Skip to content

Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante, Had a bad cold…

“Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante, Had a bad cold, nevertheless Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe, 45 With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she, Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor, (Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!) Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks, The…” quote by T.S. Eliot
Download Open image
““Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante, Had a bad cold, nevertheless Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe, 45 With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she, Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor, (Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!) Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks, The lady of situations. 50 Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel, And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card, Which is blank, is something he carries on his back, Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.””

T.S. Eliot

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker describes a tarot reading that reveals hidden dangers, forbidden knowledge, and an ominous fate involving water and death.

In simple terms: A tarot reading warns of unseen threats and a fatal destiny linked to water.

Key Takeaway

Beware hidden dangers and the unknown.

Themes

myity fate danger knowledge water

Mood

mysterious foreboding reflective

Type

prophetic symbolic

When to use this quote

  • librarying a tarot reading
  • interpreting omens
  • navigating uncertainty
  • confronting fear
  • seeking truth

Key Concepts

Tarot symbolism mythology psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What hidden threats might you be ignoring?
  • How do you confront unknown outcomes?
A Different Perspective

The interpretation may be overly cryptic, leaving meaning ambiguous.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by T.S. Eliot

Explore all 206 T.S. Eliot quotes

More Cards Said quotes

Browse all 4 Cards Said quotes