Vision of Tarot

  "I so second," a man said at last. Heads turned. There was a general gasp of amazement. The seconder was the Reverend Siltz.

  Jeanette stared at him. "Communist, you jest."

  "I have very little humor," Siltz responded stiffly.

  "Never thought I'd see the day!" Therion remarked. "The old crocodile supporting his worst rival for the hand of his son."

  "I think that the rivalry has been overstated," Brother Paul said. "The Reverend Siltz is at heart a Humanist; the welfare of man is more important to him than a particular concept of God. Jeanette would make his son a good wife, and he is becoming aware of that. She has only to prove herself."

  "This is a scatterbrained way to do it," Therion muttered.

  Jeanette hesitated; then her face firmed. "I yield to the Reverend Communist for seconding."

  "Now the Second conducts the debate and vote," Lee said. "Siltz is a good organizer; he'll dispose of it quickly."

  "I seconded the motion of the Scientologist because I believe it has merit," Siltz said "I have had the opportunity to talk with our visitor from Planet Earth on non-Covenantal matters, and find him to be a sincere and sensible man. I am sure he is the same in the realm of religion; we know the reputation of his Order. Our visitor failed us because we failed him. It is too late to correct that mistake—but by similar token there is no longer any harm in letting him know us honestly. Hearing no objection, I shall conduct the vote without debate."

  "By the Horns of Heaven!" Therion swore. "He's supporting her! But that's all she'll ever get from him. The vote, not the son."

  The villagers, similarly amazed, offered no objection. "Those in favor of the motion will signify by so saving," Siltz continued.

  There was a mild chorus of favor.

  "Those opposed."

  There was silence. "He is persuasive," Amaranth whispered.

  "The motion carries," Siltz said. "We are now free to express ourselves without restraint. But I caution speakers to be brief and to adhere somewhat to the subject of Brother Paul's visit, or nothing will be accomplished." He looked about. "I yield the floor to Pastor Runford."

  "Thank you, Reverend," the Jehovah's Witness said. "As many of you know, I opposed the experiment Brother Paul represents, and Watched it only to be certain it was honestly attempted, knowing failure was inevitable. Because the end of the universe is imminent, it is pointless to seek Jehovah by artificial means. He will make Himself known in his own fashion, very soon. As is said in the Bible: "He shall judge between the nations and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Therefore, we should not seek Him in the horrible apparitions of Animation, but must prepare ourselves to meet Him in our hearts, our souls. Man has devolved since Adam, each generation being successively more evil than the last until even the patience of Jehovah Himself is exhausted. All will be destroyed except those 144,000 who—"

  "So you're opposed!" someone yelled. "Let someone else talk!"

  "The genie's really out of the bottle!" Therion said with enthusiasm.

  "This is the problem," Lee murmured. "Suspension of the Covenant opened Pandora's Box. Soon the real will crack open."

  Brother Paul shook his head in silent wonder. There seemed to be no religious tolerance here! To each sect, all other sects were erring cults, and their adherents nuts.

  "I retain the floor," Runford said firmly. "You the majority failed because you attempted an abomination! You courted Animation, which is like a harlot bearing gifts, and of her the Scripture has said: 'And I caught sight of a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored wild beast that was full of blasphemous names and that had seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls and had in her hand a golden cup that was full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her fornication. And upon her forehead was written a name, a mystery: "Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth." ' "

  "Bravo, witless Witness!" Therion cried. "That is our demoniac Key of Tarot, titled Lust, misread by others as Strength or Fortitude or even Discipline. You alone have called it out correctly in all its splendor. Blessed be that harlot!"

  "You're an absolute beast," Amaranth exclaimed under her breath, half-admiringly.

  "You are surely damned!" Runford cried at Therion, his whole body shaking with anger. "You shall be trodden in the wine press outside the city, and blood will flow as high as the bridles of the horses. Great will be your terror at Armageddon. Your flesh will rot away while you stand upon your feet; your very eyes will rot in their sockets, and your tongue in your mouth. Worms will swarm over your body—"

  "Please, Pastor Runford," Mrs. Ellend said gently. "Truth is the still, small voice of scientific thought. Heaven represents harmony, and divine Science interprets the principle of heavenly harmony. In Revelation we are told: 'And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her foot, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.' We must always seek to ward off Malicious Animal Magnetism, called MAM. The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love. The goal can never be reached while we hate our neighbor of whatever faith—"

  "What's wrong with profane Love, ma'am?" Therion demanded. He was evidently a born heckler, as perhaps was fitting for a child of Satan. Brother Paul, though genuinely interested in the views of the others, wished he would shut up. He had encountered Jehovah's Witnesses on Earth and found them to be honest and dedicated people, strongly reminiscent of the earliest Christians. He had also read some of the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Scientists, and been impressed with the sensible nature of her remarks. In any event, Brother Paul did not believe in ridicule as an instrument of religious opposition; in religious debates, as in other types, facts and informed opinions were proper ammunition.

  "Who has the floor?" a young man inquired amid the babble of reactions.

  "You do, Quaker," Runford snapped.

  "Then allow me to tell thee how I view the problem," the Quaker said. 'When George Fox was a young man nineteen years of age in the year 1643, he was upon business at a fair when he met his cousin who was a professor of religion—what we might call today a minister—in the company of another minister. They asked George to share a jug of beer with them, and since he was thirsty and liked the company of those who sought after the Lord, he agreed. When they had drunk a glass apiece, the two ministers began to drink healths, calling for more and agreeing between themselves that he who would not drink should pay for the drinks of all the others. George Fox was grieved that people who made a profession of religion should act this way, rivaling each other in inebriation at the expense of the more restrained, though this was perhaps typical of societies of that time and since. Disturbed, he laid a groat on the table, saying 'If it be so, I'll leave you.' He was sleepless that night, praying to God for the answer, and God commanded him to forsake that life and be as a stranger to all. So he went, steadfast though Satan tempted him, and in time he founded the Society of Friends, also called Quakers because we were said to quake before the Lord. But our guiding principle is not quaking, rather it is the knowledge which in every person is the inner light that enables him to communicate directly with God, so that he requires no minister or priest or other intercessory to forward his private faith, and no ritual or other service. God is with us all, always; we have but to turn our attention inward in silence."

  The young man paused, looking at Brother Paul. "Now I would not presume to lecture to thee, friend, or to comment on thy private life. I only ask thee to consider whether Truth is more likely to come out of Animation than out of a bottle."

  Brother Paul, impressed by the Quaker's soft-spoken eloquence, had no ready answer. Maybe this Animation project had been ill-advised. The Quaker had not too subtly likened Animation to a
lcohol, and perhaps to all mind-affecting drugs; as such it was certainly suspect. If a divine spark of God were in every person, why should anyone have to search in Animation?

  "I would respond to that, Friend," a woman said.

  "Speak, Universalist, and welcome," the Quaker said.

  "Thank you, Friend. I have an anecdote of the man who was a cornerstone of our faith, John Murray. Made desolate while a young man not yet thirty by the death of his lovely wife, and uncertain of her personal faith because of his changing perception of the nature of God, John sought only the solace of isolation. He set sail in 1770 for America. The captain of the ship intended to land at New York City, but contrary winds blew them aground at a little bay on the Jersey coast. John was put in charge of a sloop onto which they loaded enough of the cargo to enable the larger ship to float free of the sand bar at high tide, but before the sloop could follow, the wind shifted, trapping it in the bay. John Murray was unable to proceed, and there was no food aboard, so he went ashore to purchase some. Walking through the coastal forest he came upon a good-sized church, all by itself in dense woods. Amazed, he inquired at the next house and learned that an illiterate farmer had built the church at his own expense in thanks to God for his successes. The Baptists had petitioned to use that church, but the man told them 'If you can prove to me that God Almighty is a Baptist, you may have it.' He said the same to other denominations, for he wanted all people to be equally welcome there. Now he only waited for a preacher of like views to come—and he said God had told him John Murray was that man. John, chagrined, declined, protesting that he was no preacher, having neither credentials nor inclination. He intended only to proceed north to New York to turn the sloop over to the Captain as soon as the wind was favorable. 'The wind,' the man informed him, 'will never change, sir, until you have delivered to us in that meeting house a message from God.' John struggled against this notion, unwilling to bow to such manifest coincidence, wishing only to buy the necessary supplies for the sailors of the sloop. The man supplied him generously, refusing payment, while persisting in his suit. And as the days of the week passed and Sunday approached, the wind did not change. At last, on Saturday afternoon, John yielded, but prepared no text for the morrow: if God really wanted him to preach here, God would provide the words. On Sunday morning people came from twenty miles away, filling the church, and John Murray stood before them and preached the message of the Universal Redemption: that every human being shall find Salvation, and no one will be condemned to eternal suffering. And with that sermon, that bordered on heresy in that day but moved his congregation profoundly, John Murray found his destiny. When he finished it, the wind shifted, and he took the sloop to New York. But he returned immediately, and that church became his own, his home in the New World, and he preached that message for the rest of his life. Others persecuted him, seeking to suppress his view, for they believed that only a select minority would achieve Salvation—but he was instrumental in fighting the case of religious freedom through the courts and safeguarding it—that very freedom that was to make America great. The wind had guided him, despite himself, to his destiny—and that destiny was significant for mankind."

  The Universalist looked at Brother Paul. "Now I would not presume any more than my esteemed colleague to urge any particular course of action upon you," she said. "But it would seem that the qualities of Animation are as yet unknown, and therefore cannot be labeled good or evil. Likewise, the purpose of God may be at times obscure in detail, so that no person can be assured in advance of the correct course. Are you certain it is proper to depart this shore without ascertaining the status of the effect, though you may have personal reservations? Which way does the wind blow in your life?"

  Brother Paul felt suddenly cold. "You mean—go back into Animation?"

  "No!" Pastor Runford cried. "Heed not the blandishments of Satan's council! One man in shock, a child lost, the mission failed—as it was Jehovah's will that it fail! Animation is the curse of evil!"

  The lost child. How would she ever find her way out of that jungle of images? How would he ever live with himself if she did not?

  "But we agreed!" someone exclaimed. After a moment's concentration Brother Paul recognized him as Malcolm of the Nation of Islam, suddenly converted from a reasonable man to a fiery partisan. "Allah decreed—"

  Anonymous voices clamored, with few distinguishable:

  "It is finished!"

  "The Bible says—"

  "The hell with the Bible!"

  "According to the Koran—"

  "Shove your Koran—"

  The meeting dissolved into a fury of shouts. Brother Paul understood now what the Covenant had done. These fanatic cultists of all religions were unable to unify about a single principle unless strict procedural rules were followed, and even then the peace was troubled. Everything would fall apart unless someone took charge. Yet whoever did would face extraordinary rancor. It had to be someone who had nothing to lose here, who was not dependent on the grace of incompatible religious, who was prepared to plow ahead regardless of the resentment of others, simply because the wind had brought him to this shore and the message of the wind needed to be heeded.

  Brother Paul got a grip on himself. Then he took a deep breath, braced himself, and let out an ear-splitting martial-arts Kiaiyell: "SHADDAP!"

  There was a startled silence. In that momentary calm, Brother Paul pre-empted the floor. "There are few things I'd abhor more than returning to Animation," he said. "But I did come here to do a job, and it is a job that still needs doing. For your local socio-political situation, and perhaps for mankind. If there is a single God of Tarot, a Deity of Animation, it is my duty to make every attempt to locate and define Him."

  He paused, mentally taking hold of the problem while noting the scowls of those who were unalterably opposed to this quest. "I think what is needed is a survey of religions, made within the context of Animation. Some might be closer to the True God than others—assuming there is a God to be found in Animation. So if I go into Animation with that specific object, keeping my mind open to whatever may develop without pre-judgment, and am wary of the diversions of precession—" He paused again, thinking of something else. "The Watchers—if they are willing to come in again, this time for the disciplined, formal quest—"

  Pastor Runford objected. He had recovered control of himself and seemed calm. "Do you not realize that very few people ever emerge from a second deep Animation? You are placing your sanity and your life in jeopardy."

  "The sanity and life of that lost child are already in jeopardy," Brother Paul pointed out. "So is the welfare of this entire colony. You need to be united to survive the—"

  "Family quarrels are the worst kind," Mrs. Ellend said. "We must apply scientific criteria to the problem."

  "That is what I have in mind," Brother Paul said. "I trust I have learned from my egregious mistakes and will now be able to proceed properly. Perhaps I will fail again, and I confess the prospect of re-entering Animation fills me with dread. I do not understand the nature of the effect, or of my own mind, or of God—in fact, the nature of Nature is a mystery to me. Yet I must at least try, hoping that the guiding hand of whatever God there may be will manifest for me, as it did for George Fox, and for John Murray, and for each and every one of the people who have found Him in other circumstances."

  "You have courage," Pastor Runford said. "I find myself forced to agree with the Reverend Siltz: though I disapprove your mission, I must approve of your dedication. I will therefore stand Watch at the fringe, as I did before."

  "So will I," Mrs. Ellend said.

  "I appreciate your support most deeply," Brother Paul said. He turned to the people behind him. "And you, who risk so much, Lee and Therion. And you, Amaranth—you were accidental, but maybe that too was a product of the wind. If I could have the support of the three of you in that nightmare—"

  Lee nodded. "I share your misgivings—and your rationale. It will not be easy, but it must be do
ne. At least we must search for the child."

  Therion and Amaranth nodded agreement. Brother Paul felt the camaraderie of shared experience as he faced the three, appreciating their acquiescence. This was, in a special sense, his family; they shared his experience. They alone knew what the first Animation had been like. "We only have to decide what is right, even though it may seem unnatural, and do it."

  But they all knew that nature would have her way, whatever their definitions might be. For nature was another name for the God of Tarot.

  III

  Chance: 11

  The Wheel of Fortune card of Tarot appears to be an iconographical transformation of a more complex and subtle ancient symbol. That is, the original meaning of the spoked wheel was forgotten, and a new meaning applied. This sort of error is common in Tarot and has led to great diversity of interpretations. The original in this case would seem to be some variant of the Wheel of Becoming, also called the Wheel of Life and Death, as represented in Buddhist mythology but probably predating Buddhism. The source religion of Western Asia is unknown, but certain similar themes run through Buddhism, Brahmanism and Hinduism of India, and Mithraism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism of Asia Minor, suggesting that there was once a common body of information. The Wheel of Becoming may also have manifested in Babylon as the horoscope of astrology.

  In the middle of this Wheel of Life are animals symbolizing the three roots of evil: lust, hatred, and ignorance. Five spokes divide its main area into the realms of hells, animals, spirits, gods, and men. Around its rim is the circle of causation, shown by twelve little pictures representing concepts too subtle to be described simply. Rendered approximately, they are: Ignorance, Formation of Life, Individual Awareness, Personality, 'Thought' as the sixth sense, Contact, Sensation, Desire, Sex, Marriage, Birth, and Death. A number of these concepts and pictures can be equated to those of the Tarot, such as the brutish man Ignorance to Tarot's Fool, the man for Thought to the Hierophant (teacher), the lovers' embrace of Contact to Tarot's Lovers, and Death to Death. Most contemporary Tarot decks have no equivalents to the Wheel's concepts of Sensation, Desire, Sex, Marriage or Birth—which suggests that these may have been lost in the translation of forms. Perhaps in due course they will be restored, possibly by the addition of new cards to the Tarot deck. Meanwhile, Tarot's Wheel loosely represents the concept of Chance.