Flemish – Tarotoria

Silly Bacchus

To avoid charges of blasphemy and being burned at the stake tarot makers of Belgian tradition have replaced the Pope (Hierophant) and Papesse (High Priestess) with Bacchus and Captain Fracasse respectively.

When I discovered and fell in love with Belgian decks – Adam C de Hautot , Gerard Bodet and Vandenborre – I wondered if I would interpret Bacchus as Pope. After all a drunk monk was a part of folklore from the times immemorial, and wine represented spirituality quite often in poetry and fairy tales.

But looking at the card I can’t help but smile. He is funny. And that’s the keyword my mentor Elias gave me for this card – Silly.

An impromptu party

Let’s invite new people to the table. You got to roll the dice to win. Boom. Was it wine or lightening that lit up the tree? In the large scheme of things you are famous – irreplaceable and indispensable – so have another drink on the house!

Friends of the whales

To help our whale friends (and because we could) we messed with the whalers and fooled them.

We appeared as a bolt from the blue and outsmarted them, we cut their virtual nets and got out intact.

Together, as a team, we taunted them, drove them mad and thus we threw magic seeds into their souls, on a good soil.

The Wheel

One is born with a number,

Faithfully following their lot year after year, as designed.

Till a subtle longing grows into a presence, a new awareness.

And, no longer a caged bird, one can actually cut the branch they were standing on.