At the time, the topic and question at hand in those days of
youth were most likely linked to and associated with a girl, while the
wished-for relationship did not materialize – it very rarely did - the fact
that there and then I became acquainted with the beautiful and astounding world of Tarot was a spectacle and an unforgettable event in and of itself. This
passion and boundless love of mine for cartomancy continues to this day and
beyond. In fact, I could not and cannot imagine a life without cards – and no,
rest assured, gambling has never been my thing, at least not yet.
My French teacher had struck a chord and lit a match, which
sparked a torch with the burning light of wonder and curiosity, and he even told me
to which bookstore to go to buy my very own guidebook and deck of cards. To
this day, I proudly possess the same book, and this is the reason why my
readings since then have involved some translating and juxtaposing from German
into the preferred language of choice, be it Farsi, Spanish, or English.
Immediately, I put the Tarot cards to the test, and from the
age of sixteen onwards, I have been doing off-and-on readings for myself and
for a select group of others, family, and close friends. With each reading, my
faith in it has grown exponentially although I must confess that I do not
always follow its advice (though I know I should). The readings are all not as
fatalistic as many assume them to be they rarely tell me point-blank what will
happen but rather give me an overall picture of trends, circumstances, and
potential outcomes.
The secret ingredient that glues it all together is my self
and my own actions. If I take this particular course of action, the following path
will unfold, and I would get from here to there. And if I do not, I will get
somewhere else. It is like a wise friend or parent who gives you heartfelt
advice, but it is up to you to heed it or not. In fact, in various cases,
friends have chosen not to divulge the topic or wish in question and halfway through
I already knew not only the question but also the best possible answer to their
issue or dilemma.
All this increased my curiosity about its close cousins, such
as the I Ching, Eastern philosophy, and mysticism. And then, some years later,
as an undergraduate student in Canada, I saw a movie that impressed me. It was
the Jules-Verne-inspired The Green Ray (Le rayon vert) by the
wonderful master filmmaker Eric Rohmer whom I continue to hold very close to my
heart ever since I saw my first film of his L’ami de mon amie, awkwardly
translated as Boyfriends and Girlfriends. Although The Green Ray is
not my favorite film of his, there was a certain scene that caught my eye and
once again lit the torch of curiosity deep inside of me.
The main protagonist would occasionally find seemingly random
playing cards on the street. And yet, these cards would always serve as
soothsayers especially to her who knew the hidden meaning and the personal message
that they transmitted to her. What others would see as a mere coincidence or
happenstance, she knew to be a spiritual whisper and echo of truth; based on
the specific meaning of the card, she would know what the near future would
have in store for her and what her best action would be. All of this leads to a
flash of blissful insight at the end of the film brightening not only the
horizon but enlightening the recesses of her troubled soul.
My immediate thoughts after seeing the movie? Would it not
be grand if I could also find cards on the street? I was aware of the
connection and correlation between the regular playing cards and the cards of
the Tarot and would be able to interpret them accordingly. And to my surprise
and wonder, my wish was granted and ever since that day I have found literally
hundreds of cards even across different cities, countries, and continents! And
not only myself, but friends and family members have had the great fortune to do
so as well and to call me up about specific meanings and interpretations.
Is it magic? Of course, it is! Is it crazy and insane? You
bet! Out-of-your-mind crazy and bonkers to boot!
At times, I would be hesitant to mention this to people as
they would either think that I was raving mad or that I was lying and either
one of those choices did not sit too well with me. That may be part of the
reason why I would pick up the cards whenever possible and take them home with
me; as a result, I have now a stack of random cards that I tend to use as
bookmarks. But if people find it hard to believe, I understand and sympathize but
whether we see or believe it or not, there is indeed more to the world than is
apparent to the eye.
Over more than thirty years, they have given me the heads
up, the thumbs up, or the lowdown of what was to come in my future - near and
far - and that has helped me to be better prepared for everything and anything
coming my way. The best thing would be that it would occur sporadically and
spontaneously. There would be a period of time when I would find different
cards one following upon the other and sometimes even half a deck. Then, it
would be quiet, and I would ask myself “I wonder when I will find another one.”
And at other times, I would seek guidance and wish and hope to find something
to tell me where I was at and what would be coming my way. I find finding cards
to be more organic in nature as opposed to doing an intentional reading for
myself. Sometimes I would have to be patient and wait for a while until I found
another one.
Countless decisions have been made and supported by a lucky
card found at crucial and sometimes life-changing moments in my life. For
instance, when I first met my wife, I found a very fortunate and uplifting card
on the streets of Mexico (the wonderful nine of coins!) giving me the proverbial
green light or ray. I knew then that she would be the right choice, my life
partner and hopefully partner for life.
It is not always clear and smooth sailing in life,
relationships, and cartomancy. On the contrary, when they are warning me of
coming misfortune and impending doom, I have accepted it with a heavy but
grateful heart. At least it would not come to me as a complete surprise. And
that way, I would be better prepared and equipped to deal with the given issue
or misfortune.
The most baffling cards I found on the street were actual
Tarot cards. A few years back, I found The World card. Now this is doubly
awesome and astounding. First, the card came in French, a nod to three
French-inspired instances in my life: one, my German French teacher; second,
the wonderful aforementioned French filmmaker, and third, my main livelihood is
teaching French, the field I have intensely and intensively studied for years
at school and at university.
The final “coincidence”? If you don’t already know – you arrived
on a random click, got here by accident, or were just curious about cards and
cartomancy - then take a quick peek at the title of this blog. I found the
cards years after this blog’s creation and my blog has been my heart and soul
for all these years and has even become and turned into a podcast since the
pandemic. This is my world, which I like to share with you and with your world.
May it also light a torch deep within you at best, and at the very least, may
it be a source of entertainment and some food or snack for thought.
And now that you have read this, keep your eyes peeled on
the road. Just recently, my son has found his own first couple of cards (one of
them is depicted here as a photo!). I find it a blessing. I cannot explain it,
nor do I understand who would “lose” or put all these cards on the ground but
they have been both meaningful and very helpful and always reassuring. Next
time you find a card and believe me you will, then drop
me line to tell me about it, and if you need guidance in terms of meaning and
interpretation, do not hesitate to ask, and I would most gladly oblige.
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