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Will there be chapter 2? I need more details !! The story gives me chills 🥹🥹
At first, I kept seeing the image of the Moon in the RWS Tarot, full yet crescent, and I thought there's no way two Moon cards, right?
Two Empresses! What are the odds? Imagine the pressure on the Princess. Maybe the Empress energy is what I need right now.
Thank you so much for taking your time and energy to tell such a beautiful story, I hope we get to see more of it in the future 🌌
Tarot Story for @fishnapple
@fishnapple Thank you so much for joining me in this new experiment 🙏 I'm excited and curious what will come out, and how you will receive it :)
I plan to pull 3 cards from my 3 main decks, Thoth, Hermetic and RWS, and then just do some semi-automatic writing, with the intention of a short story to emerge. Let's go!
*shuffling*
(I put which cards I pulled at the end)
Having two mothers can be a blessing, and a curse. The princess was dragging her rusty sword behind her after a long day of fighting practice, and tried not to think too hard about the upcoming conversation at the dinner table. Despite her efforts to expel any energy that could manifest into a filial tantrum (the wooden figures on the training ground, hacked into rough splinters, bore witness to that) she still felt like a dry fuse next to a bonfire.
She was convinced that a father present would understand instinctively why she can't give in any longer. Why she was thankful for her rage, for it was giving her the necessary force to break what suffocated her. She was more than willing to accept any collateral damage on either side. Her vision was clear, her path free, her capabilities on par, so why hold back? Her grip around the sword tightened, her breath fanning the ember closer to the fuse.
She knew that her lack of effort to close the door silently behind her would haunt her not too far into the future, but she had passed the moment of lucidity to choose her actions according to peace. Now all there was left was the reality of her anger. The reality of the Queens, with their relentless prayers about forgiveness. And the infuriating pull she felt on her heartstrings anytime she had provoked them to recite it. It was slowing her down, robbing her of her vigor, and she hated them for it. A hate that was disturbing home life for quite some time now.
"Didn't the rain bother you?" The elegant timbre of the Moon Queen carried effortlessly across the hallway. Somehow, it was always hard to tell from which room her voice came from. This time was no different. The princess threw her sword in a corner, hearing only taunting in the question. Anything seemed to be an attack on her abilities and judgement these days. Even silence. She felt trapped, constantly. Today, she would break free for good. Today, she won't be swayed again. Enough is enough.
The lack of reply didn't register tangibly with the Moon Queen, but she rarely showed reactivity to open affronts like these. With slow steps, straining with the attempt to gain some calmness, the princess inched closer to the dining room. She whispered to herself: "It is yours. They can't take it. This is yours…" As soon as she stood in the doorframe, two heads, one framed with silver hair, the other full of golden curls, turned towards her, meeting her with the same loving gaze that used to be everything she had to know when she had been cooing in the cradle, looking up to the benevolent Gods of her world. What used to be a source of safety, now felt like a prison, where the only escape was to become the villain she strived to defeat as long as she was able to set a conscious intention.
"We're having duck today", the Solar Queen sang as her only daughter pulled back a chair. "Your favorite!" The princess stared at one of her empty glasses.
"You should've taken a coat with you", the Moon Queen said as she studied the hue of her child's face. "You need warmth for good circulation."
Nobody had seen an arm move, but the shattering at the wall was proof enough that the empty glass had been thrown. The fuse was lit ablaze. Nothing other than a scream was possible.
"IF YOU BELIEVE IN PEACE SO MUCH, THEN WHY DO I HAVE TO FIGHT YOU EVERY DAY?"
Her panting was the only sound for a while after that. The silence in the kitchen next door was telling. Everything had frozen, except the Queens' faces. They looked at each other with a mixture of sorrowful recognition and subtle determination, like they had to tell a lamb about wolfs. The Solar Queen was fidgeting with a corner of her napkin, lost in thought it seemed, but after feeling the Moon Queen's hand on top of hers, she exuded nothing but clear focus and called for one of the servants, her voice like golden bells. The princess furrowed her brows in confusion; the usual rhythm of their evenings so far had been tantrum, pacification, counter-tantrum, philosophical discussion about right and wrong, final tantrum to leave the table. What had changed?
With a swift stride, a heavy wooden chest was placed next to her dish. It was longer than her arm, and her bepuzzlement left enough room for her to feel sorry watching the man trying his best to seem unbothered by the acidic athmosphere. He retracted backwards, which would have seemed silly in any other circumstances, but he managed to make it look appropriate. She looked back at her mothers. Another nonverbal encouragement was exchanged between them, and this time, the Moon Queen spoke.
"The swordsmith finished it this morning, about an hour after you had left. It should serve you well."
Watching the clouds of suspicion break into a dawn of delight on her daughter's face was like a soothing balm on a nasty burn right on her heart. The tears started to well up in all of their faces, for different reasons, but also the very same ones. It was finally over.
"What made you change your mind?", the princess sniffled as she finally dared to lay hands on her treasure chest, tracing the hinges with her thumbs.
The Queens smiled at each other, not without a hint of humor. They may or may not had practiced saying it in unison.
"Peace and forgiveness."
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The cards were truly magical, I pulled one of each deck, face down, and revealed them slowly. The Empress, The Princess of Swords, and... The Empress again! The sheer mathematical probability is astounding to me. First I thought there would be abstract themes showing up I had to somehow craft into the rhythm or maybe even moral of the story, but this spread read like "These are your protagonists, go!" Intimidating at first, but it was a great exercise to see what a positive mindset can accomplish.
I am very curious about your feedback, please don't hold back and let me know. I'm super nervous but also feel revitalized in an ancient part of me. Thank you again for making this experience possible for me, it means more than I can say! 🙏🦋
I may have misunderstood your message. Sorry about that.
Hope you are doing well.