In the card The Universe,we see the serpent opened to all creation allowing us to transcend the illusion of life as something we own and must control. Instead,we discover ourselves connected to existence through joy and amazement. Norse and Germanic myths described the world as bounded by a serpent biting its own tail. According to these stories,the world would end when this Midgard Serpent uncoiled itself. In a sense,this is true,for when we encounter the experiences symbolized in the card of The Universe,the limited world of our previous existence does indeed end,allowing us to open up to know and endless possibilities. Hermann Haindl has described this tail-in-the-mouth snake story as a metaphor for hanging onto our old beliefs. People trapped in closed lives,believing ho change is possible,repeat the same patterns,and experience the same pain and frustration many times over. the card of the Universe offers an opportunity to let go of the need to hang on to the past. We can take our own tails out of our mouths and open ourselves to life. Once again we see the image of going down,of becoming humble. Instead of the top half of the earth,we see the bottom. Instead of the dragon rearing upward,we see one coiling down. For Hermann Haindl,who sat and watched a tiny birch tree growing just beyond the fence of his prisoner of war camp,freedom means simplicity. Joy comes from complete trust in nature.