She gave me a shovel to dig myself out. If you’re in the Bay Area, Tarot Mercedes Dantes can be found most evenings after 7 PM at the corner of International and 23rd. Look for the purple door. Knock three times. Cash only. No refunds on the truth.
I pay the twenty. What makes Tarot Mercedes Dantes so compelling isn’t her accuracy—though she is, disconcertingly, accurate. It’s her refusal to soften the blow. In an era of “spiritual bypassing” (using positivity to avoid pain), Mercedes is a hammer wrapped in velvet. tarot mercedes dantes
She leans back. “That’ll be twenty dollars. Or the name of the first person who broke your heart.” She gave me a shovel to dig myself out
She grins, and for a moment, she looks like a teenager. “Mercedes because I wanted a car I couldn’t afford. And Dantes… like Alexandre Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo . A man wrongly imprisoned who becomes a ghost of vengeance and mercy.” She taps her temple. “I was wrongly imprisoned? No. I was guilty as sin. But I chose to become a different kind of ghost. One who reads cards instead of holding grudges.” As I leave, she calls after me: “Hey. That Ten of Cups? Don’t go looking for it. It’s not a destination. It’s a decision you make every morning when you wake up and decide not to be an asshole.” Knock three times