What gifts lie in your vulnerability?

Image description: Two people stand against a light blue, cloudy background. They are in shadow. The two people are angled towards each other, foreheads resting lightly together, noses mere inches apart, and lips slightly parted. Their faces and the space in between form a heart-like shape. There are three polished, silver nails in the foreground- two crossing each other in an “X” shape with a third nail straight through the X. The middle nail traces the point where the two figures’ foreheads meet, while the other two appear to pierce each person’s forehead.

When we touch another person, our skin is not actually touching- it is the vibrations of our electrical fields merging. The shadows in 3 of Nails know this all too well. The insights we realize in this card can feel as though they’ve pierced through us- body, mind, and soul- and leave us feeling isolated and alone.

This card can often elicit feelings of fear. When we draw the 3 of Nails, however, we are often called to tend to grief and pain that already exists. It may be that the emotions of discontent that have been roiling under the surface finally emerge, forcing us to confront them head-on. Can you name the types of thoughts and feelings present with you right now? Do you feel anguished, grieving, helpless, disillusioned, afraid, longing, ashamed, dissatisfied? How can you gently feel the pointy edges of your mood?

We embark on a process of healing in this card that sets us up for much-needed growth. Whatever decision we made in the previous card has come to fruition. Even if the decision was for the best, there is a loss- of the choice we could’ve made, the person we thought we were, what we believed in, other beings in our life, old patterns, etc.

3 of Nails is also a beautiful card in some ways. We have to be willing to show up with vulnerability to be pierced. In a world where we can so easily become hardened, being vulnerable is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and others. For example, we must be open and vulnerable to feel the heartache of the depths of violence inflicted on First Nation people. Without this pain, we become numb to the oppression and lose our ability to connect.

Spending too much time in the intensity of 3 of Nails can wear us down, but it is important to fully connect with this energy when it arises. Know that you are not alone, and you are so deeply beloved by the universe. Let the gentle wind and rain from the clouds soothe your aching head and heart.

Inspiration sources:
– Aunty K, #LandBack Tarot and Oracle of Colonization
– Alana Davenport, @politicsoftarot
– Leah Pantéa, Vindur tarot deck guidebook
– Chris-Anne Donnelly, Light Seer’s tarot deck guidebook
– Benebell Wen, The Holistic Tarot
– Cassandra Snow, Queering the Tarot
– Lindsay Mack, Tarot for the Wild Soul course
– Hajo Banzhaf & Brigitte Theler, Keywords to the Crowley Tarot
– Eden Cooke, Krista Gibbard, Julia Iredale, & Milo Applejohn, Ostara tarot deck guidebook