Seeing through water with the Five of Hearts

One of the best things about going back to our readings and reassessing them is how much it can help us to learn about the cards. My latest New Moon reading is proving very accurate. Not only has this cycle been very centred in my home (like the 6♥ suggested), but it has also made me aware of the many defence mechanisms I use when I'm emotionally unstable.

And… It has also made me aware of the origin of such instabilities, and how they are expressed through the 5♥, also called Fata Morgana.

The 5♥ is one of the cards that does not change between the Playing Card Oracles and the Doors of Somlipith (it is different in the Fate & Fortune deck, though). It portrays a maiden in a lake, playing harp. At first glance, she looks like a seductive nymph, but when you look at the water, you realize that her reflection is that of a hag! Now, who is real: the maiden or the hag? Both? Or neither? This is Morgana's spell, which gives the card its main keyword: illusion.

Recently, however, I've come to think that a better keyword for the 5♥ would be distortion, rather than just illusion. Because illusion creates something that isn't there, while distortion takes something that already exists and twists it into something else. The sorceress of Fata Morgana is not a hallucination; she exists, but the way she reveals herself is distorted. This card is a bit like trying to see through water: although you can perceive things through the liquid, the details are distorted because the water ripples and reflects, becoming an inaccurate mirror of reality. This is how Morgana's spell tends to distort what it touches.

But what if the card is dignified? I don't think it automatically becomes a positive presence, but there are contexts in which exposing ourselves wholly can be detrimental. In this case, Fata Morgana can appear as an advice to be aware of how we are presenting ourselves. Maybe we need to be smarter, to show the parts that benefit us and to conceal that which, in a given situation, could place us in a vulnerable position. But, for better or for worse, there's always some form of distortion involved. Hence, Morgana's spell must be used carefully.

In my New Moon spread, this card appeared in the Throat position, which is ruled by Clubs, and thus connected to mental activity. Here, the 5♥ seems to cast her spell on our thoughts, often worsening worries or distorting our perception of things (and usually through strong emotions that keep us from thinking clearly). And for me, this made perfect sense, as some recent events in my life caused spikes of anxiety that impaired my ability to think rationally about my situation (and I'm not normally an anxious person!). Everything was coloured by my own emotional distortion, and it was only after realizing that my feelings were not indisputable facts that I was able to lift my head above water and see clearly again.