayou. Swamps, bogs, marshes – they all show up in local lore wherever they exist as places to be avoided. They’re dark, dangerous animals live there, you could sink into or fall into who knows what and never be seen again. They represent a world that we don’t want to venture into.

Swamps are also active bio diverse places. There is life here, very adaptive, very resilient life that thrives in spite of the humidity, gases, low light and thick air. It may simply not be a great place for us but it’s a great place for many other creatures.

This Queen is the watery part of elemental earth. As a representative of earth she is in control of her power. She put her toys down because she does not need them and she cradles the snake’s head in her outstretched hand as she kneels, and regards it as if gazing at a child. Her face is serene as she simply sits and listens to the snake, allowing it to come to her and open the channel.

Snakes are symbols of the feminine, of creative life forces and knowledge, of healing and self realization, but also danger and death. This snake is the guardian of this deep earth place. The Queen takes a risk holding its head in her hand. Depending on the snake, she could be bitten or crushed.

The journey inward to oneself isn’t sunshine and roses. More often than not it’s shining light into the parts of ourselves that learned to function in darkness and decay, like the swamp. Reaching out to these parts of ourselves, naked and without guile, and cradling them as she does invites knowledge and danger.

This Queen represents a journey to one’s physical being. The pentacles are very much grounded in the “real world” – our money, our homes, our bodies – our physical sovereignty. To take the dark journey with this Queen is to examine things that have been percolating in my periphery lately as I push myself to change: my relationship to earning money and the things that keep me stuck at go, but also dysmorphic feelings about my body that become more pronounced with age. As I have been naming these issues for the last few months, events concerning them have manifested to be dealt with.

Damn you Tarot for being so spot on!