I went out this past weekend with my camera intending to shoot an historic building that’s going to be torn down next month. Instead, I ran into a Tarot Parade.
Well, it wasn’t actually a Tarot parade, but a parade in honour of Our Lady of Fatima. It’s a Portuguese Catholic celebration, and though it’s not at all Tarot related, a lot of characters in it seemed to have jumped right out of my Tarot deck.
Our Lady of Fatima herself, the Virgin Mary as she appeared in an apparition to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, has always reminded me of the High Priestess.
Our Lady of Fatima
There’s a plaque of her beside my front door. For me it’s been like the Priestess is blessing the house. I like it.
But it wasn’t only the High Priestess on parade, the Lovers were there too, and the Empress, the Page of Swords, the Princess of Cups, and even a young Hierophant holding his keys.
Faith, Hope and Charity made an appearance, bringing to mind the Three of Cups. And the Hermit was represented by St. Francis.
Leading Our Lady were the three children who saw her on the hill in Fatima. The little boy looks an awful lot like a tiny Tarot Fool.
It was a wonderful event. I was lucky to have happened by.
