51 The Sick King

Sickness, monotony of daily life, exhaustion, escape into illness.

Leo/Virgo

Sun/Mercury

Ego + Servant

The union of Ego and Servant shows us a vaulted room resembling a cell, where a person lies in bed. On a chair are neatly folded robes, crown, scepter and orb (symbols of his power). On a nearby table stand bottles of medicine. The King is ill. The situation recalls the archetypal fairy tale plot: a ruler has fallen sick, and a knight is needed to replace him or find a cure. The card often speaks of a midlife crisis. The person has turned inward, the time has come to think about the soul - not without reason does he hold a book in his hands. Power, status, money, authority have already been achieved. Now they are not needed, but he does not renounce them - the attributes remain at hand. Everything has been achieved, yet days have become gray, colorless, life has lost its meaning. Here arise questions about the sublime, the divine, the soul.

The King from the Ego card has removed his ceremonial clothes and lies in bed. Medicine bottles lie on the table, his face is pale and sickly. No one is around him, rain falls outside the window. Life circumstances and illness force him to withdraw from state affairs - scepter and orb lie on the floor. He wants solitude, to rest from affairs. However, we remember the theatricality of our King (the Actor card). Therefore it's possible that our hero pretended to be sick to evoke pity and care. The theme of this card is 'the long run' - the king goes through a phase requiring flexibility and regulation.

Bed - refusal of contacts, fatigue. Medicine - illness.

Patience, flexibility.

Illness, exhaustion of strength.

The day will be sluggish and fruitless. Time will pass passively externally, but perhaps actively internally. It may happen that today someone wounds the querent, hurts his pride. Or perhaps he will feel slightly unwell and lie at home.

It's best today to turn off the phone, remain in solitude. Use any opportunity that allows staying home.

If you're sick, it's better to lie in bed - there's little use from a sick person at work.

Learn to restore lost strength for further 'ruling.'

It's desirable not to appear in public. If you must - avoid active communication.

Retreat into illness to escape solving problems. Desire for peace.

Energetic exhaustion. Fatigue. Desire to rest, to be alone. Physical and moral depletion. Depression. Soul weariness, striving for solitude. Sometimes - physical illness. Not only one's own illness is possible, but also the illness of someone close. A desire to rest arises - consequence of fatigue from affairs.

Painful. Develops slowly.

Complicated. Difficulties in the couple. Sexual problems are possible: impotence, loss of interest in partner or 'ideological' sexual abstinence (for example, refusing intimacy so as not to 'waste energy'). Often one partner attracts attention by retreating into illness, shirks duties by citing poor health. Or relationships are affected by the presence of a sick person who needs care.

If you're always sick, life will pass you by.

Rest, take care of your health. Think about the soul, about mistakes made in solitude.

Illness is possible, one's own or someone close. Postponing matters - perhaps there are errors in planning. Fatigue from joyless daily life, routine. Poor condition may result from exhausting diet.

- Joylessness of daily life. - Illness. - Fatigue from daily life, routine. - Need for rest, reflection, solitude. - Person has turned to thoughts of the soul. - Person wants to attract someone's attention, care. - Deep depression. - Exhausting diets. - Attention and care for oneself. - Relationships are limping. Causeless fatigue foretells illness (Hippocrates). - One partner seeks to attract attention. Relationships are limping. Causeless fatigue foretells illness (Hippocrates).