Three of Bats

October 21, 2008

Yesterday I pulled the Three of Bats as my daily card.

The overall tone and mood of this artwork reflects the artwork of the standard Three of Swords. In the Halloween Tarot, Bats are the ‘Swords’ of the deck and related to mental things and many of the challenges that we face in our lives. The standard artwork of the Three of Swords is very similar. Both cards show a heart suspended in a rainstorm. The feeling is one of gloom and, when the swords are seen piercing the heart, also pain. The ever-present black cat in the Halloween deck is crouching beneath the stormy night sky, glaring balefully out at the reader, conveying discomfort and looking depressed. The bats are holding and surrounding the heart in the sky.

The Card a Day exercise does not usually deal with larger issues, but by it’s very nature, the small mundane events of the ‘every day’. (Unless the card you pull is one of the Major Arcanas, in which case it may portend a life-changing event on a small scale). Yesterday for me was a series of physical ills… headaches, cramps and general irritation at my body. Even though Swords represent the element of air and thought, this card conveys discomforts and pains, which is basically how I felt for the entire day.

When I read, Threes represent the divine, personal power and first foundations. So generally this card doesn’t mean major pains, sadness or illness. It’s bumps and bruises, not broken bones or death. It’s aches and pains, not hospital visits. This aptly described my day, where I was spending more time tending my aching, complaining body than completing the work I had planned.

In this deck, you can see the Bats as the mind overcoming the pains and stresses. Today I see the bats are gathering around the heart in an attempt to shelter it till the storm has passed. Our thoughts have a profound effect on our reality. While we may not be able to eliminate the pains and stresses, we can remain positive and we can think our way through any situation. We can use our mind to overcome small pains (and sometimes larger ones), and to overcome a tendency toward depression or sadness. These bats are the power of the mind protecting and supporting the tender heart from the elements that threaten it.

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Today is a new day. This morning I have pulled the Page of Bats, and we shall see later how this card relates to the coming day.

Posted in Cards, Interpretations