VI THE LOVERS In a fit of passion, two men lock lips on the table in the kitchen. Their love is their own, and they are in harmony with each other in that moment. The world outside is forgotten.They don’t care about the dinner still on the stove, or the drinks on theRead more
XXV THE HEAT In Louisiana, there is nothing more universal to the life than the heat. 100% humidity and sweltering heat transcend every season, making the very air feel oppressive. The South can never be divided from such calefaction. But even under the pressure of the sweltering rays of the sun, there there areRead more
XXIV THE HURRICANE The sky may be clear and blue today, but the forecast shows it out there in the gulf, churning ever closer to landfall. The Hurricane is coming, and there is nothing you can do to stop the destruction it brings. The hurricane is a card reflects on the damaging forces inRead more
XXIII MARDI GRAS Mardi Gras is in full swing, and everyone has turned out to join in the party. Costumed revelers roam the streets, ignoring the parade float behind them. They don’t need a crowd of spectators to be on parade. The glittery night is theirs, and it embraces them with open arms. TheRead more
V HIEROPHANT A crowd seeks the words of a wise man at the pulpit. The words he tells them give the people a sense of community, tradition, and moral direction, though only if they conform to the life the hierophant demands. To the people, he is resolute, enlightened, empowered by his Southern conviction. ButRead more
IV THE EMPEROR The Emperor Gatorman, adorned with his crown of straw, sits on his log in the dark of the swamp. He is the oldest creature there that he has met, and has seen many battles, won through the toughness of his skin and the sharpness of his fangs. He rules the swampRead more
III THE EMPRESS The Empress Crawmaid sits on her throne of dirt. The swamp is hers to protect, to nurture, to defend with lethal force if necessary. She has captured the light of fireflies in her staff, telling of her ability to see into the darkness of the unseen. She is alluring, her eyesRead more
II THE HIGH PRIESTESS At the gate between life and death sits the high priestess. Fences do not stop her. She knows where she needs to be. How old is this black cat? Who can say, but her wise old smile speaks to an inner knowledge of the world unseen. The sun is settingRead more
I THE MAGICIAN The magician stands at her kitchen stove, manifesting the magic of gumbo from the odds and ends in the refrigerator. She creates something from nothing. Her magic feeds her own strength. It warms the bellies of those she loves. She has mastered the skills and recipes of those that have comeRead more
0 THE FOOL The Fool stands in the waters on the edge of the Mississippi River, looking back as he readies to brave the perilous swim to the other side. He lacks no fear, but has left his reservations on the banks, symbolized by the anxious dog calling him back. Upright, the fool isRead more