if i come home, baby, will you show your bones?
a gale/julian modern au drabble/vent fic. about 900 words. title from skeleton appreciation day by will wood
cws: gender dysphoria, minor injuries from open chest binding
read below the cut
“Shit.”
With one hand, Gale held a wadded-up ball of used KT tape. With the other, he pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes screwed shut. His chest still itched, itched like the only way to end it was to scratch his skin off.
“Shit,” he repeated. Sighing, he opened his eyes, pulled his hand away from his face, and dropped the wad of tape on the countertop. He had to look at it. He knew he had to look at it.
As expected, it wasn’t good. The skin on his breasts was the angriest shade of pink he’d ever seen. Red patches, bumps, and sores bulged out of it like the uneven terrain of an alien planet. The harsh bathroom light put every detail on stark display. Somewhere in his chest, he felt that revolted twinge of dysphoria. He lightly touched a cherry-red sore on his side and winced. This was what he got for trying to remove his tape with just his bare hands, he supposed.
When he heard the front door opening, he knew who it was. A past version of himself would’ve locked the bathroom door and attempted to suffer in silence for as long as he could. The current version of him still really wanted to do that.
“Gale, solnishko, I’ve returned from my perilous journey to the supermarket!” Though muffled, Gale still heard Julian’s voice clearly. “But all the dangers were worth it in the end. I found everything on our list this time. Even picked up a few seed packets for you.” A moment of silence, then: “Darling? Are you alright?”
He didn’t respond; he kept himself rooted in place, resisting the urge to hide long enough to let himself be found.
It didn’t take long. Julian had exceptional skill in finding him, even when he didn’t want to be found. Especially when he didn’t want to be found. From behind, Julian tapped his shoulder to signal his presence before he wrapped him in a hug. Gale leaned his head back into his chest, closing his eyes as he drew in the warmth he provided.
“What’s wrong, solnishko?”
And here came the part where he had to admit it. “The tape.” He gestured to the used tape on the counter.
“Ohh. Trouble getting it off?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you use the oil?”
“No. Before you say it, I know I should’ve, it helps break down the adhesive, I know.” He sighed. “It just… it itched so much. I wasn’t really thinking.”
“Yes, I know what you mean. One of the many things I don’t miss about binding.” He pulled away so gently that Gale almost didn’t mind it. “Here, I’ll get the Vaseline.”
“Thanks, honey.” Gale took the container of Vaseline from Julian and rubbed the ointment into his skin, praying for it to work quickly. He only looked down in quick flashes, just to see where it looked most irritated. Some of the most affected areas, he noted, were towards the edges of his back. He craned his head awkwardly to see those spots, struggling to reach them.
“Let me help you.” Julian picked up the Vaseline, covering those spots Gale couldn’t reach. His hands ran cold, but over time Gale had grown used to it, even coming to enjoy the little shiver that went down his spine. It was a comfort, a trademark of the hands that touched him like he was the most precious being to ever walk the Earth.
What Gale thought was, you’re too good for me. What he said was, “thank you.”
Julian paused for a moment to lean down and kiss Gale’s bare shoulder, dotted with light freckles and moles. “Anytime, my dear.”
“I-I just kinda hate this, you know?” Gale ran his fingers through a loose section of his hair. “Not being trans in general, I mean. That’s part of me, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You wouldn’t either.” He knew as much because Julian had told him so in late-night conversations. They’d agreed on it. Despite both their insecurities, they embraced that part of themselves with love. “But this… this fucking sucks. Either I wear my binder and run out of breath every five seconds, or I wear tape and this happens. And with the dysphoria, going out with neither isn’t an option.”
Now finished tending to his back, Julian handed him his favorite big sweater. The kind of sweater than swallowed him, the kind that felt safe. He pulled it on as soon as he took it.
“Remind me again why you can’t just chop off my tits right now?” Gale joked.
“Because I’m a trauma surgeon, not a plastic surgeon.” The other reasons that was a certified bad idea, including the ethics, went unsaid. “But I have been talking to my coworkers, seeing if any of the ones who can are open for top surgery consultations, or know someone who is. You’ll get there one day, solnishko. I promise. And when you do, who better to help you through recovery than someone who’s already been through the process himself?”
Gale hugged Julian’s arm, leaning his head into his shoulder. “I love you.”
“I love you too, solnishko. More than words can describe.” A moment of silence where they simply existed in each other’s company came and went. “Now, what do you say to a cozy night in?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking takeout and a movie?”
“That sounds perfect.”
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Kinktober | Junipers for Julian 🍋
Kirsten x Julian
Requested by @art-of-ket! She was super sweet to work with and anyone reading this should go check out her amazing art! Thanks for letting me borrow Kirsten Yelyzavet!
CW: biting, body worship
~ 900 words
Alone in a dark and secluded library with the downright handsome and entirely unassuming Doctor Julian Devorak? How did Kirsten Yelyzavet get so damn lucky? Well, she planned it all out of course.
It wasn’t until the two had taken the stairs several levels down to the basement archives that Julian had the mind to ask what it was they were down there for.
Kirsten didn’t feel the need to come up with a lie. Instead she turned to the doctor, her eyes glinting. She lightly curled her hands over his rib cage and leaned some of her weight against him.
“Look, Ilya, we’re all alone.” Kirsten pressed until Julian bumped into an errant desk, knocking almost all of its contents to the floor. Despite the dip in her gaze and the way she tipped forward to reveal more and more of her chest, Julian chuckled nervously, “Let me get that.”
Kirsten’s lips met only air as Julian ducked under the desk. The move had Kirsten second guessing herself, but then Julian cleared his throat, drawing her attention to his position on the floor.
The doctor was on his hands and knees, his backside, snug in leather trousers, drawing teasing lines.
“Don’t mind me,” Julian groaned theatrically, “I’m just trying to make sure I get all of the items that fell.”
Kirsten lowered herself to her knees and accompanied him under the table. In a matter of seconds, Julian’s trousers were shrugged down to the middle of his thighs. Kirsten positioned herself behind him, close enough to kiss and nip at his shoulder while pumping his cock with her right hand. Her left was under his shirt, stroking his defined abdominal muscles.
“You’re very – ngh!” Julian stuttered against her quick bites. “Ambidextrous or – ow – good at multitasking, or… gods, I don’t know what to call it, but it feels good.”
Kirsten hummed in amusement as she nuzzled against his sore skin. She dug her fingernails a little into the seam of his linea alba as she reestablished her grip on his cock and jerked a little faster.
“Flattery is nice, Ilya, but it won’t help you come sooner. Are you going to come by the way?”
Julian groaned in earnest this time. Kirsten buried her face in the hair at his nape, which was slightly damp from trying to hold it all in.
“Because if you are, then we can just wrap this up right now and go home for the evening.”
Julian panted, “No, not that. I’m not ready to come. I’m trying not to –”
Kirsten slowed down. “Then tell me what you want and tell me quickly.”
Julian turned to look at her. “Darling, I’m afraid it’s not that exciting.”
Kirsten knew that Julian, being the one who usually sacrificed his own comfort for the happiness of others, needed a little encouragement every now and then.
So she bit down on his shoulder very, very hard.
Julian crumpled to the floor and cried out. When Kirsten pulled away, his cheeks were dusted with a fresh blush. Apparently, the jolt to his nerves was just what he needed. The doctor swallowed a lump in his throat and said, “I want to jerk myself off while you…”
Kirsten arched an expectant brow.
Julian’s cheeks darkened to an even rosier shade. “While you…” He reached out and gently took Kirsten by the wrist. Then he guided her hand up his shirt again, against his torso.
Kirsten felt her face grow warm. “I didn’t think you noticed, Doctor.”
Julian’s silver gaze held hers as his voice dipped lower. “I have a fascination with anatomy, Kirsten. So I can tell when someone is fixated on mine.”
Kirsten dropped to his level and gave his unsuspecting mouth several full, fierce kisses. Julian’s pants and chopped moans only emboldened her to keep going. He relaxed onto his back and took his cock in his hand while Kirsten edged south.
Then she sat up, taking a moment to retrieve something from her bag. A small tube of rouge. Julian watched her with a mixture of fondness and excitement as she applied the paint to her lips. It wasn’t blood red, but rather a shade closer to Julian’s hair. Kirsten made the rouge herself, staining it with juniper berries to achieve the color.
“So you’ll have some souvenirs to look at tonight, Ilya.”
Kirsten put the rouge away and went back to what she loved best, loving her doctor. Julian got himself off while she left lip-shaped burgundy gifts all along his abs and on the outside of his thighs.
“Please, Kirsten,” Julian begged, “my cock. Leave some on my cock, will you?”He removed his hand and gave her the reins. Kirsten opened her eyes and locked them with Ilya’s as she kissed his length.
Julian sighed, “Sweet Kirsten, c-can I come now?”
Kirsten made a thoughtful sound, as if to consider. But she had no intentions of letting Julian off the hook that easily. She passed her gaze over the valley of juniper-stained kisses climbing the planes of his abdomen and spilling over his thighs. It only confirmed that Kirsten did not want to step away from such a view as this.
“No,” she whispered against Julian’s stiff length, “it’s not time yet.”
The doctor muttered something unintelligible as he threw his head back, determined to hold out until his lover said otherwise.
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Tarot Reflections Playlist
I’ve been working on this for longer than I should probably admit, but I finally finished my complete Tarot Playlist! I’ve chosen one song for each card of the 78-card RWS Tarot deck. In the spirit of the little white book, I have excerpted a line or two from each song to justify its association with its chosen card. Each suit has its own musical themes, and some of the songs were chosen to invoke the elemental association of the suit. The Court Cards get their own playlist because it can double as an astrological playlist. There are also a few sillier songs picked primarily for humor value (though hopefully still in keeping with the theme of the song). What follows is a complete index, so you can easily listen to whichever parts of the playlist you want to or browse the whole thing.
Entire Playlist
Major Arcana
Wands
Cups
Swords
Pentacles
Court Cards
Major Arcana
0. The Fool: “The Wanderer” by U2, The Edge, and Johnny Cash
“I went out there in search of experience, to taste and to touch and to feel as much as a man can before he repents.”
1. The Magician: “I am the Mercury” by Jimmie Spheeris
“For I am the mercury, the light of the morning, looking for shelter in this thunder and this rain. And you, like some windmill, weave light where it's storming, and love, like a potion for the hunger and the pain. Let it rain...”
2. The High Priestess: “Witch” by The Bird and the Bee
“Yes, I am a carnival, a house of mirrors... and I will con you. And all my tricks and all my magic will keep you dizzy with desire...”
3. The Empress: “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall
“Her face is a map of the world, is a map of the world... You can see she's a beautiful girl, she's a beautiful girl... And everything around her is a silver pool of light; The people who surround her feel the benefit of it... It makes you calm.”
4. The Emperor: “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay
“I used to rule the world; seas would rise when I gave the word. Now in the morning, I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own. I used to roll the dice, feel the fear in my enemy's eyes, listen as the crowd would sing... Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!“
5. The Hierophant: “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers
“He said, ‘Son, I've made a life out of readin’ people's faces, knowin’ what the cards were by the way they held their eyes. So if you don't mind me sayin’, I can see you’re out of aces. For a taste of your whiskey, I’ll give you some advice.’”
6. The Lovers: “Dance Me to the End of Love” by Leonard Cohen
“Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on; dance me very tenderly and dance me very long. We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above... dance me to the end of love.”
7. The Chariot: “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
“I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky! Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity. I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva, I'm gonna go, go, go! There's no stopping me!”
8. Strength: “Roar” by Katy Perry
“I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire, 'cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar, louder, louder than a lion, 'cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!”
9. The Hermit: “Building a Mystery” by Sarah McLachlan
“You live in a church where you sleep with voodoo dolls, and you won't give up the search for the ghosts in the halls... You wear sandals in the snow, and a smile that won't wash away. Can you look out the window without your shadow getting in the way?”
10. The Wheel of Fortune: “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” by the Byrds
“To everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn) and a time to every purpose, under heaven...”
11. Justice: “Botched Execution” by Shovels and Rope
“I gotta find a friend, someone to tell I didn't do it, but my picture's in the paper and there's no way that I can prove it... and the body's in the closet 'cause I never got to move it... Now the neighbor's kids are talking sayin' everybody knew it... All my little seeds have grown... Sooner, later, come back home...”
12. The Hanged Man: “Philosophy” by Ben Folds Five
“Won't you look up at the skyline, at the mortar, block, and glass, and check out the reflections in my eyes. See they always used to be there, even when this all was grass, and I sang and danced about a high-rise. And you were laughing at my helmet hat... Laughing at my torch...”
13. Death: “End of the Line” by The Traveling Wilburys
“Well it's all right, even when push comes to shove. Well it's all right, if you got someone to love. Well it's all right, everything'll work out fine. Well it's all right, we're going to the end of the line.”
14. Temperance: “Under Pressure” by Queen
“Turned away from it all like a blind man. Sat on a fence, but it don't work. Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn... Why, why, why? Love, love, love, love, love... Insanity laughs, under pressure we're breaking.”
15. The Devil: “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones
“Just as every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints, as heads is tails... Just call me Lucifer, 'cause I'm in need of some restraint.”
16. The Tower: “The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning” by the Smashing Pumpkins
“The sewers belch me up; the heavens spit me out. From Ether's tragic I am born again, and now I'm with you now, inside your world of wow, to move in desires made of deadly pretense, ‘til the end times begin.”
17. The Star: “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree
“Listen as your day unfolds, challenge what the future holds. Try and keep your head up to the sky.”
18. The Moon: “Hope Eyrie” by Leslie Fish
“But we who feel the weight of the wheel, when winter falls over our world, can hope for tomorrow and raise our eyes to a silver moon in the open skies and a single flag unfurled. For the Eagle has landed; tell your children when. Time won't drive us down to dust again.”
19. The Sun: “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream
“I'm with you my love, the light's shining through on you. Yes, I'm with you my love, it's the morning and just we two. I'll stay with you darling now, I'll stay with you till my seas are dried up... I've been waiting so long, to be where I'm going, in the sunshine of your love.”
20. Judgement: “Ring the Bells” by James
“Ring, ring the bells! Wake the town! Everyone is sleeping. Shout at the crowd! Wake them up! This anger's deeper than sleep! Got to keep awake to what is happening, I can't see a thing through my ambition, I no longer feel my God is watching over me. Got to tell the world we've all been dreaming, this is not the end, a new beginning... I no longer feel my God is watching over me.”
21. The World: “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
“The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by. I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘how do you do.’ They're really saying, ‘I love you.’ I hear babies crying, I watch them grow... they'll learn much more than I'll ever know. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”
Wands
1. The Ace of Wands: “Spark” by the Bird and the Bee
“Tell me a tale, something with fire, to break from the sorrows. To break through the dirt, piles of earth, to see where the sun goes... What if I stopped just for a while to see if I'm closer? Still half the night, just for a while to see where the sun goes, oh, oh, oh...”
2. The Two of Wands: "First We Take Manhattan” by Leonard Cohen
“I'm guided by a signal in the heavens. I'm guided by this birthmark on my skin. I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons... First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin.”
3. The Three of Wands: “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars
“Oh every time I close my eyes... I see my name in shining lights... Yeah, a different city every night, oh right, I swear, the world better prepare for when I'm a billionaire.”
4. The Four of Wands: “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles
“Say my name, sun shines through the rain... A whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain. I don't want to lose this feeling, oh... Close your eyes, give me your hand. Do you feel my heart beating? Do you understand? Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? Or is this burning an eternal flame?“
5. The Five of Wands: “The Ultimate Showdown” by Lemon Demon
“This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny: good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see... and only one will survive: I wonder who it will be? This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny.”
6. The Six of Wands: “We are the Champions” by Queen
“We are the champions, my friends, and we'll keep on fighting 'til the end! We are the champions! We are the champions! No time for losers, 'cause we are the champions of the world!”
7. The Seven of Wands: “Uprising” by Muse
“Rise up and take the power back. It's time that the fat cats had a heart attack, you know that their time is coming to an end. We have to unify and watch our flag ascend.”
8. The Eight of Wands: “Fast as you Can” by Fiona Apple
“I let the beast in and then I even tried forgiving him, but it's too soon. So I'll fight again, again, again, again, again and for a little while more, I'll soar the uneven wind, complain and blame the sterile land.”
9. The Nine of Wands: “Conquest of Spaces” by Woodkid
“I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces expanding between you and me... Come with the night, the science of fighting, the forces of gravity...”
10. The Ten of Wands: “Running up that Hill” by Kate Bush
“And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God, and I'd get him to swap our places, be running up that road, be running up that hill, be running up that building...”
Cups
1. The Ace of Cups: “Quiet” by Milck
“But no one knows me, no one ever will, if I don't say something, if I just lie still. Would I be that monster, scare them all away, if I let them hear what I have to say? I can't keep quiet.”
2. The Two of Cups: “Bus Stop” by The Hollies
“Every morning I would see her waiting at the stop. Sometimes she'd shop, and she would show me what she'd bought. Other people stared as if we were both quite insane... Someday my name and hers are going to be the same.”
3. The Three of Cups: “The Cult of Dionysus” by The Orion Experience
“I'm feeling devious, you're looking glamorous... let's get mischievous... and polyamorous. Wine and women and wonderful vices... Welcome to the cult of Dionysus!”
4. The Four of Cups: “High by the Beach” by Lana del Rey
“I don't wanna do this anymore, it's so surreal. I can't survive if this is all that's real... All I wanna do is get high by the beach, get high by the beach, get high...”
5. The Five of Cups: “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” by The Pet Shop Boys
“I bought you drinks, I brought you flowers. I read you books and talked for hours... Every day, so many drinks, such pretty flowers. So tell me, what have I, what have I, what have I done to deserve this?”
6. The Six of Cups: “In My Life” by The Beatles
“There are places I'll remember, all my life, though some have changed... Some forever, not for better. Some have gone and some remain...”
7. The Seven of Cups: “Which Will” by Nick Drake
“Which do you dance for? Which makes you shine? Which will you choose now, if you won't choose mine?”
8. The Eight of Cups: “Go West” by The Pet Shop Boys
“(Go West) Life is peaceful there, (go West!) in the open air, (go West!) where the skies are blue... (go West!) This is what we're gonna do.”
9. The Nine of Cups: “No Surprises” by Radiohead
“Such a pretty house... and such a pretty garden... No alarms and no surprises, no alarms and no surprises, no alarms and no surprises, please...”
10. The Ten of Cups: “Rainbow Connection” by Kermit the Frog
“Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection... the lovers, the dreamers and me.”
Swords
1. The Ace of Swords: “One” by U2
“You say love is a temple, love is a higher law... Love is a temple, love is a higher law. You ask me of me to enter, but then you make me crawl, and I can't keep holding on to what you got, 'cause all you got is hurt.”
2. The Two of Swords: “I Can’t Decide” by The Scissor Sisters
“I can't decide whether you should live or die... Oh, you'll probably go to heaven; please don't hang your head and cry...”
3. The Three of Swords: “The Killing Type” by Amanda Palmer
"I would kill to make you feel. I don't mean kill someone for real. I couldn't do that, it is wrong... But I can say it in a song.”
4. The Four of Swords: “Take it Easy” by The Eagles
“Take it easy, take it easy. Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. Lighten up while you still can, don't even try to understand, just find a place make your stand. Take it easy.”
5. The Five of Swords: “Young Men Dead” by the Black Angels
“Run for the hills, pick up your feet and let's go. We did our jobs, pick up speed now, let’s move. The trees can't grow without the sun in their eyes, and we can't live if we're too afraid to die.”
6. The Six of Swords: “I Will Survive” by Cake
“At first I was afraid, I was petrified. I kept thinking I could never live without you by my side. But then I spent so many nights just thinking how you'd done me wrong. I grew strong; I learned how to get along.”
7. The Seven of Swords: “Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys
“I can't stand it, I know you planned it! I'mma set it straight, this Watergate. I can't stand rockin' when I'm in here, 'cause your crystal ball ain't so crystal clear. So while you sit back and wonder why I got this fuckin' thorn in my side, oh my god, it's a mirage! I'm tellin' y'all, it's sabotage.”
8. The Eight of Swords: “Whipping Post” by the Allman Brothers Band
“Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel, like I been tied to the whippin' post, tied to the whippin' post, tied to the whippin' post. Good Lord, I feel like I'm dyin'.”
9. The Nine of Swords: “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums” by A Perfect Circle
“Don't fret, precious, I'm here. Step away from the window, and go back to sleep... safe from pain, and truth, and choice... and other poison devils. See, they don't give a fuck about you, like I do. Count lies like sheep, like sheep, like sheep, like sheep, like sheep, like sheep...”
10. The Ten of Swords: “Hurt” by Johnny Cash
“I hurt myself today to see if I still feel. I focus on the pain, the only thing that's real. The needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting. Try to kill it all away, but I remember everything. What have I become, my sweetest friend? Everyone I know goes away in the end.”
Pentacles
1. The Ace of Pentacles: “Dime” by Cake
“I'm a dime, I'm fine, and I shine. I'm freshly minted. I am determined not to be dented by a car or by a plane or anything not yet invented...”
2. The Two of Pentacles: “Down to Earth” by Peter Gabriel
“Did you think that your feet had been bound by what gravity brings to the ground? Did you feel you were tricked by the future you picked? Well, come on down. All these rules don't apply when you're high in the sky, so come on down, come on down.”
3. The Three of Pentacles: “With a Little Help from My Friends” by Joe Cocker
“What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me? Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song, I will try not to sing out of key.”
4. The Four of Pentacles: “This is the Life” by “Weird Al” Yankovic
“They say that money corrupts you, but I can't really tell... I got the whole world at my feet, and I think it's pretty swell.”
5. The Five of Pentacles: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones
“No, you can't always get what you want... You can't always get what you want... You can't always get what you want... But if you try sometimes, you find, you get what you need.”
6. The Six of Pentacles: “Rent” by The Pet Shop Boys
“We never ever argue, we never calculate the currency we've spent... I love you, you pay my rent “
7. The Seven of Pentacles: “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
“I took my love, I took it down, climbed a mountain and I turned around. And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills ‘til the landslide brought me down.”
8. The Eight of Pentacles: “The Weaver” by Steeleye Span
“The loom goes click and the loom goes clack; the shuttle flies forward and then flies back. The weaver's so bent that he's like to crack... such a wearisome trade is the weaver.”
9. The Nine of Pentacles: “My Way” by Frank Sinatra
“I've loved, I've laughed and cried. I've had my fill, my share of losing. And now, as tears subside, I find it all, all so amusing... To think I did all that, and may I say, not in a shy way... oh no, no, not me. I did it my way.”
10. The Ten of Pentacles: “Monument” by Röyskopp and Robyn
“This will be my monument. This will be a beacon when I'm gone, gone, gone... When I'm gone, gone, gone... When I'm gone... So that when that moment comes, I can say I did it all with love, love, love... All with love, love, love... All with love.”
Court Cards
Wands
1. The Page of Wands: “The Arsonist’s Lullaby” by Hozier
“All you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach. Don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash.”
2. The Knight of Wands (Sagittarius, the Archer): “Portrait of the Knight of Wands” by Suzanne Vega
“His mood was melancholy, his attitude severe. His inner burden weighed upon him mightily.”
3. The Queen of Wands (Aries, the Ram): “The Queen of Hollywood” by the Corrs
“She's never gonna be like the one before. She read it in her stars that there's something more. No matter what it takes, no matter how she breaks...”
4. The King of Wands (Leo, the Lion): “King and Lionheart” by Of Monsters and Men
“And as the world comes to an end, I'll be here to hold your hand, 'cause you're my king and I'm your lion-heart.”
Cups
1. The Page of Cups: “The Salmon Dance” by The Chemical Brothers
“Hello, boys and girls, my name is Fat Lip, and this is my friend, Sammy the Salmon! Today we're gonna teach you some fun facts about salmon and a brand new dance.”
2. The Knight of Cups (Pisces, the Fishes): “Knight of Noir” by Susanne Sundfor
“I can't go back again and lock the door. In the dead of night I hear her call out for more. I want to be stung by the stars, I gave her my soul and my heart, and now I am a slave.”
3. The Queen of Cups (Cancer, the Crab): “The Queen and I” by Gym Class Heroes
“I love it how she breaths booze in the morning... and it’s so sexy how she can't remember last night... I made the fatal mistake of letting her drink again. But who the hell am I to tell her how to live her life?”
4. The King of Cups (Scorpio, the Scorpion): “Sea King” by Eisley
“Sea King, Sea king, can't you see that you're so silly? Sea King, I know things, and without love you won't get far...”
[Honorable mention: Franz Schubert’s rendition of Goethe’s “Der Koenig in Thule” is probably the ultimate King of Cups song, but it felt too different in musical style -- and language -- to include in this playlist. Still, it’s gorgeous, and the lyrics are perfect.]
Swords
1. The Page of Swords: “The Sword and the Pen” by Regina Spektor
“What if the sword kills the pen? What if the god kills the man? And if he does it with love, well then, it's death from above, and death from above is still a death...”
2. The Knight of Swords (Gemini, the Twins): “Knights of Cydonia” by Muse
“No one's going to take me alive. Time has come to make things right. You and I must fight for our rights. You and I must fight to survive.”
3. The Queen of Swords (Libra, the Scales): “My Snow White Queen” by Evanescence
“You belong to me, my snow white queen... There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over.”
4. The King of Swords (Aquarius, the Water Bearer): “The Idiot Kings” by Soul Coughing
“Batting in the light, my reptile-lidded eyes. And all this strung end to end, is wider than the mind.”
Pentacles
1. The Page of Pentacles: “Sweet Child” by Pentangle
“You've been working so hard all day, won't you take your rest? You've been driving my blues away, now it is my turn. Come fly beneath my wings, sweet child it may not be for long.”
2. The Knight of Pentacles (Virgo, the Virgin): “Knights of Malta” by Smashing Pumpkins
“Where omens scar your door... Like a harvest we're bound and set for war... But no soldier comes...”
3. The Queen of Pentacles (Capricorn, the Goat): "Dreaming of the Queen” by The Pet Shop Boys
“Then carriages arrived... We stood and said goodbye. Diana dried her eyes and looked surprised, for I was in the nude. The old Queen disapproved, but people laughed and asked for autographs.”
4. The King of Pentacles (Taurus, the Bull): “A Farewell to Kings” by Rush
“Cities full of hatred, fear and lies, withered hearts, and cruel, tormented eyes... Scheming demons dressed in kingly guise, beating down the multitude, and scoffing at the wise. Whoa, can't we raise our eyes and make a start? Can't we find the minds to lead us closer to the heart?”
Giant shout-out to the Tarot Nerds Facebook Group for inspiring me. You are the best.
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