An older woman wearing a high button-up shirt and long skirt stands on a ladder in front of a large shelf overflowing with books. The shelf extends as far as the eye can see; the librarian, precariously balanced, reaches for a particular volume on the shelf.

The Story

The Schoolgirl next seeks knowledge in a place more familiar and comfortable to her, the library. She meets the head librarian, a woman whose vast knowledge awes and impresses her. The Librarian seems to know the precise location of every book in her enormous library just from memory, and can speak with authority on a wide variety of subjects.

The Schoolgirl is a bit overwhelmed, and feels that with so much knowledge at her disposal, she doesn't quite know what to do. The Librarian tells her, "I know where you can find whatever information you want, but it is up to you to decide what you need. Remember, information without organization is nothing but trivia, and knowledge without direction is nothing but wasted potential."

The Meaning

The Librarian represents information, in its most raw and basic form. Her function is to act as a gatekeeper; the information archived all around her is her domain, and she is both the guide to that knowledge and the person who decides what knowledge will most benefit the people who come to her.

In a reading, the Librarian often indicates a time of learning new facts or intellectual skills. If the Librarian represents a person in the Querant's life, it is usually someone with access to secret, arcane, or specialized knowlege, someone who has skills and abilities the Querant can benefit from absorbing. However, there is a warning attached to this card as well; information by itself does not solve problems! The Querant must learn the discipline to understand what information is relevant, the ability to synthesize understanding from raw facts, and the skills to use that information effectively.