Parting the Mists

What a roller coaster week! Yesterday, we thought we were going to be losing our yin and yang kitties: an outdoor black cat named Tommy and my indoor white lovey Gabriel. Tommy had been missing for almost a week and we had just come to the idea that he wouldn’t be back. Gabriel, who is 18 and being treated for renal failure, was acting in a way that made me think it was almost time to let her go. Well, so much for thinking.

This morning, Tommy shows up for breakfast, looking thin and a bit straggly. And Gabriel seems to have perked up quite a bit today. Just goes to show you that sometimes your beliefs and worries get in the way of reality.

Today, I chose the Legend Tarot and was a bit shocked to get the lineup of ladies that we did. With Igraine, Guenevere, and the Lady of the Lake getting our attention, we can bet that though Arthur’s Queen is shown bound here, we have Justice and a sound representative in Igraine at the ready. Look for your helpers or for a way to stand up for yourself and bring justice to your own situation.

Blessings!

Thistle

Eight of Swords – Guenevere at the Stake

Meaning: Feeling b round and trapped. Being held at a disadvantage. Inability to free one’s self from a difficult situation. Having to rely on the judgement of others. Slander, domination, calamity, or regret. Personal effort and courage are needed to take advantage of a. temporary route of escape. Approaching the end of adversity.

Also, senseless tragedy, frustration, ceaseless pressure, or depression. Treachery and betrayal. Unintentionally hurting loved ones. Continuing conflict.

The Card: Golden chains bind the High Queen to her doom.

For the man years that Lancelot and Guenevere were lovers, Arthur had done his best to overlook the affair. Despite the hurt and humiliation, he continued to love his queen and his best friend. Though rumors had circulated there was no proof of adultery, but Mordred set about to change this. By bringing the affair out in the open for all to see, Mordred put the kind in a desperate position. The new religion did not allow the Queen to take lovers, and to do so was considered an offense to the king. Being that Guenevere was the wife of the High King, her betrayal was considered an act of high treason – punishable by death.

Though Arthur did all he could to stall the sentence, Mordred led the people in howls of disgust, demanding that Arthur fulfill his obligation as king. Guinevere was damned to burn at the state.

As the fateful moment arrived and the queen was bound to the stake, Lancelot and his band rushed upon the scene and frantically hacked their way to the queen. Lancelot succeeded in rescuing his beloved and carried her to safety. Guenevere’s life had been saved, but with tragic results. In his frenzy, Lancelot had killed many of his friends, including the much-loved Gareth. The formidable Gawain sought his former friend to avenge the death of his brothers. With this tragedy, blood feuds erupted and split the Fellowship of the Round Table.

Legend: The Arthurian Tarot by Anne-Marie Ferguson