Sticking His Finger in the Light Socket

For the April 'poem a day' challenge this year, I'm writing haibun to explore and reflect on my new Tarot deck, Forests of Enchantment. 

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There are four suits in the Minor Arcana and four court cards in each suit. I’ve already given you the Weaver of Visions. With three days left in April, I’ll pick a different suit each day, and highlight a different court card too. Today I pick Child of Spells – more usually known, in other decks, as Page of Wands (the Pages are always understood to refer to children). 

This is the suit of the element Fire – dynamic, passionate, full of natural magic. The  Ace in this deck, you may recall, shows a fire-breathing dragon. 

This child is a bold lad, striding into the forest with a homemade magic staff to try and transform a rabbit, which remains nonchalantly untransformed. The text tells us the kid hasn’t put any work into studying how to do it! 

It also says that, in a reading, if the card doesn’t mean a particular person, it may refer to ‘an audacious attempt, a well-meaning mistake, or child-like enthusiasm for a project or plan.’ If an  actual person, they can be playful, enthusiastic, curious, brave, risk-taking, funny, and inclined to learn by trial and error. 

As the mother of both a son and a foster-son in the fire sign of Aries, that sounds familiar! (I have an Aries stepson too, but he was already grown up when he came into my life.) I’m glad to say that they can mature into responsible, hard-working adults – while still dynamic and full of infectious enthusiasm. 

(My Virgo son and Taurus foster-son could be daring lads too, but more strategically and less impulsively.) 

mustn’t let Mum 

see what I’m up to –

oh s**t!