1st post, in favor of Kate Tarot

[Sabina Becker - JOUD/F94 <sbecker@acs.ryerson.ca>]

I've been reading the last 2 or so editions of Love-Hounds Digest (I'm 
new here, so bear with me--I haven't figured out how to quote messages 
yet) and I'm enjoying it so far.  Only one thing bothers me--Chris 
Williams anti-"Kate Tarot" messages.

I have only one question for him.  What is your problem with Tarots and 
spiritualism, Chris???

I think the Tarot idea is great and should not be taken out of 
Love-Hounds, because it makes the whole thing that much more 
interesting.  I'm not looking for old rare bootleg stuff of Kate's, 
mainly because I don't have a fortune to spend on material that may be of 
a lesser sound quality and/or illegal to sell.  However, the Tarot deck 
sounds great; I use all kinds of Tarots myself and can attest that they 
work and, moreover, I don't think (judging by her music, which is a 
fairly good indicator of Kate's viewpoint on the matter) that Kate would 
be at all "offended" by such a deck, as Chris suggests.  Frankly, the 
whole tone of his posts sounds like he knows little about Kate and 
nothing about matters spiritual, seeing as he finds "this sort of 
spiritualism stuff" unworthy of inclusion (which it's NOT!!!!)  

Chris, go back and listen to Kate's music.  Especially "Strange 
Phenomena", "Houdini" and "All the Love".  These songs spell out, quite 
clearly I think, how Kate looks upon psychic events, spiritualism and 
reincarnation, respectively.  Thus, I think she'd probably find the Tarot 
idea (a) very flattering (you know what they say about imitation and 
sincerity) (b) deeply moving--who wouldn't?  Well, maybe Chris, but then, 
thank Goddess, he's not Kate! or, (c) an amusing, if somewhat wacky, 
tribute.  But in any case, I don't think she'd be at all offended.

The fact that Chris thinks the inclusion of a Death card in the deck 
would upset Kate shows he really hasn't been listening to her music.  
"Moments of Pleasure" shows, at least to me, that Kate has coped 
remarkably well with the deaths of her loved ones.  The fact that she 
isn't afraid to record a loving tribute even in the midst of grief is 
remarkable.  And since she has a good grasp of symbolism, I don't think 
there is even the remotest chance that she would see the Death card as 
symbolizing LITERAL death, which it definitely doesn't.  (None of the 
cards foretell such a thing.  An occasional highly intuitive reader 
might, but the cards themselves don't.)  Death, for those like Chris who 
don't know, means "death of the old, birth of the new"--in other words, a 
radical transformation in which nothing is really lost.  Kate would 
identify with that, I'm sure.  Remember "The Morning Fog"?

I don't think a Kate tarot would spur the production of other religious 
artifacts (wafers, yarmulkes) like Chris suggests.  Those are artifacts 
of organized religion, which Kate definitely doesn't endorse!  She may 
have ardent Jewish or Catholic fans, but I don't think the heads of 
either religion would allow the use of "Kate" paraphernalia; that would 
be heresy, at least in their eyes!

"Of course a real believer would be equally offended by an `ancient art' 
being perverted in this way"---NONSENSE!  Chris, FYI, *I* am a "real 
believer" (cute term!) and I don't see a Kate deck as being at all a 
perversion of an ancient art (Look Ma, no quotes!)  Considering how warm 
a lot of Kate's songs are on spiritual matters, I think it would be quite 
fitting.  And unlike you, I don't think Wiccan/spiritualist Love-Hounds 
are a minority out to "proselytize, and ascribe to Kate their own 
beliefs".  I think you're a minority.  Most Kate fans I know aren't wet 
blankets out to stifle others' creativity!  

And, oh yeah, before I forget--Kate IS obviously, if not a Witch (note 
the cap), then someone who certainly understands them and seems to 
identify, or at least empathize.  More than can be said for SOME people 
here...

What, BTW, is so "pernicious" about "Lily" and her influence?  She sounds 
like a loving grandmother figure, not a hellhound.  The whole song 
suggests strongly to me that Kate is, or has been, involved in Ceremonial 
Magick (only she has the positions of Michael and Uriel reversed, which 
is interesting--can any Ceremonial Magicians out there suggest why?)  I 
think, overall, that whoever "Lily" is, she has had a good influence, not 
a "pernicious" one, on Kate.  And the old lady gives good advice, too:

Take what I say
With a pinch of salt
And protect yourself with fire!

(Words to live by!)

I don't think the pro-Tarot group is "cluttering up" Love-Hounds.  I 
think they're the only lively and truly interesting thing currently 
going!  If anyone's doing any cluttering, Chris, it's you and your 
dogmatic desire to shut up a debate that just doesn't happen to interest 
you.  I suggest that (a) you unsubscribe, if you're that deeply offended, 
or (b) you respect other people's views and lay off.  Either way, don't 
nix a project before it's even begun.  It's not fair, your views are 
neither objective nor widely held, and I think everything should be given 
a chance, not shot down by dissenters.

'Bina.

"Raise your hats to the Strange Phenomena,
Soul birds of a feather flock together..."