21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card -- step FOUR

Spooky

step4 Fool-Gateway to the Divine

4:1 Once upon a time the prince woke up to see his hourglass shining in the sun. Once up and dressed he climbed ontop of it to begin his journey of his kingdom, fliting here and there stopping at the stable where his little white dog ,loyal and true,Cautious lay waiting and looked up at him excited. Wagging his stubby tail he joined his young master and off they went seeking adventure without a care in the world. Every thing was so beautiful they decided to venture out among the stars to see the world from above. Cautious noticed while gamely hanging onto young princes' scraf the box on a pole his master took with him everywhere. The top started to open slowly and pretty cards started floating out and down just out of reach of the prince. No matter how he tried he couldn't catch any and the hourglass begain tipping over. Cautious became very worried and hung on tighter. The cards had stardust falling among them of different colors ,it became very soothing watching as more and more cards became more choices the young prince must someday make. For now though just watching the determination on the princes face was enough. Cautious was a happy dog and loved his crazy human.
4.2I woke up to see the hourglass winking at me from its spot on th floor. I got up and dressed and got ready for a fun day of adventure. I climb aboard my hourglass and off we go WEEEE! here and there to finally come to the stable where my little dog Cautious lay waiting wagging his little tail. Off we went out to where we hadn't been before looking at the earth laying sleeping below us. So quiet and peaceful. As my hourglass began to tip over the lid on my box opened and colorful cards began floating up and out. the center of the box was glowing as more and more cards drifted out and down. So hard to reach them and I can't catch any damn it. Well Cautious wants to go so we will but, we'll be back. Cautious what a funny little dog he is.
4.3 Ihad horses at a town stablelong ago and would greatly enjoy my time out there riding and being one of the guys(girls). Wow I was really happy back then!
 

Ivy Rhiannon

Step Four

Druidcraft Tarot - The Fferyllt

1 & 2.) Once upon a time a wise priestess stood before the ancient cauldron. She heard the voice of her Goddess whisper in her mind, "It's time." Slowly she took up the ladle gathering the perfect amount of the blood red liquid into the vial. A gentle breeze caught her attention and out her open door she smiled as the rainbow grew across the sky, a divine blessing indeed! Holding the small bowl in her hand she steadied her heart as she began to pour the sacred liquid. Her eyes widened and her heart thudded in her heart like a thunderous drum, It's working! she thought excitedly.
Again the soft whisper of the mother shifted through her overjoyed mind, "Did you doubt our formula my dear?"
The elixir mixed and settled as a small otherworldly mist rose from her creation. "I don't doubt it now my Goddess."
A familiar chuckle echoed in her ears, "For all your gift my child you still don't know how to believe in yourself. See the magic you have created, taste its sweetness."
She did as instructed, bringing the potion to her lips and drinking down the warm, thick liquid. She felt the magic rushing through her in a surge of pure and untamed bliss. Never again will I doubt my power. she vowed silently. Reaching down she touched her belly gently, the perfect vessel for the elixir of life, as her mind wandered to the future and all the joy her new child would bring.

3.) I have often doubted myself in my working. I am most critical of myself but the more I create, and push myself to try the more I am presently surprised. I still get nervous after 11 years of reading the tarot when I do a reading for someone else. Believing in the process, divine guidance, and myself is one of the hardest things I have had to do.
 

poopsie

Step 4 etruscan tarot 3 of swords

4a. The hero Ajax went into the Palace of Priam, searching violently for the High Priestess Cassandra. Cassandra was known to have made prophecies which her own people never took seriously or believed in ... but not Ajax. Ajax believed in his heart her prophecies and never made it known to Achilles, Castor or Pollux for fear of being laughed at. And one of her predictions was that Ajax was going to die... He finally found her in the Temple of Athena where she was high priestess ... as she tries to beg for her life, he feels both scorn and pity - scorn because she was Trojan, and pity because she was so beautiful. No wonder Agamemnon wanted her for himself. In the midst of the battle going in with Trojans fleeing and Greeks usurping and killing everything in their path, Ajax thrusts the sword on Cassandra's chest ... she quietly falls ... he leaves her at the temple to die -- then as he was on his way out, Athena the Goddess hurls a spell on to Ajax, and as if in a trance, he goes back and searches for Cassandra ... Surprised, he finds her crawling towards the Statue of the Goddess to ask for her life. Ajax picks up Cassandra, puts a kiss on her lips and carries her off.

4b. At last, we have reached Priam's Palace -- I am not after the riches of Priam ... I only seek one whom they call Cassandra. She is the sorceress and seer, the one whom my camp said has predicted my fate. It was rumored among the soldiers that I was going to die in this battle -- me, die? Heroes never die. I will make her pay for that prophecy. As I don the steps of the Temple, I find a beautiful priestess by the status of the goddess Athena -- she must be Cassandra, I pull her from the Goddess and ready my sword to take her life. She begs but as a hero, we show no mercy... as I see her kneel to plead for her life, I realize she was so beautiful. No wonder that stupid brute Agamemnon wants her for himself. I now realize I want her, too but since I cannot take her without him knowing, better to kill her rather than let him have her. I plummet my blade on her breast, she cries until I see tears slowly flowing from her eyes and as the sands of time slowly wither way, I witness life slowly fade from her eyes. I put her down and leave. On my way out, the temple and the Palace has become a mausoleum of dead bodies, pits of violence, with fear and death energies all over the air. Suddenly, I couldn't move my legs. My entire body has become as numb as a statue ... and I hear a voice in my mind command me to go back ... "Go back and get Cassandra for yourself. She is yours but you have to get her out. The two of you need to leave..." I hesitated but the command was too strong. I found myself going back, my legs taking me back to the temple. At first, I could not longer see her body and I realized, she was alive. Cassandra was alive and she was hugging the statue of the Goddess. The Goddess loosens my numbness and the flaming eyes of the Goddess now fixates its stare at me - and in a voice as loud as thunder - she commands me to pick up Cassandra and kiss her. I follow and as I drew my lips to hers, she slowly comes back to life. The goddess commands us to leave ... I take Cassandra with me ... and we safely leave the Palace.

4c. At a certain point in life, I had to make a decision on whether to hold on to a relationship or not. I had a problem. The problem I loved was committed to someone else. Realizing that I may not win, I decided to part ways and leave, in the hope that if I gave the person space, she would have time to think it through and make the right decision. I did not want to pressure her to having me a her lifetime partner and later on regret it because she felt forced into it. I wanted her to make her own choices and own it. I also wanted her to realize that she was taking a big risk if she left the other person. But she would also be gaining one thing she never experienced with him -- freedom to be herself, to pursue what she wanted, to live a free and respected life, feel loved and able to pursue her dreams.

It was a battle I fought on like an Ajax, searching in anger, pressuring and then at the last minute, letting go. But then, something told me that I needed to go back but do it gently, and be ready to take on whatever decision I made. My partner is the Cassandra who asked the Goddess to make a right choice to live, so that she could still accomplish whatever she needed to accomplish. Since she could not make the decision herself, the Goddess had to make it possible for her to be saved, and for me to get her out. I now live with my Cassandra, and we are happy together. The card story did not end in pain after all .... we made a wise choice with the help of unknown forces external to us.
 

Minnie

21ways step 4

Judgement Radiant Rider Waite

4.1)

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Archangel in heaven who loved to play his trumpet all the time , but this became very annoying to the other angels as they would say ,"Go and play your trumpet somewhere else far far away where we cant here it " So the Archangel left and off he floated out of heaven and headed through the gates and landed upon some comfy clouds surely the other angels wouldn't here him from here he thought , This was the perfect place , so he started to play his trumpet with glee then he noticed that the clouds stated to separate and as he looked on in awe as he cold see the earth below him , something was moving down there and as he looked closer he could see people standing in coffins raising their arms up to him in a trance like state then he stopped playing he noticed that they became very disappointed "please keep playing they chanted we are enjoying your lovely music so" and the Archangel played happily ever after to the reborn souls that had awakened on the planet earth from his beautiful music.

4.2)

, I love to play beautiful music with my trumpet but not everyone is happy when i do this the other angels always get annoyed with for disturbing there peace and quiet and told me that i should find a place somewhere far far away where they couldn't here me anymore so i did i floated through the gates of heaven . i seen the most beautifulest comfy clouds i couldn't help my self i just had to land on them this was the perfect place to play my trumpet , the clouds were so soft it really set the mood for me so i started to play , i played and played until i noticed the clouds were moving Ive never experienced anything like this in heaven ,as i looked down i could see colours of all sorts below , there was green for the grass and blue for the water that was rippling i was amazed i mean Ive heard of the other angels talking about earth but Ive never actually seen it before wow it really blew me away, and then i noticed something was moving ,it was then i realised they were people and they were raising there hands up to meand they were standing in their coffins, it was then i stopped playing my trumpet, i noticed that they have all become sullen and this was something i wasn't used to as all the other Angels in heaven would jump for joy when i stopped playing my trumpet .I could here them talking "Please Mr Angel don't stop it was you who woke us up and we have waited for this day for so long keep playing,"."I must go back now i said or God will get mad then all of a sudden God appeared across the sky " I am so proud of you Archangel for you have guided the lost souls of earth home and from now on you shall play your trumpet in heaven whenever you like ".I was so happy not just because of the trumpet but because i finally got to see the earth and made a few new friends on the way


4.3) I have often felt like this as a teenager when i have driven my Mum and Dad mad with the tape recorder up to loud , wishing i had some special cloud to lay upon and ;listen to my music as loud as i wanted to in peace .I have also been in a situation where i have had to venture out of my comfort zone like this Archangel did into unfamiliar surroundings and have made some great friends along the way in the most unexpected scenarios .and at first i was very worried about all this as i don't adapt to change very well , but all worked out well in the end .
 

SatuGustafson

Again, just reading this year's "yield" here as the whole thread would be too much at once and I wouldn't be able to appreciate the single stories. But I'll make sure to come back.

I can completely relate to what Ivy Rhiannon wrote. The story is beautiful and it's just what I experience, too. I am still nervous when I do readings for other people (unless it's close friends) because I keep thinking, "What if it's all wrong?". I find it very hard to trust my own intuition. My inner critic is hard to shut up. :)

I also like the idea of a difficult decision and sacrifice leading to something good in the end through an act of a greater power in your story, poopsie. Three of Swords has always been a difficult card for me. Thank you.

Minnie's archangel story - wow! Also gave me a totally new perspective on a card I have often found difficult in spreads. It reminds me a bit of a story a German comedian told a while ago about how he watched a penguin and thought, "What a funny creature, waddling around, isn't it pathetic?" And then the penguin slid into the water and wheeeee.... And he said how it depended on being in "your element" whether or not you are happy and can achieve something. I never saw that about the "Judgement" card, that the big "change" it brings about, this "salvation" aspect can simply mean placing you in different surroundings where suddenly it is appreciated who you are and what you do - like the archangel in the story.

Thanks for your stories, guys!
 

SatuGustafson

Okay. Here's mine now.

4.1
Once upon a time there was a poor lumberjack who was working hard every day of his life but only ever had enough money to barely survive. His clothes were shabby and ragged and he couldn't afford any shoes.
This was because the King had raised taxes to fund a war in a faraway land across the sea. One day, the king decided to build a new palace and he raised the tax even more. The lumberjack was desperate. The only things he had left that he could possibly sell were his ragged clothes and the axe. But how was he going to make a living without his axe?
But then he remembered a story his grandfather had told him when he was a child. It was about a tree in the forest that none of the woodcutters were to touch unless in dire need. It was said that it was inhabited by ancient spirits and if you cut it down without need you would be struck down immediately.
The poor man was desperate, so he thought to himself, "Maybe there is some truth to that old wives' tale after all."
He went into the forest looking for the place his grandfather had described. There, there it was the old knarled tree that looked like an old woman lamenting and next to it the majestic oak tree that was supposed to be enchanted.
The man rolled up his sleeves and began chopping the mighty tree down. It took him quite some time and he was all sweaty and hot when finally the tree came crashing down.
To his amazement he found that the stump was hollow and a golden goose was sitting in the hole. He was even more amazed when the animal suddenly spoke to him,
"Thank you for releasing me, young fellow. Please take me home, care for me and feed me."
For a brief moment he had considered having roast goose for dinner as he was terribly hungry but he felt sorry for the goose, took it home and shared his last piece of bread with the animal. The animal thanked him by allowing him to pluck one of its feathers. And when the lumberjack plucked the feather it turned into solid gold.
Every day the goose would now give him one of its feathers, the lumberjack could easily pay the tax and from then on always had enough money to live. That was the reward for all the years of hard work.

4.2
I just don't know what to do anymore. I have always been working hard, yet - I have been struggling to survive. My clothes are old and ragged and I just had to throw out my shoes as they were completely falling apart. I dread the coming winter!
But I have to pay the tax as our king is fighting a war somewhere far away across the sea and needs soldiers and battleships. And now things got even worse. He wants to build a new palace and needs even more. But you can't squeeze blood from a stone! I have nothing except for my clothes and my axe.
Sure, I could sell my axe but how would I make a living then?
But then I remember something. A silly old story. Something grandpa used to tell me when I was a kid. About a tree that was enchanted and ought never to be cut down unless you are desperate and how it was inhabited by ancient spirits.
What if there is something to it? I might just as well try. I'm desperate enough.
So I shoulder my axe and walk off into the forest looking for the place grandfather described in his story. There is the knarled tree which looks like an old woman lamenting. And there - right beside it - the mighty oak tree.
I must be crazy wanting to chop that one down all on my own. It's going to take a while. I sigh deeply, rolling up my sleeves and get to work.
Finally the tree comes crashing down. But what is that? The stump is hollow...and there's...there's a golden goose sitting in the hole. Is that how the spirits are going to help me? Giving me a goose so I won't starve right away? I scratch my head as suddenly the animal starts to speak.
"Thank you for releasing me, young fellow. Please take me home, care for me and feed me", it says.
My belly rumbles. I'm hungry and the thought of roast goose is just too tempting. But somehow I feel pity for the animal. So I tuck it under my arm, take it home and offer him half of my bread. If I'm going to starve, I might just as well do so trying to do some good. When we had finished the bread, suddenly the goose turned to me and said, "Thank you, friend. Please, pluck one of my feathers. It's all I can offer you in return for you kindness."
A bit of an odd request but I plucked one of the golden feathers. Good Lord...what was that? All of a sudden it turned hard and cold in my hand. This is gold! Carefully I bite the golden feather...yes, real gold! I'm rich! I'll be able to pay the tax and more!
What a great friend I have made. I'll gladly share my food with the goose from now on. And somehow I have the feeling, I'll never go wanting again.

4.3 I know it's repetitive as I already wrote this earlier. I think what it most reminds me of is really the moment I became pregnant. I had tried and it had never worked and chances are not good for me to become pregnant the natural way and I didn't want to go through IVF and all that. Somehow I felt - it's going to happen if it is meant to and if it doesn't happen...well, it just isn't meant to. In the end I gave up and went back on the pill (more because the hormones help with my condition than because I thought it necessary). I had settled for the idea of a life without kids. And then suddenly something told me to try one last time before I'm too old. I was like the lumberjack in the story thinking, "Yeah, it probably won't be doing any good anyway". And I didn't believe when I found that finally I was pregnant. It's like getting a reward after a long long time of hard work when you least expect it and were almost ready to give up. For me 7 Pentacles has always been about patience and slow growth and reaping what you sow but with the help of the descriptions and story I think I understand it better as now I can link it to personal experience.
 

pacificwaters

Step 4: Queen of Pentacles (RWS)

I don't think i am good at writing stories, but nevertheless I have given my best shot here...

4.1 Once upon a time there was a Queen who ruled over her kingdom along with her King. They were known to be a just couple and to whom the entire kingdom looked upon. But then, where there is goodwill, evil is known to cast its eye sooner and later. And here it was none other than the trusted confidante of the Queen – her minister. Taking full advantage of the liberties that he was endowed with by the Queen and the King, the minister usurped the kingdom and killed the King. The Queen somehow managed to escape from the palace through the secret tunnels that only the royal family was privy to. And the only partner she could escape with was her pet rabbit.

The tunnels were known to open up in the dense forests that had vegetation all around. In its near periphery were mountains and rivers. There also was a flowering creeper near the lace which the Queen had made her abode when in exile. No doubt there was enough all around the Queen though now in exile, to sustain herself, the only worry and the only thing in her mind was revenge for the breach of trust. Somehow she could just not stop thinking over what all had happened, and about how to go back to the past grandeur..!

4.2 I am a Queen and I once upon a time lived a very happy life with my husband, the King. I think we were a good couple and we always enjoyed the love of our subjects who looked up on us. We enjoyed a lot of goodwill as the royal family. But then, where there is goodwill, trouble befalls sooner or later. And here it was none other than my confidante – the minister. He absolutely misused all the liberties I and the King had endowed him with. Not just did he overthrow us, but he also usurped the kingdom and killed my husband, the King. I somehow managed to escape from the palace through the secret tunnels that our family had constructed long back, and which only we knew about. The only partner I could escape with was my pet rabbit.

These tunnels opened up in dense forests which therefore had a lot of vegetation around them. Not just vegetation, there are quite some mountains and rivers around as well. There is also a flowering creeper near where I usually sit. With the dense vegetation around, I think I currently have enough to sustain myself, but I just can’t stop thinking about how to take revenge on my trusted minister for the way he misused my trust. I just can’t get over all that has happened and how and what I should do to go back to the grandeur I was so used to..!

4.3 I think this story resonates deeply with the personal crisis that I am currently facing. I have been living a solitary life for the last 13 months. My wife has left for her maternal place with our kid for idiosyncrasies known only to her and her parents. All of my good-will has failed to bring her back. No amount of cajoling has worked. So much so that I have now given up hope, and am seeking a legal recourse…! In a state of mind just like the Queen, who wants her past happiness back..!!
 

Lady Indigo

STEP FOUR: The Hermit, Sun and Moon Tarot.

1) Once upon a time, there was a town that lived on the edge of a great desert. Very few people considered the great expanse of desert just off to the left of them. But those who did thought of an old legend - that after nine days and nights following the setting sun, they would find a cave at the desert's heart that contained a great secret. One day, a girl set forth to find the cave and learn the secret for her own. She took all the supplies she could manage, and used her wits to provide what was missing, but what seemed remarkable to her was that the desert seemed to point the way - like it was offering to help her. When she reached the heart of the desert, and the cave, she was surprised to find it had an occupant - a very old woman bearing a lantern shaped like an hourglass.

"I was once like you, and came here to find the secret," the woman said. "I have lived here a very long time," she said, "seeing the changes in the desert around me. I know every crawling beast, every track in the sand. But there are words written into the stone behind me, and I cannot read them. They are in a language I don't know, and I have no key with which to decipher them. Still, I have remained here, trying as best I can. The quiet helps me to think."

The girl thought for a long moment. Then she said: "teach me what you know of the desert, and what you know of the cave. And when you are gone, I will continue to search as you have."

Many years later, after the old woman had long gone, the girl found a key to the language. The words on the wall were a chronicle - of every person who had come to the cave in search of the secret and remained to decipher it. She did not know how it came to speak of the old woman's story, or of hers, but she knew the tracks in the desert, she knew all that had passed in her time here. And she knew her time was not spent in vain.

2) I am a girl who lives in a town alongside a great desert. It's said that at the heart of this desert is a cave that holds a great secret, but so few choose to even think of this, much less seek it out. One day I decided to make the journey to this cave and discover the secret for myself. The desert seemed to help me as I traveled, offering what food or guidance I could not provide by my own supplies or wits, and finally I reached the heart of the cave.

I was surprised to realize I was not alone at all - there was an old woman there, bearing a lantern shaped like an hourglass, who said she had been there a very long time. She told me she had seen the desert change and grow around her, and knew it now like she knew herself. She seemed to be almost a keeper of time and change, standing vigil. But she said that the great secret must be in the words written behind her on the wall of the cave - and she did not know how to decipher them.

I asked her to teach me what she knew, of the desert, of the cave, and of time. And I told her that I would continue her quest when she was gone.

Many years later, after the old woman had died, I deciphered the language. The words were not a great secret, or at least not the one I expected. They were a chronicle of everyone who had ever come here, seeking. I suppose I should have felt betrayed, but I had seen and understood so much of the world around me, and all I could feel was a sense of satisfaction and wonder when the next seeker would arrive.

3) The Hermit is such a universal archetype that it's hard not to just relate it to my entire experience of being a learner and a seeker in general. But what this story reminds me of as it evolved, is how I've changed my career path and interests, the things I want to learn, several times over the years. But all the things I've felt and done in the past have informed who I am as I continued, and I've absorbed and learned more than I think. A lot of the time, we're both the teacher and student of ourselves, and the journey we take is the important thing.
 

rubikscubefreak

21 Ways - Step Four

6/Swords, Tarot of the Silicon Dawn

4:1) Once upon a time... there was a young girl. She never really fit in with the other girls her age. They always wanted to play dress-up, or giggle about boys. She never really understood that. What she did understand was how things worked. Maybe it was because she was the daughter of a mechanic, but she absolutely loved taking things apart and putting them back together again. As time passed, she grew up, and her endeavors became crazier and crazier. "Ooooh, what happens if I do this? Or what about this?" Her hobby became a passion: How can I improve this object? Eventually she became an inventor of some renown. Word got around, and suddenly she was audience to her King. He informed her that war was coming, and asked her to improve upon the swords the army used. She agreed, and the King gave her six different swords to experiment upon. She took them home, to the workbench in her basement. She hung five up on the wall behind her--she'd get to those later--and set the sixth upon the table in front of her. "Aha!" she cried, and grabbed a car battery, some wire, and some alligator clips. Creating a circuit, the sword glowed and threw off small lightning bolts. She knew she was on the right track towards something great, but she just wasn't quite sure what her next step should be...

4:2) I always knew I was different, from a very young age. The girls were interested in only frivolous things (who cares about dresses?), and it apparently intimidated the boys that I wasn't like the other girls. Whatever. I just cared about....things. I loved to take things apart and put them back together. I probably inherited that trait from my father--he's a mechanic. He was always showing me how things worked. Anyways, as I got older, I got bolder. Instead of just putting things back together, I'd try to improve upon them in some way or another. When I completed my schooling, I decided to become an inventor. You heard of the No-Work-All-Play Household Cleaning Machine, right? That was all me. So that brings me to today. The King asked me to court; apparently he wants to have some words with me. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors of impending war, yes? It has been so long since we've had need of martial weapons, ours are terribly outdated. I have heard tales of your ingenuity. I ask you to come up with something that could give us the edge--ha! Get it?--in a coming war." His chamberlain hands me a bundle of six swords. "Yes, milord. I will begin work immediately." I take the swords home, and head down into my basement. I hang five of the swords up behind me--I should probably only focus on one at a time--and set the sixth in front of me, on my workbench. I stare at it for a minute or two, and then it hits me! Of course! I run upstairs and grab a car battery I had laying around, some cabling and some alligator clips. I take the equipment back downstairs and throw on some thick work gloves. I hook the sword up to the battery, and it immediately begins to glow, throwing off sparks. This is obviously a step in the right direction, but where to go from here? I'll have to think about it some more...

4:3) I've always thought of myself as a scientist. I love to know the way things work, and even moreso I love to try to improve upon something that already exists. I'm perhaps not so great at coming up with the base technology, but I can always think of a way to improve upon it.
 

fractalgranny

step 4 - 21 ways - crow's magick: page of cups

4.1. once upon a time, there was an egg. the queen of cups sat on it, clucked over it for a long, long time. one day, the egg cracked open and out came a tiny, beautiful little lizard. it was dark green, with golden spots on its head. it grew very fast, she could see it grow! as soon as she felt it was safe, the queen of cups flew away to find some tasty morsels for the beautiful baby. when she came back at sundown, she was shocked – her beautiful lizard baby was gone, and replaced by a much larger flaming-orange lizard child. has it eaten her beautiful lizard baby? but as she screeched nearer, ready to tear this impostor with her talons, she noticed something familiar about it. her big mother shadow covered it, and before her eyes she see the creature turn into something brown and ashen that almost disappeard in her nest of twigs. she smelled it – and it was her baby! over the next days she saw how this child, growing constantly, eating everything that she offered it, changed colours as easily as the clouds moved across the sky. soon the day came when the child grew too big for the nest. it began exploring the tree of the galaxies, where the two lived. he helped her build a bigger nest. the child, whom she named page of cups, showed an early ability for the mystical, up there in the unearthly world where they lived. and one day he said, “mother, queen of cups, i am ready to go out into the galaxy, and further, into the wild cosmos and beyond.” her heart stood still. this is what she had feared all along. and yet, she was a good mother and knew that she had to let him go, her excited, cosmic boy child, because that was what he needed to do: the cosmos and beyond were waiting for him to become its explorer.

4.2.1. long ago, i was an egg. the queen of cups sat on me, warmed me, clucked over me for a long, long time. i was told that one day, the egg cracked open and out i came. they say i was dark green, with golden spots on my head. but i change all the time. first my mother did not understand it, and thought i was an intruder. i couldn’t understand that SHE wasn’t changing all the time; her big, wide wings were always golden, never black or blue or green. soon, though, she realized that i changed my colours all the time, and was pleased that i ate everything she offered me. it didn’t take long for our nest to become too small. between the branches of our tree i saw the world out there, and knew there was something bigger – the cosmos and beyond! i am so excited that i am old enough now to go out, go out all the time and romp in the cosmos!

4.2.2. not too long ago, he was an egg. i sat on it, clucked over it for a what seemed a long time. one day, the egg cracked open and out he came – a tiny, beautiful, dark green little lizard with golden spots on his head. he grew so fast! as soon as it was safe, i flew away to find some tasty morsels for him. when i came back at sundown, i couldn’t believe it – my beautiful lizard baby was gone, replaced by a much larger flaming-orange lizard child. i screeched and was furious and angry and pained - but as i came nearer, i noticed the smell, and it was that of my baby. then my shadow covered him, and before my eyes i saw the him change his colour into brown and ashen; he almost disappeared in the nest! i saw then how this child changed colours as easily as the clouds moved across the sky. i had never had a child before so maybe that was normal. later on i found out it was not, and neither was his easy nature, and how he accepted everything i brought him to eat. oh, i wanted to have this beautiful child around me forever! but then he grew too big for the nest and began exploring the tree of the galaxies, where we lived. he helped me build a bigger nest but i knew in my bones that one day he would outgrow me. i named him page of cups. he showed an early ability for the mystical. and one day he said, “mother, queen of cups, i am ready to go out into the galaxy, and further, into the wild cosmos and beyond.” even though in knew this was going to happen, my heart stood still. all i can do now was to let him go, my excited, cosmic boy child, because that was what he needed to do: the cosmos and beyond were waiting for him to become its explorer. i will stay behind and watch him.

4.3 what this makes me think of is my mother. i “flew the coop” early, exploring another country when i was 17, and moving to another continent when i was 22. i never thought about what that would mean for my parents. my mother said that she knew i would always fall on my feet but still there must have been many moments when she was wondering how i was faring, especially when i was very ill for a while.