The IX of Swords as depicted by In the Art Nouveau Tarot, by Lo Scarabeo, is about as perfect a card for All Hallows, as one can hope to find. The central figure is a maid at least passed out but perhaps passed on, at the foot of an Alter. The skull on the Alter is an obvious, symbol of death. While the candle clings to life. At first glace it looks snuffed out, its wisp of smoke rising, but after a moment we can see the flame is still there. So the candle, like the maid is at the threshold. wrapped up in the veil between the worlds. The fabric of the in the upper right is covered with stars, and the window opens onto a crescent moon in the night sky. Clearly placing all the action of this card in the shadows. The moths, in the upper corners, I see as symbols of corruption. The card beautifally illustrates the theme of All Hallows Eve, the thinning of the veil between the worlds, the worlds of the living and the dead, the worlds of light and shadow.

We have two things happening on Halloween, nearer the surface, and at a more playful level, we get to dabble with the forbidden. Woman get to accompany Pirates. While Men get to escort, hauntingly beautiful, if deliciously deadly vampires. Should her kiss is your last, would life be worth living without it?

At a deeper less conscious level, I think, its our basically puritan cultures acknowledgement that we cannot sever ourselves from our shadows, but must find someway to accept them.

Generally, this is not something we culturally deal with well. Look at the mess over President Clinton a few years back, depending on your point of view it was,
He had sex with a woman half is Age in the Oval Office, yawn.
He had sex with a woman half is Age in the Oval Office, How dare he abuse his office.
He had sex with a woman half is Age in the Oval Office, damn I wish I was president.

My point of course being that the president is ultimately just a man, and our reactions to how he failed to control his shadow self, says as much about ourselves, as it does about him.

As a culture, I think we treat sex like a car wreck, we are fascinated. If we weren't we would not even have a FOX network. Yet we cannot admit we are fascinated. No one actually watches Fox, oh accept the Simpsons. A professor of mine in college once rather prophetically said, repression leads to negative obsession, and we certainly have leaped from one to the other as a culture.

This is part of a broader cultural denial of our shadow selves. As a culture we have no real guidance in integrating our shadows into a complete self. Oh there are teachers and Guru's, some good, but most pumping out middle class tripe and calling it wisdom. Thank you William Bennette, a man who recently tripped over his own shadow, having convinced himself it was not there. Still Bill Bennete's story contains a lesson, we often pass over. Any man who tells you he has defeated his shadow, or does not have one, is lying. Lying to himself most likely. If however someone wishes to tell me how they have learned to live in peace with their shadow, Im willing to lend an ear.

As readers however, we are blessed, the Tarot is very much a course of instruction on life, and the integration of light and shadow into a complete life. Personally I think the simple act of reading does wonders to make one reflect on the mix of light and shadow in ones life. As readers it is our privilege to provide guidance for other folks in time of need, and there will almost certainly be an element of shadow in that hour of need.

Blessed be All, this All Hallows Eve!! And should you see your shadow sitting alone at the ball. Ask her for the next dance.

Divination: Anxiety, Fear for a loved one, Sense of Hopelessness Suffering.

Reversed:Gossip, Isolation, Need to Trust in the Divine for Solace. Shame, Suspicion.