LEN: dodalisque reads for Charlie Brown

[dodalisque]

Hey, CB. What's your question?

[Charlie Brown]

Oh, hey... I missed this. I'll have a thought and get to you. sorry for the delay.

[Charlie Brown]

I'm a doctor living in a small Algerian port town shortly after the Second World War. Recently, there seem to be few strange things afoot. In addition to all the dead rats that have suddenly sullied the town's streets, I've noticed a few cases of an unusual malady popping up, characterized by an intense fever and large, pus-filled swellings. So far, the public authorities seem relatively sanguine about the whole thing, but I myself harbor some concerns. Can your cards tell me if this is something that I need to ultimately be concerned about?

[dodalisque]

I'm a doctor living in a small Algerian port town shortly after the Second World War. Recently, there seem to be few strange things afoot. In addition to all the dead rats that have suddenly sullied the town's streets, I've noticed a few cases of an unusual malady popping up, characterized by an intense fever and large, pus-filled swellings. So far, the public authorities seem relatively sanguine about the whole thing, but I myself harbor some concerns. Can your cards tell me if this is something that I need to ultimately be concerned about?

The deck I am using is Pixie's Amazing Lenormand, which was created in 2015 by Edmund Zembrowski. Pixie was the nickname of Pamela Colman Smith, who illustrated the great Rider-Waite -Smith deck. Zembrowski isolates familiar details from the RWS and, along with lesser known examples of Smith's illustrative work, refashions them into a pack of Lenormand cards.

You say that this unusual malady is happening in Algeria, but it could be happening in Vancouver, or Hamburg, or San Diego or anywhere in the world and I believe the answer to your question would be the same. We remember that rats were blamed for the spread of the Black Death through Europe in the Middle Ages. After the end of WWI, the subsequent Spanish flu virus caused more deaths than the war itself. So perhaps it is no surprise that another World War should spawn another plague. Perhaps plagues themselves are nothing more than a material manifestation of the forces of corruption and decay in our culture.

Crossroads(22) - Heart(24) - Garden(20)
Mountain(21) - Stork(27) - Lady(29)
Fish(34) - Birds(12) - Mice(23)

The all-important central card (STORK) tells us that change is coming, but as yet we do not know whether that change involves your own health, or the health of Algerian society as a whole, or people's awareness of the seriousness of the situation, or even the disease itself as it mutates and takes perhaps even more virulent forms.

The four corner cards, which establish the basic parameters of the reading, suggest that at this time there is a conflict (CROSSROADS) between the threat posed by the disease (MICE) to the physical health of society (GARDEN) and the financial impact (FISH) of the disaster. You mention rats in Algeria, and here we have the MICE card, but symbolically the MICE could represent any means by which the contagion is spread.

If we fan the column on the left, which relates to the recent past, during which the authorities sought to minimise the seriousness of the situation, money (FISH) was the obstacle (MOUNTAIN) to acknowledging the crisis (CROSSROADS).

The central column, the present, suggests that word of mouth (BIRDS) is changing (STORK) peoples' attitudes (HEART). The BIRDS might even relate to the role of the popular media in educating the general populace about the real physical dangers presented by the disease.

In the near future, in the fan of the right column, we see that the fertility (LADY) of the disease (MICE) - that is its ability to multiply and thrive - will affect the whole of society (GARDEN).

If we fan the upper row we see that public opinion (HEART + GARDEN) is currently divided (CROSSROADS). The lower row suggests that worries (BIRDS) about money (FISH) are a disease (MICE) in themselves. It might also imply that the plethora (FISH) of competing voices (BIRDS) in the popular press is perhaps contributing to the worsening (MICE) of the situation. The central row tells us that the ever changing (STORK) nature of the disease's methods of multiplying itself (LADY) is the greatest obstacle to overcome (MOUNTAIN).

When we knight the LADY card, to suggest ways to put an end to the "fertility" of the disease, we see that the allocation of funds (FISH) is split (CROSSROADS). Your Algerian statesmen, rather than placing all of their efforts into treating the disease, may be tempted to use a large portion of the available funds to protect their business interests .

When we knight the HEART card we see that attitudes are split between those who put money (FISH) first, and those who are more concerned about the affects of the disease (MICE) on health.

I drew three more cards to suggest how you personally should act in this situation, and received:

Child(13) - Letter(27)- Clouds(6)
The final message is: This is only the beginning (CHILD) of the bad (CLOUDS) news (LETTER). I urge you, sir, get out of Algeria now, while there is still time. But where in the world should you flee? For that you will need to cross my palm with silver once again.