la la la la la... Hope this goes okay!

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 01 Aug 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kiama	01 Aug 2003
This is the first time I've been 'it' for this game, but I'll see what I can do... Here's the song! 'Dark NIght of the Soul', by Loreena McKennit. From the album 'The Mask and the Mirror'. "Upon a darkened night, the flame of love was burning in my breast. And by a lantern bright, I fled the house while all were quiet at rest. Shrouded by the night, and by the secret stair I quickly fled, The veil concealed my eyes, While all within lay quiet as the dead. CHORUS- Oh night thou was my guide! Oh night more loving than the rising sun, Oh night that draws the lover to the beloved one, Transforming each of them into the other. Upon that misty night, In secrecy, beyond such mortal sight, Without a guide or light, Than that which burned so deeply in my heart. That fire 't was led me on, And shone more bright than all the midday sun, To where he waited still, It was a place where no one else would come. (Chorus) Within my pounding heart, Which kept itself entirely for him, He fell into his sleep, Beneath the cedars all my love I gave. From o'er the fortress walls, The wind would brush his hair against his brow, And with its smoothest hand, Caressed my every sense it would allow. (Chorus) I lost myself to him, And laid my face upon my lovers breast. And care and grief grew dim, As in the morning mist became the light. There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair There they dimmed amongst the lillies fair There they dimmed amongst the lillies fair... (Lyrics by St John of the Cross btw!) Kiama

Centaur	01 Aug 2003
Seven of Swords? C

Molly	01 Aug 2003
Hey, this really reminds me, especially the beginning, of the 8 of cups.

Elle	01 Aug 2003
The Moon Elle

LaLa	01 Aug 2003
I don't really know why but my intuition says The High Priestess... is my wiring wrong?

Kiama	02 Aug 2003
Sorry, but nobody's hit the mark yet... Here's a clue... Think about the deeper aspects of the song and what it means, overall. The imagery doesn't play a part in the card I'm thinking of, but the meaning does. The title gives you a very big clue. Kiama

Molly	02 Aug 2003
this is probably crazy, but "The Devil" ?

Diana	02 Aug 2003
The Star?

le-mat	02 Aug 2003
the Hanged Man perhaps?

Jahqdruh	03 Aug 2003
Nine of Swords is what popped into my head... Hope that isn't too dorky a guess -- this is my first time playing! Kyrrdis

Kiama	03 Aug 2003
All excellent guesses, but Le Mat is correct: It is the Hanged Man. 'The Dark Night of the Soul', was written by a Christian mystic St John of the Cross, to describe a very important stage in the mystical experience of union with the Divine. This 'Dark Night' is the part where we go through serious doubt and introspection, and eventually we give ourselves up to this flow of darkness, which is really a test. When we pass through this darkness, we find union with the Divine. To me, this is what the Hanged Man card is about: The mystic surrendering him/herself to the Dark Night and at the end finding greater understanding (or in the case of mystical experience, union with the Divine.) It is about self-sacrifice, and through that self-sacrifice we gain a deeper understanding. The song itself sounds very erotic in places, and this is because fro St John of the Cross, his union with the Divine was akin to sexual union with a partner: Kind of like the alchemical Heiros Gamos, or sacred marriage. In the song, he also describes a dark journey to his lover, through dark stairs, creeping around while everybody else is asleep, and this difficult and testing journey is akin to the Dark Night of the Soul. "Upon that misty night, In secrecy, beyond such mortal sight, Without a guide or light, Than that which burned so deeply in my heart. That fire 't was led me on," To me, this sounded like the story of Odin on the World Tree, and how he must have felt... 'Without a guide or light' smacks of loneliness, despair, and the possibility of becoming lost. But there was a 'fire' that burned within his heart, and that fire caused him to persevere and thus attain his mystical goal: In Odin's case, of attaining the knowledge of the Runes. So, that's why I chose that song with that card! Le-mat, it's over to you! :D Kiama

The la la la la la... Hope this goes okay! thread was originally posted on 01 Aug 2003 in the Tarot Games & Fun board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Games & Fun, or read more archived threads.