Folsom Renaissance Faire

So this last weekend was Folsom Renaissance Faire, and Tarot-To-Go was there. Saturday was hot and muggy. Sunday started cold and overcast and ended drenched with badly needed rain. Overall a good weekend, for RoseRed and Artemis were there with me.

There are two significant things that happened this year that I wish to share:

Bigot should be a four-letter word

Sometimes at public events you encounter people who have Faith, by which I mean those people who don’t use their beliefs as their sword and shield, but rather their fence and garlic. To explain requires a bit of scene framing: My primary role at the TTG booth events is front desk manager and general hawker for our services. I engage patrons and fellow actors in greetings, (“Lovely English weather we are having, no?” being especially appropriate for this last Sunday). To those that display some interest I inquire if they’d like a reading, even a free one-card reading as a kind of metaphysical aperitif.

It was early in the morning when a family walked by and the father pushing the stroller growled at us: “What you’re doing is on the wrong side of God!

I was stunned and while I sought response they hastened away into the crowd. Everyone on the street had heard him. In their wake fellow actors and vendors looked to each other and I saw shrugs of confusion and condolences. If it was an attempt at play acting by a patron, it was terrible. The spectacle of debate depends on engagement, or argument and this was instead simple evasion. It was like when someone shouts at a homeless person: “Get a job!” or mutter: “Slut!” at a woman who they don’t think is dressed properly.

This kind of Faith bothers me a great deal. This kind of Faith is about false superiority. This kind of Faith is utterly indifferent to reason; You cannot debate or discuss with someone of this kind of Faith. Those with this kind of Faith tend to stick their fingers in their ears and scream LALALALALACAN’THEARYOULALALA when you try to talk to them. There isn’t even the defense of “I don’t know the answers, I have faith.” which I accept as a perfectly acceptable way to disengage from discussion and debate.

If you must debate, your  faith is your shield to wither temptation or blaspheme. The principles of your faith is the edge of your sword to press your point and cut the Gordian knots. If his faith truly disagreed with me and mine, he’d defend it. He’d debate it. He’d use his faith as sword and shield. I could disagree with him, but respect him for his faith. Instead he throws indefensible rhetoric and hightails it out of hearing range before I can respond. This was akin to throwing your hands in the air and shouting “CHRISTIAN!” the same way one might shout “NOT IN THE FACE!!” and throwing garlic and crucifix at the minions of hell before running for the hills.

It was especially ironic because by the end of the day we’d had other patrons who described themselves as Orthodox Jews and strict Roman Catholics come to us, get readings and ask deep questions. I expect that a person with Faith would have a terrible time at a Ren Faire.

Troublesome combinations

I did a reading for a client, whom I shall refer to as G, that gave me some trouble. Her spread spoke of challenges involving the Hermit (with Death as an addition), the King of Pentacles (along with the eight of Wands) and the four of Swords (coupled with the Empress). Her Foundation was the Page of Cups. The external actor was the seven of Wands (enhanced with the ten of Swords and the Queen of Pentacles). The Turn of the Wheel card was the two of Swords.

Anybody got some insight they’d like to share? Please feel free t post your interpretations!

~Andrew