Cardiff Castle of Crossed Destinies

He is laying down cards familiar to him, although in a different context. Here they have a different meaning. We see wood thrusting into our vision from the left (eight of wands), this person is involved in the timber business, He becomes the prince of timber acclaimed by his peers (six of wands). Just as his business is expanding he is cut off from the river (three of wands - he stands in a kingdom of wood looking over a blighted land). The river has moved, it has been diverted to protect the city from flooding and he needed a new dock to land his timber.  He is now in the grasp of the the monks father and is forced to sign an expensive yearly lease to use Bute's docks. This way Batchelor's success will enrich the Bute empire and should he ever become a threat the lease can be ended quickly. (two of wands) A man stands between pillars looking out over the bay, the world in his hand; the monk has to ask himself if this person is Batchelor or Bute? Batchelor has plans (two of coins) he is juggling the future, perhaps he can build his own dock if he can arrange the finance and ally with the necessary people. In 1852 he manages to get Walter Coffin, the chairman of the Taff Vale Railway, elected to Parliament (knight of pentangles) the following year Batchelor is elected Mayor of Cardiff (king of wands). Batchelor is able to continue a programme of civil and social reform (page of swords). Coffin and Batchelor succeed in getting the act for the building of Penarth Docks through parliament, but the monk has his revenge (The Devil); Batchelor is declared a bankrupt and his assets are liquidated in 1870. Bute muses on the next card, The Star, does this refer to Batchelors work in building the Penarth Docks or maybe his building of sewers to prevent the devastation of cholera or his pouring of money into libraries and education for the illiterate poor. Bute wonders what the page of cups could mean or Justice, the last two cards. He hopes this means he will finally discover a means to bring this radical to book?

Rider Waite pack