2020 has been a roaring wild ride of a year. The roars that started far away, on the other side of the planet, grew closer and closer until the Lion was roaring in my ear. The shadow of death that started in another world came closer until it was present in my own world. Amidst the growls and the darkness, I was given unparalleled opportunities of growth. Our cards today, Strength and The World, bring us a message about that.

This morning, I was reflecting on the chances for presence and inward journeying that this year has given. While acknowledging my privilege of having a home and income, this year I have been able to do things I have long wished I had done more of. I am finally catching up on my readings and deepening my meditation practice, which have served as a quiet center that I could return to.

These two cards in The Fountain have similarities in that they both show people atop round, globe-like things. Strength hugs the round lion’s head in a gentle grip of courage. The World shows someone proudly sitting atop the earth. Both cards point to a space of centered peace amidst ravenous fires and violent storms. At least in California, storms and fires have certainly been a theme as of late.

The Strength card, ruled by Leo, invites us into calm presence that comes from engaging with life through spiritual connection, from facing the roaring fires while aware of our divine lifeline. Can we be here for the challenges and pain without losing ourselves? Can we be present for our personal calamities while maintaining our awareness of ourselves as Source? When life becomes our meditation object, we are constantly returning to peace.

The World card, ruled by Saturn, likewise calls on us to sway with and dance with the events of this world, even as they come so close to us that they threaten to swallow us whole. Can we consent to the soulful maturity that these trying moments represent? Can we maintain our integrity of mind and spirit as our personal world is engulfed by flames?

The peace and the strength that we discover while in the eye of the storm—they are of the lasting kind. When you find them, you will take them with you through the end of your time.