Well, ain’t this somethin’? They call it “Folklore Tarot”. What in tarnation is that, you ask? It’s cards, pictures on ’em, like. But not like the ones you play Go Fish with, no sir. These ones are supposed to tell you stuff, like fortunes or somethin’.
Now, they say these here cards got stories on ’em. Myth-o-logical stuff, whatever that means. Stories from all over, not just from down the road. Seems everyone got their own tales, but they all kinda say the same things. Just like how every town’s got a gossip, but they all talk about the same kinda trouble.
What’s on them cards anyway?
Pictures, mostly. Gods and spirits and who knows what else. They say each one means somethin’. Like, one might mean you’re gonna find a lucky penny, another might mean your cow’s gonna get loose. Don’t rightly know if I believe it, but folks swear by it.
- There’s this fella named Paxton. He got stuck in an elevator with one of these cards, “The Fool” they call it. Scared him silly, apparently. Just some picture, but it got him all worked up. Good thing his roommate found him, or who knows what woulda happened.
- Seems these card thingies can chase ya, or somethin’. Paxton’s card, it was after him. But then someone else showed up and it just went away. Like a scaredy cat runnin’ off when you turn on the porch light.
They say these cards can tell ya the future. Like, if you’re gonna marry that rich fella down the road or if your crops are gonna fail. But, I ain’t so sure. Never seen a card tell me when the rain’s gonna come. Just gotta look at the sky for that.
And this fella, Rowan Ortins, he drew all them pictures. Musta taken him a long while. All them gods and spirits, from all over the place. He must know a thing or two about stories. Or maybe he just made it all up. Wouldn’t be the first time someone told a tall tale.
They say these stories, they got truth in ’em. Big truths about how the world works. About life and death, and love and whatnot. But ain’t life itself enough to teach you that? Don’t need no cards to tell ya that life’s hard, but sometimes there’s pie.
Folks say these cards, they connect the past to now. Like, those old stories can help you today. Maybe so. But I reckon talkin’ to your neighbor can do the same thing. Or just sittin’ on the porch and thinkin’.
Some folks say there ain’t no science to this card stuff. That it’s all in your head. Maybe so. But then again, ain’t a lot of things in life like that? Like believin’ in a good harvest, or hopin’ your kids will turn out alright. Maybe it’s just about havin’ faith in somethin’.
So, there you have it. Folklore Tarot. Cards with pictures and stories. Some say they’ll tell you the future, others say it’s just hogwash. Me? I reckon it’s just another way folks try to make sense of this crazy world. Like lookin’ for shapes in the clouds. Sometimes you see a dog, sometimes you see a dragon. Doesn’t make it real, but it’s fun to look anyway.
Tags: Folklore Tarot, Mythology, Tarot Cards, Divination, Mythological Traditions, Rowan Ortins, The Fool, Archetypes, Symbols, Fortune Telling
