Marseille and the Devil on April Fool's Day

Today is the first day of April, also known widely as April Fool's Day. Many years ago when I was a kid, I used to thoroughly enjoy playing tricks on people (to be honest, my antics weren't relegated to one day per year, but it's nice to have a day dedicated to trickery!). I remember once when I pretended to have a lengthy conversation with my friend on the telephone (back when landlines were a thing), discussing all sorts of outlandish topics much to my older sister's entertainment and surprise....until the phone actually rang and my ruse was up. My sister was certainly my preferred target (insert devil emoticon).

While I left pranks behind long ago, I ended up giving birth to a new generation of trickster: my daughter Lourdes. She so embodies the energy of "playful naughtiness" that we dubbed her the "Devil," and her favorite depiction in the Tarot is from the Deviant Moon by Patrick Valenza:

This Devil not only features her famous grin, but he is doing her hallmark prance as well. And though I didn't witness it myself, I'm pretty certain that this is how she looked this morning as she was creeping around the house setting up various traps for us to fall into!

This was slipped under my door this morning:

To be fair, last night Lourdes consulted me about the best way to create fake poo: peanut butter and Hershey's syrup, she asked? No, I said - use cocoa powder instead of syrup - less drippy. So I suppose in some way I'm complicit. And my cards seem to agree:

Claude Burdel 1751 Tarot de Marseille 

I recently delved into the world of Marseille (I'm just so completely rapturous about the beauty of these cards!) and am still figuring out how I want to approach reading them. Some people apply RWS meanings to the minor cards, others take a more cartomantic approach, and still others absorb the shapes, colors, and movement in the illustrations and allow that to inform their readings. The funny thing is, all reading styles seem to reach similar conclusions with this trio:

In RWS, the 6 of Wands is about success and recognition, and the 6 of Cups is about childhood, memory, reminiscing, innocent joy. So in that sense I see myself (as the Queen of Cups) remembering my own prankster days (6 of Cups), and supporting my daughter in her endeavors (also 6 of Cups), giving her helpful advice so that her work is a success (6 of Wands) and is appreciated by everyone (also 6 of Wands).

According to Yoav Ben Dov's Marseille meanings, the 6 of Wands represents an alliance of two people working toward perhaps different end-goals, but who share a common interest (very true), and the 6 of Cups not only also relates to a personal alliance, but more importantly "repetition between different generations in the family." Hm. Yep!

This morning I stumbled into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, and as I went to the sink to fill the carafe, I was showered in water from the sink sprayer, which had been rigged into the "on" position with rubber bands. I'm pretty sure I shrieked in surprise and with the sudden coldness seeping through my shirt. In that light, this arrangement of cards took on a very literal meaning: those six cups are dousing the Queen as she approaches them with her coffee pot, and the 6 of Wands now looks like a great big "X" warning me to beware.

So there you have it!

Even Mosquitos Have a Place in the Cards

I dedicate this post to my children, but in particular to my younger daughter, Lourdes.

I was sitting on the couch this evening as my older daughter, Isabella, was settling into a rhythm of chopping, seasoning, boiling, and sautéing what would later become our dinner. (She's only fourteen, but she's got skillz!) I was sifting through my Deviant Moon when I started absent-mindedly rubbing my ankle. After a few moments I realized that it was itching a bit more than what's normal, and upon closer inspection discovered a fat welt on my leg, courtesy of a Floridian mosquito. We have a couple of months to go until they cease to frustrate all and any attempts to sit outside and enjoy the weather (though I admit I've received exponentially fewer bites this year as compared to the last two put together, so perhaps I shouldn't complain too much).

As Lourdes sat next to me creating a house for her new rubber lizard out of an empty box of Always, it came to me: how would Tarot describe a mosquito?

Before you roll your eyes and start thinking that I have way too much time on my hands (which I really don't, I swear) I will say that it seemed perfectly reasonable at the moment. After all, we use Tarot to describe people and events all the time, and there's nothing more pervasive and universal than the experience of the mosquito, so why not see what the cards have to say? I went right ahead and shuffled and pulled, and when I flipped the single card over, I started to laugh. I showed it to Lourdes, and said, "Hey, look, this is what a mosquito looks like in the Tarot deck!" She started giggling. If you think there could possibly be a better card than this to describe a mosquito, I challenge you to post it in the comments below:

Deviant Moon - P. Valenza

Yes! The Page of Swords reversed! (I love how the cards have personified the bug by using a court card ;-) This Page is irritating and pesky and carries a sharp poker. Need I say more?

Well, I will, because the Deviant Moon version of this Page offers a lot toward a particularly accurate description! He's dressed mostly in red, reminiscent of the liter of blood that was slurped out of my leg earlier today as I was trying to figure out the best way to harvest the Saw Palmetto from the backyard. He wears an eye lamp which clearly symbolizes the fact that mosquitoes can always find you, no matter where you hide, and no matter how many layers of clothing you wear; just close your eyes and imagine the gentle humming whine in your ear when you're trying to go to sleep at night. They have a one-track mind when it comes to the hunt (look at those hypnotic eyes!). And as a final note, it's an air card, and flying is the mode of transportation that most mosquitoes tend to favor.

So, there it is! Tarot has spoken, as clearly and efficiently as ever ;-)

5 of Water on the Last Day of School

My oldest daughter is transitioning from middle school to high school, and today is her last day of 8th grade. While she's extremely excited about being "in the big leagues" she's understandably bittersweet about leaving an entire school and social structure behind. She was giggling and dancing around the kitchen last night, noticeably anxious, and she said rather off-handedly, "Mom, do a reading for me about tomorrow!" I couldn't in that moment, but this morning I agreed to pull a card for her. Each time we ask her how she feels, and if she's sad, she says, "Well I'm really excited for next year!! But I am gonna miss my friends and teachers!" We remind her that she can see her friends over the summer, and encourage her to copy down phone numbers so they can make plans to see each other. Some of these friends will go to her new high school, but not everyone (including her big 8th grade crush, which she's particularly upset about).  So I shuffled my new Gaian Tarot, and as I went to select her card, I had one of those moments where you just *know* what the card is even before you turn it over:

5 of Water - Gaian Tarot
Joanna Powell Colbert

My daughter had wandered off down the hall, so I called to her to let her know I'd finished her draw. I showed her the card and she said "Oh my god, that's me!!" And I said "Yes - I asked 'how does Isa feel about her last day of school?' and this is what came up. Kinda perfect, don't you think?" She agreed. And moments like this are some of those that highlight how deeply grateful I am to be a card reader, because sometimes all you need is confirmation of how you're really feeling - the permission to be bummed out without being apologetic for it, or minimizing it. She smiled and we chatted a bit about her thoughts, and then she ran off to get ready for school.

This version of the 5 of Cups, or 5 of Water, is one of my favorites of all time because it's so real. There is no real symbolism in this card, apart from the gray skies. The young woman gazes across the lake or bay, solemn and withdrawn. She's holding a hot mug of steaming tea, and really sitting with - experiencing - her melancholy. We've all been there at some point or another. We don't need to see the three spilt cups to get the idea that there's sadness here, nor do we need to see two cups standing in order to understand that this feeling won't last forever. And rather than putting a silver lining on the sense of mourning by reminding ourselves that "this too shall pass," it's nice to be allowed to honor that "space," even if only for a moment.

So I wish my daughter a wonderful, comforting last day of middle school, full of hugs, laughter, and friends' numbers. May she find strength in letting go, and joy in the road ahead!