Some Comments on Trelawny

[mlleelizabeth at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 6751

...from a Tarot card reader...

Hi All,

Sorry I'm sending my comments in on this discussion so late.  I plead a death 
in the family and numerous visiting friends and relations that have kept me 
from reading and responding to emails.

I just can't resist this particular discussion, though.

I find Trelawny one of the funnest and silliest characters JKR's come up 
with.  I enjoy her very much!  I also believe her characterization is the 
opposite of what any decent tarot reader (or probably palm reader, tea leaf 
reader or whatever) would really be and a wonderful campy hyperbolic version 
of the usual "gypsy in the tearoom."

  I think my favorite bit about her (other than the "Tripe, Sybill?" line) is 
her statement that she saw herself joining the students and staff for 
Christmas dinner and therefore came down to join them!  

IIRC the Sibyls were the women who gave predictions at Apollo's shrine at 
Delphi... 

>From http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/d/delphi.html 

"[There was a] mythical figure called Herophile, who was more commonly known 
as 
"Sibyl" sang the oracle in Gaia's shrine, and from that time on all 
prophetesses where known by that name. The "Sibylline Rock" can still be 
seen, and it was here the Sibyl sat and gave out her prophecies speaking 
in riddles. According to Pausanias, the Sibyl was the daughter of a 
mortal and a nymph "born between man and goddess, daughter of sea 
monsters and immortal nymph". Other versions believed she was sister to 
Apollo, and others his daughter. According to one legend, Gaia gave the 
oracle to her daughter, the goddess of justice Themis, who in turn 
passed it on to her sister the moon goddess Phoebe." 

I think she was also known as the Pythoness.

As for myself, I've never tried to predict the future with cards (or anything 
else) -- I've always used them as pictures that help a person tap into their 
subconscious and deal with problems or questions.  And I don't charge money 
for readings, by the way (although I do request that my Querants make a 
donation of time or assistance to the charity of their choice in return for a 
reading).

Love & Light,
*E*l*i*z*a*b*e*t*h*