A Very Snowy One Card Draw

[wyld_dandelyon]

EDIT: This draw has been unofficially closed since lunchtime; I suppose I should make it official. Since this is still (barely) the first day of the lunar new year, I'll honor all requests to date, over the next day or two. Unfortunately, though my throat is better, my sinuses are now trying to imitate fountains, and I'm out of energy for this evening. Thanks again for your patience and for your tips!
_____________________________________

I've been trying to hold off a sore throat all week, with limited success, but it is Imbolc, and there's so much snow the City is basically shut down, so I'm going to do a Card Draw. Since I've got lots to do, even if we could ignore the snow, which we can't--I should have to go in to work tomorrow--I'm limiting this to one card.

Rai Kunabei thinks this is a very strange, outlandish way to do things.  However, since she was a child, she has always wanted to travel and try new things, so she's willing to give it a try.  She does ask, however, that if you want a Torn World disk reading, you should please either ask a question or indicate which of the three aspects your question or concern is rooted in--natural, artificial, or abstract.

I also offer readings from the Faeries' Oracle.  I always find them inspiring, and I get the feeling that they'd be happy to be out playing on such a wild, snowy day.

For a third deck...hmm...I really don't feel a particular draw to any of my other decks today. If you want something else, give me an idea what you are seeking and I'll compare it to what I have, and try to pick something appropriate.

As always, these readings are for entertainment and inspiration only, and you are welcome to ask about your creative endeavors as well as more traditional questions.  See my new "Dandelyon's Readings" page if you  have questions.

And please consider dropping something in the case!  Readings take time and energy, and temporary workers don't get paid just because the office is closed due to a blizzard.  If you can't tip, signal boosts are appreciated both for these readings and for Torn World.  However, I understand all too well that sometimes people don't have the spoons to reciprocate, and it is generally during those times when people most need inspiration! 

I hope you will consider voting for  Torn World in the top web fiction poll (you can vote for all of your favorites, and your vote will affect what shows up on their landing page for a week).  Finally, the Rose and Bay Award nominations are now all up over in  crowdfunding , and assuming that the organizers' internet connections are working despite ice storms and blizzards, there should be voting polls up in all categories. I hope you'll check out the nominees and consider voting for one of my projects. 

But whether those things interest you or not, if you'd like a reading, please ask!

Comments

[jenny_evergreen]

I'd really love to hear from the Faeries' Oracle today. :)

rraR ehT

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

The snow is falling and blowing outside--especially blowing. You are sitting in your workroom, looking out your window--you have so many plans, and you are wondering how the metaphorical storm will affect them.

Suddenly, a bright light comes tumbling toward you--is it some ethereal rabbit? But then it rights itself, briefly, and you realize those aren't ears, but the arms and fingers, so to speak, of the Rarr. Quickly, you open the window, offering shelter, though it lets a bit more of the storm blow into your workroom.

The Rarr brings boundless energy. Whatever's blown into your life in his guise could assist with many of your projects. However, the Rarr is a lot like Pooh's friend Tigger--lots of energy (lots and lots and lots of energy), but very much in need of direction. You have to act wisely with all this energy and chaos around.

The Rarr whizzes around your head, looking at your work, through the door leading to the rest of your life, and then back out the window at the world around you. "What's going on?" he asks. "Is that really what you think it is?"

I suggest you give the Rarr something safe to play with for a little bit and look around, and make sure you do have a clear and accurate idea of what's going on. Then exercise some common sense in deciding what to do about it.

Once you are sure your foundation (your "under-standing") is sound, you and the Rarr can tackle one of the projects that are dear to your heart, at least until the weather clears and he bounds off into the wild world again.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I'd like a reading from Rai on a natural topic, please!

Mandala

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

"Oh, my, dear, Rai is my title, not my name! It means bright one, though no one has brought me a satisfactory explanation of why our priestesses, in my corner of the Empire, are called Bright. My grandfather kept telling me it was because it's the priestess' job to bring light to her people, but I think it's just as likely to be because killing a wraith causes a bright light." She waves you to a seat near her in the schoolroom and reaches for her bag. You think she's ignoring your enthusiastic comments, but she's paying attention.

"What? No, no. Silly girl. You don't want to see a wraith--not that you can see them anyway. That's why they're so dangerous. You can't see them sneaking up on you. You're safe--well, probably safe--while dancing with the ball whistles, but no one can do that all the hours of the day and night. Most people who encounter a wraith end up dead, though a few end up crazy first." She smiles. "Perhaps all it truly means is lucky."

She unties the leather thong holding the heavy bag closed. "It figures you'd be the first to show up and get a reading using only one image. You'll have to tell me how it works." She reaches in and pulls out a copper disk with a beautiful, random design--no, not random, it's symmetrical around three lines. "Ah, the _______." She mumbles, and you don't quite catch the word. "In your language, that would be mandala, I believe. It's the embodiment of abstract will. But it's more than that--it's your sense of balance.

"You keep a lot of projects going, filling your whole life with beauty and complexity, it could so easily descend into chaos if you don't keep things balanced--not only in the physical sense, though taking care of yourself must be a priority. On the other hand, your basic state must be mostly in balance, or you would have gotten a storm like the one raging outside, or a dragon or earthquake. Just remember the balance isn't static, even though it looks like it might be while you're at rest.

"And it's really pretty--isn't it?"

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

I would like a reading.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

You arrive on a clear, warm afternoon, and walk around, watching the priestess as she does readings. She pulls heavy metal disks out of her bag for children and elders, for friends and strangers.

After a while, she places the disks from the last reading back in the bag, and stands up to stretch.

One of the village children looks up in surprise. "Do you need something, Rai? I could go get it for you!"

She shakes her head. "You can't get what I need right now. I have to do that for myself."

The child laughed and ran off to play, and people politely made way for the Bai to walk past. She wanders more or less toward you, not seeming to notice you until she's quite close, then she smiles at you. "Would you keep me company for a few minutes?"

Uncertain, but unwilling to be impolite, you nod. She leads you toward the outskirts of town, to the top of a hill that has a stunning view. She stands there, looking out over the hills and valleys, the mountains and sky. "The mountains are beautiful, though I wonder what lies below. I dream that someday I might travel, you know, even though I know my people need me here." She turns to you, and offers an iron disk. "I drew this one for you."

You reach for it and turn it over in your hands. It's heavy. When you turn it over, you see that it is a solid unrelieved black, and you take a step backward.

"Don't be afraid. That's the void--the challenging aspect of sky. It looks scary, but it's as familiar as the inside of your bedroom at night. But when the disks tell you there's a challenge, they're also telling you that you have resources to meet the challenge.

"What does this mean to you? And what would you wish to replace it with? That's the blessing with any empty thing--one can fill it, or, of course, one can wait until nature fills it. However, when there's an empty house in the village, we move people into it before the critters can take over, because we know it won't stay empty for long."

You stare at the disk for a minute, then offer it back to her. "How did you know I wanted a reading?"

"I seemed to be the only thing in the village you kept looking at." She smiled. "My people are used to public readings, but sometimes even they want a private reading. A Rai has to learn to recognize the signs." She looks up over your shoulder, and pockets the disk quickly. "Welcome to the village. Laleika, there, can lead you to her mother, who is the best baker in town, you should try one of her pies."

You turn to see a medium-sized child, carrying a hot pastry that smells delicious. Laleika hands it to the Rai, and then bows to you. "I would be honored."

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

I would like a Torn World reading about the writing projects (2, one non-fic, one fic) that I am currently working on.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

The Bai draws a copper disk for you, on which is the enameled image of a newborn wrapped warmly in a bright blanket. "For you, the embodiment of natural nature--each of these projects is, for you, very essentially itself, even though they are still works in progress. They will need a good deal of nurturing and attention, still, but they are worth the effort.

"Your job is to make these projects the best they can be so their natural essence will shine. Good luck with them!"

[dakotabailey.livejournal.com]

I would love a reading from Rai Kunabei.

"A question?" pauses, pursing her lips together for a moment, brow furrowed deep in thought.

"There is a chance that I may be moving cross-country in the very near future. May I ask for enlightenment on the situation?"

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Rai draws for you a silver disk, with a picture of a strange city in it. The buildings are odd shapes, and there appears to be some kind of vehicle hovering over the road. "Ah--the ancient world!" She exclaims. "You know, this one never showed up in my Great Grandmother's readings except when she did readings for me. This is the embodiment of abstract space, the dream of what might have been and what might be. It seems appropriate to you wondering about a move.

Sometimes this means that the places one will travel to are stranger than you expect, but for you, I'd say you should check to make sure things are as the seem. After all, the ancient world was destroyed in the Upheaval, and we--or our ancestors--were all trapped for centuries in whatever little corner of the world we were in at the time.

This is an image of dreams--dreams that could well be real. The ancient world was real, after all. But the image also carries a warning. If you travel, make sure you check things out first, and have a backup plan, so if things go wrong, you can land on your feet."

She runs a finger lovingly over the image. "You know, despite Great Grandma's warnings, I still want to travel." She smiles up at you. "And if you don't reach for your dreams, you'll never make them real."

[first-lobster.livejournal.com]

I would love a reading on love.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Rai Kunabei smiles at you. "There's so many kinds of love, aren't there? But let's sit down and see what the disks offer."

The schoolhouse door slams, and you feel a gust of cold, snowy air as two children come running in, still throwing snowballs. One lands in the Rai's bag with her disks. She laughs. "Good thing these are metal, and not paper, don't you think?" She pulls out a gold disk, on which is a piece of paper rolled into a scroll, and tied with a ribbon. "This is the message. It could be a literal message--the answer to your query could be on its way. Or this could mean that your connection with the person you're thinking of is still abstract.

"That seems quite an odd answer from the disks, though. To me, the essence of love, be it love for a person or a pet or even for your favorite dessert, is that it is personal. Is this relationship, as it is, really satisfactory for you? Or do you need to reach out and offer to make the connection closer and more real?"

[azhure.livejournal.com]

I would like a Torn World reading on my writing career, please.

Mama Cougar

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

For you, Rai Kunabei draws an iron disk, on which is depicted a fierce cougar. The first thing you notice is her piercing green eyes and her sharp teeth, but then you see she has kittens nursing. Kunabei smiles. "Ah, you have Mama Cougar, a good, strong image. She is the nurturing aspect of myths--you should get someone to tell you her story." She offers you the disk to hold for a minute. It's heavy and solid in your hands. "Look at her, all teeth and claws--yet her newborn kittens will only feel the velvet of her paws and tongue. If you want a career as a writer, you have to remember your dreams are like these kittens. They start out tiny and helpless. You will have to nurture them, though it means long nights hunting to find the food they need. You will have to carve out the time you need, and it will take more time and effort, and more willingness to learn new things, than you expect. But if you do, it will also be worth all that time and effort."

She smiles up at you. "Good luck!"

[alexseanchai]

miintikwa sent me. I'd appreciate a reading on my creative endeavors.

She of the Cruach

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

The snow has fallen, and now it is quiet. The sun has set. You are out walking, taking in the beauty like your heart is a cup, when she appears to you, subtly, in the gleaming of the ice and snow on a tree. She reminds you, "there is always a time of nurturing and development, when parts of you that are not evident are very busy indeed, though you may feel more like you're waiting than doing. Some things," she says, "like pregnancy and healing, happen in their own time. If you feel stalled, make sure you're taking care of yourself--exhaustion can masquerade as writer's block, you know. Then open yourself to new experiences until you know what you need to make the work flow again."

Then she leans down out of the tree, and you realize how much of what you are seeing is her brightness, rather than just the moonlight in the ice. She reaches toward you and offers you a snow-white quill pen. "And don't forget to pour what you gain out into the work, when it starts to flow again!"

[morlith.livejournal.com]

Hello, hello! =) I'm here because of xjenavivex. =)

Could the Rai Kunabei give me an abstract reading, please?

Marriage

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Welcome!

It's cold and snowy outside the schoolhouse, and you wonder what prompted you to travel into the mountains in the winter. Of course, the weather had been fine earlier in the day, and it's not as if the Empire has weather satellite technology. Or television, much less TV news and weather.

Someone offers you a warm drink, and you trade a basic token for it, enjoying the spicy smell even before you taste it.

Rai Kunabei looks up as you walk over. She has her own mug of the drink, which, when you taste it, is similar to spiced apple cider. There's people waiting, so she draws a disk out of the bag. It is gold, with an image of a man and woman holding hands. "Ah--this is marriage. It could be a romantic connection, but the primary meaning is that there's a connection that's intentional, that was created by the people involved.

"It's hard for me to tell if the connection itself is the subject of this reading, or if it's the idea and the human process of making a connection that's so important to your question, or that will solve the problem you are dealing with."

She reaches to touch you briefly, on the arm. "Implementing it could be something as simple as a touch or as complex as a licensing application, but don't forget the point of the exercise."

[cassandramorgan.livejournal.com]

Sent by miintikwa!

I would love a card from the Faeries' Oracle, please ^_^

Unity

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

The forest is deep and dark and mysterious, branches twining from tree to tree like the antlers of a stag. You walk forward eagerly, looking to see which faerie has a message for you, but all you see are the branches, outlined in a silver light. After a while, you realize the light is all the colors of the rainbow, all shimmery and iridescent, and it is growing brighter.

Still, you are alone in the forest. Finally, you stop and look more closely at the trees, and realize they are all the same tree--linked together at the tips and roots. You are in the presence of the transcendent, the all that is one. You've been so busy looking for the faerie who has a message for you that you've been walking right past her for all this time.

Luckily, she is still all around you, to remind you that you are part of the universe, and it is part of you. Your very body is, literally, stardust, and so is hers.

Once you see the unity, you start to see that each tree is different and unique, and there are faeries, animals, birds, and even regular humans all around you. And they are all made of stardust too. And for one magical moment, everyone's interconnectedness and uniqueness are in a harmonious balance.

[dianavilliers.livejournal.com]

I'd like an abstract reading on my Mystery project please.

Horn

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

For you, Bai Kunabei draws an iron disk with a dark curve on it. You lean in closer and realize it is the image of a child, a boy perhaps, blowing a long curved horn on a distant hill. "For you, I draw the horn, which is the distant aspect of sound. Messages from afar are important to this project."

She ponders the disk. "I'm not sure if this indicates you need to pay attention to inspiration coming from a distance, or if this is advice to spread the word about your Mystery project to the far corners of the world, when the time comes." She smiles. "It could be both, of course."

Across the room, a child picks up a harp and starts to awkwardly pick out a tune. She nods approvingly in that direction before continuing. "The horn isn't the most musical instrument we have; even the ball-whistles sound prettier. But it sure can get a person's attention. Don't be afraid to use it."

[causticchick.livejournal.com]

I'd love a reading correlating to my current boy situation, please. Thanks so much! :D

And thanks to miintikwa for pointing me over here!

The Fee Lion

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

He crawls out of the darkness, glaring at you, weighed down by a huge tangle of--you can't tell what it all is. Or maybe you just don't want to look at it. But the answer to your question is hidden inside.

The Fee Lion is naturally drawn to things left undone--not happily drawn, mind you. He'd rather have fun. But he's pulled to them like a nail to a magnet. "Some of this is yours--and some shouldn't be yours!" He frowns grumpily, then pulls out a long, ugly strand. "And some of it shouldn't properly be anyone's at all." He crumples it up and tossed it into a trash bin.

"This is about respect", he says, "you for the boy (or boys), them for you, everyone involved for the time and energy it takes to do stuff, both the fun stuff and the necessary stuff. It's fine if you choose to help each other, often two people can get more done in less time together than separately. But it's no good if you let it all get tangled so nobody can tell whose stuff is whose, and nobody can feel good about doing any of it, or about deciding some things don't need to be done."

Then he looks embarrassed, as if he thinks he spoke out of turn. But he pulls out another strand and hands it to you, looking at you hopefully.

[chippers87.livejournal.com]

(Sent here by causticchick via miintikwa)

I would love a reading please, from whichever direction you feel most drawn. Thank you so much!

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

You're going about your business, all very routine, when a cloaked figure appears to you. "Don't be afraid!" It's a whisper.

"Change can be hard, but it arrives bringing gifts." She presses something into your hands. It's hard and solid, inside soft silk wrappings, just as hidden as the faerie who is speaking to you. "Don't open it yet--open it when one door closes, and you don't know where the next will open."

Then the faerie is gone, and you realize you didn't even think to ask her name. Curious, you start to unwrap the gift, but the silk resists, and you tuck it into your pocket. Your routine suddenly seems precious and comfortable, and you grow content with leaving the strange gift for later. It's enough knowing you will have it when you need it.

[gaulish.livejournal.com]

Oh, may I?

The Master Maker

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

He is a funny looking little man, except for his lopsided belly and his long, dexterous hands. He's hammering and polishing, polishing and hammering, and chanting, "It's the best thing I've ever made!"

The tall, bored female faery rolls her eyes. "He always says that!"

"And it's always true!" He looks up for a moment. "You! Come over and look!" He stops hammering, and for the first time you can see what he's working on--it's a spear, with a leaf-shaped head and a glow like the thorax of a firefly. "Would it look better if I made it sharper? Or rounder? Or maybe if I added some feathers?" You see the spear morph through several dozen possibilities. Oh, if only it were so easy!

Then he drops the glamour and starts to hammer again, and you realize he's not satisfied with illusion, he wants the reality, and even for the master maker, that's not easy. He pauses again. "There, do you think that's better?"

You look, and nod. The difference is subtle, but is definitely an improvement.

He smiles brightly, and waves it through the air triumphantly.

"Thank you." The female faerie takes the spear and drops a bag of coins into his hands.

He puts it aside absently, then picks up another piece of metal. "I have to do better next time!"

From a distance, you hear the female faerie's voice. "He always says that too!"

[ladyashliee5869.livejournal.com]

I...comment failed, there. Sorry!
Fixed below:

I'm here 'cause of morlith!

I'd love a reading regarding my mother, and whether or not she's being honest with me about a very important situation in my life.

Thank you muchly! :)

[roninangel.livejournal.com]

xjenavivex sent me

goodness i could probably use insight right now, even if i'm not quite sure on what - i have a bit of an open road in front of me and a lot of walls are crumbling out of my way in my life, i'm excited, but could use some guidance?

Indi

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Indi comes bounding toward you, offering first one hand and then the other, but there's a ball in each one. He gets distracted looking at the balls, and then a bird calls from a tree behind him. You tap him on the shoulder, and he whirls, seeing you again. This time, he flings his arms around you, offering a hug--apparently a greeting he can offer even when his hands are full. His leap is so enthusiastic that a stream of marbles flies out of a pocket, scattering over the sidewalk. He looks so woeful that you help him pick them up, offering him a sack for all of his balls.

It really wasn't that he had too many balls--he just had no plan for dealing with them all.

Indi always warns of the dangers of not making up your mind, but here, I think, his bigger problem is that when you want to get a lot done, you have to be organized enough to be able to carry all your balls safely, and not miss the friends and beauty along the way.

[jesspark.livejournal.com]

Here from freestuffday!

May I please have a reading (in whichever way you feel inspired!) regarding the paths I have in front of me to choose from and how to decide where to put my feet? I feel as though I'm on the verge of something, but... a good deal of this is very new and confusing to me.

Thank you, and stay warm and safe up there! :)

doors

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Rai Kunabei looks up from her blanket beneath the old oak tree. "Of course you may!"

She lets you get settled, then reaches into her leather pouch and pulls out a metal disk about the size of her palm. The metal looks dark, solid.

Then she turns it over, to reveal a simple picture of a door. She smiles. "The door--this is the sheltering aspect of borders. I think this is an excellent card for someone facing a bunch of confusing options. You can open and close a door, you see? Explore through the doors you want until you've seen enough, then retreat, until you know enough to decide which doors you want to leave open, and which ones you want to close and lock. And even when a place is something you want to explore more--when you're tired, or you need some time to reconnect with your roots, you can close the door for a while."

Then she smiles again. "And, you know, a door is also where guests can be welcomed, if you so choose."

[laffingkat.livejournal.com]

I would love some advice about a project at work. I really want this project to succeed, but I'm not sure how to move it forward.

The Three Moons

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

For you, Kunabei draws a copper disk, showing a night sky with the three moons of Torn World. The central moon is large, and full, though the shadows are quite different from those caused by our own mares. The other two moons are tiny, barely larger than the stars around them, one preceding the big moon, and one following it.

"The moons are the embodiment of abstract essence--the lands that everyone can see but no one can visit or even touch. The success of this project is all in the ideas. Oh, you need to do the preparation, the presentation, and the follow-up. But all of that will do no good if the ideas aren't good in the first place."

She puts the disk away. "Have you seen our moons? High in the mountains, it's easier to tell that the smaller moons are moons, with a round face like the primary has. Tonight promises to be clear--might you stick around after dinner?"

[ariestess]

I would LOVE a card from the Faeries' Oracle, please and thank you!

Myk the Mykomancer

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

You are walking along in the ice and the snow when you see a small, huddled figure staring at some leaves half-buried in the snowdrift. It is Myk--have you met him before? He's staring intently at the tiny, brown leaves. "There's roses here, under the snow.

You look around. All you can see are icy sidewalks and piles of snow. "Oh?"

"Look--these are rose leaves." He crumples a different bit, and sniffs. "And this--this is sage. This--" he waves to the side of the sidewalk. "This isn't just somebody's yard. They have a garden, with flowers and herbs, though it's all resting for the winter, under this nice, thick, warm blanket of snow."

He crushes another leaf in his hands, and even you can smell the sharp, clean scent. "Wintergreen. Another herb. Just wait a bit and see--this place will smell wonderful as spring turns into summer. Just give it the time it needs, and perhaps a helping hand with the weeds."

[tornaderman.livejournal.com]

I'd like to get a card, please. Whichever deck you'd like to use is fine with me.

Thanks in advance :3

egaS

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

When you find him, he looks firmly rooted in the ground, all leaves and twigs. He looks perfectly natural in the winter landscape, and at first you think someone carved some naughty bits on a tree, but then he wiggles ineffectively, and frowns, and you realize this is the Sage, and he has somehow gotten his spiky hair and antlers stuck quite firmly into the frozen ground.

"What happened?" Your voice shows your alarm.

He looks embarrassed. "It's nothing really. So common-place, I should know better. I just got set in my ways--stuck in a rut, so to speak. I know that, in the world of Faerie, metaphors have a way of affecting the physical plane. I know so much that I get into the habit of thinking I'm always right."

He grimaces. "Do you think you could take a few minutes to help an old faerie learn a new trick?"

[twirlandswirl.livejournal.com]

Hi! Random person you don't know. Can you just do a yes/no question for me?

O! That Gnome!

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

That Gnome says no. But he's a trickster, and he's smiling and winking. Or perhaps he merely got something in his eye. But you said you just wanted one word, so he's not explaining anything.

[phoenixisrisen.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you've closed the draw, but on the off chance you haven't..
I came via morlith.. and I'd love a card.. about a letter I need to write on a legal matter..

But again, if I'm too late, its all good. And thank you anyway!

The Singer of Connection

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

You're lost, floating in mid-air, not at all sure which way is down, much less how to get back in touch with what matters. You listen. You heard her just a moment ago, you think, but then you realize you're not sure what time it is.

But then you hear her, the Singer of Connection. You've been ignoring her, ignoring your sense of connection to yourself, to others, and to the universe, but she's still there. And as you concentrate, she gets stronger.

If you take the time, you can see the connections between yourself and the others involved in this legal matter. Even if you want those connections severed, understanding what they are and what they were is important to your future.

As you listen, and concentrate, your sense of gravity returns, and you start to drift gently back to earth, where, reconnected with what is important, you will be able to do what you need to do.

[instigatorjes.livejournal.com]

I'd love to get some advice on more gracefully handling the changes in my life now. I'm intrigued by a Torn World disk reading, but defer to your judgement as to what tool to use. Many thanks!

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Spring, 1500 (about twenty years before the present day in Torn World)

The village is small, though you've heard it is the center of Kuleilyi society, such as it is. This small tribe has been at least nominally part of the Empire for some time now, but it looks like a group of purists to you. There's not a single person in sight wearing scientist's robes, though you understand the teacher wears her robes of rank, at least while teaching.

In the center of the village there's a huge old oak tree. Underneath it, on a blanket, sits a teenager with long, unruly brown curls. She is cross-legged, wearing an old leather skirt and a sweater, and she is juggling three metal disks, iron, copper, and silver. They flash in the sunlight; the new oak leaves are only big enough to make the branches look fuzzy, though in the lowlands, the leaves are nearly hand-sized.

Your guide, the Chief of the Kuleilyi, gasps. You reflect that that's another reason to believe them purists at heart--they call their Mayor the chief of the tribe, rather than using the proper Empire title. "Rai! You'll crack the enamel!"

You look at the teenager again. This is the Rai--the bright one, who her people turn to for wisdom?

The girl laughs. "These are blanks! I'm supposed to be deciding which design Yomelo will make for me next."

The Mayor frowned. "We have a guest from the lowlands. You should be offering a reading, rather than playing with the blank disks."

"They're pretty, all plain, gleaming metal."

"They're prettier with the enamel!"

"But I can't juggle them then! I'd risk chipping the enamel." Gracefully tucking her feet under her skirt, the girl stood up without placing a hand on the ground. She bowed formally, "Welcome, visitor. Would you like a reading?"

"I--" You hesitate. Can such a slip of a teenager, so obviously intent on teasing the Mayor, really offer helpful advice?

"If you're not sure, that's all right. I'll be here all day. But would you do me a favor?"

Curious, you nod. "Probably. Depending on what it is."

With ease, she lifts a sack that must hold at least a hundred of the palm-sized metal disks, holding it out to you casually. "Pick one. If Yomelo has not made it yet, it will be my next choice--and I'll tell you what it means, too.

You reach in and pull out an iron disk with an arc of color across it.

She smiles brightly. "Rainbow! Oh, good. That's one of my favorites." She stands straight, as if reciting in school. "The rainbow is the distant aspect of water. When you gather water all together, it's invisible, see? She picks up a mug that was sitting on one of the twisted oak roots. It's full of water. "When it's pooled together, water nourishes the body--or drenches it. But if you spread it out into the air, the water nourishes the soul instead. You can see and cherish all the different colors separately." She set the blank disks down, and takes the rainbow from you.

"You know what's funny? If you mix water with air, you get clear beautiful colors, but if you mix paints of all colors you get just what you'd get if you mix water with earth--a muddy brown. I wonder if that's why none of the disks is an image of mud? Maybe that's because the mud is a part of the meaning of the rainbow?"

She runs her fingers across the clear enamels of the rainbow disk. On it, the rainbow is depicted with just hints of clear blue sky above and below.

"I think I'll ask Yomelo to do mine with a rainbow over a muddy field, a field full of flowers in the same colors as the rainbow. What do you think?"

"That sounds more challenging for Yomelo. But I am no Rai, I am just a simple tribal Chief."

The teenage Rai looked at the old woman suspiciously, before turning back to you and bowing again. "Thank you, visitor. Will you touch the disk that will become my very own rainbow, and lend a bit of your distance to it?"

Suddenly, you wonder if perhaps this irreverent priestess has a clue just how very far away your home is from hers. Still, you smile and touch the disk, thinking on the symbolism of the rainbow, both in her world and your own.

[ceosanna.livejournal.com]

I'd love a card, if you're still holding this. (Here due to miintikwa's pimpage.)

Faerie Guide

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Each of us has our own guide to the magical, to seeing the unseen and interpreting the seen. This card says that you need to listen to your own Guide, be it a faerie, an angel, a wild god, or simply your own higher self.

I catch just a glimpse through the plain white of the card--a smile, and a winking eye, and then your faery guide is off to speak to you directly.

[myapet.livejournal.com]

I think I missed my chance but in case I haven't, I'll take a card please.

Taitin the Sylph

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Taitin flits into your life, as quick as thought--but then, she does everything like that, her boundless energy is the energy of thought itself. There's a seedling, of sorts -- something new in your life, the first glimpse of something you've planted, and she spies it, and offers her blessing, before leaving it for you to nurture.

She flits off, pausing here and there, highlighting the beautiful parts of your life. Don't forget them. They help keep your thoughts from getting bogged down and slowed into a depression or stuck in a rut.

If the things that inspire you have been neglected, get out your feather-duster and polishing cloths, and make them gleam again.