Literature Clue (April 7th) - Solved

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

gloria	07 Apr 2004
Chasing the dragon…yeah. It’s like Chinese magic. That smoke, that’s your Chinese dragon, and when you breathe that dragon in and he coils about in your veins, like Lily said, you feel better than anyone else did. You feel better than Churchill did when he won the war, you feel better than the caveman when he discovered fire, you feel like Romeo did when he finally got to bed with Juliet. That’s why it’s dangerous. You have to be strong to feel that good, because after a while you have to open the door again and step out and….go to work or ring up your mum or whatever. You almost don’t dare do it because it’s one hundred million dollars of feeling good. You don’t dare take it just to escape because when you get back, you might not like it much. Yeah…to do heroin, you’ve got to have a life. From Junk by Melvin Burgess. What card am I?

ncefafn	07 Apr 2004
Okay, I'll go first and guess The Magician, since he's the alchemist who must have control over the demons he raises. Kim

Dark_angel	07 Apr 2004
I've been away for a while, so I'm hopelessly out of practice, but... The Devil?

lionette	07 Apr 2004
Dark_angel chose my first thought! I'll go with Strength - to tame the animalistic forces

mercenary30	07 Apr 2004
Seven of Cups, the temptations and consequences that one must face in making choices....

OakDragon	07 Apr 2004
The Chariot?

gloria	07 Apr 2004
All good guesses...but not yet the one. Welcome back Dark_angel.

ncefafn	07 Apr 2004
Judgement. To be physically reborn, you have to have a body to come back to. Kim

OakDragon	07 Apr 2004
The Hanged Man?

mercenary30	07 Apr 2004
The Tower?

Kiama	07 Apr 2004
Hmmm... All my first thoughts have been guessed already, so I'm going to guess the 8 of Cups, focusing on the bit where you need to be able to walk away from it into your normal life, or it will overwhelm you... Kiama

Diana	07 Apr 2004
10 of Cups?

gloria	07 Apr 2004
Interesting replies...but no. The card I had foremost in my mind for this quote I thought would have been guessed straight away, which was why I went for another. I feel happier with the choice I've made though.

mercenary30	07 Apr 2004
Last guess for me Nine of Swords!

ncefafn	07 Apr 2004
Boy, where's jmd when you need him? Okay, here goes. It is not: 10 of Cups 8 of Cups 7 of Cups Magician Chariot Strength Hanged Man Devil Tower Judgement Okay, so no one's guessed the Moon yet, so I'll guess it. Kim

OakDragon	07 Apr 2004
The Fool?

miss_apples	07 Apr 2004
9 of wands?

Minderwiz	07 Apr 2004
The Moon - I don't go in much for Astrological connections but doing heroin is definitely a Piscean pastime and the Moon is supposed to correspond to Pisces.

Dark Eyes	07 Apr 2004
The wheel of fortune...? ...What goes up must come down, and visa versa? Taking your chances on life itself...? D.E. ;)

CreativeFire	07 Apr 2004
My guess would be Temperance - you have to have a balance with everyday life and the "feeling" great otherwise it will overtake. CreativeFire

tmgrl2	07 Apr 2004
Seven of Wands?

Dark Eyes	08 Apr 2004
I will update the list of "cards so far" Fool Magician Chariot Strength Wheel Of Fortune Hanged Man Temperance Devil Tower Moon Judgement 10 cups 8 cups 7 cups 7 wands 9 wands 9 swords

Dark Eyes	08 Apr 2004
Perhaps it is the Death card...? ..................})

gloria	08 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Minderwiz The Moon -I don't go in much for Astrological connections but doing heroin is definitely a Piscean pastime and the Moon is supposed to correspond to Pisces. I couldn't agree more with you here Minderwiz..... The Moon was the card that was foremost in my mind but as I said I thought it would be too obvious. So, still, anyone's guess! :)

Minderwiz	08 Apr 2004
Damn, that'll teach me to read the whole thread before jumping in :) While I have a good think - I'll put in a guess for the Star - for no really good reason, except that in order to 'have a life' and control those passions you need to have some insight into the cosmos, some creative hope to give purpose to life.

gloria	08 Apr 2004
Not the Star Minderwiz...in fact not a Major at all. There's a sentence in the second paragraph that is a good clue for the card I have chosen. :)

Minderwiz	08 Apr 2004
Ten of Disks (Pentacles) - Feeling a million dollars, unbounded joy and optimism

gloria	08 Apr 2004
Sorry but no Minderwiz.....it's more to do with the process itself. You chose the wrong sentence. :)

ncefafn	08 Apr 2004
Five of Cups

tmgrl2	08 Apr 2004
Minderrwiz...I thought Ten of Disks/Pents too, when I read the sentence in P2 about "there is a time when you have to step out" but guess that's not it.... Hmm...Now I can think of three...after reading second paragraph again Four Cups

OakDragon	08 Apr 2004
Five of Pentacles?

gloria	08 Apr 2004
Sorry but no so far. :( These two paragraphs are to do with heroin addiction. What is the attraction of heroin? Why do some seek solace in it?

Minderwiz	08 Apr 2004
Ace of Wands - a sense of power?

gloria	08 Apr 2004
No, I wouldn't think it was power they were after. A big clue.......e..s..c..a..p..e.....

mercenary30	08 Apr 2004
4 of swords?

gloria	08 Apr 2004
No mercenary...but getting closer.

ncefafn	08 Apr 2004
6 of Swords Kim

gloria	08 Apr 2004
CONGRATULATIONS KIM!!! The 6/swords….the journey that promises peace, stillness and tranquillity. The trip that promises escape….release… relief… from the harsh reality that is life! Heroin use is a temporary escape from the human condition - hopelessness, purposelessness, pain, depression, and even day to day struggles incurred simply by being a living, breathing person. Yes you’d have to be pretty strong to return to a life of fear, dread, want and need, and not yearn to go back to that ‘Utopia’ again… and again… and again! Over to you Kim

ncefafn	08 Apr 2004
You know, it's funny, I had a picture of that card in my mind almost from the start but kept thinking, no, that can't be it! Let me see . . . I've been reading a lot of Raymond Carver recently. I'll rummage around in some of my favorite short stories and see what I come up with. Back later, Kim

The Literature Clue (April 7th) - Solved thread was originally posted on 07 Apr 2004 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.