The Devil's Chasin' Me

I've got the black heart of Texas,

I've got the Devil's horns

- Count Lyle, Killer In Texas

There's a light

In the darkness

Of everybody's life

-Richard O'Brien, Over At The Frankenstein Place

That's what I'm talking about! I stumbled across this little gem on Rhapsody- it's actually pretty good, featuring bands I've never heard of- well, that's a good thing about the Internet, I think- finding out new things you didn't know existed. At any rate, that's a newer model hearse than my dream ride, but still, I like the paint job- looks so familiar...

At any rate, things are about par for the course, but I did a pretty interesting reading this afternoon, and figured I'd share the results. They don't really much apply to anyone else but me, but that's okay. A part of writing this is to try and make sense out of a chaotic world.

For this reading I used the Deviant Moon Tarot, seeming to fit in well with the whole rockabilly revival thing that seems to have caught me up the last few days- the title of this entry is one of the cooler Rev. Horton Heat songs out there. At any rate, it has weird images, that, in usual fashion, make a good deal of sense to me. One thing I noticed was that most if not all of the characters shown in the suit of Pentacles are either fully or partially mechanical, if you can picture that. But this struck me, as sometimes the physical world can be manipulated to our own ends- in other words, like we manipulate the raw materials into machines to work for us.

The first card I turned over was the 9 of Pentacles- a sense of completion, of foundation- but there could be more. Covering this (it's a Celtic Cross spread) was the Hanged Man- a time of changing perspectives, of perhaps a development of new understanding- not necessarily an easy one, but nonetheless, a necessary one. This seems to make a good deal of sense- things have come to pass, but there's still more to do- more can be done, as a matter of fact. It's just a question of releasing old patterns and habits- not always an easy task!

The next card was in the Past position, and was the Hermit. The Hermit tells me here of a chapter of my life drawing to a close- there was a time to be alone, to examine and understand the things that needed examination- to master oneself, you might say. Now that time is over. The time to move forwards, to put that knowledge to use, is now.

In the next position, the Foundation, was what has brought me up to this point so far. Here was the 5 of Cups- something lost, but what really matters preserved. I really wish I could find a picture of this card to put up here, the artist really outdid himself on this one. It's an absolute riot, showing two figures on a patio-like area- one, wearing an apron, is haranguing a browbeaten-looking figure with his fingers in his ears, while in the foreground three cups have fallen, leaving two standing on the patio railing. I could make some comment here, but those in the know will already get the joke. Well, that definitely led up to the current situation! But in a broader sense, here is the sense of things worth preserving remaining- some things have fallen away, and some more things may still need to give way before this chapter closes.

The next card indicates the Near Future- here was the 4 of Swords, telling of a time to wait- build up a solid offensive before charging into battle. In a lot of ways, this is what I feel like I've been doing- planning a strategy on how to approach this problem. But an important thing to remember is, strike while the iron is hot- don't miss your opportunity through over-planning. Sun Tzu said something to the effect of a man who knows himself and knows his enemy both can never be defeated. Interesting.

The next card in this spread completes the cross, and represents aspirations- here is the Queen of Swords- an intelligent and charming woman- relationships and other people are important to her. Now whoever could that be? And in a position I aspire to be at? Hmmm, that's a real puzzler. Tabatha sometimes shares my suit- Swords, I mean, not an article of clothing, ha ha.

The seventh position also relates to the future- here was the 7 of Cups, and the King of Pentacles. The 7 tells of a time of choice- of seeing many different possibilities, but at the same time being able to see through illusion and make the right choice. The King represents a man of means- again, here in this deck the King is wearing, or is encased in, some manner of mechanical armor. The King represents a wise use of energy and resources- he's the Harvester, (in this case maybe an International Harvester? Couldn't resist). But the message of the King is reaping a harvest in this world- having worked towards an end, the King now lays claim to that which he has created, and that which he has earned through his work. Seems like things will be coming to completion soon- I'm glad.

The eighth position tells of hopes and fears- here was the Knight of Pentacles, and the 6 of Cups. This is kind of an odd combination, I thought. Knights represent the understanding of their mastery- in this case, working towards an end. Pentacles are related to Earth- growth, building up, that kind of thing. The Knight has a knowledge of how this process works, but not even he can hurry it along. The Six coupled with this tells me of a return to the way things were- almost like the way forwards is the way back. Though only in some sense- things are working towards an end, but though that end may seem like the past, it's not- it draws on something long-standing and enduring, but is not the past all over again.

Now in the ninth position, the hidden influences on this situation are shown. Here is the King of Wands, and the Ace of Cups. The King tells of leadership- either this is a person who can offer advice or counsel, or me myself, some latent characteristics- perhaps not going down without a fight- well, ideally not going down at all, but never giving up is a part of this. The Ace tells of a lot of potential- I take this pairing to indicate that there's a good deal of potential, luck and positive energy here- I just need to figure out how to tap into it, how to bring it from potential to actuality. Story of my life.

The tenth and final position tells of the outcome- things look pretty favorable here- the cards here were the Three of Pentacles and the Knight of Swords. The Three represents laying the groundwork for something great and enduring, and the Knight, well, the Knight represents the time to attack. More than any other card in the deck, this Knight represents motion, using his sharp mind to cut through anything that stands in his way, internal or external. (yeah, I know, lots of sword analogies there, but you get what I mean). So combined with the Four of Swords previously, as well as many of the other indicators here, I see how this is a message of marshal the troops, we're going to war. This is of two parts, first to get all the ducks in a row, then second to march them out. This first should not take forever, and the second can't be rushed into. All in all, things are unfolding- this seems to be a consistent message for me across the board. Keep doing what you're doing, and you'll know when the time is right to press forward. Victory is almost assured- but first you have to draw your sword.