Playing Your Hand (Solo)

[Blythe]

Summer 11, 511 AV Blythe was sitting cross-legged on top of a lavender-colored cotton sheet at the foot of her bed, her student where she lay her head to rest every night, leaning up against a few pillows. As Daisy prepared herself for her next tarot lesson, Blythe's shadowscapes tarot deck sat in her lap, resting against white cotton cloth; the folds of her long white dress. Blythe smiled sweetly over at her student as she pulled the lid off the top of the tarot deck. "It is good to see you again," she commented, with a rather wide smile, truly meaning what she said, for Daisy was a rather hard-working and dedicated student. A young Konti who had proven to be quite promising, displaying all sorts of potential with the insight and interpretation she gave on each card. Slowly, Blythe flipped the box over and poured the deck into her free hand. In one fluid motion, Blythe put the box down beside her as she rapidly began to shuffle the deck. Then, she pulled one card off the top of the deck and placed it on the bed in front of her. She then took a moment to put the rest of the deck back in the box, and replace the lid. When that was over, she flipped the card over. The card that stared back at Blythe and her student was comprised of all bright, sunny colors. Hot colors. Red, oranges, and yellows, with a hint of brown. The card depicted a tree branch, which held a bird with large, orange and red feathers. The bird had a long neck, which was curled upwards, so that it faced the sunny sky that lingered above it. The bird seemed to scream as it burst into flame, the fire that licked its wings curling into the sky; the sun. The card was upside down. "Now what card is this Daisy?" Blythe questioned her student, knowing that it was stupid so much to ask. That these questions were pointless now; for Daisy recognized them all. "The death card in reverse," came her student's simple reply. Blythe nodded. "And what does it signify?" she asked. Daisy took a moment to clear her throat, and pull her long blonde bangs out of her face; tucking them neatly behind her ear. "Generally speaking, the card tends to refer to how the one being read is trying to resist some sort of inevitable change. Like growing up for example, or death itself. The person could also be delaying or avoiding the end of something. Oftentimes, this only prolongs the person's pain." Blythe nodded, her lavender-colored eyes flashing pleasantly, willing the girl to continue her description. "It often represents worry and distress- usually about something that the one being read fears or considers harmful to them or others in some way. The one being read may also feel as though they are being plagued by something," Daisy finished, glancing at her teacher with eyes that looked as though they could burst into tears at any moment. And that was the problem- Daisy always needed approval from her peers; unable to trust in her vast knowledge of things. Unable to trust that what she already knew was enough. Perhaps, that was why Blythe still taught her. Blythe nodded. "Very good Daisy," she began, before pausing for a moment. "Now, if you were giving a single card reading for a client and had been asked to look into whether or not they would enjoy moving in with their spouse after having been wed, what would you say?" Blythe inquired. "I would say that they are having mixed feelings about moving in in the first place," Daisy began. "On the one hand, they may wish to grow up and move out and start a family of their own, but on the other, they may fear the commitment. They may fear the unknown or the expectations their spouse may have for them- about getting and maintaining a job, or having children. All the responsibility that having children entails- feeding them, and clothing them, keeping them sheltered from the world for example." There was a slight pause, "they want to mature, but they don't want to deal with everything that maturing entails. Perhaps some things, yes, but not everything. There is something holding them back, something they fear so much that they don't want to continue on their journey." Blythe nodded, "continue." OOCSorry, I thought I'd change it up to more lessons this season, just to have a variety.

[Blythe]

"It seems as though they would struggle to find enjoyment after having moved in with their spouse," Daisy continued. "Perhaps they are finding that certain issues they had while going through the courting process have not been addressed, and are continuing to plague the one being read. Whether that be a nervous twitch in their partner, or perhaps a tendency to become easily irritated for example... or perhaps they are being plagued by their own negative thoughts about their partner. Perhaps a belief of theirs in which they think their partner will commit adultery, or that their partner would be better off with someone else. Someone who could be a better provider, or caretaker for their future children," Daisy went on. Blythe simply nodded, "and what if you were told that the person did not fear the added commitment of living together? That they had already spent some time living in close quarters with their spouse, simply to test things out, to see if they would be a good match? If their relationship was something that could stand the tests of time, and work in the long run?" she asked. Daisy paused for a moment, as though considering how best to respond. "Then I would say that perhaps the person was not being truly honest with themselves and their emotions. That perhaps, there was something about the relationship that made them a little uneasy or nervous, but they didn't want to admit that to themselves." "And what reason would you suggest for such behavior?" Blythe inquired. "Perhaps their family was very fond of the match, or something of the sort," Daisy responded. Blythe gave a slight nod, her eyes sparkling. "Now why would you make such an interpretation?" Blythe questioned. "Do you honestly believe that most people would fear marriage simply because they feel inadequate? Or something about their partner is eating away at them? Something small?" Blythe went on. "Or do you think they would choose to look past all of that at the good within their partner? That they would ignore all of that, because in the end, their partner was someone they hoped to spend the rest of their life with?" "No, I don't think they'd necessarily fear it," came Daisy's reply. Her voice somewhat soft and uncertain. "I think perhaps, they'd be uneasy about it. Second guess it, doubt that it will last. But not truly fear in such a way as to cause them distress... it's not the sort of fear one would encounter when they find themselves facing a large group of slavers, all armed with the best weapons known to this world... it's more of a worry, than anything else. A sort of unease that simply will not vanish, no matter how much one tries to reason with themselves." "And the rest of the question?" Blythe prompted. "They would look past those things, if they truly loved their partner," Daisy replied without hesitation. Blythe nodded, simply taking note of how her student's voice wavered. How uncertain and scared she looked. "Now Daisy, why would you give a response you do not feel?" Blythe asked. "Why give an interpretation you are not so sure you believe?" Daisy shook her head, indicating that she did not know, or rather, that she had not meant to do such a thing. "Daisy, when you give a reading for someone, you don't necessarily have to believe the things you are saying. You do not have to agree with the cards. But, you must be confident in your interpretation of them. For if you doubt yourself, so will your client. And in turn, both of you will come to doubt the cards; to mistrust the things they can tell you." "Yes Blythe, that is true," Daisy replied. Blythe smiled weakly, as though to reassure her student. "Lets try this again, from a little past the beginning." Her voice was soft, sweet-sounding. "What if you were asked why the one being read would not wish to be honest with themselves? Why they would try to hide their emotions? Do you think that they would mask their true form; in order to create someone or something their spouse was more likely to enjoy?" Blythe inquired. "Or do you think that after having spent so much time with their partner, after having taken the time to fall in love with them, that they'd know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they may be themselves around them?"

[Blythe]

Daisy was silent for a long time, before she finally replied, "because they feared the truth for some reason. Perhaps they saw the truth as more harmful to their person than some sort of fabrication. Or perhaps it was simply more difficult for them to feel that way- say they felt guilty when they realized that they were not yet in a place where they wanted to move in with their partner, and start a life together with them. But their partner was more than ready, and seemed really excited to get going, or perhaps even their parents were pushing the match?" Daisy suggested. There was only a slight pause, just enough time for Daisy to catch her breath before she continued speaking, "I don't think anyone should mask their true form. Although, that doesn't mean that people wouldn't mask it." Blythe nodded, "especially when they wanted a certain person to like them. If they wanted to get something out of them for example- money, a certain sense of richness and security." Daisy's eyes sparkled; excited her teacher had understood. "Yes, a person could easily change the way they dressed or applied makeup for example in order to help seduce a person, or appeal more to their tastes in the very least... but they could also pretend to like certain things their partner likes as well, so it seems as though they have more in common." "But let us say that is not the case; that the person truly loved their partner... do you think they would still feel any reason to hide, or mask themselves?" Blythe asked. "Well no, if someone truly loved someone, then they should feel more than comfortable enough to share their true selves with them. They should know that if the person truly loves them back, they will accept themselves no matter what," Daisy replied. "And do you think it possible that one would choose to simply conceal portions of themselves?" Blythe asked, "in order to protect their partner?" "What do you mean?" Daisy asked. "Well what if a woman had spent the larger portion of her life as a prostitute. That is a job of a rather delicate nature in a way, is it not? Surely, some husbands would have an issue with their wife having slept with several other men for money?" Blythe went on. "Perhaps... yes, it is reasonable to say that some may hide a portion of themselves from their lover," Daisy added, somewhat uneasily, seemingly unsure of Blythe's line of questioning, where she was going with this. "How do you think what we just discussed relates to the card? About wanting to hide a small portion of oneself?" Blythe inquired, her eyes sparkling as she tilted her head slightly to the side, and awaited her student's answer. "I... I don't know," Daisy responded. "To use your words, the death card in reverse often represents worry and distress- usually about something that the one being read fears or considers harmful to them or others in some way. The one being read may also feel as though they are being plagued by something," Blythe began. "If we were trying to apply the last example about the prostitute to the card, one could suggest that the one being read, the prostitute herself, feels as though that information will be harmful to her husband in some way. Perhaps it will hurt his pride, his view of her as a person. Perhaps she will view it as something that will make him see less of her since she had to do such a thing for money." There was a slight pause, "she could also be plagued by horrible memories of her worst nights at work. The most unruly or generally rude clients, things like that." Daisy nodded, as Blythe clapped her hands lightly together. "Very good Daisy, very good work for the day. Now, it's getting late, so why don't you get home to your family, and I'll see you again in a week or two for your next lesson?" Daisy smiled weakly, "ok Blythe," she replied as she pushed herself off the bed. "Just remember to study at home- do a few practice readings, just as in-depth as you did today. Considering all the things a client may ask of you. Interpret as deeply as you can. It should help you build your confidence, to help you understand the cards even more so than you already do." Daisy nodded, as she silently walked out the door, her long blue dress fluttering behind her. Hopefully she remembers, Blythe thought as she scooped up the death card and put it back in the box with the others, before getting off her bed and moving on with her day.

[Cachet]

Blythe SKILLS Fortune Telling: 4 Teaching: 4 LORE Teaching a promising student Explaining context (Tarot Cards) Explaining Dual Meaning (Tarot Cards) Misc Notes: Good thread I especially liked reading through the tarot card meanings. Especially liked how well Blythe explained everything in context. I don't know a whole lot about Tarot myself but I feel that you are teaching me in your threads as well...which is awesome. In all a wonderful thread that was indeed fun and enjoying to read; and a pleasure to grade. Anything seem out of place? Any questions please feel free to contact me ASAP.