Even Mosquitos Have a Place in the Cards

I dedicate this post to my children, but in particular to my younger daughter, Lourdes.

I was sitting on the couch this evening as my older daughter, Isabella, was settling into a rhythm of chopping, seasoning, boiling, and sautéing what would later become our dinner. (She's only fourteen, but she's got skillz!) I was sifting through my Deviant Moon when I started absent-mindedly rubbing my ankle. After a few moments I realized that it was itching a bit more than what's normal, and upon closer inspection discovered a fat welt on my leg, courtesy of a Floridian mosquito. We have a couple of months to go until they cease to frustrate all and any attempts to sit outside and enjoy the weather (though I admit I've received exponentially fewer bites this year as compared to the last two put together, so perhaps I shouldn't complain too much).

As Lourdes sat next to me creating a house for her new rubber lizard out of an empty box of Always, it came to me: how would Tarot describe a mosquito?

Before you roll your eyes and start thinking that I have way too much time on my hands (which I really don't, I swear) I will say that it seemed perfectly reasonable at the moment. After all, we use Tarot to describe people and events all the time, and there's nothing more pervasive and universal than the experience of the mosquito, so why not see what the cards have to say? I went right ahead and shuffled and pulled, and when I flipped the single card over, I started to laugh. I showed it to Lourdes, and said, "Hey, look, this is what a mosquito looks like in the Tarot deck!" She started giggling. If you think there could possibly be a better card than this to describe a mosquito, I challenge you to post it in the comments below:

Deviant Moon - P. Valenza

Yes! The Page of Swords reversed! (I love how the cards have personified the bug by using a court card ;-) This Page is irritating and pesky and carries a sharp poker. Need I say more?

Well, I will, because the Deviant Moon version of this Page offers a lot toward a particularly accurate description! He's dressed mostly in red, reminiscent of the liter of blood that was slurped out of my leg earlier today as I was trying to figure out the best way to harvest the Saw Palmetto from the backyard. He wears an eye lamp which clearly symbolizes the fact that mosquitoes can always find you, no matter where you hide, and no matter how many layers of clothing you wear; just close your eyes and imagine the gentle humming whine in your ear when you're trying to go to sleep at night. They have a one-track mind when it comes to the hunt (look at those hypnotic eyes!). And as a final note, it's an air card, and flying is the mode of transportation that most mosquitoes tend to favor.

So, there it is! Tarot has spoken, as clearly and efficiently as ever ;-)