The 2020 Election

[chiscotheque]

October 28

Today's card is 8 of Crowns Vincentio from Measure for Measure. The card is about building, dedication, and making things work. Duke Vincentio adds to the meaning by implying subterfuge, under-handed string-pulling, and skullduggery. When things get difficult, Vincentio resigns his position as head of Vienna and puts a puritan hypocrite in power during his absence. Rather than go anywhere, Vincentio pretends to be a monk and maneuvers the fates of all the play's characters from a prison. This makes me think Trump will bow out of politics after losing the election and a dubious prig like Pence will take his place. The prison setting offers some hope Trump may end up behind bars, although the play suggests he will carry on brokering deals and manipulating events. The mischief aspect of the card points to the disinformation, foreign interference, voter intimidation, and ballot tampering surrounding this election. The play's ending is unsatisfactory and essentially resolves nothing, intimating a Biden win will do little to solve systemic problems in American institutions or heal America's deep divisions.

[chiscotheque]

October 29

Today's card is the Queen of Staffs Viola from Twelfth Night. Viola experiences a shipwreck and washes up on a foreign shore. She gets a job dressed as a man being a go-between for the local Duke and a grieving widow. I take this card to represent Kamala Harris, whose parents were immigrants to America. Having recently been defeated by Biden as presidential candidate, she got a job being Biden's VP. In Twelfth Night, the widow Olivia, always dressed in black, falls in love with Viola. I take this to reflect the appeal Harris has for women generally and black women in particular, many of whom have been mourning Trump's presidency for 4 years now. Viola is the real protagonist of Twelfth Night, which makes me think Harris' importance to this election and a Biden presidency will begin discreetly but end up being of prime significance.

[dodalisque]

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.

Once again you dodged a bullet there with the Timon card showing up on the right. Your greatest genius is for pulling the right cards. All the best readers seem to have that in common. This Timon card to me seems the closest in the whole deck to an overview of the current situation in the US. Intuitively, do you have one or two cards that have appeared so far that seem to have a particularly special significance for you? If so it might be interesting to look more deeply into the dynamics of that play at some point. Your reading marathon is approaching its climax. The excitement is building as we wait for the final card! What will the prediction be?

[dodalisque]

October 29
Viola is the real protagonist of Twelfth Night, which makes me think Harris' importance to this election and a Biden presidency will begin discreetly but end up being of prime significance.

For what it's worth, I have been listening a lot recently to an album by Keb' Mo'. There's a song on it about US politics called "Put a Woman In Charge!" A real feminist anthem with Roseanne Cash singing backup. You'd love it. (But the track on the album I can't get out of my head is "Riding On a Train". Argh, a fiendish earworm.)

[chiscotheque]

do you have one or two cards that have appeared so far that seem to have a particularly special significance for you?

Your reading marathon is approaching its climax. The excitement is building as we wait for the final card! What will the prediction be?

I knew before I pulled Viola that i would pull that card - i was already beginning to think of what that card meant before i pulled it. I also have a hunch i'd put money on as to what the last card is gonna be. of course, there are only 4 left and i know what they are obviously so the chances aren't exactly astronomical.

i don't know about particularly significant cards so far; i have noticed how often women factor, especially in regard to the Democrats. Cleopatra on the day of ACB's announcement for SCOTUS seemed significant. the first card being the 2 fools also seemed obvious and perfect. if my gut feeling of what the last card will be is right, it will be very significant. watch this space!

[chiscotheque]

October 30

Today's card is the 9 of Cups Toby Belch, with Sir Aguecheek and Maria from Twelfth Night. The scene depicted on this card is a famous one wherein 3 drunken revelers wake up the house they are guests in with their carrying on. Toby Belch is a reprobate, a shit-disturber, and a drunk; his pal Aguecheek is a pusillanimous twit; Maria is the maid of the household. Twelfth Night the play was written for Twelfth Night the festival, during which a low-status person is made king for the day and everything is turned upside-down in what is called the lord of misrule; Toby and the midnight partying are an example of this. Surely this represents the past 4 years of Trump, the man who lives like a millionaire yet paints himself as the voice of the common man and the working class. Toby like Trump is a guest in the house but acts like he owns it, causes mayhem wherever he goes, is petty and childish, and is a philistine concerned only about himself. At first, Toby is entertaining, but by the play's end his antics have grown irritating and dangerous. Trump's rhetoric, his lies, and his bombast have grown increasingly irresponsible and preposterous in these last days of the campaign - let's hope it's his last hoorah before America kicks him and his sickly pal Pence out of the White House. Maybe after November 3rd, the average American will have something to celebrate. If not, they're gonna have a wicked hangover.

curiously, today's card is connected with yesterday's card as they're both from the same play. Further, Toby Belch was based on Shakespeare's brother-in-law, Peregrine Bertie, who was also the model for Katarina's suitor Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. Katarina, representing Trump's Pro-Life SCOTUS nominee ACB, appeared 3 days ago.

[chiscotheque]

October 31

Today's card is the Knight of Cups Rosalind from As You Like It. Rosalind is in the center of the card, being encouraged by her cousin Celia to fire her crossbow directly at the viewer. In AYLI, things are upside-down – the good king has been usurped by a bad one, forcing the rightful court to take refuge in the forest; Rosalind and Celia pretend to be boys; a melancholic nobleman becomes enthralled by a fool, a scrawny adolescent wins a wrestling match with a hired thug, and character A loves character B but character B loves character C, etc. This inside-out aspect, along with Rosalind breaking the fourth wall, indicates that this card represents “you”, the American people generally and the voter specifically. This election is set to see the most voter turn out in a century. Already a Byzantine process, America's voting system this year has the added complications of mail-in ballots, misinformation campaigns, and intimidation, which makes it as difficult to keep on target as AYLI's convoluted plot. Rosalind, as representative of the American people, holds in her hands the democratic weapon of justice: the ballot. This election, the American people are turning out in droves to knock down the 4th wall, but the problem is the idea that America is a democracy is a dream. The Electoral College is an anti-democratic institution and it is they and not the people who are the king-makers. The only way to thwart the EC and avoid a repeat of this injustice is if the rightful winner garners enough votes, which is doubly crucial in this election to circumvent civil unrest caused by right-wing militia. If it comes to that, how the American people react to such uncivil unrest will prove even more instrumental. Rosalind, true to the Knight of Cups tradition, is a dreamer, and eventually her dreams of a peaceful resolution to the injustice and upheaval in her land is realized. With the preposterous and illegitimate king in her cross-hairs, Rosalind declares her independence with the triple entendre: You're Fired!

[Nemia]

Thank you for the chance to get to know your fascinating deck better! and to get more insight into the dynamics of these elections.

[dodalisque]

October 30

Today's card is the 9 of Cups Toby Belch...Surely this represents the past 4 years of Trump, the man who lives like a millionaire yet paints himself as the voice of the common man and the working class.

Curiously, today's card is connected with yesterday's card as they're both from the same play. Further, Toby Belch was based on Shakespeare's brother-in-law, Peregrine Bertie, who was also the model for Katarina's suitor Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. Katarina, representing Trump's Pro-Life SCOTUS nominee ACB, appeared 3 days ago.

If Belch is Trump, that does that make you Malvolio? That thing about Bertie/Petruchio/ACB is a very strange connection. Katarina is eventually bullied into subjection, which doesn't seem to auger too well for ACB's future judicial impartiality. Seems like more than coincidence. But I suppose a coincidence is always more than a coincidence.

[chiscotheque]

November 1

Today's card, the penultimate, is the Ace of Cups. Its concern is all things emotional, from anger to love, sadness to hope. Emotions are indeed riding high this election, more so than any time in my experience. This is in part a reflection of the times we live in, with the pandemic exasperating the already ramped-up tensions. But on top of that, or lurking underneath, is the gamut of emotions Trump's presidency has caused. On the one hand, there's pride, patriotism, indignance, and bigotry; on the other is shame, fear, outrage, and despair. Animosity seems to be a feeling shared on either side. Political apathy has been rampant in America for a long time, but few can maintain indifference this time around. Are there policies worth analyzing? Of course. But this election more than any other in living memory shows just how central and over-riding feelings are when it comes to how people choose to vote. The frail cabinet of mementos is open and vulnerable, like America's heart and soul. Its contents, at the moment, are set to be engendered and preserved or vandalized and despoiled.

[chiscotheque]

If Belch is Trump, that does that make you Malvolio?

Malvolio appeared early in the readings (September 25). I didn't specifically say who he represented, but I had in mind the Republican Party generally, and in particular, Mitch McConnell, for his egregious Machiavellianism, his ghoulish yet nincompoopish mien, and his refusal to agree to Congress' Covid stimulus relief for millions of average Americans.

[chiscotheque]

November 2

Today's card, the last Shakespeare Tarot election reading, is the 10 of Swords Coriolanus. For a couple weeks now I have had a hunch this would be the final card and it's a little scary. Coriolanus was a general who helped secure peace for Rome against its arch-enemy, the Volscians. He is urged to run for senate and, although believing it is beneath him, he becomes a politician. Food is being hoarded by the elite, causing the people of Rome to starve. They gather to demand justice and Coriolanus flies into a rage against the people and the personal indignity of democracy. A tribunal impeaches Coriolanus and he skulks off to join forces with the Volscians. With Coriolanus leading them, the Volscians lay waste to Rome but Volumnia, Coriolanus' mother, appeals to his heart and gets him to relent. Coriolanus is then literally ripped to pieces by the Volscians.

If I thought this card was about the Democrats, I might fear that Biden's return to Washington could signal his assassination. I think it's fairly clear, however, that Coriolanus is Donald Trump - even their names belie what asses they are: anus & rump. Like Coriolanus, Trump did not start out as a politician, he has contempt for anyone who doesn't think he is great, he has no respect for codes of conduct of democracy, he was impeached, and he is shamelessly mercenary, siding with any group who backs him no matter how deplorable. The 10 of Swords card indicates that Trump's current election bid will die an ugly death. Coriolanus' deal with the enemies of Rome suggests there will be violence causes by fascist militias intent on using Trump for their own violent ends. Volumnia's act of surrender may simply represent the American voter, especially the voice of women this time out who have simply had enough of Trump. Seen further, she may symbolize not only Lady Liberty but also ACB and the Supreme Court if Trump tries to steal the election through litigation. If so, Volumnia suggests the verdict will not be to Trump's liking. Finally, Coriolanus' gruesome death hopefully foretells of Trump's trouncing by the hypocritical Rep party, his traducement in the annals of history, and/or his literal execution at the hands of his own disgruntled Proud Boys.

[dodalisque]

November 2

Today's card, the last Shakespeare Tarot election reading, is the 10 of Swords Coriolanus.

I just wanted to say Congratulations on completing your reading marathon about the 2020 election. Thanks very much. It's been a complex, fascinating ride. I feel I have learned as much about Shakespeare's plays as about US politics. The choice of deck was perfect. I am writing on the morning of Nov.4 so the election was last might and still isn't over. This final card, Coriolanus/10 of Swords, is generally regarded as the darkest card in the deck. All the readings seem to have been building towards this. If the controversy over the counting of the votes continues and the matter is taken to the Supreme Court as Trump is threatening to do, I hope you will continue this thread and do a few more readings to allow the tarot to let us know what is going on. I know you have already utilised all 78 cards in the Shakespeare Tarot, but perhaps cards that show up again after the election in answer to different questions might echo ideas and concepts from previous readings in interesting ways.

[chiscotheque]

All the readings seem to have been building towards this. If the controversy over the counting of the votes continues and the matter is taken to the Supreme Court as Trump is threatening to do, I hope you will continue this thread and do a few more readings to allow the tarot to let us know what is going on. I know you have already utilised all 78 cards in the Shakespeare Tarot, but perhaps cards that show up again after the election in answer to different questions might echo ideas and concepts from previous readings in interesting ways.

Coriolanus was impossible to talk to - he was right about everything and everyone else was wrong. His wife and child could not persuade him away from his evil path any more than could the senators of Rome or all its people. In the end, only Coriolanus' mother Volumnia was able to stop him. In my mind, I saw Volumnia as possibly being Trumps' daughter, Ivanka, but more likely being ACB and hence the Supreme Court; it could, of course, just be the will of the people, but something tells me Trump can't hear the will of the people and doesn't actually give a damn about it. In short, the 10 of Swords Coriolanus card seemed to indicate a long, drawn-out battle, such that I was worried that if I shuffled all the cards and pulled another it would be the 10 of Swords Coriolanus card again.

But last night I decided to draw a new card from another deck to speak about what's been happening and what's about to happen. I chose the Charles Dickens Tarot and the card I pulled was the Father of Water, Joe Gargery:

My first thought was: oh no, a court card. But its significance quickly became clear. First of all, the card's commensurate position within the traditional court structure is King and, second, his name is Joe. Joe is a kind and patient man who works in a foundry, just as Joe Biden comes from a long line of working-class people, is not an academic, and finds most of his support from average Americans. George Gissing noted that Gargery "lived in a world, not of melodrama, but of everyday cause and effect", a comment very apropos Biden. Like Gargery, Biden is slow, wooden, and even antediluvian - quite unlike Trump's trashy panache and the manic pace of our media-saturated times. Dickens used the older Gargery in marked contrast to the shallow and arrogant savvy of the younger characters in the book to criticize his times and argue for a more grounded and emotionally honest approach to life. It's Joe patience which wins out in the end.

Joe Gargery's first wife was killed, as was Joe Biden's wife. Gargery's second wife, Biddy, is a teacher; so is Biden's second wife, Jill. Seen metaphorically, the crippling of Gargery's first wife which left her paralyzed and mute, could symbolize Hillary Clinton's defeat, not by the evil Orlick during a botched burglary but by the evil Trump when he stole the election of 2016. Joe is a calm, kind, humble, and basically honest man who is the moral touchstone of the aptly named book, Great Expectations.

[dodalisque]

But last night I decided to draw a new card from another deck to speak about what's been happening and what's about to happen. I chose the Charles Dickens Tarot and the card I pulled was the Father of Water, Joe Gargery:

Joe! And Great Expectations! The perfect card. The bedridden woman on the left of the card looks like a Covid patient, and the poverty of Joe Gargery's room seems to be a comment on the financial state of most of the America he is inheriting. Father of Water - so a stabilising emotional presense? He feels our pain, but can he do much about it? Maybe the King of Coins would have been a more useful card. I wonder what that card looks like in the Charles Dickens Tarot?

[chiscotheque]

I wonder what that card looks like in the Charles Dickens Tarot?

The Father of Earth in the CDT is Mr. Dombey, the patriarchal tyrant in Dombey & Sons. At the end of that book, he has a change of heart and becomes a tender old coot who loves his grandchildren - as our mutual friend Steve said recently after reading the novel, "Dombey gets off too easy." Most people who are mistreated want revenge, not turning over a new leaf and love all around.

I hope you will continue this thread and do a few more readings to allow the tarot to let us know what is going on. I know you have already utilised all 78 cards in the Shakespeare Tarot, but perhaps cards that show up again after the election in answer to different questions might echo ideas and concepts from previous readings in interesting ways.

Curious about what Trump is up to, I followed your advice Dodalisque, and pulled the 2 of Fire Richard II card. I pulled it October 3, a month before the election, and it represented Trump & the Republicans. Here's what I wrote then:

The card representing the Right is Richard II who was deposed. He was often likened to Christ because he saw himself as infallible. Richard is seen here crossing a marsh on his return from abroad where it appears that he is walking on water - an interesting contrast to Jessica who is wading through water. RII has delusions of grandeur and, after his arrest and incarceration, he loses what sanity he had. Here, RII surely signifies Trump, suggesting he will lose the election while insisting he is the rightful ruler and that he may well end up in jail. The debacle surrounding RII essentially began the years of turmoil known as the War of the Roses, suggesting this could be only the beginning of years of civil unrest in the US, or at least within the Rep. party.

Richard II historically as a person, RII as a play, and the historical context of the play itself are incredibly interesting, but also quite layered and complex. Off the bat, a couple things I would add about the card itself is notice RII isn't so much walking on water as standing on the golden rod, symbol of the monarchy's power. To be a republican is to be anti-monarchy, but here RII/Trump is traducing protocol and using its traditional power to prop himself up. Further, he is holding in its place a stick, or perhaps a club, indicating his promotion of taking up arms and the cudgeling of those who stand in his way. We see RII here returning triumphant from Ireland. Instead of dealing with the turmoil at home in England caused by his own misrule, RII went to Ireland in a military campaign where he easily defeated the backward Irish. I suggest this could indicate Trump will attempt to stage a distraction in another country, but we should remember that Ireland at the time was owned by England and therefore RII's campaign there was technically the quashing of a rebellious uprising within Britain. Hence, the indication here is more likely that Trump will involve himself in civil unrest.

At the beginning of RII, King Richard is staging a fake trial. Both of the men pleading their case have been hired by RII, but one of them - Bolingbroke - can't be entirely honest because he was hired in secret by RII so, to maintain the king's trust, has to keep quiet about it. RII, with the help of his noblemen, banishes Bolingbroke and takes his property and money. This Bolingbroke is eventually who returns, arrests RII, beheads him, and becomes king. Is this the Democrat Biden, whose party was robbed of the 2016 election by the undemocratic Electoral College? Or does Bolingbroke/Henry IV represent some other figure? Bolingbroke is helped by disgruntled noblemen, suggesting whoever it is will need the aid of other powerful political figures such as Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell, etc., not to mention military leaders.

It's unusual that RII was even written because it deals with regicide which was a strictly forbidden topic in Elizabeth England. Even to wonder aloud who might succeed Queen Elizabeth was an offence punishable by death. Shakespeare, somehow, was able to get away with writing this politically charged play, even though Elizabeth herself claimed that RII represented her. This begs the question: is Trump Rich? When Elizabeth's erstwhile favourite nobleman Essex - having just returned from a failed attempt to quell an uprising in Ireland - decided to overthrow the queen in a coup, he had Shakespeare's players perform RII for his club of disgruntled nobelemen. The RII card itself, then, acts as a kind of call to action, a dog whistle in modern parlance for a junta. The Essex rebellion failed - Elizabeth's right-hand man Burghley found out about it and quashed it before it really began. Does Burghley and his secret police and spy ring represent the FBI or some other similar agency? Like RII, Essex was imprisoned and beheaded. Essex and his gang's real grievance came down to money. Is Trump involved here in theatrics as a distraction from somehow securing money for himself when he's finally forced from office? or has he simply lost his head?


.

[dodalisque]

Bolingbroke is helped by disgruntled noblemen, suggesting whoever it is will need the aid of other powerful political figures such as Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell, etc., not to mention military leaders.

Cool. Talk about history repeating itself. Trump certainly made some bitter Republican enemies, like Romney, when he claimed the nomination first time around. Too bad you couldn't pull a Julius Caesar card. Paul Ryan apparently has had a long-standing feud with Trump and I wouldn't put anything past him. I can see him as a Brandoesque Mark Antony wooing Trump supporters after a "martyred" Trump gets wiped out.