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Divine intervention

by Practicer 

Posted: 13 November 2019
Word Count: 589
Summary: For the Judgement flash fiction challenge.


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Firstly, because he did not know what to do with his life, a client went to a tarot reader. The tarot reader told the client that he had the gift, he could look into the future. 
 The client got himself a deck of Tarot cards with an instruction manual. He memorised the meanings of the entire deck. When he had arrived at laying out spreads, he became terribly frustrated because he was stuck beyond the definition of the words of each card. He chucked the cards onto the floor. The Emperor fell face up. He didn´t think , but decided to find a tarot teacher. Now he became an apprentice. His Tarot teacher suggested he let  his focus flow onto the images, and let the words come.  The apprentice practiced during lessons, but felt he was no good. However, the Fool would pop out frequently. His tarot teacher would say
´ You´re not Aw- fool, try again´. 
Once, the Justice card fell out , Th apprentice felt that he had been Court- out .
The tarot teacher agreed and added. 
It Just- ice what it is, let it be . 
  Soon The apprentice was ready to start up as a practicing Tarot reader.  So he placed an advert in a newsagent, Tarot readings, for a small donation, call this number.
He was astonished when the next day his phone rang.   A lady required a tarot reading A.S.A.P.
When the practicing tarot reader awoke on the day of his first professional tarot reading, the Magician popped into his mind. The practicing Tarot reader, recalled that his Tarot teacher had said, the Magician compels you to be honest , use what you have got. However, The Hierophant also decided to turn up, indicating that the practicing tarot reader was prone to preaching and sermons. 
 Part of the practicing tarot readers preparations, was to wrap the deck in a silk cloth, which would also be used to lay the spreads upon.  With twenty minutes to go before his client arrived, he removed all the items off the dining table , he would use for the reading. The items consisted of magazines, books , and a vase with a red rose submerged in water. He put the magazines under the table, but the vase, he placed on the most convenient flat surface , which happened to be a window ledge. 
 
The clients Tarot reading was going smoothly, he answered questions covering all aspects of life. 
Just when he thought the reading was over, the window blew open. He got up to close it. 
´ Leave it ! ´, said the client , ´ I can feel it too´, she continued, as she put her right palm on top of the back of the practicing tarot readers hand. 
She then turned over a random card , it was Judgement. 
´ So what does it mean ? ´, she asked, looking disappointed. 
´Trial and error, perhaps, or you  have been weighing up your relationship with your soul mate. 
´Don´t you feel it too, the reason I have come here, waited all my life , for this moment´, she said 
´Woah!  I didn´t see that coming´, replied the tarot reader. 
´Turn that card over , the one closest to you´, she urged him. 
The practicing tarot reader, duly obliged. It was the card of the Lovers. 
In the middle of  the card, two figures were interlinked by  a rose, submerged in the water of life, or was it a heart. 
´It´s our destiny´, she gushed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 






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Comments by other Members



V`yonne at 14:02 on 16 November 2019  Report this post
I like that laugh One piece of advice though when writing is to always give the character a name. I always find that when I give them a name they automatically become real to me and it helps the reader too. So with this go through and change all the 'he's to Arthur or whoever you imagine him to be -- a name that suits him. The reread it and see how much that improves it. It might even further the story a bit.

You seem to know your way round a Tarot deck yes

Practicer at 14:23 on 16 November 2019  Report this post
Thank you for your feedback. 
I was still re drafting the two others stories I have recently uploaded, but I was getting stuck. Then the Judgement challenge arose. The tarot idea came to mind and I couldn´t resist uploading a new story.

It is great advice, much appreciated.  With Christmas approaching, I´ll probably slow down on the uploads and get re writing at least one of the stories.

Jojovits1 at 12:30 on 17 November 2019  Report this post
Who needs E Harmony when you have a tarot deck, eh? wink  Knowing my luck, I'd get the Tower!

I enjoyed this and think it would lend itself to a longer piece with the ending unfolding more.  If you do decide to work on it further (with Oonah's idea), it would be really interesting to see how it develops.

.



 

Nicholas Nice at 14:03 on 17 November 2019  Report this post
I really appreciated the plot. As other feedback has indiicated, there's scope to deepen characterisation and that was my feeling too - probably going beyond giving them names. My other feeling was that it needed editing. I am a bit obsessive about editing myself but even so, this could be improved a lot by carefully going over it. My advice (for what it's worth) is to start by taking out the first word and definitely the last two. (Ediitng sometimes involves adding words but most of the time it's a matter of taking them out.)

Bazz at 18:27 on 17 November 2019  Report this post
A neat, fun little story. I think it maybe it moves a little too fast, and there's a little bit of editing required, but the plot's solid, and the ending has a neat delivery to it. I agree naming the main character would help connect us to him.

My advice (for what it's worth) is to start by taking out the first word and definitely the last two. (Ediitng sometimes involves adding words but most of the time it's a matter of taking them out.)

Great advice :)

Practicer at 08:25 on 18 November 2019  Report this post
Thank you for the comments.

Masha471 at 09:48 on 08 December 2023  Report this post
This passage perfectly illustrates the metamorphosis of a man who, tormented by the uncertainty of his own path, discovers hidden talents in himself through the art of reading the Tarot. It is unusual to see a novice tarot reader go through experiences as transformative as his clients. The process of studying the cards, which at first seems painful due to the literalism in interpretations, ultimately emphasizes the importance of intuition and symbolism, which is the key to accurate tarot reading.  

The fact that the Magician and the Hierophant appear in his thoughts on the eve of the seance hints at the importance of combining personal power and wisdom before any divination. It is interesting that the embodiment of the Court and the Lovers in a dialogue with the client predicts some important turning point. This could be an accident, but the meticulousness in preparing for a reading - both physical and spiritual - shows that nothing in the art of Tarot happens by chance.

Watching a student become a master is inspiring and a reminder that each of us can discover hidden abilities within ourselves. The moment when the client decides not to close the window and subsequently draws the Judgment card seems unique to me because it awakens a feeling of unity with the moment and the flow of fate. You can practically feel how a thin thread of intuition leads to the opening of new horizons, both for the tarot reader and for the client.

The announcement of "Tarot readings for a small donation" emphasizes the idea of accessibility of this ancient practice. I like that the book emphasizes that the main thing in Tarot is not to gain profit, but to support others on their journey in life. And as reflected in this passage, moments of insight often come when our expectations are minimal and our openness to the world is maximum.
 
 
 



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