Note: MIPC stands for Magic in Popular Culture and this is a series of posts in which I take a magical belief or practice from a work of fiction such as movies, books, comic books, or tv shows and analyze them against real-world magical beliefs and practices.
The Belief or Ritual
The ritual begins when Madam DeGaulle takes a seat at her reading table where a green glass encased candle is burning next to a small, clear glass of water. She dips what appears to be her middle finger in the glass of water and flicks her finger in the air.
She then passes her right hand over the flame of the candle. Her querent (the person receiving the reading) offers her right hand to Madama DeGaulle, who strokes her client's palm twice and then physically closes the hand. The client pulls her hand close to herself as if holding on to something.
Madame DeGaulle offers the cards to her clients stating, "one question only". The client then cuts the cards into three stacks using the hand that Madame DeGaulle previously stroked while verbally stating her question. Madame DeGaulle then puts the cards back together and reads them according to a spread.
Trade Winds (1993)
Mini-Series
Commentary
First of all, I have had this scene in my head for YEARS but could not remember the name of the tv show or movie that it came from. The only thing I could remember was that I thought it took place at a hotel or resort on an island and one of the main character's names was also Ocean. Recently, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw the opening title for this mini-series that aired on NBC in 1993. What is interesting is that at the time this occurred I was reading a book which instructed the reader to pay attention to coincidences in their lives and write them down. This is the first exercise in consciously manifesting your destiny.
Now to the matter at hand. You can view this scene at the link provided at the top of this entry. It begins at the 1:14:17 mark.
I want to point out that, and maybe you noticed it too, the cards were never actually shuffled. The client cut the cards into three stacks and Madame DeGaulle picked them back up in such a way that whatever order the cards were in before they were cut they were put back together in the exact same order. In addition, Madame DeGaulle isn't using a full deck of cards. In the scene you can clearly see the rest of the deck sitting next to the candle and glass of water. They are partially hidden in the rest of the scene by a white cloth which presumably she wraps her cards in when not in use.
I also want to point out that the during the reading, the cards which appeared on screen were as follows
- Death (this is evident by the skeletal figure shown on screen)
- The Tower
- The 10 of Swords
- Unknown, possibly the 8 of Swords or the 8 of Wands
Finally, the last card is verbally described on screen as the Death Card, however it looks visually similar to images of the Hanged Man and according to the art on the card it is called l'expiation which means atonement.
We can assume that this ritual is something that Madame DeGaulle regularly performs for her clients as the client in this scene needed no instruction to perform her part in the ritual. I also vaguely recall there are other scenes in which Madame DeGaulle read the cards for others prior to which she performs some version of this ritual.
Tarot Rituals act as triggers, which are words or actions which quickly shift your consciousness into a state conducive to reading the cards. Rituals accumulate power and the more times a ritual is perform the more powerful it becomes. This is one of the reasons why we are told not to change a spell or ritual when it is performed because it can diminish its power.
Tarot Rituals can be as simple or as complex as you like. However, in order to be effective, they should also be meaningful. Speaking strictly symbolically, I would venture to say that the candle and water used by Madame DeGaulle represents focus and clarity respectfully. I am not exactly sure of the purpose of stroking the client's palm, however, my intuition tells me that it may serve two purposes. They are 1) it helps the reader connect with the client through physical touch and 2) it reminds the client that the future is in their hands. However, this is my own speculation.
My Tarot Ritual
Even after 30 years of reading the cards, I have a Tarot Ritual. I keep a clear quartz crystal near my reading area for clarity. Before the reading, I say the following prayer:
"Heavenly Father, please provide me with information for my client that is both truthful and will be of assistance to them. I ask that we not only be able to know but also to understand. Amen."
I then anoint my 3rd Eye chakra and my hands with Clarity Oil. Next, I shuffle the cards while I am waiting for my client to come online. I often cut the cards and use this card as the clients significator for the reading. This card usually gives me an idea of what the clients' question or issue is going to be and their perspective regarding their issue or condition.
- Carolina Dean
No comments:
Post a Comment