It's said that the main difference between insanity and eccentricity is how rich a person is. Of course, there's a big difference between being charmingly loony and a nuisance to all. Margaret Cox seemed to fall into the category of true eccentricity. Those that know her sometimes feel like she was born in the wrong time, though it would be a bit hard to pinpoint exactly when would have been the best era for her. It was pretty well-known that she came from old money. Her great-grandfather had been a rather influential officer in the Indian British Army in the late 19th century and had brought back many artifacts from India. Margaret had been fascinated with the mystical aspects of India from a young age and as she got older, she became more involved in occult and psychic subjects. Her associates mostly saw this as eccentricity on her part, though she had an uncanny knack with reading tarot cards.
In her later life, Margaret became involved in several India-based charities, to atone for what damage her great-grandfather and her country did to India. But in recent years, Margaret has been more concerned with what the spirits have been telling her. There seems to be something big on the Horizon. Margaret had assumed it was referring to Animalia, but there may be more ahead. Margaret wasn't quite how far ahead it would be, but she wanted to live long enough to bear witness to it. And since the Corona virus was proving more of a threat to the elderly, Margaret decided it was finally time to start the next phase of her life.
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When Judy came into the waiting room, she thought the old woman was playing solitaire. But when she got closer, she could see the colorful illustrations on the cards. "What game is that?" asked Judy.
Margaret gave Judy a slightly disdainful look and said, "The Tarot is no game. The cards reveal what is yet to come."
Judy remember that is one of the eccentric 'super-rich' people who was wanting to convert. Well, there was no harm in playing along. "So what are the cards saying?" asked Judy.
"Right now, I'm looking at my own immediate future," said Margaret, "And these cards keep appearing more often than the others." She indicated two cards. One of them was a young man with a carefree expression holding a white flower. The other was a man being hung upside-down by one foot, but he seemed oddly at piece with himself. "The Fool indicates the start of a new journey," said Margaret, "And the Hanged Man shows the sacrifices being made for self-enlightenment."
Judy nodded, not fully following. But she looked at a third card and frowned. The card depicted an armored skeleton, riding a pale horse and holding a scythe. "Is that..." she started.
"Death. But it's seldom a portent of doom. Death is more associated with change, the ending of an old era so a new one can begin."
"Ah, well, that's certainly apropos," said Judy, "So what cards wouldn't I want to get?"
"The Tower most often," said Margaret, "And depending on your current stand, the Devil and Judgement should be avoided."
"Well, are you ready for your big change?" asked Judy.
"Yes, but make sure I am fully in a trance before you proceed," said Margaret.
"Trance?" asked Judy.
"I wish to observe my transformation on the spirit plane. Such an experience only happens once in a lifetime and I shall be the first one to perceive my inner self being reborn," said Margaret.
"I'm sure you will," said Judy a little dryly. Hopefully being an Animalian would make this lady more down to earth.
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Margaret had been on the spirit plane many times, or at least she thought she had. In her dreamlike state, she could the old woman she was, ready to cast off her skin and start a new life. She could perceive the serpent approaching. Many people revile serpents, seeing them as evil creatures. But the serpent is an ancient symbol of wisdom. Margaret was ready to except the venom and embrace the next stage of her existence.
Margaret felt the change beginning. It was time to discard her humanity and old age. In her astral form, she slithered out of the human shape it had held. The empty shape collapsed like a shed skin before fading away. Her pure spirit matter was left formless, a vague shape of what she was before. Then her inner forces started kneading it into a new shape. Her legs were shortened as they were moved upwards, feet remolded into new hands. Her lower body extended beyond what her former legs had gone, stretching out into a long tail. Her head was reshaped, removing all resemblance to the old woman in favor of a new serpentine form. She felt stronger, younger, more alive than ever before. Her spirit form felt whole, now she needed to see what has become of her physical form.
Coming out of her trance, Margaret was aware of several different things. What had been her legs were now placed under her arms, feeling far more flexible. A long coil of muscle and bone extended down from her spine. And the robes she had been wearing were much tighter than she expected, particularly across her chest.
It took Margaret a few tries to get up and look at her new self in the mirror. She had chosen the four-armed cobra as she still had a profound love of India and the mystic arts that originated from there. She couldn't deny that the snake woman in the mirror was rather lovely to look at, even if her robes didn't quite suit her new form. She was a little surprised with how much her bosom had grown, but that was a common feature for Animalian women.
Margaret examined her new head as much as she could. She had chosen to be a Spectacled Cobra specifically. She could have become a King Cobra, but the Specatcled Cobra had more mystical symbolism. And she had to admit she liked the look of its distinctive marking. "A new life needsss a new name," said Margaret, hissing with her forked tongue for the first time. It didn't take much though about what she wanted to call herself. Most of her close friends already called her 'Madge', though some may add 'Mad' to it. "The Myssstical Madame Madge," said the four-armed cobra, "I rather like the sssound of that."
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Naturally, Madge gravitated towards Lucy Greenwall. She respected a fellow occultist who knew there was more to this world than what science can complain. Not to mention her natural oils did wonders with Madge's scaly skin. Now Madge was looking forward to the next Renaissance Fair, whenever that would be. People would be more open to tarot readings during then. But first, she had to master her four arms.
"You have to admit, she's getting good," said Lucy as she and Miss Vivian watched Madge shuffle her tarot cards. Working a complex task with four arms took much concentration and coordination, but Madge was improving every day.
"You really believe in the tarot?" asked Miss Vivian.
"Well, I'm more open-minded than most," said Lucy, "But I don't think the cards can predict everything."
"Well, if being a medium doesn't work out for her," said Miss Vivian, "She could definitely do very well as a card dealer at the casino."