Devotees of Tarot are well aware that the Star follow the trauma of the Tower. Make no mistake! The appearance of the Star reminds me of the sheer relief when one particularly traumatic period closed and I was free to hump my bluey and head far far away.
At the time I was working as a cook on Baldwin Station in a remote corner of South Australia. It was one of those blistering hot days when the north wind mercilessly blows dust into every corner of the joint. I was sweltering over wood burning ovens preparing the traditional roast lamb and veg when the door flung open and in stormed troopers.
The sight of this lot is enough to strike terror into the hearts of the most fearless. These hardened fellows, charged with protecting people in isolated parts, were a rough, hardened lot who asked few questions. On any given day they dealt with break ins, assaults and murder. They found escaped prisoners and captured bush rangers and lived rough.
The Trooper in charge was non other than Tom Brewster who had been transported and survived Van Diemans Land so I wasn’t about to make any smart comments when he flashed a wanted poster with a sketch of a villain who strongly resembled me.
I was slapped in irons and marched on foot to the lockup, was destined to be sentenced for bush ranging, highway robbery and other unmentionable crimes. How my pants remained unsoiled I do not know.
Happily old Herbert, the Squatter, stormed into the lockup in a fiery rage, thumped the counter and demanded I be released immediately. He minced no words saying that I’d been working as a cook for weeks and unless I had wings I could not have been in the vicinity of any of the crimes.
Brewster, a brute of a man was not known to respond to such protests but he knew he had met his match in old Herbert and was about to unchain me when another group of troopers appeared with a felon who looked just like me.
“Well I’ll be buggered” was the chorus as everyone looked at the two of us. As our eyes locked we knew we were the orphaned twins who were cast out into the world at just eight.
Wild Mother Calling 