So last Tuesday, digging through Grandma’s dusty old trunk in the attic – seriously, cobwebs big enough to trap small animals – I pulled out this heavy, weirdly ornate box. Felt it before I saw it, you know? Velvet lining gone scratchy, corners bruised. Inside? A deck of cards unlike anything I ever touched. Pictures straight outta one of those thick history books – folks in fancy dresses, gloomy castles, dramatic poses. “Victorian Tarot,” it whispered, all faded gold letters. Looked proper ancient and kinda intimidating.
Honestly? Skeptical. Big time. Cards predicting stuff? Felt like nonsense. But the artwork… man, it hooked me. Just wanted to handle them, see what the fuss was about, even if I figured it was bunk. That was the start.
The Fumbling First Shuffle
First attempt? Disaster. Those cards were thick, stiff. Felt clumsy as a kid wearing Dad’s oversized gloves. Trying to shuffle smooth like in the movies? Yeah, right. Cards flew everywhere. Scooped them up, cursing softly, feeling like a proper idiot. Got a rhythm going eventually, but it was more like awkwardly bending them back and forth than a fancy riffle. Didn’t matter. Just wanted the feel of them moving.
Laid them out finally on Grandma’s worn quilt. Chose a simple three-card spread:
- The left for Past
- Middle for Present
- Right for Future
Basic stuff, figured even I couldn’t mess that up much. Drew the cards slow, peeling them off the top one by one.
Past, Present, and Future… Huh?
Looked at the first card: The Empress. This serene lady surrounded by ripe fields. Made me think instantly of Gran, her garden bursting with tomatoes every summer. Warm feeling, nostalgic. Okay, strangely fitting.
Present card: The Tower. Big stone building getting zapped by lightning, people falling. Looked violent, scary. My gut dropped. Seriously? This is my ‘now’? Felt a bit insulted! Nothing that dramatic was happening… unless you count my car needing pricey repairs last week. Maybe? Maybe the shock of the bill?
Future card: The Wheel of Fortune. All twisty, symbols spinning. Felt vague. Fortunes changing? Could be good, could be bad. Utterly unclear. “Well, that’s helpful,” I muttered. Confusion was my main takeaway. But that Tower card bugged me.
The Weird Coincidence
Next day? Disaster struck. Minor disaster, but still. Coffee machine died mid-brew. Huge brown puddle soaking into the kitchen counter. While mopping it up, my phone buzzed – reminding me about that delayed meeting, the one I totally forgot. Double whammy of hassle. Stood there, wet rag in hand, staring at the soggy mess.
Boom. Tower card slapped into my mind. The lightning strike. The sudden fall. My stupid coffee puddle meeting forgotten crisis! It clicked, stupidly obvious. Not some grand tragedy, just that exact kind of sudden, frustrating disruption it showed. The card nailed the feeling, the abrupt hassle. Uncanny.
Maybe not prophecy. Maybe just reflecting the small chaos I’d ignored? Either way, it made me see the thing differently. Less about predicting events, more about showing the energy swirling around.
So What Now?
Still wouldn’t bet my paycheck on these things. But after that? Started pulling a single card most mornings. Not asking “What’s my fate?”, just thinking “Okay, what vibe should I maybe watch for today?”
Like Thursday? Drew The High Priestess – all calm, mysterious lady. Felt like a nudge: “Pay attention. Listen more than blab.” So I did. Held back opinions in a meeting, just observed. Learned way more than usual. Maybe coincidence. Maybe I was just primed? Dunno. Felt useful.
Handling them now feels different. Less awkward shuffling, more familiar. The Victorian stiffness is kinda charming. Does it actually tell the future? Probably nah. But that Tower moment… can’t shake it. Feels like it gives me snapshots of the invisible stuff I usually miss. The weird tensions, the hidden currents under my own busyness. Worth messing with? Absolutely. Even just for the weird stories to tell.
