Las Vegas – What’s Hidden In the Name?
Sharon Jeffers

I’ve always been curious about the history of places and how they were named. It’s become even more fascinating over the past two decades while exploring the playing card deck and its ancient roots. It’s a little known fact that the original purpose of the playing card deck was as a calendar, and that the deck of cards is actually a book of ancient mysteries.

The Cards and The Calendar
Something to consider; there are 52 weeks in a year and 52 cards in the deck; there are 4 seasons and 4 suits; there are 13 weeks in each of the seasons, and 13 cards (ace-king) in each suit. There are also 13 lunar cycles in a calendar year. There are 12 months in the year, and 12 court cards (jacks, queens, and kings) in the deck. When added together by their individual values, the sum total of the card deck is 364. Add the Joker with the value of “1” and the total is 365, the number of days in the calendar year. The card deck has its own brand of numerology that assigns a value to each card in the deck. Using this system is how I uncovered the mystical secrets regarding the history and unfolding of Las Vegas and its name.

The Origin of Las Vegas’ Name
In the 1800s, extensive regions throughout the Las Vegas valley gave way to fresh artesian wells. These streams not only fed the Las Vegas Wash, they produced lush green foliage that graced the desert floor from the Las Vegas Valley to the Colorado River. History says that Mexican merchant Antonio Armijo and his caravan of men discovered the Las Vegas valley in 1829 when traveling through the area on their way from New Mexico to Los Angeles to establish new business. They followed the tributary along the Old Spanish Trail, from the Colorado River to the valley, making use of the waters along the way. It was on that trip that they named the region Las Vegas, which is Spanish for The Meadows. Imagine how beautiful it must have been.

The name Las Vegas has other meanings as well, such as the ones that are uncovered by this mystic science of the cards. The cards reveal a great deal about the influences at work behind the scenes of this city by way of its name and two very important dates from the past. The name Las Vegas, when calculated in the card system is the Three of Spades. This is that influence of; “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. The Three of Spades is the card of the artist and represents brilliance in business, with a special talent for bringing art, beauty, and fantasy together, often resulting in lucrative business ventures. At least that’s one of the higher aspects of the influence.

A look through the veil of what might be hidden with this card shows us that the influence of the Three of Spades is one that can be filled with fantasy and illusion, deception, addiction, hidden information, and that which is unusual, unexpected, and unpredictable. The Three of Spades is inventive, and its innate gift to be clever can be extremely efficient at hiding things. I would venture to think that there have been many unsolved mysteries, deaths, and missing persons throughout the history of Las Vegas. And of course, this is where many people go to secretly express their alter egos. This card rules sensuality and illusion at its very best and at its very worst. On the highest side of things, the influence of the Three of Spades embodies tremendous power for entrepreneurial endeavors, and the establishment of resources for good fortune and secured finances – especially having to do with illusion. Just as the magician pulls a rabbit out of his hat or a dove from his sleeve, the extreme inventive intelligence of this card can bring forth something from nothing, time and time again.

The Spade suit represents discipline, spirituality, and wisdom, and the three evokes the creative expression of those energies. The natural evolution of this card’s life path leads to higher consciousness and self-awareness. Its destiny is to bring higher values into form and function, and evoke change and self-awareness through the wisdom and expression of the higher mind. True good fortune will come from that which is hidden and mystical once it has been revealed, so all endeavors spiritual are actually seeds that are being called forth from the essence of this cards soul placement.


Important Days in Las Vegas History
Las Vegas was founded as a city on May 15, 1905. In conjunction with the yearly calendar, May 15 is a Four of Diamonds / Eight of Hearts day. How does this influence the city? The Four of Diamonds represents stability related to financial gain, and security with business ventures - most particularly those having to do with fantasy or illusion. The secondary card, the Eight of Hearts is known as the playboy/playgirl card. Need I say more?

On July 1, 1909, the new county was named after William Clark, who was responsible for bringing the railroad to southern Nevada. Las Vegas became the county seat. July 1 is the Ace of Spades / Two of Hearts day. The Ace of Spades is the card of the magician. The Two of Hearts is a powerful card of unity in love, and business partnerships. The Ace of Spades is a power to be reckoned with – this is a force of will and determination, and magic and mystical power. It is the card that represents the card decks mystic science.

On March 16, 1911, Las Vegas was incorporated. This day in the cards and the calendar is the Seven of Diamonds; the Millionaires Card, and the King of Diamonds; the card of manifestation and mastery over money and the successful businessman. These are influences that are determined to succeed, and often establish kingdoms of success.

There is much, much more to all of this, and the hidden influences that govern the unfolding destiny of Las Vegas. Ultimately, all of these influences have exalted expressions for higher awareness. The Three of Spades is a card of deep spirituality, and the Four of Diamonds established sound values. The Eight of Hearts is the card that represents the power of love, and the Ace of Spades is the card of spiritual transformation. The Seven of Diamonds unites spiritual and material values, and the King of Diamonds is ultimately the master of higher values.

There are many secrets and mysteries hidden in our deck of fifty-two playing cards, about each of us personally, and the places in our world. The discovery and unveiling of the card deck is intriguing, enlightening, and a lot of fun to discover that it’s all in the cards! ◆

I get emails almost daily, from people thanking me for the card of the day mailings. Those who write me use the daily information as a guide for their day and their self-awareness. I too use the cards in this way, when each morning I think about what I wrote the night before when I posted it on the site and sent it out through cyberspace.

Today, being a King of Clubs day, much writing has been happening for me. I have other opportunities here in NYC where I am visiting, however I wanted to use this powerful energy to focus my intention, as I suggested in the piece I wrote for the day.

For me, seeing these influences actually set me free from them. It empowers me to dance on top of the energy rather than be captured by it. And, that is what I see with this entire system. Each and every card, whether it be part of our life path, or a card that is visiting for a determined period of time (day, 52 days, three months) holds a value unlike any other, and carries greatness and wisdom. There are no "bad" cards. There are false interpretations of the cards that lead one to think in such ways, however, they are just that - false.

Each number, each suit, and every combination of the two are universes unto themselves, and they are stepping stones, teachers, and guides for us to discover our personal path of self-mastery. The vibrations of the cards hold wisdoms for us to discover - always.

I encourage my students to tune in to and feel the energies that the influences are sharing when they are present, as they are here to enlighten and empower us. They support our learning and self-awakening, and they have only wisdom to share.

When influences show up suggesting we let go of, or give up something, it is for the furthering of our self-awareness and our true greatness to shine through. Whatever we are being asked to release, is likely to be consuming valuable space.

I believe that it is true that everything is in the cards, because I see it with my own eyes all the time. It's interesting to observe life as it's already written, knowing that it is a choice each moment how I interact with what is being presented to me, and that I either make things easy for myself or not depending on my choices in the moment. And that in the long run and the reality of the greater picture of life, perhaps the best seat in the house is the one from which I observe what's actually going on, rather than making up stories about what I think is happening.

Life is so full of itself - in all ways. We are life. When I was living on Kauai, I would wake up each morning to the sound of what seemed like a million doves and a few thousand magpies, and of course at least one rooster. It was like they were having a party at the crack of dawn. I was always blown away at how so much LIFE could exist in one small space, which was just outside my window. Living in Hollywood, and now being in NY at the moment, the sounds of humans and nature swirl and mix together. I'm not sure who's busier, but the bottom line is that the fullness of it all is quite spectacular, and when I embrace it, it fills me with enthusiasm and wonder.

I feel the same way when I look at the cards. I see life bursting back at me, full with itself and it's knowing. Sometimes I wonder how much I can really see. I think perhaps just a tidbit of it all, and that's what keeps me going - the mystery. How grand is it that we have this mystery that wants to unveil it's secrets to us so that we can be free?

I can remember as a child looking at the sky, so sure was I that it was a giant window shade, and that someone was going to flick it and it would roll up really fast and I would see what was really going on. I was driven by the desire to know what is going on here. So curious about life. Some things never change.

Who are they that defined this system so perfectly that it reveals how we move through time and who we are relative to it, and to each other, and how seeing beyond it through our understanding of it is what sets us free? It's a mystery unto itself, and I hope that it never ends, because I find that the joy is in the exploration and discovery. The joy is in the excitement of not really knowing, while unwrapping the unknown - finding little golden nuggets along the way that make my curiosity stronger, my appreciation greater, and my adventures of self-expression more and more surprising - which I think might be the icing on the cake. As Bob Dylan once said, "All I can do is be me, whoever that is."

If you're just coming here for the first time; Welcome!
Please browse around, and feel free to ask questions regarding the cards.
I will be posting some new information on the blog soon.
Thank you.
Sharon Jeffers

1/24/08

My condolences to Heath's family and friends. It is such a huge loss that he is gone from their lives.

The event of his death seemed so strange that I had to look at his cards to see what was going on.

A brief note for those of you who are not familiar with this system of divination: know that the card deck was originally used as a calendar. You can read about that on my site. So, when I look at someone's cards, I'm not laying out cards like a fortune teller, I'm looking at mathematically structured plates of time that are composed of the cards and planetary influences relative to cycles of time of a person's life.

The first thing I noticed looking at Heath's cards, after seeing that the Nine of Spades in every different cycle of his cards for age 28, is that he also had strong influences throughout his different cycles of the Jack of Spades. The Nine of Spades is known as the death card. Often seen by gypsy readers as an unexpected death.

The Jack of Spades can represent deception. I think that perhaps what might have happened is that a doctor unintentionally gave him a deadly cocktail by mixing too many medications together. I feel strongly that this is what happened with him. When that card (Jack of Spades) shows up repeatedly in a situation like this, it is undeniable that there was foul play of some sort. This card shows up for both a doctor and medicine. I'm not saying there was intentional foul play. However, there may have been serious negligence.

Spades rule medicine. So, without pointing fingers, looking at the cards I would assume that the deception was in the mix of the medications. With so many death cards (6 - Nine of Spades and 2 - Ace of Spades) in his charts, it wasn't the easiest time for him physically, mentally, or emotionally, so he was likely to have been seeking healing support from the healing/medical world. That combined with stress, which is a given with the challenging cards that he had, is a recipe for disaster.

I don't know if things could have been different. I believe that we have a certain number of breaths when we come into this life, and that the timing of life itself is exact. I believe this because I see it in the cards, time and time again. Seeing that Jack of Hearts as well throughout Heath's cards told me that his death was a sacrifice. This is the Christ card. That card showed up on 9/11 as well. With the Ace of Spades. Transformation through death and sacrifice. I am not trying to figure this out, or justify it. I think it's tragic that he died so young, and without being able to say 'goodbye'. I do know that Death is a powerful teacher, and that each of us has something to learn from everything that happens to any one of us.

Heath also had cards that reveal a new relationship that comes from this transition; one where he reunites with his own soul, in peace and harmony. And, there are cards that indicate that, not only was this part of his destiny, it was meant to have a profound impact on a multitude of people. The Six of Spades as an outcome card suggests that it was fated.

We have such a limited perspective of life. I feel when someone dies, a doorway opens for a brief moment, and if we are close, and open, we can see through to the other side of life.

Dear Heath, may your journey be a peaceful one, and may your family receive the perfect support as they go through this tragic time of loss.

If you listened to my radio show today (12/20/07), you heard my guest, Audrey Philpot and I speaking about the 2008 presidential candidates. Personally, I haven't given a lot of attention to what's going on in the race to the primaries, simply because I haven't had the time. However, after looking at the life paths and present influences of many of them in the cards today, I decided to look a little more closely.

I'm going to begin my posting what I see in their cards, following up with some of what I saw and said today, and I will add information as it relates.

When I looked at Rudy Giuliani's birthday and yearly spread this morning, the first thing that I saw was the possibility of unexpected illness or health challenges showing up between now and his next birthday, which is in May, '08. Shortly after noting that I was looking at a news site and noticed that he'd just been released (today) from the hospital. According to the cards he has, that might not be the last of it. He's got some challenging health cards that suggest his health changing in a challenging way, which then creates obstacles in his work, which I would see as his campaigning.

In general, as a politician, this might be someone who is very strong willed, short sighted, and has a hard time taking the advice of others. He's a strong leader, however, his agenda would always be "the way" things would be. Deception is a part of the lower characteristics of this life path as well. Someone born on this birthday is extremely intelligent, and has the ability to think quickly to solve problems and create solutions that lead to something greater. The question is always about integrity.

Now, if you share this birthday, the thing that you have to remember, with this card and all the cards I speak of, is that when you are in a political environment with a given power, the stakes rise relative to the choices make regarding integrity. Each and every card in the the deck, and life path that accompanies it has the potential to be a devil or a saint. it's always a moment by moment choice that we make.

When someone is in politics, it's a game that has its own rules. These rules of play can bring out undesirable responses in anyone if they are not careful, and more importantly, not consciously aware. That being said, and this is of course, my humble opinion :), let's move on.

By the way, I have not made up my mind yet who I am supporting in this race. That's one of the reasons that I wanted to look at their cards.

Let's look at Barack Obama now. He has the same birth card as George W. Bush. If you watch their mannerisms you might detect the similarities that show up in their personal expressions of who they are. They are friendly and personable, they smile a lot, they are comfortable in crowds, and enjoy the attention - personally.

The Nine of Diamonds is known as the Universal Giver. This is a card that likes to connect with others, and network people together to share their strengths - for good or otherwise, as we have seen. Other people's money is good to spend, and when this card shows up in general, spending is out of control and there is more money going out than coming in - which we have see. It is not a card of leadership. It is a card of networking. Again, when I am thinking about these life paths I am delineating here, I'm putting them in the political realm, which is different from the rest of us in our every day lives. At least to a certain extent.

The shortcoming of the Nine of Diamond's is that they can be blindly over taken with a false sense of entitlement. Which we have seen. It's easy, in the political realm, to ride high on personality and charm, the gift of gab, and the ability to evade that which is relevant.

Mike Huckabee. Remember, I know almost nothing about all of these people. However, when I did this man's cards, I felt a lot of heart energy present. Even though, in the cards he is a double Club, I got the feeling that his intelligence is definitely connected to his heart. He is a Two of Clubs. They are magicians. They don't always know it, however, they can walk into any situation, knowing nothing, survey it with their acutely fast minds, and step into position as if they have always been there. They may not know what they're doing, however, everyone will think they do, and eventually, they will too. In this case, Mr. Huckabee has the King of Clubs backing him up as his Planetary Ruling Card, and the King of Clubs definitely knows what he's doing. This is a card of leadership.

Speaking of which, Mrs. Clinton has the King of Clubs in the same position. Her birth card is the Nine of Hearts, the card of Universal Love and Compassion. So, she comes with the Heart energy, however, people have a hard time seeing it because of that King standing in the background. This is someone who truly cares, and shows her care through hard work, determination, and getting the job done. She's not going to bake you cookies, but she will make sure that you have what you need to bake them yourself.

Because she is the only female candidate, I'm going to give here a little extra. It's interesting to note that two of the front runners on the democratic side are born under "9" cards, and the other is a "7" (Edwards). Nines and Sevens are always found together; in families, in relationships, in business. It's very interesting. Mrs. Clinton certainly has the most experience for being a president, and I have to say, I think it would be cool if we had a woman in the White House.

I am a King, and I know how people can misinterpret my energy as a woman. Hilary is always being tested as a 9H, to be in integrity with her highest values.

Speaking of this, I believe that Mr. McCain is going through something similar. Or has been since his birthday in August. It seems he is going through some sort of inner or spiritual initiation. He must avoid being "all things to all people", as with this approach he will fall flat on his face. He is the Ten of Hearts birthday, and this card embodies the wisdom of love and idealism in leadership. He is meant to lead the way from there, with clarity and intention that is all his own. If he sells out, boom! On his face.
It appears that he may have made that wrong choice, and now has the opportunity to rise from the ashes like a phoenix. We shall see what he chooses.

John Edwards is a Seven of Diamonds. He is Hillary's Spirit card and she is his Soul card. They could actually change the country together. She would be the strong tall walls that could hold and channel his deep feeling heart. This man is all about values, and every word that comes out of his mouth about caring for others is honest and true and he feels that in every cell of his being. People are what's important. Caring is what matters. Doing something to make a difference in people's life is a cause worth sacrificing for. His entire life is founded on values. The Seven of Diamonds bring spiritual and material values together as one; spirit and matter, heaven and earth, mind and heart. This is who John Edwards is in the cards. He just has to guard against giving too much.

Okay, that's it for now. I welcome conversations about this, so feel free to post . Please keep in mind that I am not condemning anyone or supporting them here, I am simple sharing what I see in the cards; a brief snippet. I welcome responses, conversations, and insights that are shared from the same place.