I pulled this card from the African American Tarot Deck and found something very interesting. I have looked at this card many times, but this time, the message hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt the need to share in hopes that it can help someone.
CARD: 5of Swords (Hunter, leopard, and the lion.
Meaning: Defeat, loss of privileges, exile, dishonor
Here, the 5 of Swords says you have experienced betrayal, but the ancestors (the lion) saw it all. I just heard, "We needed you to draw them out so we can see who they are." So, enduring the betrayal was necessary to reveal those who intend to/have been doing harm behind your back, so the ancestors know how to move.
The lion is naturally an ambush predator, so it observes their prey from the brush, in plain sight, while the prey is unaware of the danger that stalks them. The leopard is generally exalted above others in the trees, but must come down from time to time to hunt. Once they retrieve their prey, they take it with them back to the trees, out of everyone's reach. Here, the leopard was slain by the hunter, impaled in the back (stabbed in the back at least 3 times). The hunter, proud of himself for slaying the leopard, has no idea that there is a lion in the brush behind him, and that he saw the whole event unfold. The hunter is exposed and is unaware that he is now on the lion's radar, and that he likely won't get the opportunity to enjoy his victory over the leopard for much longer. He thinks he won, but he has in fact lost.
The leopard represents the chosen one, while the hunter represents those seeking to parade around in the leopard skin. The pretender, as if he now has the leopard's power and grace. Perhaps attempting to steal the leopard's identity by wearing its skin. And the lion represents the ancestors and the universe seeking to bring justice on behalf of the chosen one; they just needed to know who they were.
Perhaps to go a bit deeper, this represents someone hiding or masquerading in the leopard's skin, and now they have finally been revealed to the ancestors. It's time for retribution. Perhaps the leopard inadvertently cloaked their enemies themselves with their love and protection, preventing them from receiving their karma. There are so many more elements to this, but I'll leave it here.
I hope this helps someone. Please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Thank you, and ASE 🙏🏾 https://simplymelanated.com
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