Cards Shout- Out, Penalty Shoot-Out.

I have been looking in my cards about England in the World Cup. Of course I have, but everyone has an opinion, and listening to the growling and snarling coming out of the Man den in recent weeks, I sometimes feel it’s more than my life’s worth to share the findings even with my own spouse, Il Matrimonio (who will very likely see this) let alone risk it with a wider readership.

It’s the same with anything political, especially Brexit related. The conversation becomes too toxic, who needs it, but I do look, of course. It’s far too important a matter for me not to, and, it’s yes, it’s still going ahead, so far as I can see, looking at it again this morning.

Whether the reader gets it right or wrong, you might not like the answer. Don’t shoot the messenger. Tiberius used to have them thrown off the cliffs. He threw them off if they got it wrong. Sometimes he threw them off when they got it right but he didn’t like the answer. This soothsaying stuff has always had its perils.

I was watching The Hotel Inspector last night when Il Matrimonio came in,  informing me that it was half time, England 1- Colombia 1, and did I have a feeling as to who was going to win?

No I didn’t. I was tired. I wasn’t feeling it. I would have to look.

He disappeared into the kitchen to put the kettle on, and I reached for my nearest cards,  a deck of ordinary playing cards.

This was the process. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, while asking aloud, show me England. Will they win this match tonight against Colombia?

Repeat the question aloud x 3 or even x 6.

Pull ONE card. Just one.

Repeat process for Colombia.

Il Matrimonio came through with his mug of whatever.

‘Look here’, I said.

‘Do I have to? Why don’t you just tell me?’

‘I think it’s England. They’re just that bit faster.’

England draws the 7 of Diamonds.

Traditional meanings. Financial  achievement,  rewards  and  recognition, earned success, steady improvement, efforts rewarded.  Lucky money, wins, pay raise, improved prospects. Nest egg, financial investment, stocks and bonds, e-trading. (Source, Kapherus. If you are a student or practitioner I highly recommend this invaluable cartomancy resource.)

Colombia draws the 5 of Clubs.

Traditional meanings. Action and change. Symbolizes the five fingers of the hand. Can represent working with one’s hands, or making something. It can also denote exercise, physical labour, and providing the extra effort needed to get the job done. Action, physical activity, need for physical exercise, competition, sporting event, job interview, good luck

SUMMARY

In terms of the traditional interpretations, you can see for yourself both cards are positive. This is a well matched performance but England has drawn the better card.

Why?

Because:

It is a red suit card, not a black suit card. This alone is not definitive, but also…

Diamonds are swift. So are Clubs but they are the second swiftest suit. Diamonds is the swiftest. England look likely to win on their speed of attack in the end.

England have drawn a number 7 card, Colombia draw a number 5 and 7 is higher so it trumps a 5.

The match, as we now know,  went into extra time and penalties, emotionally exhausting even to watch. You gather that I had by now switched over from The Hotel Inspector. Sorry, Alex Pollizi.

England won on penalties, breaking a long running streak of unlucky penalty shoot-outs that had become a chimera of the national psyche, something of a national hex.

Don’t tell me tribal magic is dead in the twenty- first century. Do not. You only have to watch the crowd, faces painted, sporting wigs in their team colours, hurling their wishes and curses and mojo- power at the pitch. This is nothing if not sympathetic magic in action.

Definition of sympathetic magic

 

Me too. I pointed runes at the screen during the penalty shoot-out. The runes for our lot were TIWAZ (victory won in fair fight) and WUNJO (joy) and the runes for the opposition were…well that would be telling.

Penalties Colombia -3, England -4.

‘Harry’s heroes.’

Image: BBC

Have I got them all correct?  Nah. My record on this so far is 4/5 but then I am up against Marcus the psychic pig  

Please. Give a girl a break.

Until next time 🙂