Samhain 2004  - Tarot Trickster

Cast 
Jo - Trickster
Jen - Tarot reader of forgetfulness
Michael - Tarot reader of rememberance
Gabby - Guide

Props
Rope
Stakes
Basket
Blind folds
Deck of death cards 
Pumpkin lanterns
Bamboo lanterns
Curtain
Black and white decorations
Deck of forgetfulness cards
Deck of rememberance cards
Flour for the second paths
Two mirrors or large scrying bowls
Two candles/lanterns/boxes of matches
Cauldron and fuel or brazier and charcoal
Cauldron and water
Food and drink

NOTE: The dialouge for the characters in this ritual is NOT scripted it is a bare bones representation of what needs to be said. The Trickster in particular needs to be witty, scathing and keep the participants off balance and confused.

NOTE: Make sure you test walk the paths blindfolded to make sure it is free from obsticles and will not pose too great a danger of participants falling and injuring themselves. If the area is too unsafe omit the blidfolds from the ritual.

Everyone is gathered at the starting location. Three paths are set out with stakes and ropes. There is a basket of blindfolds set out on the ground. The Guide is waiting in the death area for people to arrive.

The trickster approaches.
	
Trickster:	Welcome everyone. I am your guide for this evening. Tonight you will all be sent on a journey to a destination unknown, for a reason I won't tell you, That would spoil the fun!!. I hold in my hands a deck of cards.Each one of you will choose one. We shall let randomness and the hands of the Gods decide your fate this night. However do not look at your card or show them to anyone unless I tell you to.
	
Trickster offers each person a card. 

Trickster:	Pick a card any card

Trickster blind folds everyone.

Once all are blindfolded the Trickster chooses individual participants and looks at their cards. The Trickster makes small comments and pretends to set people down a path based on their cards. In reality everyone has the same card, The Death Card, and all the paths lead to the same area. The paths consist of a fence-like trail marked out with wooden stakes, available trees and rope that the participants must feel their way along blindfolded. The trickster follows after the last person is gone and joins the participants in the death area.

The Death area is decorated with the unlit pumpkin lanterns that the participants made earlier and some lit bamboo lanterns. It has a further two paths branching off from it. The entrances to these paths are decorated, one in black and the other in white. There is also a curtain erected to one side of the circle no mention is made of this as it is for the participants to discover later on.

As people arrive the Guide is waiting to greet them and arrange them, still blindfolded, into a circle.

Guide:	Congratulations to those of you who have chosen my path. In a moment I will ask you to remove your blind folds and look around at those people who have travelled to this place with you, they are your friends and your kin on this journey.

The Guide slips into the circle and takes up position as one of the participants before speaking again.

Trickster:	You may now remove your blind folds but do not yet look at your cards.

The Trickster waits for everyone to realise that ALL of the participants are there and then enters the circle laughing.

Trickster:	Whats this? Everyone is here? Do you not get it? You all thought you were going in different directions? You thought the path fate had laid for you was special? What fools you all are to be so easily tricked I am almost ashamed of my self for taking such advantage...Almost.... You can look at your cards now, show them to your friends. See what destiny has chosen for you. 

All look at their cards.

Trickster:	Thats right, Death. It is the outcome of every life. The great practical joke. Just when you were starting to think you were different and special. WHAM you gotta start all over just like everyone else.  And most of you never even saw it coming. But tonight is not all a waste and this joke is not yet over. You are here now dead and gone from the world, but alas the veil is thin and my trick was rather premature. I have been told I have to send you back (grumble grumble), but I can't let you go just yet,  not before you visit a few friends of mine.

The trickster takes out the second deck of cards and offers them to the participants. Half the deck is made up of white major arcana tarot cards and the other black.

Trickster:	Pick a card any card....Come on now you don't think I would trick you again do you?...Well...I might but you are going to have to trust me if you ever want to get home. As before don't look at your cards untill you are asked to. Your card will determine which path I send you home on. However you will need a guide and frankly I am rather bored with you all so I am not going to take you my self. Someway along each path is a scrying pool there you can look for an ancestral spirit to take with you as your guide. Take your lantern with you. When you have your guide light the candle inside, Your guide will stay with you as long as the candle is lit and you may need the light to find your way.

The Trickster chooses the two tarot readers first and sends them, one down each path. The trickster will pick people one by one look at their card and send them with their card and lantern down either the black or white path depending on the colour of the card they picked.

Each participant goes down their path and visits the scrying pool. The scrying pool consists of either a bowl of water or a mirror with a lit candle or lantern next to it or a box of matches. The Trickster must keep a watch and when the participant lights their candle send the next person up that path. 

The participant continues and is confronted by a tarot reader at the end of the path who asks to see their card. The Tarot reader tells them the meaning of their card. Next to the Tarot reader is either a cauldron full of water (rememberance) or a cauldron of fire (forgettfulness).

Reader:	Now that you know what card you do you know what path you have taken?

The participant may guess or say no.

Reader:	You have taken the the path of Forgetfulness/rememberance. The card you hold represents that which you must forget/remember before you may return through  the veil. Now cast your cards into my cauldron for you may not take them with you when you return.

The participant then continues down the path. It merges with the other path and returns to the death area through the curtain.

Whilst the participants have been away the Trickster has set up food and drink inside the death area. As people return they are welcomed back and are given some food and drink. They are then told to take some more food or drink as an offering for the ancestors plate at the feast. They take their offering and lantern back to the feasting hall and prepare to feast!