Transmutation

This week I'll be using the Prairie Tarot, created and self-published by Robin Ator. Paired with it will be the Medicine Cards, a deck and book set published by St. Martin's Press and created by David Carson and Jamie Sams. Today's cards are the Two of Cups and Snake:

When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.

~Joseph Campbell

This cowboy appears to be shy, allowing the woman to take the lead. At the start of most relationships, whether they're based in business, friendship or romance, one partner seems to take the initiative. Yet once established, the best partnerships (and generally the most healthy) allow each partner to take turns leading the dance. There's usually always something one partner is better at than the other. Snake is given the keyword 'transmutation,' meaning a change to a higher form (suggested by the snake shedding its skin). As Campbell points out, our greatest transformation can come when we step out of self-centeredness and include others in our orbit.