Drove over to Yarmouth Port to visit the one-time home of writer and illustrator Edward Gorey and if I was clever enough the following notes would be presented alphabetically and in rhymed couplets as an homage to one of Gorey’s most famous books, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, kind of like this:
We love this post by Lance Mannion about the home of Edward Gorey. We love knowing that the first book Gorey ever read was "Dracula" and that he worked while kneeling on the floor.
Planet of the Blind 
I have taken up the Fantod pack (copyright held by the Estate of Edward Gorey) in my left hand and channeled the essence of Stephen Kuusisto, living and working deep within the Heartland of the USA. (I can’t do this for LM, because I have not read his books, nor followed his blog with any regularity — and So Cal to Cape Cod, that’s a bit of a channeling trek!) With eyes closed, I throw the cards into the air, choose five, and place them in the shape of a cross. With eyes open, I place the first, The Limb — (illustrated as a leg) in the center. This card represents the basic situation that is explored by the divination. I place the second, The Walzing Mouse, above. This represents the part of the past that affects the future resolution of the situation. I place the third, The Burning Head, to the left, representing your inner self. I place the fourth, The Urn to the right representing the influences of the outer world. Finally, the fifth card is placed below. This card represents the future resolution of the situation. In your case, the card is “The Bundle” — an illustration of what looks like a bound and covered body in a fetal position resting at the end of a pier.
Now, I cease to channel your essence, so that it can fully return to you. Only your essence residing within your own carapace can properly interpret the results of the divination. Realize this, quoting from the Fantod: “Interpretation must always depend on the character and circumstances of the person consulting the pack. What might portend a wipe-out for a teenage hot-dogger at Yokohama, might warn an octogenarian spenster in Minot, South Dakota, of a fall in the bathtub…” The day or month on each card is “particularly calamitous”. “The meanings given are selective rather than exhaustive, and hints rather than assertions.” “…you must rely on your own temerity and ‘imagination of disaster’ (Henry James) to gain the full meanings of the cards in combination.”
Do you think that I can list the contents online of just five cards without incurring the wrath of the copyright Gods?
1. The Limb (The Basic Situation): February, miscarriage of justice, gapes, a forged snapshot, morbid sensations, a useless sacrifice, alopecia, a generalized calamity, broken promises, ignominy, and accident in a theatre, fugues and poverty.
2. The Walzing Mouse (The Past): May, vertigo, loss of jewelry, a betise, morbid cravings, disorders of the large intestine, corruption, equivocal symptoms, a hazardous project, brawls, suicide, involuntary seclusion and shriveling.
3. The Burning Head (Your Inner Self): Sunday, bafflement, loss of saliva, a forged deed, an impasse, extradition, a boating accident, chilblains, delayed desires, wandering sickness, evil companions, an impediment and despondency.
4. The Urn (The Outer World): Friday, a sexual dilemma, a forged invitatation, harmful rays, alginuresis, a broken heart, mumbling sickness, broken communications, injustice, interference, miscalculation, low fever and scales.
5. The Bundle (The Future Resolution): Wednesday, a tedious illness, inadequate drainage, a broken engagement, a train accident, malaise, false friends, hangnails, misconduct, aphasia (SK, aphasia would be BIG trouble for you!), regrets, disappointments and fluctuation.
Edward Gorey, gotta love the guy! OK my friend, all the best and sleep well!
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Oh, this was QUITE an interesting post! I left the following comment on Mr. M’s site:
I’m not a sucker for kitch, but I have a great weakness for Gorey kitch. Just this week, I sent to a friend a Gorey postcard of the illustration for the caption, “The creature regarded them balefully” ( http://poster-bargains.com/giant/392219.php ) His “tarot” cards, which I also purchased in a weak moment, are so incredibly wonderful for predicting the most distressing destinies beyond anything that someone might imagine about oneself. Thanks for telling us a little about his life. He’s exactly as I might imagine: He lived life as he pleased with only the most minimal regard for convention, but he was intelligent (and lucky) enough to make it work.
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