The cross is one of the most simple, yet powerful symbols there is in this world. Symbolized as just a plus sign, sideways x, or high letter T, it’s a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, that are perpendicular to each other. The cross is most often representative of Christianity. Jesus Christ carried the cross, suffered on the cross, and died on the cross, and for many the symbol of the cross is often related to that story. The cross can symbolize religion in general, it can symbolize a difficult time, like what Jesus had to go through in the story. It can symbolize making a terrible or hard decision, a sacrifice for others. It can simply symbolize suffering, sadness, pain, despair, regret, guilt. It can symbolize pain. Have you ever heard of the phrase “cross to bear?” A cross can symbolize a great burden, and something you do not want to deal with— but something that has been forced upon you
As a reading, that’s exactly what the cross card indicates— not necessarily that you will go through a death by execution but that you will face a sudden and heavy burden that is something you have to go through in this lifetime. It is not fair that the cards have been dealt to you but they are so you must prepare for them. Location wise, a cross can symbolize a church, holy place, sacred space, or altar, but it could also be symbolizing a crossroads or place where a decision must be made. It may also be the location for this large decision or action on your part. The timing of this is immediate. You will not get much warning, when this thing happens you will have to deal with it right away and you can not pawn it off to anyone else. It is your trial and tribulation, but you will feel much stronger for coming out of it on the other end. As it relates to color, the cross can be either represent black or white. There is no gray area when it comes to your quest for doing the right thing and being a good person. As it relates to health, the cross can be symbolic of the lower back or any of the parts of you that might hurt if you were carrying a literal burden or heavy cross to bear. A cross may also be indicative that something is going to happen regarding a volunteer, chaplain, paramedic, doctor, priest, or clergyman The cross will make you think about your life purpose.
In popular culture a cross is often worn by people who are faithful to their religion, or people who associate with Catholicism or Christianity. They may wear the crucifix, with Jesus affixed to the cross, or just a plain cross with nothing or no one attached to it. Crosses are very popular recently and have been put on everything from t-shirts to rings to socks. The word cross was first recorded in 10th century Old-English as “cros” and was used as a reference to Christ’s crucifixion. It was thought to have originated from the Latin word for crux, which was a gibbet where criminals were executed. This is also where the word excruciate comes from, as in “you are in excruciating pain.” Cross symbols have been drawn as early as prehistoric times, due to the simplicity of the design. There is speculation that the points of the cross represent the four elements (earth, wind, water, fire). In Egyptian, the cross is presented as an Ankh (it’s curved on top), which represents life. The sun cross was used in early European cultures, representing the spoked wheel of the Sun chariot, and even the Swastika originally had somewhat of a cross shape, because it was borrowed from the Buddhism sign for prosperity.
An anchor is a large and heavy piece of metal, in an “anchor” shape — see the picture if you’re not familiar with the shape. It’s a very specific cross like shape, with the open bottom of an ‘o” shape underneath it, and often something at the top in a circular shape for which to tie a heavy rope through. An anchor, if you aren’t familiar with it, is what stops a boat and prevents it from moving around or drifting freely on open water. When the Navigator and Captain of the ship get to their destination, if a dock is not available, they throw an anchor overboard into the water. It’s weight combined with it’s speed of water entry sinks the anchor into the mud below the water, and the ship is prevented from blowing off course. To some, the anchor can symbolize being trapped— that the boat can no longer move freely, and that it is quite literally stuck in one place, but really, the anchor is symbolic of a stable and sturdy path, that you will not blow off of unless something truly sensational happens (like a large storm, perhaps).
As a card reading, the anchor symbolizes a good base or home— that you are locked into the correct job or career path, or that you are stable in your financial or love life. You have picked your path and chosen it wisely and you will not be deterred from this path for any reason, barring really serious or unexpected changes or events. You should really dedicate yourself to this plan, invest money in it if you haven’t already, perhaps buy an engagement ring for your girlfriend, do whatever you can to make sure that you stay on this course and that it becomes permanent. The anchor symbolizes security and setting down. Perhaps you are starting a family, maybe you’re buying a new home. Maybe you have finally moved across the country— whatever it is, this change is permanent, and you have set your anchor down and will be here for awhile, you might as well do whatever you can do to make it the best situation possible. The anchor can refer to health stability, and also the parts of the body that need to be and keep us the most stable, like our feet, pelvis, and core. It can also symbolize your dental hygiene, as the early Greek word for anchor was “teeth”. It can also refer to or represent the colors of dark blue and navy blue.
In popular culture, anchors are often used in motivational art and home decor. Anchors are synonymous with coast living and beach life, and often used to decorate homes in places like Cape Cod or Nantucket. What’s ironic (or perhaps not) is that these are often wealthy and affluent families with wealth going back for generations of family members and many years, so these people are well anchored in more ways than one. The anchor is also the symbol of sorority Delta Gamma who adopted it in 1877, as a symbol for “hope” - their sorority is built on the basis of “doing good” in the community and to one another (and also in your own life). Historically, anchors date back to the bronze age and were first used often by the Greeks, who are well known for being exceptional ship captains. In our communities and neighborhoods, the people who give us our daily news and report happenings to everyone are called “anchorman” . In competitions, the last person in a relay race is called the “anchor leg”, because of their ability to bring success and their tried and true performances, time in and time out. Because anchors are so popular in decoration and leisure, anchor is also the name of a company that produces tableware, and a brewery
Because the Cross can refer to a burden or the decision to take on a new responsibility, and the Anchor can refer to security or settling down, these two cards together could mean that even with the sense of stability can come a feeling of burden or stress. This can refer to temporary financial stress or a temporary strain on what is otherwise a safe base or home
The Cross is represented by the number 36, and the Anchor is represented by the number 35. When we combine them we get the number 71. Since 71 is not a single digit we then add 7 + 1 to get the number 8.
People with the lucky number 8 have strong intuition and insight, and they have the keen ability to explore things uncovered or undiscovered, like undiscovered talents or abilities that may be lying within. The number eight is seen as super lucky by many cultures, the Chinese culture being one in particular. The Chinese will go out of their way to include number 8’s in their name numerology, home and business addresses, telephone numbers, and web addresses. Some addresses including the number 8 are so sought after that millions of dollars are paid just to get the maximum number of 8’s possible. Part of this is because the number 8 is pronounced Ba, and is very close to the word Fa, for wealth and fortune. As an example of the Chinese’s amazing devotion to the number 8 — the Olympic games hosted in Beijing commenced at exactly 8 o’clock and 8 minutes on the 8th day of the 8th month in 2008. Do you know your lucky numbers?
This card reading combined with the number 8 tells you that you are doing things right and should continue on that path even though stress moves in and out of the situation. Keep in mind that these burdens or stresses are only temporary and that you should maintain a positive outlook on your current situation so that you can overcome obstacles more easily. While taking a break and finding some time to relax and regroup is important for your mental and physical health, right now is not the time to put things aside. You should power through the burden so that it will quickly resolve back to stability and security.
“I will be strong these next few weeks and be ready to deal with any burdens that come my way with courage and patience. I know that stress is a temporary condition and I will not let it get in the way of my goals. I know that I am a confident and positive person who can power through and obstacles put in my path.” Repeat 2 or 3 times daily this week.