Shell

-24. Shell

The Shell embodies fear, caution, and withdrawal. Instead of a shell of serenity and protection, this turtle carries on its back a heavy burden, a shell filled with fear and dread. It is the young lover who puts the brakes on a relationship for fear of rejection. It is the entrepreneur who stalls a business deal because of insecurity. It is the shy, prospective employee who delays submitting paperwork because the job requires relocation to a new city. It is the deer in the headlights. When a turtle is flipped on its back it becomes immobile and risks death by suffocation. If the Shell card is visiting you today, assess your relationship with risk. Are your fears keeping you prisoner in your shell? Are you procrastinating on a decision because it feels risky? Do you suffer from analysis paralysis? Self-sabotage is tricky business. Get clear. He who risks nothing risks everything.

If this card was pulled with the intent to provide advice:

Halt! Proceed with caution or retreat to the cover of your shell. Perhaps the timing is just not right to take a risk. The fear you have been experiencing is for a reason. It’s time to put on the brakes. Play it safe.

Key descriptors:

Trepidation, immobility, shyness, modesty, fear, paralyzation, timidity, overly cautious, the armor we wear, avoidance behavior, defensive mechanisms, slow stagnation, the deer in the headlights.

Introspection:

• Am I hiding, frozen, or fearful of a situation in my life?

• Have I become overly cautious or timid towards a goal or outcome I want to achieve?

• Conversely, am I being asked to come to a complete stop, and be overly cautious, in a situation project, or relationship?

Advanced play:

Native Dimension: Base Need
Incompatible: -24 <> -11: Shell (immobilizing fear) / Torch (influence)