The 2020 Election

[chiscotheque]

October 15
Left: 2 of Cups Helena & Bertram (All's Well That Ends Well)
Right: The Devil XV Iago (Othello)

The card on the left represents the capable but humble Helena and the high-born but unlikable Bertram. On the one hand this could signify the competent Kamala Harris and that example of political royalty, Joe Biden. Helena & Bertram could also reflect the female & male electorate; many women are voting for Biden this election, and while most of Trump's supporters are older white males, many of them are showing dissatisfaction with the president's arrogant shenanigans.

The card on the right represents Iago the evil mischief-maker in Othello. He causes discord and brings the noble black Othello to a point of desperation and destruction. This obviously reflects the diabolical Trump's collusion with white supremacist militia groups and his antagonizing behavior with BLM. Desdemona's death could reflect the loss of reproductive rights for women which Trump's appointment of ACB heralds. The blood on the Devil card could indicate the loss of medical coverage due to the Affordable Care Act being struck down which ACB's appointment also threatens. The Devil card not only indicates Trump's malevolence generally but suggests he may yet engender and unleash violence, misery, and harm before election day - or after.

[chiscotheque]

October 16
Left: 7 of Staffs Hotspur (HIV)
Right: 5 of Crowns Caliban (The Tempest)

The card on the left represents the capable but ill-fated Hotspur. He is a natural leader but has a tendency to irascibility. This may be a reminder to Biden to overlook Trump's baiting. Hotspur is shown here as noble, in a pristine forest in the snow. The Dems tend to take the high ground, which is where Hotspur is here, but they may make the mistake of thinking their probity is without blemish and it alone will assure victory. Hotspur was killed through subterfuge by Hal, who represented Trump in an earlier reading, indicating Trump no doubt has treachery up his sleeve.

The card on the right represents the base creature Caliban. He is joined by a drunk and a scoundrel who contrive to exploit Caliban as a freak and usurp power by violent means. Caliban in his crudity and ignorance surely represents Trump and the vulgar malevolence his grotesque theatrics elicit from his base. The scoundrel signifies the Rep party, who have sold out any pretense of probity for their own opportunistic lust for power. The drunk represents the irrational impulses Trump's presidency has awakened and the inebriated stupor of his followers. Caliban is at first mistaken for a large fish and everything here is indeed putridly fishy.

[Joan Marie]

I haven't read through this completely yet, (although quite a bit of it) I just want to note here for anyone who might be confused about this forum's feeling/policy on political discussion, that this section is Plato's Cave.

Plato's Cave offers a unique approach to using tarot and philosophy to look into life's existential questions which often are naturally political in nature.

[chiscotheque]

October 17
Left: The Star XVII Cordelia (King Lear)
Right: Knight of Swords Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing)

The card on the left represents the mistreated Cordelia from King Lear. Along with the meanings tied up with The Star, this card suggests dedication to her honesty and love (cordelia = lion's heart) will be vindicated. As a portrait of Shakespeare's daughter, she also signifies worthy inheritance, especially in a time of tumult and fake news. She could represent the importance of women this election, both in the campaign and in the electorate, and she could further suggest the importance of Biden's running-mate, K. Harris.

The card on the right represents the boastful military man Benedick. He is a cad and a blowhard with little interest or respect for the distaff. During a crisis of false information and a divided house, he must choose which side he is on - his comrades in arms and their reactionary lies or the mistreated and their honest intentions. As such, this card may indicate the need for the military and police to resolve false accusations concerning election results and sort out truth from fiction. Further, in light of The Star card, this card may be a call for the male electorate who traditionally side with "tough love" and authoritarianism to question their blind allegiance and take a stand for what's right rather than what's right-wing.

[chiscotheque]

October 18
Left: 6 of Cups Perdita (Winter's Tale)
Right: 5 of Staffs Edgar (King Lear)

The card on the left represents the lost girl Perdita, cast away by her irrational and egotistical father. She is being courted by a prince disguised as a pauper. This may suggest Biden & the Dems courting the female vote, especially one-time Trump supporters now turning away from the Rep. party. The setting is autumn and Perdita talks about spring flowers. In a fallow time of discord and deceit, this is a card of hope.

The card on the right represents Edgar, Gloucester's mistreated son in Lear. It is a card of division, combat, and game-playing. Edgar is a reasonable man who has been driven to near insanity by intrigue. He adopts many disguises to navigate his upended world. This card seems to signify a Republican party divided against itself. It also implies that many of its members are acting parts merely to survive the current political unrest. Further, there is a sense here of game-playing, where everyone is acting in bad faith in an attempt to hoodwink their audience and manipulate the system. Within this card is also the threat if not forecast of violence and civil unrest surrounding the outcome of the election.

[dodalisque]

October 2
Left: 9 of Swords Ophelia (Hamlet)
Right: The Magician I Prospero (The Tempest)

The second card makes me think of Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel "Brave New World". That phrase originally appeared in "The Tempest" spoken by Prospero's intellectually and sexually innocent daughter Miranda, who is excited by the appearance of young men on the island of exile she has shared exclusively with her father for many years. Huxley, of course, uses Shakespeare's phrase ironically, reversing the happy optimism of Miranda to create a pessimistic vision of dread and societal repression. This contrast may reflect the difference between Trump's "Good times are just around the corner" propaganda to the actual likely outcome. Incidentally, the Huxley novel has recently been made into a brilliant series for TV. Very timely.

[dodalisque]

October 3
Left: Knight of Crowns Jessica (Merchant of Venice)
Right: 2 of Staffs Richard II

Jessica always seems a rather naive, selfish and even treacherous character to me. Though one could claim that she at least feels that she is inspired by love. But she does run off with her father's money with one of his enemies. Might this suggest some kind corruption, a misuse of Democrat party funds, or a split within the party? Perhaps Jessica represents Kamala Harris, when Biden's influence is diminished, establishing an alliance with those on the Right who abandon Trump, to create some kind of political consensus to end the extreme polarisation between the two parties. Of course, any attempt at consensus with the Republicans remaining after Trump goes, and bilateralism of any kind will be interpreted as a betrayal by one's allies in the current climate of enmity.

[chiscotheque]

Jessica always seems a rather naive, selfish and even treacherous character to me. Though one could claim that she at least feels that she is inspired by love.

yes, indeed. Jessica displays the usual teen antagonism against her parent while her act of thievery and betrayal encapsulate the impetuous and unfair aspects of her character and her actions. Unlike Juliet in R&J or Innogen in Cymbeline, Shakespeare does not paint Jessica as a girl in love properly and justifiably following her romantic inklings. Indeed, Shakespeare shows her near the end of the play as realizing just what a dark and unfriendly world she has stepped into, with her own projections for her future with her paramour coloured with rejection and abuse.

Shakespeare's plays are nothing if not nuanced, and as i originally began posting these daily readings on Instagram, i didn't have the space to investigate all the eddies and implications. One way I would read the Jessica card vis-a-vis the Democratic party is that she represents the many women who have helped make Biden's presidential bid so successful thus far, but who may end up feeling unheard and unappreciated in the long run. She may signify Harris specifically who has helped swing a certain contingent of the electorate but who may be given short shrift within a Biden presidency. Jessica could also signify the females who supported Trump in 2016 but who have now gone over to the Dems (actually a substantial demographic) but who may feel uneasy with their new allegiance. Jessica of course is not just a woman but an outsider; as such, i think she represents those people who are at the moment passionately doing what they can to get away from Trump's tyranny but once they have helped secure a Biden presidency, will realize they are still outsiders and that the middle-of-the-road politics-as-usual Biden-led Dems are a lesser of two evils at the moment but imperfect and problematic in their own way.

[chiscotheque]

October 19
Left: The Moon 18 Venus & Adonis
Right: Knight of Staffs Julia (2 Gentlemen of Verona)

The card on the left represents The Moon and Venus & Adonis, the epic poem which saw the first official use of the name William Shakespeare. The Moon alludes to the unconscious and of course there are many things unconsciously afoot this election. Venus was scorned by arrogant Adonis and became merciless. With Venus and the focus of the Moon on female energy, the cards continue to show the importance of women in 2020. Shakespeare called V&A "the first heir of my invention", concealing dangerous information under a pseudonym. Similarly, The Moon card may imply a growing movement toward the light for those Americans becoming politically informed and sociologically "woke".

The card on the right represents Julia, a dutiful girl whose honesty, industry, and devotion is betrayed by the man she loves. While Venus is betrayed and demands retribution, Julia is betrayed and becomes a doormat of the patriarchal "Gentlemen" of the play's title. The male pseudonym Julia adopts to navigate this patriarchy is Sebastian, a saint commonly affiliated with homosexual sadomasochism. In this way, there is something of a homosexual subtext in both today's cards, perhaps alluding to current issues of gender identity - a hot button issue in both political camps. It may also talk about the surprising number of gay men who counterintuitively vote Republican. Surely the mirrored image of the lone candle burning in the dark implies that Trump's devoted followers are locked in an echo-chamber of their own dull light.

[chiscotheque]

October 20
Left: The Hanged Man 12 Hamlet
Right: 6 of Crowns Theseus & Rude Mechanicals (Midsummer Night's Dream)

The card on the left represents the disenfranchised Hamlet as the Hanged Man. The 12th Arcanum is a card about being hamstrung and the need to come up with innovative solutions to systematically entrenched problems. Hamlet devises a play to reveal the truth about his usurping uncle. Trump was recently likened to a crazy uncle at his one-man debate. Hamlet's play-within-a-play to "catch the conscience of the king" could reflect the Biden-Trump debate which saw Trump's rudeness and idiocy on full display. Let's hope the upcoming debate is as revealing. That Hamlet is killed by his scoundrel uncle may not bode well for Biden given Trump's threats of violence, underhandedness, and litigation over election results.

The card on the right represents Theseus, the arrogant king in MND. He has stolen the Amazon queen, Hippolyta, and is forcing her to marry him - an allegory of Trump's attempt to steal and coerce the election. Thesseus hires local merchants to act in a play as part of his marriage festivities, and they are incompetent to say the least. These "Rude Mechanicals" in some ways suggest the cadre of buffoons, lapdogs, and miscreants Trump has assembled around him and his presidency. That they are "mechanical" may also allude to robo-calls, fake accounts, cyber-espionage, and the removal of post office sorting machines in shady attempts to influence the election. The 6/Crowns is a card of money, reflecting the push on advertising seen in the election's home-stretch. The kindness, charity, and sharing this card traditionally implies hopefully indicates that the tax-evading Trump has his millionaire cronies in the Senate will lose the election.

[chiscotheque]

October 21

As I was shuffling the cards for my daily reading, the 8 of swords Lavinia card jumped out. This is unquestionably one of the more gruesome and dire cards of the deck. It represents the rape and mutilation of the Roman general Titus' daughter, Lavinia, from the play Titus Andronicus. Her plight is symbolic of the extreme depths of chaos and corruption the Roman Empire has sunk to. In this way, she represents an utterly traduced and molested Lady Liberty. Lavinia's malefactors keep her alive to experience the torture of her denigration, cutting out her tongue so she cannot reveal their cruel deeds. Ingeniously, she conveys the truth by pointing to a story in Ovid which parallels her own story. Women have repeatedly figured as decisive factors in these election readings, illustrating their disquiet and suppression, and Lavinia's appearance here is no exception. The true story of Covid parallels the story of women and minorities in America. Despite efforts to silence them, their story will be given voice. In the long run, Lavinia was vindicated by becoming the matron of the Roman people; similarly, H. Clinton's defeat will be vindicated by a Biden/Harris win. It may even allude to a future Harris presidency. That, or Melania's nagging cough due to corona will develop into a debilitating and potentially life-threatening condition.

[dodalisque]

Oct 21

8 of Swords

Indeed, a gruesome Statue of Liberty in the election spotlight. Cutting the tongue out = media suppression?

[chiscotheque]

. Cutting the tongue out = media suppression?

media suppression or fake news? voter suppression is more like it - trying to silence the voice of the people by intimidation, spurious disqualification of mail-in ballots, threats of violence and deportation, ridiculously long line-ups, and throwing the whole process into question. regarding the media - it's more like too many tongues confusing the airwaves with disinformation and misinformation - Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, QAnon, Trump's Twitter account.

[chiscotheque]

October 22
Left: 7 of Cups Love's Labours Lost
Right: The Emperor IV Falstaff

The card on the left represents the court play Love's Labours Lost. In it, the central male characters are obdurate and idealistic to a fault, steeped in their own version of reality and out of step with actual reality. This is why each man on the card is in a box, because they are "square". The central female figure is in colour but she too is in a box because she is a projection of the king, Ferdinand, defined by him and held captive despite her own reality. These qualities represent the out-dated, male-centric, prosaic policies and mindset of career politicians like Biden and the machinery of the DNC. On another level, Biden's old-school mode of appealing to rationalism and our better selves in his 2nd debate against Trump was weak stuff compared to the barrage of lies, misinformation, and baseless mud-slinging employed by the president which is the new normal. Nevertheless, this is a card of emotion and the heart is central as seen in the upper right corner - let's hope America's higher self and compassion have some life in them yet. LLL ends with a sudden death - a fear for Biden's aged frailty, the hundreds of thousands dead from COVID, or the symbolic death of Trump?

The card on the right represents the larger than life Falstaff. Here, on the Emperor card, he is depicted both in his entertaining rogue incarnation and as his essentially buffoonish self. Surely he is unfit to be emperor of anything - even of his own petty chicanery such as enlisting men into the military for his own gain, mugging bureaucrats in charge of state coffers, mugging for the camera, and evading his outstanding debts. This of course is Trump in a nutshell, whose coached behaviour in the 2nd debate was intended to convey him as reasonable, sincere, and emperor-worthy. None of which is in any way true; it was all acting by a sorcerer's apprentice. Let's hope reality TV hasn't become American reality, and that the majority of viewers/voters can see that the emperor has no clothes. In the end, Falstaff dies rebuffed, in disgrace, off-stage, ideally in a prison cell for tax fraud.

[chiscotheque]

October 23
Left: 3 of Staffs Orlando [As You Like It]
Right: The Hierophant V William Shakespeare

The card on the left represents the hard-done-by Orlando. He is the younger son who gets short shrift and, while it's hard to square this with the 78-year-old Biden, it could represent his status as a junior partner in the Obama administration. Here, Orlando is campaigning for his passion by nailing poems to trees, just as Biden (and Obama) are currently on the campaign trail. The edges of the image are black and white, but the centre is filling with colour - indicative of the Democrat's rainbow coalition and America's growing racial diversity. Orlando is admittedly something of a dolt, but in the end his sincerity and message are vindicated.

The card on the right represents "William Shakespeare", a pseudonym erroneously conflated with the money-lender and commodities trader William Shaksper of Stratford. Through centuries of self-interest, ignorance, and "fake news", this petty businessman has become a multi-million dollar industry and the sacrosanct focus of bardolatry. As such, his position is allegorical to the unassailable, self-righteous, and self-appointed authority of the Hierophant. The fool's gold and 2-bit grandeur of the card reflects Trump's trailer-trash taste and his rinky-dink flamboyance. Only a graduate of Trump University could believe Trump was the author of anything worth printing with any more probity than a litigious charlatan. Shakespeare's works were originally printed as "by Anonymous", and sadly, many view Trump as the messiah of QAnon's propaganda. Worse, many of the indoctrinated philistines of the Trump cult are ignorant and spurious "Christians".

[dodalisque]

October 23
Left: 3 of Staffs Orlando [As You Like It]
Right: The Hierophant V William Shakespeare

Thanks heavens the card referencing that notorious fake, William Shaksper of Stratford, showed up on the right hand side of the reading. The true identity of the person who wrote the plays is, of course, Edward de Vere, XVIIth Earl of Oxford - cf. the movie "Anonymous". It is rather worrying that the bulk of the electorate are still ignorant of the scam being foisted on them by those with a stake in the Shakespeare industry. The Hierophant card may be a reference to the "presidential pulpit", that is, the aura of authority and respectability granted to Presidents simply because of their position. It's usually used to explain why idiots invariably get second terms.

[chiscotheque]

October 24
Left: 10 of Cups the entire cast of The Comedy of Errors
Right: The King of Staffs Leontes (A Winter's Tale)

The card on the left represents the myriad of characters happily reunited at the finale of hapless misadventures in The Comedy of Errors. This card seems to indicate that the Democrats are an umbrella party, inclusive of many walks of life. It also suggests that there have been many missteps on the campaign trail but that in the end the Dems will be united and victorious. The question will be how to move forward in this strange new world...

The card on the right represents the cruel and irascible king Leontes from Winter's Tale. Through self-righteous anger, he refuses to listen to reason, heartfelt petition, or even the decree of the gods and instead banishes his wife and unborn child and causes the death of his son. This ego-centric tragedy of errors is in stark contrast to the accepting and harmonious card representing the left. The stupid damage done by Leontes suggests allegiance to Donald Trump may cause years of damage to the Republican Party and, far more importantly, to the American people.

[chiscotheque]

Thanks heavens the card referencing that notorious fake, William Shaksper of Stratford, showed up on the right hand side of the reading.

don't I know it! indeed, since almost every reading is fairly (i use that word with intention) decisive in its anti-Trump skew, i've often wondered how i would "spin" things if the cards were reversed. but then the cards are what they are because the tarot is what it is and Trump - to paraphrase Trump - is what it is. To wonder how i would "spin" things if the cards were reversed is like wondering what would happen if black was white and yes was down and day was a cold sausage. I dare say i still have a nagging suspicion that every reading until election day will clearly indicate a Democrat win until the day in question, and then the tarot will somehow foretell a Trump victory. Since everything Trump says is a lie or self-serving delusion and one can usually discern the truth by taking what he says and deconstructing backwards, maybe his "It is what it is" means in actuality "It is what it isn't."

[dodalisque]

Since everything Trump says is a lie or self-serving delusion and one can usually discern the truth by taking what he says and deconstructing backwards, maybe his "It is what it is" means in actuality "It is what it isn't."

Maybe you should be reading every card in the right hand Trump position upside down in reversed mode. But if that interpretation is what it isn't, it might cause confusion. But isn't that the point, to mess with our minds until we don't know which way is up?

[chiscotheque]

But isn't that the point, to mess with our minds until we don't know which way is up?

Wouldn't that mean "It isn't what it is."?

[chiscotheque]

October 25

As I was shuffling the cards for my daily reading, the 8 of Staffs Mercutio card jumped out. This is a card of focus and vigor mixed with the immediate aspects of things mercurial. With COVID cases on the rise, the man in charge of the US COVID response's right-hand man being infected, and yesterday's highest single-day infection rate in the US thus far, I can't help but read the political bickering over the virus in Mercutio's reproof: "A plague on both your houses!" Mercutio was an outsider, beholden to neither of the feuding Capulet nor Montague families. Mercutio was possibly modeled on Kit Marlowe, whose homosexuality marked him as an outsider and may connect to Dr. Anthony Fauci's history with the AIDS virus and the Reagan administration of the 80s. Reagan infamously did nothing about AIDS, reflecting Trump's criminal neglect and incompetence viz. COVID. Fauci is of Italian heritage like the cast of Romeo & Juliet, suggesting this card may represent the Latinx vote. Democrats have put a lot of money into Spanish-language ads but actually, rather than immigration issues that the ads concern, one of the most important issues for Latinx voters is healthcare. Many Latinx voters were big on Bernie Saunders, in part for his views on health care, but feel ambiguous or apathetic to Biden, whose rapport is historically with Black voters. Cases of COVID in the Latinx community is higher than all other ethnicities, which may be reflected in Mercutio's death and his morbid pun, "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man." Trump, meantime, has recognized how important the Latinx vote is in Florida. Bombarding that state with advertising which paints Biden as a radical Marxist, he has been exploiting the fears of the Cuban ex-pat community, conduct akin to the mindless feuding of the families in R&J. It's worth pointing out that the large majority of female Latinx voters support Biden and that what Trump supporters there are in that demographic are (like most Trumpistas) uneducated, older, and male. Perhaps the historic Latinx ties with Roman Catholicism sees them excusing the Republican Party's many other un-Christian behaviors because they reject the reproductive rights of women and same-sex unions? Or, recalling Marlowe's homosexuality - and Shakespeare's, for that matter - perhaps male Latinx voters consider Trump's pugilistic style macho and are themselves just too macho to support a party geared toward cooperation, empathy, and inclusivity like the Democrats.

[dodalisque]

But isn't that the point, to mess with our minds until we don't know which way is up?

Wouldn't that mean "It isn't what it is."?

Is what? What is? What?

[chiscotheque]

Is what? What is? What?

it's the subtle difference between "he who's not for me is against me" and "he who's not against me is for me".

as for the Hierophant card representing Trump, another implication is the importance this election of the conservative Catholic vote. That group has become an organized and influential bloc, in some ways personified in Amy Coney Barrett. The irony here, the painful hypocrisy and egregious falsehood, is not only that these bloc-heads are anti-Christs in miniature but that their ideology and actions contradict their current pope, Francis.

[chiscotheque]

October 26
Left: 6 of Staffs Iachimo (Cymbeline)
Right: The Hermit IX Timon (Timon of Athens)

The card on the left represents the Italian Iachimo, who begins as an antagonist in the play Cymbeline and ends fighting heroically for the "good guys". After yesterday's card signifying in part Latinx voters - especially male voters who support Trump - I take this card to represent the growing number of male Latinx voters who have grown dissatisfied with Trump and are turning their support toward the Democrats. The victory celebration which bookends this card and occurs at the end of Cymbeline further supports the idea of a Biden/Harris win thanks in part to these volte-face voters.

The card on the Right represents the one-time wealthy aristocrat Timon who loses all his money and, as a result, becomes hateful and demented. Timon's penury surely reflects Trump's 400 million dollar debt to unspecified actors, and his deranged misanthropy surely echoes Trump's growing insularity and mental instability. Implausibly, Timon stumbles upon a fortune in gold and uses it to finance a rebellion in Athens. This clearly betokens Trump's attempts to discredit the election and incite violence from the fascist militia who support him. The fighting black and white dogs point to Trump's dog-eat-dog America and underscores the racial conflict his presidency has intentionally provoked. Finally, the image here of Timon holding up a huge gold coin encapsulates Trump and America's adulation of money at the cost of truth, the environment, law, morality, humanity, and everything else.

[chiscotheque]

With a week to go before election day, I've chosen to pull one card from the dwindling supply of remaining cards. The card is the Queen of Crowns Katarina from Taming of the Shrew.

I take her to represent Amy Coney Barrett, who was confirmed as an SC judge yesterday. In ToftheS, Katarina is married off in a deal contrived by numerous men who arrange the union for their own selfish ends. This of course is an allegory for Trump and the Republican Senate who, somewhat ironically, care nothing for justice. The money surrounding Katarina represents the money involved in getting her to become her husband's chattel and, by extension, the money Pro-Life groups have funneled into Republican coffers to secure the defeat of Roe V. Wade. Just like ACB, Katarina at the beginning of the play is a terrible person. By the end of the play, Katarina is agreeing that day is night and vice versa or anything else her new husband demands of her. This reflects the shill ACB is for those who seek to curtail women's liberty and control their bodies. At the finale of ToftheS, Katarina's husband wins a bet he has with other men regarding his wife's loyalty - I dare say Trump is banking on a similar gamble with the prospect of ACB judging on contested election results. The inexperienced ACB claims to be an "Originalist" when it comes to the Constitution - an absurd and impossible claim at best, and self-deluding fundamentalism at worst. If she really did believe in interpreting the Constitution as the writers of it envisioned, she would recuse herself from the job as SCOTUS because the founding fathers never envisaged a female Supreme Court Judge.