Card of the Day - August 24, 2011

The Card of the Day today is the Three of Swords from the Fairy Tale Tarot depicted by the fairy tale of The Little Match Girl. This is a sad tale of a poor little girl who sells matches to the crowds flurrying about during New Year's Eve. It is very cold, and the girl is shivering till she had blue hands and purple lips. At the end of the day, she hadn't sold any matches and was too scared to go home to her father who would scold her. She was numb with the cold, and thought of lighting up a match to feel some warmth. When she lit the match, she saw inside the flame, a burning stove. She stretched out toward the flame of the stove, then the flame burnt out. She struck another match. This time she saw a beautiful table with food on it. She could smell the aroma and saw a Christmas tree made of stars. Then the flame went out. Feeling very cold, she lit all the matches, and saw a vision of her grandmother, peaceful and loving. She reached out to her, and felt warmth in her arms and went to sleep. On the morning of the new year, a crowd gathered around a small frozen body when someone said, ''Oh, the miserable thing, left all alone in the cold of the night. But, she is still smiling, whatever she saw before she died must have been wonderful.''

The girl escapes from the brutal reality of her conscious life into the ethereal warmth of her unconscious desires. The glowing match provides warmth and light enabling her to travel into other realms. This card is one of great sorrow and misery. Be prepared to deal with tough situations in your life, as they make you stronger. Be aware of the first signs of trouble, and solve the problem before it is too late. Try and look at the positive side of things when things look rock bottom. We should use the power of wishful thinking to ease our sufferings.