Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2013

As a new regular feature, Metropolis‘ resident tarot expert offers an overview analysis of a current news item or celebrity profile. This week, we ask:

What can we do to help the survivors of the tsunami in Tohoku?

Interpretation:

The queen of hearts is a caring, nurturing, loving woman, who seeks to create an environment of creativity and spirituality. This card would be advising us that even though so much has already been done, in terms of clean-up and rehabilitation, care and attention is still needed for the people of Tohoku.

The hermit describes someone seeking to perfect themselves through solitary contemplation. It describes a time of silence and reflection, the better to hear one’s own inner guidance. The tarot advises us that we each in our hearts know how best to help the people of Tohoku, and that they feel alone and stranded from the world.

The devil card does not mean that there is some evil agency influencing this situation, but that it’s the destructive habits and bad behavioural patterns that we allow ourselves to slide into that influence the whole in a negative way. This implies a sense of complacency, a denial that help is still needed. We are refusing to admit that the way we behave, in terms of the policy-makers we elect and our wastefulness and uncaring attitude, impacts negatively on the welfare of the people of Tohoku.

To sum up, the guidance from the tarot is that the people of Tohoku still need our help, not our indifference. Don’t let them feel abandoned by the rest of the world—act today.

Elise Mori is a tarot professional living in sunny Yokosuka, Kanagawa. She has been reading cards for over 20 years. As a spring promo, mention you read Metropolis to get 15% off your first reading.