Page 8 of Grimoires & Glamoury

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I’ve been invited to a meeting today,” I explained and filled her in.

Circe blinked in surprise. “You’re telling me that Charles Montgomery actually came down to Five Points South?”

“He did.”

“The grand high poobah decided to go slumming, eh?” Circe asked.

I chuckled at her description. “I’m not sure what he’s up to, Circe,” I said quietly. “That’s why I’m asking you to take a look for me.”

With a nod, Circe reached under her front counter and drew out a purple velvet bag that held her tarot cards. Deftly she pulled the cards free and shuffled them. Then she divided the stack of cards into three piles and placed them face down on the counter.

“This is the fastest way to find out what we most need to know,” she said, flipping over the top card from the stack on the left.

Circe used a different deck and card spread than I, but that was fine with me. I preferred getting her insight, not arguing against my own intuition and what I wanted to see as opposed to what was. Reading the tarot for yourself is never easy.

“Eight of Swords,” she said, pointing to the first card that showed a woman standing within a circle of swords that were thrust into the ground. “Restriction or feeling trapped is the classic definition of this card. However, see how the woman has her arms bound behind her back and is blindfolded?”

I leaned closer to study the image. “Yes.”

“Well in this deck, the Eight of Swords also can mean fear of initiation or the unknown.”

“And in traditional Wiccan initiation ceremonies,” I said, “the dedicant is led to the edge of the ritual circle, hands bound, blindfolded, and challenged.”

“It is better to rush upon this blade than enter the circle with fear in your heart...” Circe repeated the Wiccan initiation challenge.

“Okay.” I nodded.

Turning over the next card from the center stack, Circe continued. “Here we have the Three of Pentacles. Which symbolizes hard work and success through dedication. For me this card typically represents an apprentice of the occult.”

I considered her words. That tracked. Montgomery did run a lodge of ceremonial magicians. “Go on,” I told her.

Circe flipped the final card which was The High Priestess. “Why am I not surprised?” she said with a half smile. “The High Priestess, a woman of magickal power and wisdom. She sits dead center between a dark and a light pillar not leaning toward either. She is neutral, calm and clever.” She tapped the card with one long dark fingernail. “Obviously this is you, in your role as the Magistra.”

“And overall, what do you see?” I asked her.

“My first impression would be a Witch or a student of the magickal arts who is struggling with their studies. They feel frightened, trapped, or perhaps blocked. Maybe ‘held back’ is a better description—and so they are turning to The High Priestess for advice.”

On one hand I appreciated Circe’s insight, and on the other the tarot reading frustrated me. Charles Montgomery would never come to me for help with a student. Or perhaps he was hoping to use this as a way to open the conversation to talk about something else?

“I’m sorry the reading didn’t give you the answers you were looking for,” Circe said, scooping up the cards from the countertop.

“It’s not that,” I said quickly. “I truly appreciate the reading. It honestly wasn’t the outcome I had expected...I was figuring either deception or lies. Shocking news type of thing.”

Circe grinned. “Oh, like the Seven of Swords, or The Tower?”

“Yeah.” I adjusted my glasses as I thought it over.

“Don’t ya hate it when the tarot gets all sneaky?” she said, slipping the cards back into the velvet bag.

On cue, a lone card fell from her grasp and landed face down on the counter.

My eyes flashed to hers. Hers went straight to mine.

“I suppose,” Circe began, “the tarot cards decided you needed a bit more insight after all.”

“Let’s see,” I said and flipped over that lone card.