Laika

Interpretation & Meaning

Moscow in 1957 felt like its own galaxy. Every neighborhood a constellation of buildings, cars lighting up the night like shooting stars as the first snow paints a milky way of sorts.

From garbage can to children’s laps to chasing a rat, Moscow was all Laika knew. In her world, celestial bodies were nowhere to be smelled and the cold weather seemed more threatening than the cold war.

On her way to the mesosphere, just above the birds and the planes, the petite Russian dog felt a very specific kind of loneliness.

Unlike the time when her pal was taken away, this wasn’t like something had gotten out of her reach. This time, she was the thing that had gone missing and nobody in that distant tangle of lights seemed to care.

When this card shows up in a reading, you’ll have to cling to every rock or jut to stop drifting away from your life.

If in the past months you’ve metaphorically lived on your own island, it’s time to build a bridge to the mainland and cross it. The kind of disconnect that you’re experiencing is leading to a dangerous state of alienation that could damage your mental health.

No matter how necessary, the exile (or self-exile?) in which you’ve found yourself needs to end sooner rather than later. It’s time to talk to your neighbors, rekindle your bonds, reconnect to humanity.

If the sense of abandonment you’re experiencing is a recurrent feeling in your life, it’s time to ask yourself some questions. Are you avoiding emotional connection for fear of being hurt? Are you pushing away people as a defense mechanism? Are you subconsciously falling in love with partners who are ungiving and unavailable to recreate a particular childhood dynamic?

Loneliness is a monster that feeds on its own flesh and can drag you to places of pitch black darkness. Only by acknowledging these disconnects and resolving to work on yourself you’ll be able to find your way back to the light.

Even though it’s mostly about social and romantic disconnects, Laika is also the card of denial and avoidance. You might be subconsciously running away from a person or situation that is causing distress. No matter how stressful, though, it’s important to look life in the eyes and fully acknowledge what’s going on: if you keep orbiting around your problems, your oxygen supply will eventually run out.

Keywords: seclusion • loneliness • exile • disconnect • avoidance • denial • social anxiety • need to connect • alienation • lock down • quarantine • isolation • abandonment • detachment

Practical References

Places	Lighthouse, Zoo, Space, Islands
Work	Lighthouse Keeper and any job with a lot of alone time
Situations & Life Events	Lock down, Quarantine, Isolation, Exile, Long Distance Relationships
Activities	All activities that include some form of seclusion
Archetypes	The Loner, The Recluse, The Lone Wolf

Interpretation within the Game of Cracks

The Soil

In the Soil position, this card suggests a situation or environment where the consultant is somewhat isolated or disconnected, whether physically or emotionally.

The Knot

As the Knot, this card symbolizes the tension between individualism and disconnection. In order to advance in your journey, you need to realize that you're drifting away from something and start reconnecting with whatever it is that you're trying to avoid (loved ones, reality, your dreams, etc.)

The Eye

When this card shows up as the Eye, it can represent a solitary type, a person who works best alone and values very much their solitude and independence. It could also hint at someone who is physically distant and connecting to others from far away (eg. a long distant lover)

The Fall

As the Fall, this card warns you against all behaviors and reactions that entail some sort of disconnection, whether that's physical isolation, emotional detachment or a state of denial towards your problems

The Hook

When this card appears as the Hook, it signals that distancing yourself from a present situation might be the best course of action. It might hint at big steps (breaking up, resigning from your job, getting a divorce) or simply suggesting to put some space between yourself and the problem in order to get clarity.

The Fruit

In the Fruit position, this card suggests an outcome that manifests itself through some kind of disconnect between the consultant and a part of their world. It could be a lonely turn of events but also something healthy and needed.

Homework & Practice

In order to embody the teachings this card, you can:

Reconnect with someone you haven’t spoken with in a long time
Journal every day and become more aware of the situations and people you are actively (but subconsciously) avoiding. Once you bring your avoidance tendencies into your consciousness, you can start defusing them slowly and methodically.
Make a list of the topics you don’t like to discuss with other people and, for each of them, try to reflect on the reason why. As you dissect each reason, you’ll certainly stumble into personal disconnects that are worth exploring and maybe reconsider.

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