Chapter 5

The High Witch's thoughts were distant as she gazed up at the moons. She contemplated the meaning of the knowledge the Goddess had just imparted. Khyrhyelle shivered and absently pulled her cloak more tightly around her. The witch had remained at the secret entrance to the Tower's dungeons, waiting. Much time had passed. And the weight of the knowledge it brought was unbearable.

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After the witches and dryad had departed with the dragon, Khyrhyelle allowed herself the luxury of worry. Looking up into the night, waiting for the dragon's return, she wore a path through the snow with her pacing. This, she thought to herself, does nobody any good. Khyrhyelle cleared a small area on the ground, sat down and forced herself to relax and begin her meditations. When she finished, she pulled a deck of Tarot cards from a pocket in her cloak. The High Witch looked at her cards with love and handled them with reverence.

Tarot cards were used on two levels. On the spiritual level, the cards were used as a learning tool. Studying and meditating on the Tarot could reveal Inner Truths. The cards were a book of universal symbolism. The symbols were used as keys to unlock the subconscious mind. On the material level, the Tarot was used as a form of divination. The cards were laid out in various spreads where the position of the card itself, whether it was right-side up or reversed and the proximity of the other cards formed the counsel of the reading. They were not meant to predict the absolute future. Rather, the Tarot described the qualities of a certain situation. They told of the direction that events were leading in and the people or things which influenced the situation. The knowledge was not written in stone. The knowledge gleaned from the Tarot was meant for guidance and counsel. How one preceded with their actions ultimately determined how the situation became resolved.