Wildwood Tarot - The Guardian

Lady Iron Side

Mark Ryan & Jahn Matthews said:
The bleached white skeleton of a great cave bear stands sentinel in the night, guarding the entrance to a cave. Within the cave's open maw, filled with jagged and sharp stalactites, is an unknown and untodden path. The guardian must be faced and mastery of one's own fears achieved.

To me when I look at this card, I find that I like it better than the traditional DEVIL, for this card put a different spin on it, which makes you look at it in a different light. Yet this card still carries the traditinal meaning as well.

I approach the Guardian, he stands fiercyly and bold infront of me not letting me pass, blocking every move I try to make, douges every angle. I feel as though the Guardian is hiding something from me, keeping a secret, not wanting me to know whats in the cave. I ask him WHY, he says Are you ready? I say ready for what? he asks what are your fears? I said I don't know, why do you ask, I don't understand. he says Are you ready to face them? If I let you pass, there will be tests and challenges that you must face, you will be walking through the cave with no light to show you the way. however when you reach the end there will be a lantern waiting there for you to walk back out with as your reward. Can you face and mastery your fears? Yes I can, even if I don't know what are all my fears.

This can be someone who has many secrets and is unwilling to let you/pass, or holding you back. Someone may delerbatly be hiding the truth and don't want you to find out. They can be vage and avoid you in many ways. or this can be your hidden dark cave, where your skeletons hide, fears, traumas, dysfunctional family issues, supressed that you have forgotten, or intentionally choose to never talk about or face again. Pretty much anything you have supressed will often resurface in ways you least expect it to. alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual irrational behaviors, eating disorders, etc. Lieing, cheating, sneaking, etc. So you could be holding yourself back.

Edit: I also wanted to point out that there are many other forms of addiction to some of us have to cover up emotional and psycological tramas of the past, sometime we know what these issues are we just don't know how to cope or deal with so it's sometimes easier to cover it up / sugar coat it with ways to kill the pain/hurt. Shopping, eating toliot paper, household cleaners, self inflicting cuts, tanning beds, Vanity, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes all day. Mine is the coffee and cigs, it's my way of escape when things get rough "Time out" lol There is a light at the end of the cave we just need to be strong enough to face the fears, etc nobody said we couldn't have someone hold our hand as we walk through the cave to meet them straight on.

This is a good thing, cause I'm tired of argueing with the Guaridan, liveing in the land of vag, denial, confusion, lost, world of false promises, illusions, fantasy. world which I have created. I don't wana be stuck here with The Guardian, he doesn't talk much, he keeps asking me the same question ARE YOU READY? lol
 

Lifeisabutterfly

Spot on! Frequently it turns out we are our own Guardian and the Cave might represent all the thing we have hidden even to ourselves. It demands great courage and perseverance to enter this cave but once we begin we cannot turn back--hence the Quest...brilliant interpretation :) if I say so myself...
 

silverSpice

I drew The Guardian as my 'New Year' card ...for insight into the coming year ...I am very new at this and am only sharing my 'feelings' as I contemplated this card today - Jan 1, 2016

I was perplexed when I drew this card on New Years Eve, Dec. 31st 2015 ...so I went to bed last night considering this card ...right from the draw I did not have fear but rather intrigue ...so I slept on it
...this morning I went for a woods walk and asked The Guardian to walk with me ... ‘he’ reminded me that he always does ...he reminded me that although the path unknown may be scary at first – I have never traveled that path to regret. Does The Guardian look fierce? Yes! I am reminded of the words of Thumper, “...if you’re scared, just be scarier than whatever is scaring you”.

The Guardian – my guardian – pushes me to explore every aspect of my life and my psyche. The Guardian is the part of me that I can rely on when I need inner strength as I go through the changes and challenges of (The Wildwood) life.
I AM in fact contemplating changes in my life ...this new year will likely usher in many things and changes are inevitable ...yes I am scared at times. I also question the teachings of my childhood (I always have really) and delve deeper into metaphysics ...the Guardian tells me to go ...find the answers and be rewarded for that brave journey ...the harder the trek the more beautiful the view!

The Guardian is nothing to fear ...of course this is MY guardian, I cannot say for yours. I think the drawing of The Guardian was very timely for me ...giving me courage and resolve for the coming year.