HoF - The Thief (card 18)

thirdlibra

Man, this guy has been stalking me! Well, a lot of cards have, but he's one that I just didn't get. I thought that maybe I found the portrait style cards harder to read, but plenty of other portraits are quite chatty to me. He just sits there and watches me. I did a stalker card spread to try to coax him to tell me why the heck he won't leave me alone right now. After pulling all of the cards, I decided to straight up ask him one more time before reading the spread.

He told me he only takes what I ask him to take. I might not use words, though he has big ears are to catch the softest whisper. But he'll also read my actions and my subconcious behaviours, and take what I let get lost. He isn't malicious, but he is strong and stubborn and tricky. If he comes to talk, it's because he has taken something. It's up to me to figure out what. And that's just the first step. Then I have to decide if I'm ok with losing whatever it is, and thank him for taking out the trash, so to speak. If I'm not, then I have to choose to either accept the loss, and learn how to not make that mistake again, or to fight. He won't give anything back easily, but he is also not unreasonable. There is a chance to go back.

Turns out I didn't need that stalker spread, buuut it did read that I'd figure him out!
 

lalalibra

I look at this card similarly to what I understood from what Jessica Macbeth wrote about the Soul Shrinker in FO... in the sense that the card (like any card, or anything really) serves as a mirror to ourselves, in that how we react to the card paints the picture of what we need to know about ourselves and how we relate to the world... We find truth by studying and clarifying our perceptions with honesty.

Like the "soul shrinker," the "thief" is a label, like an accusation that may or may not be true. While he is called a thief, there is something about his expression that tells me that may not be so...

There are so many possible questions that come to mind:

Is he really a thief? If yes or no, what is the reason as to why I believe that?
Or am I really the one who is the thief, robbing myself (and him) of the truth -- robbing ourselves of an open, genuine, loving experience/relationship by building a wall of judgment?
Do I believe he is a thief because of what others/society tells me? Is he being blamed?
How do I read his expression? Is he admitting something, or denying something? Or is this all in my head?
Do I feel threatened by him? Does this have to do with my feelings of ownership or responsibility of something? Do I really need to feel that way?
What is there to steal? What am I afraid to lose? Is it even possible to lose that? Can others take that away from me? Am I afraid of losing personal power, or of having to defend myself?
Is he graciously serving me by presenting an opportunity for him to 'steal' my illusions? What do I need to give up?


When I look at him, I see sincerity, perhaps even a slight worry... but yet there is a confidence or assurance that it is not up to him to release *our* expectations. Only we can do that... he only hopes, for the sake of love, that we do so.