When I pulled this card to paint, I felt my heart sink. It is one of my least favorite cards. Typically it means some sort of physical or financial loss. I decided to paint a scene I see often in Santa Fe that creates much anxiety in me. Outside the Sanctuario de Guadalupe, there are always a group of day laborers waiting in all extremes of weather, hoping to be hired. There is a feeling of desperation, as they try to flag down passing cars.While working on the painting I reflected on the loss I was experiencing; it was my deceased mother's birthday and I miss her. Fives are about struggle, but are also the mid-way point. As I painted the giant statue of Guadalupe behind the men I realized that the archetype of the Great Mother is always there for us if we need her. She in her thousand manifestations, watches over us.
