Six of Swords

Yesterday was the first Fairfax Farmer’s Market of the season, an event we had hoped not to be able to attend.  The baby being late, however, we went and we had a good time.  While sitting on a log eating pizza we saw the local Seeress pass by.  A woman dressed all in white with a white peaked cap, she wanders around these sorts of events dispensing advice and, presumably, magic.  We beckoned to her and graciously she floated over, then asked Talia if she had any questions.  Talia said Yes, and asked the obvious:  When would the baby arrive?  Disconcertingly, the Seeress asked if we were expecting, a question that did little to elevate our opinion of her knowledge of matters temporal.  The belly having been pointed out to her (and in her defense it should be noted that Talia was, as usual these days, dressed all in black), she spent a minute studying the bulge then asked Talia to draw a card from a Tarot deck she was holding.  Talia did so, pulling the Six of Swords, which card showed a picture of a cloaked woman and child sitting in a skiff being poled across a stream by a man.  I can't deny feeling a frisson upon seeing it.

The card, the Seeress pointed out, represented Talia being taken on a journey.  Talia, like the woman in the boat, was making her way across the water, but while she could see the land, she was not there yet and could do nothing at this time but sit and wait.  (She said nothing about Felix or myself, though we are both quite clearly depicted on the same card.  Hmph.)  She did suggest a couple of things by way of practical help, however:  that Talia sit next to the ocean on a receding tide with her legs splayed, and that we assure the baby that we were really ready for it to arrive and that it had no need to fear the birth therefore.  Having already gone to the beach that day we acted on only her second suggestion, speaking to the baby in what I hope seemed like confident tones.  I pointedly did not mention my earlier, confessional blog entry on the topic of baby readiness or lack thereof.

We crossed the water today, Talia and I, but they sent us back.  It may be we'll have to sit on the beach after all.