#2bitTues Excerpt: Light

This week's excerpt from In The Cards takes place during a reading for its heroine, Beatrice, as she's trying to find her footing in her new hometown.  The image to the right is from Peter Pracownik's "Dragon Tarot", which is the deck I chose for her new friend and mentor, Louise Mullein.  ​

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            Beatrice glanced down at the tarot spread on the table and wrapped her hands around the tea like a life raft.
            “No, you’re … you’re very right,” she said.  “Go on.  Please.  … You said there was something I needed to be careful of?”
            There were footsteps nearby – uneven, but quiet, and Louise glanced up, distracted for a moment, before continuing.  “Yes.  That’s this card, The Moon.  It generally points to some sort of unseen influence.  It can be a person, a thing, or even a group of people who are having some kind of effect on your life without your knowing it.  It can also be an illusion, or something you’re not seeing clearly.”
             “But isn’t it typically associated with the Goddess?  Shouldn’t the moon be a good thing?”
            “She’s the moon, yes, but think about how different things look in the moonlight, and how much harder it is to see.  Think of all the fairy tales or horror stories where creatures or spells only have power by night, and fade in the light of day.  The dark is where we keep our fears and our secrets.  The Moon is the card that illuminates them and warns us that they’re nearby.”
            “I see.  So – there’s another card that can help me with whatever the darkness is hiding?  That secret or illusion, or whatever?”  Beatrice squirmed forward in her chair, careful not to spill her tea.
            “Yes. There are a few.”  Louise glanced down at the cards again, as there was a soft rustling from one of the herb racks nearby, and the muffled sound of someone coughing.  “I see people who are willing to help you, but you’re going to have to make a very conscious effort to reach out to them and trust them...”

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