There's a symphony that echoes through the ages, a melody that resonates deep within me whenever cards are shuffled. It's the sweet sound of fluttering cards, like leaves dancing in the wind, each one weaving its own story in the grand tapestry of games and life lessons.
My childhood was punctuated by the rhythmic shuffle of cards, a soundtrack to warm summer nights by the pool as my parents engaged in spirited games of Cribbage with our neighbors. On those balmy evenings, the clinking of glasses and the laughter of friends blended harmoniously with the cards being dealt.
Around our dining table, Pinochle was the game of choice with neighbors whose faces have blurred in my memory, yet the cards themselves remain vivid. (I never learned to play this game, but the adults seemed to enjoy it.) Hearts brought my brother and his friends together, while Kings on the Corner was a favorite pastime shared with my sister. I watched in awe as my grandparents engaged in epic battles of Gin Rummy, and when I sought solitude, I turned to the solitaire deck, relishing the weight of the cards in my hands and the satisfying slap of their shuffle.
Among my dearest friends, the Mags, I've laughed until my sides hurt while playing Pitch. The chaos of keeping track of who got High, Low, Jack, Off-Jack, and Game brought us closer than ever, and I cherish those memories.
As I reflect on those early years, I realize that my affinity for math, numbers, patterns, cycles, and symbols can be traced back to those card-filled days. I can still hear my mother's patient voice teaching me to count in Cribbage, the joy of moving pegs on the wooden board as I scored 15-2, 15-4, pairs for 6, and double runs for 8. At the tender age of four, I understood that 7+8 equaled 15, just as 9+6 did, and even 5+K, Q, J, or 10. Playing Cribbage online may replicate the game, but it can never replace the tactile experience, the mentorship, and the joy my mom brought to those games. She never let me win outright, but she encouraged me to find fun in every hand while honing my skills.
Those same cards that graced our Cribbage and solitaire games were also tools for our intuitive development. At the kitchen table, one of my family members would hold up a card, hidden from my view, and I'd discern whether it was "black" or "red." The cards would then be separated into piles, and we meticulously tracked how many I had correctly identified by intuition. Weeks of practice followed, during which I discovered that when the "sender" held a red card, my nose tingled slightly, and for black cards, a velvety sensation glided across my stomach. I became attuned to the subtle differences in sensations when guessing "red" with my mom versus "red" with my sister.
We ventured further into the realms of intuition with Zenner cards, a mystical deck that felt like a secret treasure. My sister excelled at this, and I reveled in sending her mental images of the cards. We soon discovered that we could play this intuitive game solo, simply by visualizing picking up a card, looking at it, and seeing a star, a wave, or a square. It was like a new form of solitaire, where our minds shuffled the cards, and our intuition played the game.
In the midst of this, my competitive spirit found its voice. I meticulously charted my accuracy on Saturdays, Mondays, and Thursdays, always striving for improvement. I noticed that I performed better after a hearty lunch or later in the evening, whereas my sister seemed to excel regardless of the time of day.
And then came the Tarot, Oracle, and Totem Animal cards – a beautiful tapestry of symbols, emotions, numbers, stories, and messages. Shuffling those decks, feeling their weight, and listening to the flutter of their wisdom-filled wings brought me to a place of profound connection. These cards became my trusted friends, an avenue to decode the universe, and a way to attune myself to the messages that flowed through my senses.
So, dear reader, what role have cards played in your life? Have they been a source of fun, a gateway to learning, or a portal to the mysterious world of intuition? The cards hold stories, memories, and lessons in their patterns and symbols. They whisper secrets, and in their flutter, flutter, flutter, they offer us a timeless connection to the past and a bridge to the infinite possibilities of the future.
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