Virgil with Banana

3legs

00:00 / 03:59

DIVINITY ON TWO LEGS

Who are we, who are we, who are we essentially
when the soiled veils of illusion drop away?
I am not my job, my car, my house, my clothes,
my furniture, or my bank account. I am a divine spark

in human form, a gleaming point in an awesome tapestry of light.
All the threads of energy in this living tapestry
are forms of light from one Source. I am not a doing
or what has been done to me. I am a being of light and love.

We are not our success or our losses. We are beings
of light and love. I am not my gender, my skin color,
my politics, or my resume. Oh, no, no, we are not that--
we are divine sparks on two legs.

I release suffering, trauma, upheaval and loss.
I release limiting thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.
With my mind I can release disease as easily
as I move my fingers and arms and legs.

Who are we, who are we, who are we essentially
when the soiled veils of suffering drop away?
We are radiant love shining on the cosmos
on an awesome tapestry of light. We are not our sickness

or our pain. We are beings of light and love.
We are not our mistakes or our heartaches. We are beings
of light and love. We are fires of spiritual love, divinity on two legs.
We are gleaming points in an awesome tapestry of light.

BANANA REPUBLICLAND

The Fool with a Banana

As the Fool was trudging back toward "The Upside Down," he discovered a sign covered by foliage that read, "Banana Republicland Way." The Fool thought to himself, "This path might be better than the one I'm on now. Hopefully I won't encounter a conflagration or a hurricane or any more trolls on this path." So he took a chance and headed toward Banana Republicland. As he was hiking down the mountain, he encountered so many flowers that he felt the divinity of all life, and he just had to belt out a song.
Soon he encountered a chimpanzee in a brown hoodie, who exclaimed, "My friend, so glad to see you again!"
"Virgil, is that you?" the Fool asked. "You look kind of different."
"Yeah, I know." Virgil answered. "I was just taking a late night stroll in 'The Upside Down,' and the police arrested me for vagrancy because they assumed I was a criminal. They kept me in jail over night but then deported me the next day to Banana Republicland for being an illegal immigrant. As soon as you enter this realm you turn into a chimp. Obviously you haven't looked at yourself recently."
The Fool looked down at his hands. "Oh, my God, you're right!" he blurted out. "I had no idea."
"On the bright side, though, at least we can find something to eat here," Virgil replied. "Fortunately, there are enough bananas to go around."

Chimps in Trees

As the Fool and Virgil continued down the path, they encountered some chimps living in trees. "Maybe we should live in trees too!" the Fool exclaimed. "That looks like a good place for chimps like us!" But Virgil suggested that they might find a decent job somewhere.

Chimps on the Job

The Fool and Virgil both landed a job picking bananas on a plantation. Unfortunately, at the end of the week, the supervisor, knowing that they were illegal immigrants, claimed that the company didn't have enough money to pay them. "Maybe next week," the supervisor sneered. "But, here, have a few bananas."

At the Circus

So Virgil and the Fool headed to town. The Fool got a job riding a bicycle in a circus while Virgil searched for work. After a week, though, the supervisor fired the Fool because he wasn't entertaining enough. "Why don't you do a hand-stand on your handlebars or something?" the supervisor asked. "People come here to see a spectacle. You're just not circus material."

On the Street

The Fool and Virgil found themselves on the street. Occasionally a kind stranger gave them a banana.

In the Classroom

Virgil eventually got a job as a teacher, but they didn't pay him much, and he didn't receive any benefits like health insurance or a pension. They hired him on a semester by semester basis, so he didn't have any job security.

In the Grocery Store

Virgil and the Fool could occasionally go to the grocery store instead of only picking and eating bananas off of the trees, but they discovered that most chimps, like them, didn't have enough money to buy what they needed.

At the Hospital

Virgil suddenly became terribly ill, and the Fool took him to the hospital. In front of the hospital, they encountered a family leaving the emergency room. "They bankrupted us! The health insurance company denied our claim!" they groaned.
"I'll be all right," Virgil assured the Fool. "Don't be foolish enough to take me in there! I don't have any health insurance."

Paying Bills

Virgil eventually recovered and somehow managed to hold on to his job, but he was only paid for the classes he had taught, so the two of them didn't have enough money to pay their bills. "We're not going to be able to live here much longer," Virgil admitted sadly.

After the Fire

It didn't matter because fire swept through the town and burned everything to the ground. "Global warming has caused a drought and the hurricane winds have fanned the flames," Virgil complained. "We have to find a better place to live."

After the Hurricane

So the Fool and Virgil moved to another town in Banana Republicland. Unfortunately a devastating hurricane hit the city. "Maybe we should go live in the trees," Virgil joked.

Oligarch

As they were trudging away from town, they encountered an oligarch, who inquired, "Why are you fleeing? You just need to find another job and rebuild."
"We didn't own our home," the Fool replied. "We only rented."
"There aren't any decent jobs here," Virgil responded.

Wage Slaves

Then the Fool and Virgil hiked to a large city where they encountered chimps in suits scrambling to get to work. "What are you looking at?" one of them sneered. "If you brown-nose enough and work your ass off and get lucky, one day you might earn a living wage like us. Now get out of our way! Go find a job!"

Managers

So the Fool and Virgil applied for a job. "What are your qualifications?" one of the managers inquired.
"I was a teacher at a community college," Virgil replied. "Then a devastating fire burned everything down to the ground, and we had to leave. I assure you, though, that we are both quick learners and steadfast workers."
"We're sorry," one of the managers replied. "You are not qualified enough to work here. Come back when you have more work experience."

Politicians

Then as the Fool and Virgil were scrounging for some food in the downtown area, they encountered politicians in front of the capitol building. "Can you help us?" Virgil asked politely.
"I'm sorry? Have you given any of us a contribution?" one of the politicians asked.
"No," the Fool whimpered. "Aren't you supposed to represent us?"
The politicians all looked at each other and howled with laughter.

Supreme Court Justices

"Why don't you take your case to the Supreme Court?" one of the politicians smirked. "The Supreme Court Justices believe that money is speech. They just might listen to you if you give them enough money, but make sure you don't say anything in court." All the other politicians chuckled.

King of the Chimps

"In fact," the politician continued, "the Supreme Court just gave the President of 'Banana Republicland' immunity for all official acts, which makes the President our King. Maybe they will listen to you if you have as much money as our President and his super-rich oligarch friends. Good luck!" The politicians all laughed as they shook their heads and patted each other on the back.

The King with His Court

Virgil squinted at the politicians. "The King is probably holding court right now," he grunted. "It's better to be a poor chimp than a sycophant. Let's get out of here!" Virgil and the Fool nodded at each other and eventually found another path to the Tarot Realms.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Cowboy Hiding in a Hole

4one

00:00 / 04:24

POWERS OF BALANCE

Healers come to me with the powers of Air and Fire
and Water and Earth. I’ve called them with my heart,
and they bring a sword, a wand, a cup, and a star that stand
in absolute balance in the light of the Source.

I invoke these shining ones, the most awesome powers
of harmony in the universe, to heal me. I call the powers
of harmony in the sun, the rivers, the fires, the flowers
to cleanse and heal my heart and mind so that I know

the love, abundance, and harmony
in the fields upon fields of One Spirit. I feel
the strength in your heart, and I link my heart to yours
and thread our souls through a tapestry of love.

We open our hearts to the mighty healing powers
and stand in the harmonizing light of the Source.
Healers come to us with the powers of Air and Fire
and Water and Earth. We’ve called them with our hearts.

They bring a sword, a wand, a cup, a star that stand
in absolute balance in the light of the Source.
We invoke these shining ones, the most awesome powers
of harmony in the universe, to heal us. We call the powers

of harmony in the sun, the rivers, the fires, the flowers
to cleanse and heal our hearts and minds so that we know
the love, abundance, and harmony
in the fields upon fields of One Spirit.

EARTH 2: SANITY-LAND

Earth 2

As the Fool and Virgil were hiking through the forest, they encountered a cowboy peeking out of a hole next to the trail.
Virgil blurted out, "Hello there! How are you today, my friend?"
"Doin' pretty darned well," the cowboy replied. "It's great living out here in the wild at the edge of Earth 2. I used to be a rough-and-tumble cowboy, but now I just prefer to stay in my hole. A mass psychosis has swept through the realm, and so many people out there are edgy and paranoid. Some are just downright dangerous. You might like Earth 2, though. It's different from anything you've ever encountered before, I'm sure. Good luck, friends!"
"I'm sure we'll enjoy our visit. Have a good one," Virgil responded.
As they continued hiking down the trail, they noticed that some of the trees had blue leaves, some had pink and blue leaves, and some had pink and green leaves. The grass was pinkish-orange, the sky was yellow, and the river ran red. "Yeah, I'll say this is different," the Fool commented.

Proclamation

Soon they came upon a proclamation nailed to a tree. Virgil commented, "I guess they are calling this realm 'Sanity-Land' now. Or maybe they are about to call it 'Sanity Land.' I've always known it as Earth 2."

Capitol

They soon came to the edge of town. "They used to have three branches of government here, but the congress was neutered, and insurrectionists tore down the capitol building. Only a tiny minority of people rule the realm now," Virgil explained.

King Ollie Gark

As they wandered through the town, they heard a rumor that the new king was about to change the name of the realm. A crowd had gathered near a huge tv screen hanging from a building, waiting to watch the news. At noon on tv the new king strolled up to a podium and gave a fascist salute. Then he began his speech, "Sure, I have a funny name, but I'm richer than God, and I am here to save you. I am so rich that I am above the law, and I can do or say whatever I want. I have found the solution to all of our problems, my friends. I have found an imperfect vessel to fulfill God's Perfect Plan to make me, King Ollie Gark, the world's first trillionaire. I have found the most qualified malignant narcissist to terminate the constitution so that we can all become wealthy. Everyone knows that democracy has failed us, and all of those left-wing lunatic rules and regulations just interfere with the Perfect Plan.
"I have found a big-league crackerjack, you know, my best friend--the pathological liar, the grifter, the sexual assaulter, the demonic force--to dismantle the administrative state for us all. He is the only one with enough grit to do it right.
"Together, we will make you free by eliminating regulatory agencies, you know, the corrupt government agencies that regulate banks and food and drugs and all the vulnerable corporations. I will eliminate the tyrannical agencies that create draconian work-place safety laws and environmental regulations. I am eliminating all of those horrible agencies that make our life so difficult.
"Sure, the earth is warming 100 times faster than the most rapid warming event in the history of the planet. Sure, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now weighs more than all the buildings ever made by humanity. You snowflakes can stand a little change in temperature, right, as long as we put a little more money in your pockets?" The crowd cheered.
"Sure, guns are the leading cause of death for children in this country, but pro-choice Nazis kill children all the time. I'm going to change all that--except for making it harder to get guns, of course. We are now officially all pro-life and will soon be living in a golden age in our glorious realm. Because of this, I hereby change the name of this realm to 'Sanity Land.' You will find proclamations with the new rules hanging on buildings and trees throughout the realm. God bless the military, and may we all live in peace!"

The Penguin?

The Fool and Virgil continued walking past homeless people and found someone who resembled a penguin. He hissed to himself, "I'm the most ruthless and sociopathic criminal in this realm. I should be the leader here, or at least a cabinet member, yes, yes, or even a fascist senator! I would be perfect for the job! Yes, yes!"

The Joker?

Then they encountered a homeless man who was cackling to himself, "This is great! I love this chaos and anarchy! I wanted to break everything to pieces and burn this place to the ground, but our awesome kleptocrats are doing it for me, and I get to watch! With global warming and economic collapse and another pandemic, this could be one hell of a ride!"

Harley Quinn?

Then a woman pushing a grocery cart filled with junk passed by. She seemed to be lecturing herself. "You lost all your money because you invested it in Bitcoin after it became legal tender in the realm. What were you thinking?"

Bitcoin

"If a hard drive crashes, or a virus corrupts data in the wallet file, Bitcoins are lost forever,” she mumbled to herself. "There is nothing that can be done to recover them. You knew that. It's not even really money! Since there is no central authority governing Bitcoins, no one can guarantee its minimum valuation or reimburse you. What were you thinking?" she asked herself over and over. "It's time to tear everything down! Or maybe you should burn everything down to the ground or break everything to pieces. You're so smart. You've just made up a new abbreviation: TMC. Too Many Choices!" She howled with laughter.

Family Separation

As the Fool and Virgil wandered through town, they witnessed the military taking a child away from his parents. "They are deporting all of the illegal immigrants even though technically everyone in this realm is an immigrant or the descendent of immigrants," Virgil stated.

Homeless Old People

Soon they encountered homeless old people on the street. Virgil explained, "They eliminated Medicaid and Social Security, and since wages are stagnant and inflation keeps rising and no one can afford a home or health care, their children can't take care of them."

Military at a Peaceful Protest

Soon they came upon a peaceful protest. "They claimed that the realm is in a state of emergency and declared martial law. Now the military can shoot protesters in the legs or wherever," Virgil lamented.

Militia

They came upon men in different military uniforms. "This is the new militia. They were insurrectionists who stormed the capitol and were thrown in jail, but the ruler pardoned them all. Now they are the leader's personal army."

Military or Militia Arresting a Woman?

"They are arresting a woman who might be seeking reproductive health care," Virgil explained. "That is now against the law. Any woman who dares to come close to this building is in danger of being thrown in jail."

Military or Militia Arresting a Student

"They especially like to arrest students who oppose the military-industrial complex," Virgil explained. "This realm provides military aid to another realm that is committing genocide against some of its people. A group of students are protesting, so they sent in the military or the militia. I can't tell one from the other anymore."

Military or Militia Arresting a Professor

"They apparently also like to arrest dissident professors," the Fool replied.

Military or Militia Arresting Jesus?

They stumbled upon the military or the militia arresting a man who resembled Jesus. "The Christo-fascists who are attempting to create a theocracy don't approve of anyone who questions their belief system," Virgil explained.

Militia Stopping Virgil and The Fool

As the Fool and Virgil were strolling down the street, a militia man pointed his rifle at them. "Are you immigrants?" he sneered.
"No, no. We're just tourists. Look over there! There's an immigrant!" the Fool yelled. The militia man turned around, and Virgil and the Fool ran away as bullets whizzed by them.

Escaping from Sanity-Land

Virgil and the Fool sprinted down the street and soon found a place to hide. Eventually they were able to escape from Sanity-Land.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Vultures on a Car

5stren

00:00 / 04:32

A HIDDEN STRENGTH

We sometimes muddle through in times of crisis,
unnerved and despondent and insecure, but sometimes
in our bleakest hours, love pulls us through,
a strength from somewhere in our souls,
from the Source of creation. Sometimes,
though far away, we send love to keep each other whole.
Our heart connection is so strong that I know
when demons frighten you, and you know when I am down.
Is it possible that only we know that we can bless
each other from far away?
For we are one with the Source,
and we are magnificent....
Sometimes in our hearts, we know the Source
of love and harmony and abundance,
the awesome powers of creation within us,
and we can share them with each other....

We sometimes muddle through in times of crisis,
unnerved and despondent and insecure, but sometimes
in our bleakest hours, love pulls us through,
a strength from somewhere in our souls,
from the Source of creation. Sometimes
only then we know the love that is within us,
and we are grateful that we can send each other love--
to give each other strength to get us through the hard times.

For we are one with the Source,
and we are all magnificent....

SCAVENGER LAND

Vultures with Children

As the Fool and Virgil trudged toward the Tarot Realm, they encountered so many flowers that the Fool just had to sing to them.
"Nice! I like it!" Virgil exclaimed after the Fool had finished the song.
"It's another song about the woman who helped me know the harmony, magnificence, and abundance of the human spirit--before they sent me to the concentration camp," the Fool replied.
Soon, the Fool and Virgil found vultures hanging out on a car. "We'll encounter a lot of vultures and trolls in this realm, which is known as 'Scavenger Land.'"
"Do the vultures try to eat everything that appears dead, even cars?" The Fool wondered.
"There is so much competition between vultures in this realm that they try to eat everything, even living beings, so we need to be especially careful while we're here," Virgil replied.
They soon found vultures descending upon children. The Fool and Virgil tried to shoo the birds away. "The vultures in this realm have a more sophisticated way of eating other creatures," Virgil commented. "Since they have evolved in a capitalistic society, the vultures devour the imagination and the intellect and the emotions of other beings before they devour the physical body."

Sleep Walking

They eventually entered a city where everyone seemed to be sleepwalking. The Fool commented, "The vultures in this realm appear to have devoured the basic forms of consciousness. No one here can seem to stay awake."

Vulture Descending

Then they witnessed a vulture descending upon an old man. "Vultures find it easy to attack old people, especially because they can't stay awake," Virgil explained.

Pundit

They entered a coffee shop and sat down at a table. On the TV, a pundit was going on and on about how people are too "woke."
"Trolls, like vultures, don't want people to stay awake either," Virgil explained. "The trolls and vultures here work together to rip off as many vulnerable people as possible, especially children and old people."

Using Social Media

After they drank their coffee, the Fool and Virgil continued their journey through Scavenger Land. Soon they encountered a troll maniacally posting on social media. "The trolls post the most racist and misogynistic and disgusting lies and misinformation to confuse the people here and make them fall asleep," Virgil commented. "These trolls are the most maniacal creatures that anyone could imagine."

Falling Asleep

The Fool and Virgil began to fall asleep as they continued strolling through the city. "Virgil! Virgil! Wake up! Wake up! We're both falling asleep!" the Fool shouted.

Tearing Up the Constitution and Regulations

"Okay, okay! Let's go get some more coffee," Virgil groaned. They soon found another coffee shop. On the TV, the three wealthiest trolls in the realm were tearing up the constitution and the laws and regulations that interfered in any way with their ability to accumulate more wealth. "Those trolls already own more wealth than half the people in this realm. Why can't they just be satisfied with the riches they have?" Virgil complained.
"They will never be satisfied," the Fool replied.

Vultures at the Capitol

The Fool and Virgil strolled by the capitol building. "Vultures and trolls dominate the political and economic system here," Virgil sighed. "They control the politicians and the corporations, and they want everyone to know it. That's why vultures hang out here so much."

Gutted Legislative Branch

As the Fool and Virgil continued, they came upon a part of the capitol building that had fallen into disrepair. "The wealthiest trolls spent so much money on the campaign that they were able to get a criminal elected," Virgil stated. "If you were a criminal and managed to become the elected ruler of the realm, wouldn't you want to gut both the branch of government that makes the laws and the agencies that enforce them?"
"Makes sense in a twisted, gangsterish kind way," the Fool responded.

The Golden Key to the Treasury

"The ruler gave the golden keys of the Treasury Department to a super-rich immigrant who then proceeded to steal all the sensitive financial and personal information of everyone in the realm. With his crew of muskrats, this unelected oligarch, who is now unofficially king, is also attempting to shut down governmental agencies beneficial to the public--without congressional approval--as a way to pay for yet another huge tax cut for himself and the other super-wealthy elites in the realm."
"Greed knows no bounds," the Fool sighed.

Senators Giving a Fascist Salute

Soon they came upon politicians performing a fascist salute. "One political party is blatantly fascist," Virgil explained. "They don't even try to hide it anymore. They neither legislate nor enforce legislation. The other party, which also takes contributions from corporations and oligarchs, is almost as bad but strives to hide the same fascist tendencies."
"Does anyone in politics here feel any shame anymore?" the Fool moaned.
Virgil shook his head.

Vultures after a Fire

They came upon vultures in a part of the city devastated by fire. "The super-rich love disasters like fires and hurricanes and floods because afterwards they can swoop down and buy up the victims' property and assets at a cheap price. That's one reason they're not trying to end global warming. They support wars and genocides for the same reason," Virgil explained.

Homeless People near Empty Homes

"These people are homeless because they lost their jobs during the pandemic and could no longer afford to pay rent," Virgil explained. "The increase of food and gas prices is also gouging them nearly to death. They remain outside of houses and and condominiums and apartments that are empty while the rich buy up the properties at bargain-basement prices."
"That's what you might call 'death by a thousand cuts,'" the Fool replied.

Dumpster Diver

They stumbled upon an old woman pushing a grocery cart filled with trash. "Despite all the desperation and anguish caused by the pandemic and the higher cost of living, the government destroyed the social safety net. The politicians, controlled by the super-rich vultures, cut medicare and medicaid and social security and all of the other agencies that were helping the poor and working class."
"Give them an inch...and they will take everything," the Fool mumbled.

Hungry Children

"They even cut food stamps and school lunches so that now children go hungry. Hungry children can't learn or thrive," Virgil lamented.

Vultures on the Street

"The vultures hang out here on the street because the homeless are starving and are more susceptible to disease," Virgil explained. "It's almost as if the rich and powerful are trying to kill off the most vulnerable in this realm."
"While pretending to be Christians," the Fool muttered.

Family Separation

"On top of that, they are breaking up immigrant families," Virgil muttered as he was falling asleep.
"Even though everyone in this realm is an immigrant or descended from immigrants," the Fool grumbled as he was falling asleep.
"Just another form of shock and awe. They want everyone to feel afraid and unsafe and insecure," Virgil mumbled.

Vultures in the Emergency Room

Virgil eventually became so sleepy that he couldn't stay awake. The Fool carried him to the hospital emergency room. While the Fool was sleeping in a chair in the hospital room, vultures gathered on Virgil's bed. The Fool scared the vultures away and picked up Virgil and carried him out of the building. Virgil eventually opened his eyes, and together they stumbled out of Scavenger Land.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

ID Howling at the Moon

5driv

00:00 / 04:24

A DREAM OF DEMONS

Leathery, withered skin; frayed, ragged wings;
emaciated, bat-like faces. You might see demons
in your mind's eye before they attack, especially
if they wish to terrify before they shake or choke

or prod or poke or hold you down to ravage the heart
or ruin the gut. The smarter ones
avoid showing themselves at all: They only bring an aura
of malice and oppression to amplify feelings of fear,

hatred, guilt, anger, failure, loneliness, and desolation
to assist you on a descent into a deep, dark hole.
The worst don't even cause pain or negative feelings.
They just flood your aura with horrible, dark energy

that eventually shows up as a fatal illness.
They love to attack the vulnerable during times
of illness or depression or loneliness or grief.
You cannot fight the monsters. That only causes

more chaos and negativity, which is what they feed on.
Your best bet is to neutralize them with invincible forces
of harmony and love in your soul, which connect you
with the powerful, healing forces of the Archangels.

ID LAND

Monster ID Car

As the Fool and Virgil slouched toward the Tarot Realms, the Fool suddenly sang a bizarre song. Then he mentioned the dreams that he had experienced the night before. "I had a dream about demons," the Fool confessed. "I have never had such strange nightmares before."
"Don't worry, my friend," Virgil replied. "They were just dreams."
Suddenly they heard what sounded like a wolf howling at the moon. "We have crossed the border into 'ID Land,'" Virgil muttered. "The moon, especially the full moon, has a powerful effect on many IDs here."
"Do you mean I.D., as in 'identification,' or the part of the psyche described as the 'id'?" the Fool asked.
"Both, I suppose. For many people in this land, the id is their identity," Virgil answered. "We are getting closer to the Tarot Realms, where people often experience a shift to higher spiritual frequencies, and people here in 'ID Land' are close enough to feel the spiritual vibrations. Unfortunately, many people in ID Land can't handle any shifts to higher consciousness, and they regress to their ID state and shamelessly reveal their innate instinctive impulses, including their incessant desire for immediate gratification. Many eventually become stuck in that state and continuously reveal what kind of ID they have even if nobody wants to see it. Some IDs are easily recognized as werewolves or trolls or goat-like creatures or dragons or bats or vampires. Some people in this realm, however, benefit from revealing their ID, often to the detriment of a great many other people. Successful IDs in this realm, nevertheless, are revered as 'capitalists.'"
As Virgil and The Fool entered a city in ID Land at daybreak, a monster ID car almost ran them over.

ID House

"We need to watch out for monster ID cars and other monster IDs. Some IDs even manifest as houses. You never know when they might attack," Virgil lamented. "But we also need to be on the look out for 'capitalists.' They can be the most exploitive and malicious of the IDs."

Snake Capitalist

Soon they encountered a rich man with the head of a snake. "Watch out, he's a Snake Capitalist," Virgil whispered. "He'll probably try to gouge you or steal from you in some legal or illegal way or take away your rights. Often they pretend to be your friend and sell you something expensive that falls apart or turns to dust in a few weeks or months. Best to just walk away. They have a nasty bite, you know."

Goat ID

They soon came upon a man who resembled a goat. "The Goat ID only cares about his own personal pleasure," Virgil explained. "Goat IDs are super-focused on their own immediate gratification at the expense of everyone else. They're in a perpetual rutting season."

Troll Waving His Big ID Flag

Then a troll waving a red flag walked by them. "Trolls love to wave their ID flag to display how much better they are than other people, which usually has something to do with what other people have no control over, such as their DNA, or some other unfortunate condition in a realm riddled with racism and misogyny."

Cat Woman ID

The Fool and Virgil continued strolling through the city and eventually encountered a Catwoman ID. "Virgil, I think I am beginning to feel my ID surfacing," the Fool whispered.
"We need to find our way through ID Land as soon as possible. I am beginning to feel my ID surfacing too," Virgil replied.

Goblin ID

Soon they encountered a Goblin ID. "Goblins are insidious creatures. They seem friendly at first, but then they try to harm you severely. Some of them will even try to kill you after they have gained your trust," Virgil explained.
"I've met a few people like that," the Fool replied, "but they didn't look like goblins."

Dragon ID

The Fool and Virgil tiptoed by a Dragon ID. "These creatures are extremely destructive," Virgil whispered. "Dragons often use the inner power of their ID to destroy everything around them. Sometimes they just tear everything to pieces for fun."

Bat Capitalist

As the Fool and Virgil continued, they came upon a Bat-like ID. "The Bat Capitalist sells expensive health insurance that few people can afford while the health insurance companies do everything in their power to deny all health insurance claims."
"Makes sense in a perverse capitalistic sort of way," the Fool responded.

Batty Professor

"I have heard students complain that a batty professor once claimed, 'I will do everything in my power to destroy anyone who promises to be a better writer than I am.' The batty professor loves to pretend that he is attempting to support his students when in fact he ignores them or refuses to help them or places them in situations where no one can possibly succeed. The batty professor's greatest fear is that someone will outshine him. The arts can raise the spiritual awareness of many people, but the batty professor and the other people in his social ID network don't really support the arts--instead, they destroy the arts in their community."
"The ID knows no bounds," the Fool replied.

Capitol Monster

Soon they came upon the capitol building with a monster on top. "A monster has taken over the capitol building," Virgil sighed. "Since the majority political party has become a party controlled by the ID, everyone is in danger."
"Does anyone in politics feel any shame anymore?" the Fool asked again.
Virgil again shook his head.

Gangster Capitalist

Soon they came upon a huge TV screen hanging from the capitol building. "Let me introduce you to my 'leetle' friend," the dear leader sneered. "I don't even have to point this machine gun at you. All I have to do is claim that you are a 'bad person' and one of my followers will harass you or threaten you or try to kill you."

Hydra Capitalist

Then on the capitol TV a Hydra Capitalist appeared, "I want to make it perfectly clear that my Hydra is going to gut all federal agencies that benefit or protect the public. That way we can fund a huge tax break for the super-wealthy and commit countless crimes. I especially want to eliminate the Department of Education so that people remain totally ignorant. You elected us, so you have obviously chosen to live in a lawless realm. Let the will of the people reign supreme!"

Vampire Capitalist

Then a Vampire Capitalist appeared on TV. "I wasn't elected or confirmed to any political position, but the Gangster Capitalist chose me to suck the information and energy and life out of government agencies that protect or benefit the public. That way the rich can avoid being investigated and enable the great rulers of this realm to make an even more obscene fortune. Some of that money might trickle down to you. You must have known that Vampire Capitalists can never get enough! Thanks for voting for my friends!"
"Make sure your throat is covered, Virgil," the Fool mumbled.

Joker Capitalist

Then a Joker Capitalist appeared on TV. "When my friends have finished destroying the constitution and as many regulations as possible," he snickered, "I am going to burn everything to the ground. That's what you voted for, isn't it? Total chaos?" He howled with laughter.

Burning Down the House

That evening Virgil and the Fool watched as trolls burned down federal buildings. "So much for 'out of the many, one,' or for that matter, 'the many in the one and the one in the many,'" the Fool sighed.

Pin Cushion

Then the Fool and Virgil entered a grocery store and noticed a woman with pins sticking out of her back. She was wearing a shirt that revealed her political affiliations. "That woman voted for the candidate who claimed that he would reduce the price of eggs and gasoline, but instead the cost of living keeps rising. On top of that, the candidate she voted for, now the dear leader of the realm, is doing nothing to reduce prices or to break up monopolies or to stop mergers of large corporations. The mergers create less competition and give huge corporations more of an incentive to raise prices even higher," Virgil muttered.
"She looks like a pin cushion that just keeps getting jabbed," the Fool grumbled.
"I think it's called 'gouging,'" Virgil sighed.

Hungry Children

Virgil and the Fool eventually found hungry children on the street. Virgil flipped them a few quarters, all that he could give.
"What sort of IDs will they grow up to be?" the Fool wondered out loud as they continued stumbling toward the Tarot Realms.

Virgil with Banana

DIVINITY ON TWO LEGS

Who are we, who are we, who are we essentially when the soiled veils of illusion drop away? I am not my job, my car, my house, my clothes, my furniture, or my bank account. I am a divine spark

BANANA REPUBLICLAND

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As the Fool and Virgil continued down the path, they encountered some chimps living in trees. "Maybe we should live in trees too!" the Fool exclaimed. "That looks like a good place for chimps like us!" But Virgil suggested that they might find a decent job somewhere.

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Chimps on the Job

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The Fool and Virgil found themselves on the street. Occasionally a kind stranger gave them a banana.

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Who are we, who are we, who are we essentially
when the soiled veils of illusion drop away?
I am not my job, my car, my house, my clothes,
my furniture, or my bank account. I am a divine spark