KEYWORDS: Discrimination, guidance.
The Healer specifically refers to the consciousness of the agrarian matriarchs who walked the earth as beacons of light, with healing abilities.
Virgo is the astrological sign ruling trump X, formerly known as the Hermit (IX trump in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck). I feel that the sign Virgo requires a more feminine archetype than the wise old Hermit. A thorough understanding of the 6th zodiacal sign will greatly enhance the clarity of this card.
For the Healer, I chose the image of Sarah, one of the “greatest of the ancient Hebrew matriarchs. She also had the most in common with the ancestral goddesses of the non-Hebrew tribes of the ancient Near East.” This similarity is why “she must be re-viewed as a vestigial goddess among the patriarchal Hebrews.”
According to myth, she was a Chaldean princess who brought great wealth to her half-brother Abraham, by marrying him. She was described as being “brilliantly beautiful and ageless.” Sarah was known as a healer, for “while she was alive, her land was fertile and her husband did not age; when she died, the land ceased to bear and her husband Abraham suddenly aged and died.” The notion of Sarah keeping her husband “alive” is a metaphor for his kingship being dependent upon her, rather than the other way around. This factor makes Sarah a “Virgin” in the original sense of the word. The ancient concept of virginity had nothing to do with male sexual penetration but rather with woman’s autonomy. The word virgin meant “a woman who is whole within herself.”
Sarah was also called Iscah, “seer,” and acknowledged to be a more gifted prophet than her husband.
“In the days of Abraham the Shekina was called Sarah.” The word Shekina literally means “the act of dwelling”; in its general usage, the word refers to “that aspect of the deity which can be apprehended by the senses.” In short, she was a Hebrew version of the divine Female Principle.
Sarah is shown here amidst her people, not on some solitary peak like the Hermit in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck. She is providing counsel, guidance and healing to all who need her services. The Hebrew tradition is one that can pride itself on its many powerful female leaders; Sarah is one who managed to avoid the patriarchal purge of later biblical interpreters.
In her left hand, Sarah holds a lantern with a gold, glowing six-pointed star. This lamp casts a golden glow over an otherwise dusky blue sky. The star’s six points are a subtle reference to Virgo, the sixth sign of the zodiac, and more overtly to the star which is symbolic of the Hebrew tradition, the Star of David. This star is also a symbol of union, a union of two triangles. Because the triangle has historically been such a powerful female symbol, I suspect that the “Star of David” had a more feminine origin. The constellation Virgo is shown in the upper left corner of the sky.
Sarah’s lamp shines like a beacon, illuminating all it touches. It is a guiding light to discriminate between that which is trivial, and that which is significant. Sarah embodies the power of positive discrimination; it is this same power which is used to diagnose illness and to weed out extraneous symptoms so that the healing process can begin. This light is also the light of understanding; when it is able to penetrate the dark corners and hidden mysteries, still another form of healing takes place.
The Healer uses the lamp to illuminate her path as well as to help others find their own. This is not a life of solitude; rather it is a life spent “out in the world” once the original task is done. That first task is, of course, “Healer, Heal Thyself.” After that work is accomplished, this card indicates a path of service and guidance to others, not unlike the astrological significance of the sign Virgo.
Because Virgos care so much about “doing it right,” they can be critical and overly cautious. That’s the down-side. However, they can also be cleverly discriminating and devoted healers and helpers. This card appearing in a layout can suggest areas that need healing, discrimination or understanding. Observe the direction of the lamp’s light to discern which area of life requires this attention. The light can also suggest an aid in beginning this process. You need to be discriminating too, as all paths and options are not always suitable or open.
In memory of Sara Glanzer, a healer who now shows the way from behind the veil.
