Cards 60-69: Margaret Alaoque - Peter - Voices of the Saints
Cards 60-69: Margaret Alaoque - Peter - Voices of the Saints
Cards 20-29: Bonaventura - Cosmas & Damian
Cards 30-39: Cyrus - Francis of Paola
Cards 40-49: Francis Xavier - Joachim
Cards 50-59: Joan of Arc - Mark
Cards 60-69: Margaret Alaoque - Peter
Cards 70-78 : Philip Benizi - Zita
Voices of the Saints: Keyword GuideTransversal Theology: Technical Glossary
60. Saint Margarita M. Alacoque V. (17th-cent. France)
Hagiography
Feast: October 17
Saint Margaret Mary Alaoque: Healed from a crippling disorder by a vision of the Blessed Virgin, which prompted her to give her life to God. After receiving a vision of Christ fresh from the Scourging, she was moved to join the Order of the Visitation.
Received a revelation from Our Lord in 1675, which included 12 promises to her and to those who practiced a true devotion to His Sacred Heart, whose crown of thorns represent his sacrifices. The devotion encountered violent opposition, especially in Jansenist areas, but has become widespread and popular.
Patronage
against polio
against the death of parents
devotees of the Sacred Heart
polio patients
Archetypology
Saint Margaret Mary signifies a deep outpouring of compassion and mercy as opposed to self reliance on discipline, self mastery, or cognitive ability. As a visionary, she signifies the intuitive relationship with the divine that reaches deeper and more integrally than cognitive speculation. The sacred heart is the devotion revealed to her. It reminds the reader that salvation is not something earned by the Christian. It is a symbol that is anti-pelagian and anti-gnostic and should inspire awe and gratitude. It also reminds the observer that Christ did not benevolently grant this mercy or achieve this compassion from a transcendent high place of comfort, but experienced it as a true human through his suffering in the incarnation.
Visual Symbology
In the image, Saint Margaret Mary is pictured with two open and one closed lily and a red rose. The closed lily may indicate our ineffectiveness or inability to perfectly reach our goals without the compassion and mercy of Christ. The rose is red, unusual for this deck because this card is particularly suited for passionate love. Saint Margaret Mary is pictured in her traditional habit holding the image of the Sacred Heart that was revealed to her. The image carries all the weight of the devotion to the Sacred Heart as well as the personal relationship it signifies as it was personally revealed to her.
Application
When Saint Margaret Mary presents in a reading the message is one of compassion and mercy. These may be the experience the querent needs to offer or receive. The card also brings the suffering that comes with being vulnerable enough to offer or receive compassion and mercy. In reverse, Saint Margaret Mary can indicate the need for objective analysis and a sense of detachment. It could also present the Apollinarian in the worst sense of the term, a lack of compassionate humanity.
61. Saint Maria Magdalena Poenit. (1st-cent. Israel-Palestine)
Hagiography
Feast: July 22
Saint Mary Magdalene: One of the women who traveled with Jesus and helped support his ministry "out of their resources", indicating that she was probably relatively wealthy. Seven demons had been driven out of her. She is a witness to the crucifixion of Jesus and, in the Synoptic Gospels, she is also present at his burial. All four gospels identify her, either alone or as a member of a larger group of women, as the first witness to the empty tomb, and the first to testify to Jesus's resurrection, earning her the title “Apostle to the Apostles”.
Patronage
against sexual temptation
apothecaries
contemplative life
contemplatives
converts
druggists
glove makers
hairdressers
Hairstylists
penitent sinners
penitent women
people ridiculed for their piety
perfumeries
perfumers
pharmacists
reformed prostitutes
tanners
Women
Archetypology
Saint Mary Magdalene is the only card in the deck labeled Poenit. Unfortunately, the meditation on her penitence often focuses on a perceived sinful past. Contrary to popular belief there is no indication that she was a prostitute. The only indication of her “sin” is the note that Christ cast out seven demons from her. But this is less an indication of “severity of sin” as it is “completeness of healing” and her state of being after. Seven being the number of completeness or perfection she was perfectly purified by Christ in this life, hence as a “penitent”, she does not represent sorrow or regret for sin forgiven so much as the changed life of a penitent. The fact that she is the first to meet the risen Christ makes her a powerful character and is another demonstration of just how close to perfection she was as opposed to the others. She is the primal conversion story; the archetype and primogenitor of all saints in the in this deck who turned their life around for the better (as opposed to “felt the call to religious life” from their youth).
Visual Symbology
Saint Mary Magdalene is pictured in the cave in France where, according to legend, she spends the last thirty years of her life. The legend that relates her ending up in this cave seems to be a masculine usurpation of the power inherent in the narrative of this extremely important woman. Her position in the cave could be an indication of hidden strength or authority. It could also be an indication of suppression of feminine authority or esteem Saint Mary Magdalene kneels, hands clasped in prayer, before a stone shelf in the cave wall as a divine light shines from the heavens and illuminates her halo. She prays over an open book, indicating her rich legacy. Next to the book is a memento mori (skull) reminding the observer of her close connection to the passion of Christ and glorification of Christ and all it relates to the mystery of death. A cross made of small branches rises behind the skull, and from if new sprigs of green sprout up, again drawing the observer to the death and new life of Christ. The last object on the table is a small jar. This jar is probably symbolic of the jar that was used to anoint Christ for his death (though again, this was not Mary Magdalene, but some confuse her with this woman). This jar shows her ability to approach Christ and understand not only his redemptive death but how death motivates penitence, conversion, and ultimately leads to life.
Application
Saint Mary Magdalene is a powerful card to pull. She forces one to take stock of their situation and look to how reform can help them become better people. Given the symbology of both her narrative and the image of the card, an application of the role death plays as a motivator in one’s desire to make their life right should not be ignored. In reverse Saint Mary Magdalene may be indicative of sins that one has not repented of or one feels like “cannot be forgiven”. It could also indicate a denial or naivete’ concerning the power of death.
62. Saint Martinus Ep. Conf. (4th-cent. Pannonia)
Hagiography
Feast: November 11
Saint Martin de Tours: Born to pagan parents; his father was a Roman military officer and tribune. Martin was raised in Pavia, Italy. Discovered Christianity, and became a catechumen in his early teens. Joined the Roman imperial army at age 15, serving in a ceremonial unit that acted as the emperor’s bodyguard, rarely exposed to combat. Cavalry officer, and assigned to garrison duty in Gaul.
Baptized into the Church at age 18. Trying to live his faith, he refused to let his servant wait on him. Once, while on horseback in Amiens in Gaul (modern France), he encountered a beggar. Having nothing to give but the clothes on his back, Martin cut his heavy officer‘s cloak in half and gave it to the beggar. Later he had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak. This incident became iconographic of Martin.
Just before a battle, Martin announced that his faith prohibited him from fighting. He was charged with cowardice and was jailed. His is superiors planned to put him in the front of the battle. However, the invaders sued for peace, the battle never occurred, and Martin was released from military service. Spiritual student of Saint Hilary at Poitiers, France.
Martin became a hermit for ten years in the area now known as Ligugé. A reputation for holiness attracted other monks, and they formed what would become the Benedictine abbey of Ligugé.
Patronage
against alcoholism
against impoverishment
against poverty
beggars
cavalry
equestrians
geese
horsemen
horses
Hotel-keepers
innkeepers
Pontifical Swiss Guards
quartermasters
reformed alcoholics
riders
soldiers
tailors
vintners
wine growers
wine makers
Archetypology
Saint Martin de Tours represents those who abide in a system of oppression but do not let themselves be corrupted by it. Being a soldier in the imperial army his job should have been to crush the opponent and bend them to worldly power. Instead, he used his position to do works of charity and demonstrate the virtuous bravery of a soldier without actually fighting. He can also represent transition from a worldly life to a life invested in the spiritual given as he moves from military organization to consecrated organization.
Visual Symbology
The image shows the classic representation of Saint Martin de Tours. He sits astride his horse with a beggar standing in front of him. He is dressed as a military officer and is cutting his cloak in half as it is draped over the beggar. The image displays privilege aiding the forgotten and implies a true Christian power dynamic, the greatest serves the least.
Application
To meet Saint Martin de Tours in a consultation is to understand how even the most stable and organized systems of oppression are not above personal moral maneuverability and/or institutional redemption. With this card, the querent may want to take a look at the institutions they are part of and make sure their relationship to them is healthy. It may also be a reminder that you cannot judge an entire population by association to the group. In reverse Martin of tours is a warning about the detrimental effects of oppressive institutions, the querent should check on their relationship with such institutions in their lives to make sure they are not being corrupted. It could also be an indicator or invitation to a wholesome institution.
63. Saint Mathilde Reg. (10th-cent. Germany)
Hagiography
Feast: March 14
Saint Matilda of Ringelheim: Daughter of Count Dietrich of Westphalia and Reinhild of Denmark; she was raised by her grandmother, abbess of the Eufurt. Matilda left the abbey, and married King Henry I, who had received an annulment from a previous marriage. Queen of Germany. Mother. Founded several Benedictine abbeys. Well known throughout the realm for her generosity, she taught the ignorant, comforted the sick, and visited prisoners. Betrayed by Otto after Henry’s death when he falsely accused her of financial mismanagement.
Patronage
death of children
disappointing children
falsely accused people
large families
people ridiculed for their piety
queens
second marriages
widows
Archetypology
Saint Matilda is the model of a noblewoman and mother. Her story is one that shows both the power and oppression of women as they abide in the gilded cage of nobility. She is traded and sold like cattle for royal breeding and in the end, is betrayed. At the same time, she is able to use her position to do good for the poor, institute a spiritual space for those in need of it, and try her best to raise her children. She is a blank stand in for any woman in a place of leadership who faces an uphill battle.
Visual Symbology
Being the archetypal noblewoman the image of Saint Matilda shows her in profile dressed in royal robes. She clasps her hands to her heart and is crowned with an earthly crown and an ornate halo. All else is grey. She stands as an emblem of nobility and femininity.
Application
Saint Matilda turns the querent attention to the feminine in their life. This card can dredge up a simultaneous feeling of the nobility and oppression of women and may urge the querent to consider how women in their life represent and experience both. In reverse, the card may represent masculine alienation. It could also represent a woman who has a poor reputation, but is freed and unbound by this and lives a life of her choosing.
64. Saint Matthaeus Ev. (1st.-cent. Israel-Palestine)
Hagiography
Feast: September 21
Saint Matthew the Apostle: Son of Alphaeus, he lived at Capernaum on Lake Genesareth. He was a Roman tax collector, a position equated with collaboration with the enemy by those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus’ contemporaries were surprised to see Christ with a traitor, but Jesus explained that he had come “not to call the just, but sinners.”
Matthew’s Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New Testament, and was written to convince Jewish readers that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus. He preached among the Jews for 15 years; his audiences may have included the Jewish enclave in Ethiopia, and places in the East.
Patronage
accountants
bankers
bookkeepers
customs officers
financial officers
guards
money managers
security forces
security guards
stock brokers
tax collectors
Archetypology
Saint Matthew presents the gospel that is most Jewish of the four. He presents Jesus as the new Moses and is very concerned with the practice and understanding of the Law is seen as compatible with the message and legacy of Christ. He was also a tax collector. Everything about his character speaks to upholding and maintaining the normative structures of society and showing a deeper knowledge in them. He is the symbol of masculine order and law applied toward the highest spiritual end.
Visual Symbology
The card shows Matthew in a vibrantly living landscape. He is seated much like an ancient rabbi would sit to teach his students. In his right hand, he daintily holds a quill that resembles a small arrow. It is a contrast of delicacy and danger, just as the navigation of written law can be, In his left hand, he holds a book, which he is concentrating on, the wisdom of the ages that he records the fulfillment of. Peering over his shoulder and trying to engage him is a cherub holding what looks like a small censer. The picture portrays a calm collected mind in deep thought and in the process of organization.
Application
To meet Saint Matthew is to meet the normative structure. It could be a structure that one needs to abandon, like tax collecting. Or it could be a structure that one fulfilled, like Jewish Law. Either way, one’s relationship to the dominant or normative social structure needs an analysis. In reverse, Matthew could be a harbinger of revolution and anti-establishment urges; a toppling of the organizational structures in one’s life. It could also mean that one has over invested in an unhealthy normative structure that is doing one damage.
65. Saints Methodius et Cyrillus Conf. (9th-cent. Turkey)
Hagiography
Feast: February 14
Saint Methodius: Brother of Saint Cyril. Born to the Greek nobility. Studied at the University of Constantinople, and taught philosophy there. Priest. Sent with Cyril by the emperor in 861 to convert the Jewish Khazars of Russia, a mission that was successful and which allowed him to learn the Khazar’s language. In 863, he was sent with Cyril to convert Moravians in their native tongue. Though some western clergy opposed their efforts and refused to ordain their candidates for the priesthood, they did good work. Helped develop an alphabet for the Slavonic language that eventually became what is known as the Cyrillic today. After initial criticism for their use of it, they achieved approval of the Liturgy in the Slavonic language. Bishop. Evangelized in Moravia, Bohemia, Pannonia, and Poland. Baptized Saint Ludmilla and Duke Boriwoi. Archbishop of Velehred (in the modern Czech Republic), but deposed and imprisoned in 870 due to the opposition of German clergy with his work. Often in trouble over his use of Slavonic in liturgy, some claiming he preached heresy; repeatedly cleared of charges. Translated the Bible into the Slavonic languages. Pioneered the use of local and vernacular languages in liturgical settings.
Saint Cyril: Brother of Saint Methodius. Born to the Greek nobility; his family was connected with the senate of Thessalonica, and his mother Maria may have been Slavic. Studied at the University of Constantinople, and taught philosophy there. Deacon. Priest. Librarian at the church of Santa Sophia. Monk, taking the name Cyril. Sent with Methodius by the emperor in 861 to convert the Jewish Khazars of Russia. May have been bishop, but may have died before the consecration ceremony.
Patronage
against storms
ecumenism
Archetypology
Here we have the second fraternal dyad of the Voices of Saints deck. Much like Saint Francis Xavier, Saints Cyril and Methodius are missionaries who symbolize the gospel encountering a broad cultural spectrum. However, their interaction is different. Saints Cyril and Methodius lean much more toward acculturation, so much so that they famously formulate a liturgy in native languages. The time Saint Francis Xavier was in would never have allowed this, and it was even resisted in the time of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The end result of each is the same, but Xavier brings the gospel to a culture and applies, where Cyril and Methodius bring a culture to the gospel and apply. They were extremely successful acculturation of the gospel. They are archetypes of the ability to see the best in the spiritual life of the other “as the other”.
Visual Symbology
In this picture one sees Saints Cyril and Methodius standing outside of a typical eastern European city. Saint Methodius is vested as a bishop but has no miter or crosier. Instead, he holds his right hand in blessing and his left hand rests on a shield that in turn rests in the trunk of a tree. Emblazoned on the shield is an image of the resurrected Christ. It is as if the wood from the tree had been taken and made into this shield, which shows the image of Christ, but mostly retains its “woodenness”. Wedged in between the shield and the trunk is a small piece of Saint Methodius’ vestment.
Next to Saint Methodius is Saint Cyril. He holds a “Patriarchal” Cross as a sign that they have started a uniquely new Christian community. He also holds a book as a nod to their ability to use the language of the people in liturgy. Behind him, far in the distance, the people of the town ambled into the large cathedral in the town square.
Application
Saints Cyril and Methodius ask the reader to really look at people for who they are and not who you would have them be. It is a card the evokes deep empathy, though the empathy is not ineffective, it is one that primarily takes the other as the starting point of any action. In reverse, this card reminds the querent that sometimes one’s own point of view is worth relating as an example. It could also signify an inability to meet people where they are.
66. Saint Michael Arch. (Archangel of the Apocalypse)
Hagiography
Feast: September 29
Saint Michael the Archangel: Leader of the army of God during Lucifer’s uprising. Devotion is common to Muslims, Christians, and Jews, and there are writings about him in all three cultures. Considered the guardian angel of Israel, and the guardian and protector of the Church. In the Book of Daniel (12:1), Michael is described as rising up to defend the Church against the Anti-Christ.
Patronage
against danger at sea
against temptations
ambulance drivers
artists
bakers
bankers
barrel makers
battle
coopers
dying people
emergency medical technicians
fencers
grocers
haberdashers
hatmakers
hatters
holy death
knights
mariners
Milleners
paramedics
paratroopers
police officers
radiologists
radiotherapists
sailors
security guards
sick people
soldiers
storms at sea
Swordsmiths
Archetypology
Saint Michael Symbolizes the meta or cosmic struggle of good versus evil and the ultimate victory of good in that struggle. Saint Michael is the celestial counterpoint to Saint George in this deck fulfilling the heavenly and ultimate example of what Saint George performs one instance of.
Visual Symbology
The image on the card is the classic portrayal of Saint Michael casting Satan into hell. One sees Saint Michael clad in celestial armor, shield over his left arm and sword in his right hand. His wings are unfurled and he looks serenely down upon Satan who he is effortlessly trampling into a fiery pit. The card relays the victory of good over evil as it is already won and as it will be finalized in the end.
Application
When one meets Saint Michael the Archangel one is summoned to reflect that all things work to good for those who love Christ. Good will triumph, though we face battles and hardships along the way. It is a card displaying the ultimate victory of goodness over evil in the most wide ranging sense. In reverse, this card tends to focus one of the hardship or battle at hand as opposed to the ultimate victory.
67. Saint Nicholaus Ep. (4th-cent. Turkey)
Hagiography
Feast: December 6
Saint Nicholas of Myra: Priest. Abbot. Bishop of Myra, Lycia (modern Turkey). Generous to the poor, and special protector of the innocent and wronged. He is one of the council fathers of Nicea and reportedly “smote Arius upon the jaw”. Many stories grew up around him prior to his becoming associated with Santa Claus. Some examples
Upon hearing that a local man had fallen on such hard times that he was planning to sell his daughters into prostitution, Nicholas went by night to the house and threw three bags of gold in through the window, saving the girls from an evil life. These three bags, gold generously given in time of trouble, became the three golden balls that indicate a pawn broker’s shop.
He raised to life three young boys who had been murdered and pickled in a barrel of brine to hide the crime. These stories led to his patronage of children in general, and of barrel-makers besides.
Induced some thieves to return their plunder. This explains his protection against theft and robbery, and his patronage of them – he’s not helping them steal, but to repent and change. In the past, thieves have been known as Saint Nicholas’ clerks or Knights of Saint Nicholas.
During a voyage to the Holy Lands, a fierce storm blew up, threatening the ship. He prayed about it, and the storm calmed – hence the patronage of sailors and those like dock workers who work on the sea.
Patronage
against fire
against imprisonment
against robberies
against robbers
against storms at sea
against sterility
against thefts
altar servers
archers
boys
brides
captives
children
choir boys
happy marriages
lawsuits lost unjustly
lovers
maidens
penitent murderers
newlyweds
old maids
paupers
pilgrims
poor people
prisoners
scholars
schoolchildren
students
penitent thieves
Spinsters
travelers
unmarried girls
apothecaries
bakers
bankers
barrel makers
boatmen
boot blacks
brewers
butchers
button makers
candle makers
chair makers
cloth shearers
Coopers
dock workers
druggists
educators
farm workers
farmers
firefighters
fish mongers
fishermen
grain merchants
grocers
grooms
hoteliers
Innkeepers
judges
lace
merchants
lawyers
linen merchants
longshoremen
mariners
merchants
millers
notaries
parish clerks
pawnbrokers
perfumeries
perfumers
pharmacists
poets
ribbon weavers
sailors
ship owners
shoe shiners
soldiers
spice merchants
spinners
stone masons
tape weavers
teachers
toy makers
vintners
watermen
Weavers
Archetypology
Saint Nicholas’ feast day comes in the darkest time of the year before the light returns. He represents hope and salvation to the hopeless and weak. He also stands for any human's ability to stand in for Christ in this same way. He especially represents the desire to help and protect children. Though as “Santa Clause” that may be cute and comforting, the ancient stories are macabre and speak to the horrible abuse children face because of their vulnerability.
Visual Symbology
The image portrays Saint Nicholas resurrecting the three murdered children. He stands over a barrel looking upon the three newly living naked children blessing them with his right hand. In his left arm is tucked his crosier while in that hand he holds a book with three golden balls balanced on it, symbolizing his legacy and the miracle of saving the young girl from prostitution. He stands by a shore. Out in the rough sea, a boat is tossed reminding the observer of his miraculous calming of the sea, and to the left on the shore one sees a green landscape stretching off to tall towers. The entire image seems sculpted to remind the observer that Saint Nicholas is a powerful miracle worker who uses his ability to protect the littlest among us.
Application
To pull Saint Nicholas in a reading is to focus the querent on their ability to present the best of life to the weakest of people. The querent is asked how they can help or who in their life is available to help such people. In reverse Saint Nicholas indicates cruelty or neglect of children or the magic of childhood. It could also indicate a lack of charity in general or need for maturity.
68. Saint Paulus Ap. (1st-cent. Israel-Palestine)
Hagiography
Feast: 25 January 25 (celebration of his conversion) February 16 (Saint Paul Shipwrecked) June 29 (celebration of Saint Peter and Saint Paul as co-founders of the Church)
Saint Paul the Apostle: Jewish Talmudic student. Pharisee. Tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of Saint Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus, Syria, to arrest another group of faithful, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ. The experience had a profound spiritual effect on him, causing his conversion to Christianity. He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began traveling, preaching and teaching. His letters to the churches he helped found form a large percentage of the New Testament. Knew and worked with many of the earliest saints and fathers of the Church. Martyr.
Patronage
against hailstorms
against poisonous snakes
against snake bites
against snakes
lay people
authors
evangelists
hospital public relations
journalists
missionary bishops
Musicians
newspaper editorial staff
public relations personnel
public relations work
publishers
reporters
rope braiders
rope makers
saddle makers
saddlers
tent makers
Writers
Archetypology
Saint Paul is the original and archetypal evangelizer and acculturator. He represents the original instance of both Cyril and Methodius and Francis Xavier, but his acculturation sets the groundwork for Greco-Roman Christianity. What we see as commonplace Christianty is the result of Paul’s creative genius at adapting the gospel to the gentile world. Therefore he symbolizes the most creative applications, adaptations, expression etc. of spirituality as they become accepted as the standard.
Visual Symbology
In the image one sees Saint Paul standing on the shore having been shipwrecked. In the background, his ship has run aground. This signifies his urge to travel and his willingness to suffer to bring relief to a weary world. He stares at the observer blankly holding his right hand aloft in blessing. In his left hand, he holds the sword of evangelization and a book of tradition and learning. In the image, he is definitely “The Apostle” one who is sent.
Application
To find Saint Paul is to find the need to extend oneself in a passionate and effective way. The querent should be ready to practice empathy, skill at application of the spirit of the law, and an ability to read people’s needs and supply them. In reverse Saint Paul can indicate an unchecked arrogance or a passion for good that is poorly applied. One could also read oppositional Paul an underdeveloped macro-plan, but instead a person having to navigate many competing facets of a situation.
69. Saint Petrus Ap. (1st-cent. Israel-Palestine)
Hagiography
Feast: June 29 (celebration of Saint Peter and Saint Paul as co-founders of the Church) August 1 (Saint Peter in Chains)
Saint Peter the Apostle: Professional fisherman. Brother of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Apostle. Renamed “Peter”(rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Bishop. First Pope. Miracle worker.
Patronage
against feet problems
against fever
against foot problems
against frenzy
bakers
bridge builders
butchers
clock makers
cobblers
fishermen
harvesters
Locksmiths
longevity
masons
net makers
papacy
popes
ship builders
shipwrights
shoemakers
stonemasons
Universal Church
watch makers
Archetypology
Archetypally Saint Peter is a foundational patriarch. He is the progenitor of all bishops in the deck. And yet at the same time, his personality as an apostle is marked by constant misunderstandings and irrational haste. He is the leader who has a good heart and pulls through in the end, but one cannot rely on him as an intellectual or longitudinal strategist. His strength comes from his passionate love, which is at times counterbalanced by his fears and weakness.
Visual Symbology
The card displays Saint Peter standing next to a pillar, a symbol of foundational and institutional authority. The background fades into a wall and pillar reaching to the sky offering the same imposing sense of traditional steadfastness. At his feet are three sheep representing the three loves demanded of Saint Peter by the resurrected Lord, Eros: the love of desire and attraction, Philos: the love of friendship and comradery, and Agape: the love of self emptying sacrifice. The sheep represent this love and Christ's followers (the Christian community) who are Peter’s sheep. The pillar next to Peter is cut short at about waist high and his left hand rests upon it holding a key. This is the key to the kingdom of heaven, granted him by Christ. His right hand points to Heaven reminding the observer that even though he holds this key everything he unlocks is beyond himself and for greater purposes.
Application
To meet Saint Peter is to meet an unlikely but successful leader. The querent is asked to look past the normative qualifications and look to the heart. Never in the scriptures has God sought leaders for their personal skills, but always choose leaders whose weaknesses became their strengths. In reverse, Peter could represent a strong and able figure of authority in the “worldly” sense. Or the card could symbolize corruption or ineffectiveness in leadership; a leadership where one’s weaknesses got the better of them.
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