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Six of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s Keywords: victory, rising up
Carrie’s Keywords: pride, acclaim
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Six of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
A green and blue butterfly floats in a clear sky. This butterfly appears tranquil and free, but the dark heap of wands at the bottom of the card show she has earned this experience by going through the thick of life. The Six of Wands can indeed indicate a sense of pride in who you are and what you stand for. At this moment, our butterfly is on the up and up, flying without inhibition. The colors convey intuition and inner calm.
The six wands below throw back to the discord and hassles of the previous card. They look like a chaotic trap, a sticky situation that our butterfly was able to rise above (both literally and metaphorically). The wands below descend into the dark, while the butterfly ascends to the light.
The Six of Wands shows times of triumph, both internally and externally. There are times when others do recognize your triumphs, when the outer world supports your actions. But perhaps the times of internal triumph are even more crucial – the times when you do what must be done not in order to receive external acclaim, but because YOU really believe in your path.
Six of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
The sixes in tarot are generally about finding a new sense of harmony after the disruption of the fives. As the suit of wands is association with momentum and instinct, the Six of Wands can show a return to, or reaffirmation of, self-confidence.
The Waite-Smith tarot version shows a person riding a horse, villagers around him holding up wands victoriously, as though congratulating his return from an important battle. The Spacious Tarot is inspired by this imagery, showing wands holding up a laurel wreath (symbol of victory). There are times when this card indicates that you have the support of the “village.” No hero really acts alone, and sometimes this card is a reminder to tap into the motivation that comes from the right people in your life.
That said, on a deeper level this card is about tapping into an internal sense of self-approval. This is important because no triumphs will fuel you for the long run if they are only performed for external acclaim. The Six of Wands invites you to connect with the part of you that makes no apologies for who you are. Go forward and be the bad ass that you truly are.
In a reading
Sometimes this card is a reminder to look for evidence of how amazing you really are. You may already be feeling it, and if so, let that momentum carry you forward! But if you’ve been lacking confidence or unsure of yourself, it is important to confirm to yourself that you really are doing just fine.
This card encourages you to follow the butterfly’s example and tap into your strength of spirit when you are faced with adversity. Do not wait for external approval or permission to soar. Let yourself soar simply because it is a reflection of your true nature.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
A Writer Who Doesn’t Write :: Dear Tarot Tuesday
Welcome to Dear Tarot Tuesday! In this video series, I answer questions from viewers, advice-column style. But this isn’t your momma’s advice column – my answers will be enhanced with tarot cards. If you’d like to submit a question of your own, shoot me an email: carrie (at) happyfishtarot.com.
It’s DEAR TAROT TUESDAY!
You know what I like about this series? I receive the most thoughtful, deep, genuine emails – and I can really relate to them. I know what it is like to be a writer who doesn’t write.
Here is the letter for today’s episode:
“I am a writer who doesn’t write. I love to write, but I was suffering from a major depression, anxiety and light drug/alcohol abuse. I still struggle with depression and anxiety from time to time, but I don’t do any drugs or alcohol at all. I have previously worked as a ghostwriter but it didn’t work out in the end. I would love to do something heartfelt and real. I am thinking of starting an anonymous blog on the sensitive topics of mental health and spirituality. I work in a field where spirituality is frowned upon, also I am super scared of bearing my inner soul to the internet and not being able to hide behind anonymity. The other option is to take further education in my field of work and keep writing as a hobby, I just don’t know if I could keep it up and improve my writing. Any advice?”
There are a LOT of different angles to this situation – especially for a video less than ten minutes long. I pulled four tarot cards to offer advice and guidance. I hope that this can provide some useful food for thought to this seeker, and to anyone else who can relate to this letter.
If you have a question of your own to submit for Dear Tarot Tuesday, reach out to me: [email protected].
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The Wild Unknown :: Tarot Card Meanings
I have blogged through the entire Wild Unknown Tarot deck card-by-card! Below, you will find a master list of all posts in this series. I hope this will provide insight as you forge your own bond with this gorgeous, magical pack of cards!
In these posts, you will find detailed interpretations of the images and tarot card meanings. As the deck’s box states, there are no rights or wrongs – these are simply my personal interpretations. I’m not affiliated with the Wild Unknown, this series is a purely unofficial labor of love.
If you have additional thoughts on the card meanings and images, please do leave a comment!
The decks I co-created, the Spacious Tarot + Expansion Pack, are available now at thespacioustarot.com
The Wild Unknown Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings
The Fool • The Magician • The High Priestess • The Empress • The Emperor • The Hierophant • The Lovers • The Chariot • Justice • The Hermit • Wheel of Fortune • Strength • The Hanged Man • Death • Temperance • The Devil • The Tower • The Star • The Moon • The Sun • Judgement • The World
The Wild Unknown Minor Arcana Tarot Card Meanings
Suit of Wands
Ace of Wands • Two of Wands • Three of Wands • Four of Wands • Five of Wands • Six of Wands • Seven of Wands • Eight of Wands • Nine of Wands • Ten of Wands • Daughter of Wands • Son of Wands • Mother of Wands • Father of Wands
Suit of Cups
Ace of Cups • Two of Cups • Three of Cups • Four of Cups • Five of Cups • Six of Cups • Seven of Cups • Eight of Cups • Nine of Cups • Ten of Cups • Daughter of Cups • Son of Cups • Mother of Cups • Father of Cups
Suit of Swords
Ace of Swords • Two of Swords • Three of Swords • Four of Swords • Five of Swords • Six of Swords • Seven of Swords • Eight of Swords • Nine of Swords • Ten of Swords • Daughter of Swords • Son of Swords
• Mother of Swords • Father of Swords
Suit of Pentacles
Ace of Pentacles • Two of Pentacles • Three of Pentacles • Four of Pentacles • Five of Pentacles • Six of Pentacles • Seven of Pentacles • Eight of Pentacles • Nine of Pentacles • Ten of Pentacles • Daughter of Pentacles • Son of Pentacles • Mother of Pentacles • Father of Pentacles
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Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
Five of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Five of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
Creator’s Keywords: conflict, competition, lost
Carrie’s Keywords: hassles, conflicts
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
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Join the email list for instant access.
Five of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
The ace through four of wands were full of bright color, but the Five of Wands is entirely black and white. The lack of color makes gives this card a starker, less vibrant energy than the earlier cards. A point of conflict has been reached in the progression of the suit. There is a slowing of momentum here: what was once an engaging experience is now getting off course.
The wands are haphazardly dispersed about the card. Black and white background lines extend from various angles to divide the card into portions. This gives the impression that each wand is separated from the others in it’s own little forcefield. They aren’t working together and none are going anywhere.
The wands do seem to reach towards each other, but not to make a genuine connection. On the contrary, they almost seem to be defending their own territory, unwilling to compromise. They are scattered at best, working at cross-purposes at worst. Without a unified vision, progress is hard to attain.
If it seems like life is testing you… well, maybe it is. Derailments are part of the package. Conflicts will arise, annoyances will try to thwart you on your path. You may not always be able to make things better immediately, but you can certainly make things worse, based on your reaction! In order to re-harness vitality, you need to know when to wait out the bumps and when to move in a more productive direction.
Five of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
For my deck (pictured above, The Spacious Tarot) we took a cue from the Wild Unknown, going for a minimalist illustration. However, this imagery is largely inspired by the Waite-Smith tarot, which shows five people brandishing wands. Each wand is eschew, as though in conflict with one another. A lot of energy is being exerted, but it doesn’t seem to be creating anything productive. Thus, one of the first things I often think about when I see this card is “am I spending my energy wisely?” There’s no point in getting all riled up if it’s not going to lead to meaningful action.
This card sometimes relates to conflict with other people, but in a somewhat minor sense. It’s the way that sometimes even little things about others annoy you. You may then start to micromanage them, or they try to micromanage you – and no one likes to be micromanaged!
Most often, this card represents any minor hassles. Typically these are small annoyances, yet still things that get under your skin. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging the petty stuff that irritates you, but at the same time, by dwelling on it you might only be giving it more power.
In a reading
The Five of Wands might draw your attention to where you have gotten off track. Have you been giving your energy to things that only drain you? Are you letting minor hassles throw you entirely off course? Are you too invested in competition?
Perhaps you just need the patience to ride out a rough patch. But you may also need to bring things back to center. Reclaim your power, rearticulate your vision, and trust that in time you’ll move forward productively.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
Do your part: a letter to you, from the Universe
Greetings, my darling one.
You were guided to this letter for a reason. I am doing my best to bring you to the people, resources and lessons you most need. I like it when you pay attention. The more you acknowledge my efforts, the more grandiose they become.
(What can I say? I’m the Universe, I like theatrics.)
I am always creating. I’m composing wonder, awe and mystery. I will astound you with my treats. I delight in lining things up to get you where your heart wants to go.
But there’s one thing I need you to understand right now: I can’t do it all on my own.
You HAVE to do YOUR part. I’ll infuse you with courage, but I can’t do it all for you. You’ve got to meet me halfway.
You need to put in the hours. You need to work hard. You need to weather setbacks, frustrations, U-turns. You have got to hustle as much as I do. And you need to accept that sometimes even when your ego really, really wants something…
I might not be able to give it to you. I might be guiding you to something else entirely.
My process is complex. I’m weaving quite a tapestry here, and sometimes it’s going to seem haphazard. You don’t always need to understand. You just need to listen to the signs and follow the threads.
I’ll say it again: I can’t do it all for you. I need you to step up. You know that next step that’s been taking shape in your mind? Take it. Move forward. Keep taking steps, listening, paying attention, and taking more steps.
Work hard but relax deeply. Stretch yourself and I’ll support you. Honor your dreams, the ones that are nestled deep in your core.
Some people resist, refuse to tap into their own magic. This is a great tragedy. This is not what I want for you.
I want you to feel expansive and purposeful. Because you ARE expansive and purposeful.
I love you. You matter. You are cosmically significant.
Let’s make a pact right now: do your part, and I will do mine.
Let’s go!
XOXO times infinity,
The Universe (via Carrie)
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Lovey offerings for you, my sweetheart.
Hi sweethearts,
To be honest, I’ve never been very moved by Valentine’s Day. The holiday kind of comes across as cheesetastic to me. So much plastic and gross candy and ugly mass-produced greeting cards that you’re just gonna throw away anyhow. I could live without that whole shebang.
But if I set aside the cheesetasticness, Valentine’s Day can be an opportunity to enjoy delicious chocolate and tell everyone how much you love them. Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance. Tell your mama, tell your kitty, tell your friends how much you heart heart heart them.
And don’t forget the most important thing of all: tell YOURSELF “I love you!” Say it on Valentine’s Day, and say it every dang day.
I have a few offerings available for a limited time in honor of the season.
~*State of the {Romantic} Union Email Reading*~ $17
Relationships have a dynamic life-force. They breathe, they change rhythms. If you’re in a committed relationship, it is healthy to check the vitals regularly. This reading offers you the chance to examine the current state of your romantic union. What lessons need to be learned? What’s the overall theme at work? What aspects can you refine? These are some of the questions this reading will explore – because paying attention is an act of devotion to yourself and your lover.
This reading will be sent to you as a well-written PDF file & includes a picture of your cards.
Click here to purchase – available until Friday, February 20
~*SALE! One Tarot Love Letter*~ $17 $15
Don’t you love opening your mailbox and finding a genuine, handwritten letter tucked in amidst the junk? It kind of makes you feel like you discovered a super-secret-awesome diamond. I will draw three tarot cards and write you a personalized, hand-crafted letter on gorgeous stationary. The cards will help illuminate the energies currently at work in your life. This is a tangible, one-of-a-kind tarot treasure.
Click here to purchase – Sale ends 5pm MST Monday February 16
Peace, love & happy fish,
Click here to book a private reading with me.
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Four of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s keywords: completion, celebration
Carrie’s keywords: milestone, celebration
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
Join the email list for instant access.
Four of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
In the Ace of Wands, we saw the seed of potential. The Two brought a realization of personal power, and the Three showed visions of where this all could take us. The Four of Wands now blends a recognition of how far you’ve come with a renewed conviction in where you want to go from here.
The first two wands cross to form an X, the lower two wands forming the same shape below. The two X’s meet in the middle, forming a small diamond. The crossing wands give the sense of energies meeting, stabilizing and then transforming.
Beyond the wands is a larger diamond, mirroring the shape of the small diamond. The small diamond has a blue center, a color associated with intuitive receptivity. The large diamond is filled with emanating yellow and orange rays, colors that represent planning and action. The entire image suggests the combination of intuition and intelligence.
Beyond the large diamond, black and white lines border the four corners. They are reminiscent of the pattern on the back of the cardstock. This shows a portal which was once mysterious and closed has begun to open and take shape. We’re now in the midst of actively exploring new dimensions.
The four wands almost look to be dancing, the X’s bringing to mind a human figure, arms and legs stretched out with happiness. Just looking out this card makes me want to throw out my own arms and say “yessss! Whooo!” The Four of Wands reminds you to celebrate how far you’ve come without denying how far you have to go.
Amidst the bustling, excited energy, there is that calm, blue center. It is the tranquil core that gives the deeper meaning to achievements. The center is the place within us that knows the actions we’ve taken are part of a sacred journey. We are on our own wild path, and we find joy in the landmarks we encounter along the way.
The Four of Wands shows celebration of what has transpired tinged with an anticipation of the future. We’ve started to move closer to that condensed rainbow energy we saw in the Three of Wands. We’ve passed the threshold – we are on our way! High five yourself for what you’ve already done and then keep on keepin’ on.
Four of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
Four is a number of stability, and wands are the suit of momentum. As such, the Four of Wands is often a symbol of milestones on your journey. It is important to recognize these milestones, even when they seem small. Giving yourself the chance to celebrate little victories gives you the chance to replenish, and them move forward with even more vigor. The Spacious Tarot version reminds me of fireworks, the wands themselves doing a little victory dance in the middle of their journey.
The Waite-Smith tarot version shows two people wearing floral crows, arms upraised, standing in front of a castle. This imagery suggests the ways in which this card can be associated with various milestones on the human journey: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and so on. Sometimes you need to remind yourself to actively seek out reasons to be jubilant.
In a reading
This card can be an invitation to celebrate where you are right now. Even if things aren’t ideal, even if you haven’t reached your final goal, it’s important to choose joy. Life is a culmination of small moments, and this card asks you to be present with the joy that resides in those small moments.
Give yourself credit for what you’re doing right. Remind yourself of what is going well, and give yourself a chance to get excited about that! You may still feel like there’s a long way to go, but it is also important to acknowledge how your journey has unfolded so far. You’re doing better than you may realize, so make sure to celebrate every little milemarker along your path.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
Basking in Regulation and Freedom
Sometimes you need to push, dedicate and fight. There are occasions to evoke your strongest self-discipline, sit your butt in a chair and work, focus, work. There are times for structure, schedules and relentless commitment.
The most breath-taking mystical summit often comes after the thorniest, treacherous brambles.
But there are also times when the harder you fight, the more trapped you become. There are times when you try, force, commandeer and the only result is a state of listless exhaustion. Sometimes you have to walk away, take a nap, re-assess, put the damn project on hold.
Dropping the heavy load you’re lugging around might give you renewed vitality you truly need.
I don’t want to feel obligated to push out creative projects. I don’t want to make decisions based on what I ‘should’ do. I don’t want to bang my head against a wall trying to reach self-imposed deadlines.
I want to be ALL IN on my creative ventures. I want to create things from a place of full attention and a full heart.
I want my creativity to feel spacious and radiant.
There is a place where regulation and freedom meet. That’s the space I’m finding.
Because even though I don’t want to abuse myself into creating… healthy self-discipline is necessary to the creative process.
And even though I want to feel free… I also want to feel consistent, productive and reliable. I want to get things done. I want to steadily deliver my art to the world.
In this case, my art is my blog posts, videos, social media content. These are my forms of self-expression. This content is how I connect with you, how I share my views, how I open my heart, how I spread my unique blend of tarot love.
Until now, I have been putting out videos once a week. But it feels more and more like a chore. I feel obligated and stressed. It’s getting harder and harder to feel spacious and radiant as I create videos.
The time has come to lighten my bundle.
I’m going to be filming less and writing more. I will still make videos for my YouTube channel, but I’m not going to strong-arm myself into making them every single week. I’ll make them when doing so feels spacious and radiant.
I’ll still be writing weekly blog posts. Every Tuesday. This feels good. I’m breathing a soft sigh of yesness.
Regulation and freedom – I’m basking in both.
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Three of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Carrie’s keywords: exploration, surveying
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
Join the email list for instant access.
Three of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
Three wands are bound together, forming an inverted triangle. As you gaze into the center, you see a rainbow swirl. Is this a vortex? Another dimension? The future? Or something else entirely? That is for you to find out.
Branches jut out from the wands, they stand in contrast to the perfectly pruned wands we saw in the previous card. There is a juxtaposition in this card of structure and liberation: the wands come together to form a cohesive shape, yet the wands themselves are rugged, not perfectly manicured. These wands are free-spirited, yet also collected.
The background is filled with horizontal black lines, indicating a stable energy. This lack of flashiness draws your full attention to the wands, and above all else, to the colorful vision at the center. The swirling rainbow beckons you to leave behind the drab, colorless surroundings and explore all the magic life has to offer!
You are a visionary if you let yourself be one. You can look beyond obstacles. You can see beyond the mundane world. Endless terrain is out there for you to explore, if only you choose to say YES. The Three of Wands offers you a chance to survey the landscape around you. You need not rely on someone else’s map – you are exploring the wilderness for yourself, charting it according to your experience, your interpretation.
Your future is a blank canvas – and all the colors of the rainbow are available for you to create your experience going forward. There is no guarantee of exactly what you’ll find as you continue your explorations. Magic and wonder abound, yes – but illusions and setbacks are part of the journey, as well.
Some structure is useful, so give yourself a moment to survey your inner and outer landscape. The Three of Wands is about trusting your gut, but it’s also about surveying the energies around you. It is about action, yes – but it is about the kind of action that is born of intention, not impulse. The paradox here is you can only do so much planning and intention setting – eventually, you’ve just got to venture on and see where this portal takes you.
Three of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
For The Spacious Tarot you find yourself on a path lit by wands. Some initial momentum is behind you, but there’s still a joujrney to unfold.
In the Waite-Smith tarot, this card shows a human figure looking out at a vast terrain. He is eager to explore, but allows himself a moment to pause and assess the situation. The figure on this card is not a rogue adventurer looking for a thrill. He is someone who is deeply curious about the world. He is a leader whose explorations and observations can benefit the greater good.
As such, this card can ask you to engage deeply with your life experiences. Be curious about yourself, be curious about the world around you. Do not assume you understand anything. Let yourself look even at mundane realities with fresh eyes, for there are treasures everywhere that can only be perceived by those who are energetically open.
In a reading…
Sometimes this card is a reminder that if you want to live a deep, meaningful, magical life there is no way to be truly “secure.” The Three of Wands does not ask you to behave recklessly, but to know that risks are inherent in any endeavor. You must be willing to survey all that life has to offer and embrace it all as a package deal.
You are asked to adopt a higher perspective, to be open to more than the surface level layers of your life. Be a living, breathing example of what you want to see more of in the world. Embrace your visions and bring them into reality.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
What realistic action can you take right now that will soothe your essential self?
I must admit, January kicked my ass – and if the posts I’m seeing on social media are any indication, I’m not the only one. I don’t know if it’s adjusting to a new year or dealing with Mercury Retrograde or what, but there seems to be a lot of brain fog, derailments and unexpected situations cropping up for many of us.
And so today, I’m asking you (and myself) what realistic action can you take right now that will soothe your essential self?
This seems like a simple question, but it’s all too easy to get on auto-pilot and do things in a half-assed attempt to feel better (like having a glass of wine or wasting time on the internet) that don’t really honor our essential self. So right now, let’s really truly ask ourselves – and listen to the answer:
What realistic action can I take right now that will soothe my essential self?
I threw the word “realistic” in there to appease your ego, or your social self. Our egos have a way of being commandeering. You’ll need to gently ask your ego to communicate openly with your essential self instead of stealing the show. Talk kindly to your stressed, overwhelmed essential self. How can I soothe you? How can we make this better? What do you need right now?
I just had this conversation with my essential self and she said “I want to read a fantasy novel and drink tea and listen to Celtic music.” But then, of course, my ego piped up. “That sounds nice and all, but we need to write a blog post.”
This is not the blog post my ego wanted to write. My ego had me pushing my head against the wall trying to write about an entirely different topic. And it just wasn’t working. Still, I didn’t want to break the commitment I’ve made to myself to put up blogs and videos every Tuesday.
So, then, my essential self mustered up her courage and said “Well, we could write a blog post about this very conversation we’re having. And when we’re done…we can read fantasy and drink tea.”
And with that, my social self and my essential self met in the middle.
Try this for yourself. Weave a dialogue between your ego and your essential self. Discover what you can realistically provide for yourself in this moment. And then do that thing.
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Carrie Mallon
Header art from The Spacious Tarot illustrated by Annie Ruygt
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2014-2019
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