From the Touchstone Tarot, the Seven of Swords; from the Waterhouse Oracle, Cleopatra:
Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Cleopatra VII was the last ruler of Egypt before it was annexed as a province of Rome. She was fluent in a number of languages and was an effective diplomat and administrator. Her involvement with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony came about after she had already successfully steered Egypt through a difficult period. Yet envy and vested interests attempted to steal her intelligence and success through defamation. Roman historians painted her as a sultry seductress who threatened Rome and paid the price. Kind of reminds me of all the insulting names Trump has called female reporters who asked him hard questions.
