Past

CLEANSING

Cleansing involves time, patience and effort. But there is also something special about the process. It is part of nature and part of life. What is washed away or cleaned out has its own part to play in the scheme of things. Even dirt gets recycled into soil – and what is shed, or lost, can be turned into something new.

There is no point in committing to the sacred act of cleansing unless you’re going to do it perfectly and completely. Anything half-done is a waste of time. So there is a strong message with this Oracle answer about taking the time to attend to all the tiny details. You can’t afford to be careless or the process fails.

The reward for all this painstaking effort is the wonderful exchange of old for new. We know that the human body can renew itself once it has been cleaned. Old skin cells are shed, clearing the way for new skin. On the inside, cleaning away toxic substances can help to regenerate your health.

It is not only the body that benefits from cleansing. Any place, object or situation which has become stained, dirty or tarnished can be made like new. This is the miracle offered by this Oracle answer. With enough care, time and patience new life can be restored. Almost anything can be refreshed and revitalised.

The cleansing process also puts you in touch with the natural world. It can deepen your understanding of the way things work on the planet – from the rain which washes away the dirt from the past, to the purifying water in a stream which birds use to get rid of the dust.

It’s all part of a perfectly natural rhythm and cleansing should be a regular part of your world. Everyone accumulates layers in their lives which are unwanted and unnecessary. This Oracle answer promises the magic of making old seem like new. In fact, the cleansing process makes the world go round.

Present

RECOVERY AND RESTART

Time and space is needed for you, or others, to recover – before restarting. This card is about healing from experiences which are challenging, perhaps even shocking. A bolt from the blue is an electrical storm, or a lightning strike, which can suddenly turn the world upside-down, or appear to do so. Landing on your feet is a good thing, or even landing as best you can. Yet, it may take a fair bit of time to ground and centre. To get one’s breath back and take stock of a very, very new situation. The lay of the land will be different once a rather stormy period is over. It’s a new world. There is no question of going back. You have to move forwards.

The great unknown is waiting! This is like a book which has not been written yet. How are you going to ‘write’ your future life story or the script of your life? How will others do this? There are usually a couple of people involved when this card turns up, and this may be yourself and him/her or perhaps two people you know. It is possible there are others, not on your radar, who are also being rattled and even shaken by tremendous change. It is very important that dreams, hopes, wishes and desires are clear. How can you set out on the right path towards what is needed if there is no firm certainty about the goals? It is very important to use a journal; to have a Vision Board; to use Pinterest; to say it aloud.

Even if all that is found is an approximation of the dream, it may be enough until the real thing appears. And it is also true that sometimes you have to make the dream. People have to reach inside themselves for qualities they can trade on, or use. There is often a sense with this card that there is nothing there, except oneself. All baggage had to be left behind, and has vanished. Yet, within the personality, all manner of useful resources can be retrieved. This is the currency of the new world. You trade on what you have, within. If you feel you do not have enough to trade on, you can learn it. Cultivate it. Become who you need to be.

Future

THE INNER CHILD

When you receive this Oracle answer, your inner child is in charge of an important relationship. It can be fun to forget about adult complications and expectations and revert to a more simple, innocent way of life. If this connection is real – and there are no hidden agendas by your adult selves – it can feel great.

Assuming that neither of you has an ulterior motive, the trust, simplicity and affection between you could bring real happiness. To outsiders, what you two share could seem fun, charming, cute. More cynical people might suggest that you’re not living in the real world – but you’ll probably be oblivious to that.

Of course, if this is game-playing by two mature adults, it’s worth analysing why you two are playing let’s pretend. Or is just one of you setting up this rather childlike dynamic, so that the other is forced to follow suit? If one or both of you realise you are ignoring your real selves (and the real world) try to find out why.

There is something beautiful, promising and potential-packed about what is being given and received here. And it seems to bring as much soul satisfaction to the giver, as it does to the receiver. Be careful, though. Unless you two plant this gift somewhere solid, where it can grow, it may never deliver what it might.

Similarly, this phase of your relationship cannot last forever either. Sooner or later you will have to return to adult life. To stay in a child-child dynamic stunts your development, and may even begin to look quite odd to those around you. It certainly won’t help your development or growth.

And that’s the key to this whole answer. If you two want something special to grow – and if you want to be who you actually are (as well as who you could be) – you are going to have to drop the game. Don’t drop the precious possibilities at the same time. That would be a waste, and a shame. Try to protect them.