Sunday, September 09, 2012

Well, he does leave a lot of dirty glasses around...

Today, I randomly decided to have a tarot reading while I was at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. To be fair, let us not call it entirely random. I went to the RennFest thinking I might do that very thing, but with no specific plan for implementation.

The Festival operates, each year on the cusp of Summer/Fall, in a nicely wooded bit of acreage surrounded by fields of parking, near Annapolis. In a typical casual strategy, you wander shady (and today, muddy,) thoroughfares with names like Tiltyard Path and Stub Toe Lane, lined with more or less permanent structures which house, in season, shops purveying jewelry, pottery, art, clothing, and oddments beyond category. And food. Much food and drink. None of which you’d call gourmet, but certainly there is at least variety enough that even veg-eaters will find falafel, sweet potato fries, or veggie wraps.

So, at a certain straw-strewn turn, wedged between the Royal Stage and the Wine Pavilion, I stumbled (only partially literally,) upon The Tarot Guild. It was shortly after rope-drop, or morning fanfare, or whatever they call the opening bell, so the four resident turners-over of cards were sitting casually outside, awaiting people of my ilk.

I zeroed in on the lady with unnaturally red hair. Her name was...(lemme check the card...) Carrie. And she travels each weekend from the northerly town of Havre de Grace to ply her weekend trade.

Carrie ushered me into a small stall with chairs, pillows, a table and cards, and proceeded to do her thing. The thing, of course, has to do with shuffling, cutting the deck, laying out a certain array of cards, sussing out a few things from the patron, and giving an interpretation.

Ok, so I’m not 100% sensible, and sometimes I like to do weird things, but here’s what I think about tarot readings in general (this being maybe my 4th or 5th or so.) Tarot isn’t magical or more mystical than anything else in the world--it’s just a fun way to get a sort of a walk-in mini counseling session, where imagery on the cards offers ways to think about themes that occur in all lives.

My array suggested, not surprisingly, a new volume in a two (or so) part life, where I’ve got feelers out ready to see what areas of creative endeavor this segment might be about.

Interesting, also, was Carrie’s attention to The Page of Cups, which appeared in my layout. She immediately identified him as Gabe, and was rather insightful into the nature of the kid, and my role in his development. In some ways, this was as much about the uniqueness and potential of Gabe as it was about me. I sort of get that a lot. Not in tarot, per se, but in impressions from people, in general.

Jeff got kind of annoyed at me once, a long time ago, when I was saying that while I might not bring much to the world as an individual, I am offering it some interesting children. He thought I was selling myself short. I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. At least there were plenty of wands (for creativity) in the part about me. But keep your eye on the Page of Cups.

1 comment:

Ellen said...

I don't think claiming one's children as an accomplishment is selling oneself short. Ultimately, even revered leaders such as MLK or Churchill leave only a legacy, and that legacy becomes what future generations make of it. So, whether we have children or not, our only accomplishment is what we pass along to future generations (or to the earth itself).