Soul Dancing with the Brass Band (The Brass Band Series) by Vicki Renfro Page A

followed her instructions.
    “Now, shuffle the cards and ask a question at the same time. Stop whenever you feel you are finished.”
    “Well great, you should have told me earlier that I had to come up with a question. What kind of question do I ask?” I said as I finished shuffling.
    “Ask anything. I know what I’d ask, wink, wink.”
    “You’ll be relentless if I don’t. I’ll ask about Will, but what?”
    “Let’s see.” Ruth said as she tapped her nails on her teacup. “Let’s ask how Will feels about you!”
    “Okay, but I’m not sure I like this. I feel a little bit like a stalker.” I wondered what right I had poking around in Will’s head. “Let’s get going, Ruth, before I change my mind.”
    “Put three cards on the table, side by side, and then tell me what the one on the left says. It’s what Will is feeling right now.” I turned them over and Ruth picked up the handbook, ready to reveal its meaning.
    It didn’t look good for Will’s masculinity when his first card was The Butterfly Maiden. At the bottom it said, you are experiencing enormous changes right now . “Is this card supposed to be me or Will?”
    “It’s Will. Just picture The Butterfly Maiden with blue eyes and wearing pants,” Ruth said and began to read from the little handbook.
     
    “ As you go through this period of change, it’s normal for you to wonder if the future is safe. To bring in your desired newness, you must first allow old parts of your life to fall away .”
     
    “Will’s ready for a change. Let’s see from what. What’s the middle card?” Ruth glanced down to see what the card was. “This one is Will’s current situation.”
    I picked it up before Ruth could get her hands on it. It was a pink card decorated with young girls. “Oh, this should be interesting,” I said as I read what was on the bottom. “ You are good at helping, counseling and healing children .”
    Ruth thumbed to the proper page and announced,
     
    “ One can be gentle and a fierce protector simultaneously. Your vigilant focus on keeping harmony within the household stems from your desire for children to maintain their youthful awe and sense of wonder. ”
     
    “Don’t get worried yet, Hillary,” Ruth said with a snicker. “Will might still end up having some testosterone. The card on the right is the future outcome. Let’s see what he decides to do about his babysitting job.” I took a playful swipe at her. “Come on Hillary, what’s the last card?”
    The card had a bluish girl on it with her finger up to her lips.
    “ Take some quiet time alone to rest, meditate and contemplate .”
    “Oh…Will is just a wild man,” Ruth said as she found the correct page,
     
    “ Shhhhh, dear one. Go into that space of silence deep within you. Now is the time to retreat into silence and spend time alone. Do not try to make any decisions now. Just allow your mind to rest and re-center. You’ll know soon enough when it’s time to take action .”
     
    “Well, now I know why he hasn’t called,” I said as I looked up at Ruth with a big smile on my face. “I hope he’s re-centered and ready to take action by Saturday or I’m stood up.”
    Ruth picked up the cards and held them in her left hand.
    “Let’s see if George is going to be a good or bad influence on poor sensitive Will. If Will is looking for a change, maybe George can facilitate it for him.”
    I rolled my eyes at Ruth. “I’ll warm up the water for more tea.” I headed to the kitchen and noticed it was already after midnight and I was beginning to feel sleepy.
    When I returned with the teakettle, Ruth already had the cards laid out and was reading from the handbook.
    “Look at this, Hillary. The night I met George, he was honoring the cycles of his body, energy levels and emotions . Now, he’s stronger than he thinks and his strength assures a happy outcome . And Saturday night he’s going to be honest to himself and his heart’s true desire !