Back to Gabrielle... she is taken off old Mr. Donkey and given a scythe. I believe this is DEATH (loss leads to renewal; letting go of possessions, ideas or justifications). In the struggle to follow, Gabrielle throws the first blow -- aiming her scythe at Xena's head.

Xena, for her part, is now moving forward toward Gabrielle in the CHARIOT (in traditional decks the chariot is drawn by two horses or two sphinxes with exaggerated bodies). The Chariot is symbolic of the body drawn by conflicting emotions.

Xena kills Gabrielle. Joxer shows up as the HERMIT (a wise man, wearing a hooded cloak). The Hermit is about retreating from the world in order to attain wisdom. The flame at Gabrielle's face may be a reference to the ancient who prowled the earth with his lantern, always searching for truth.

Ares pulls Xena away and starts to tango with her. Ares: "You're lost and confused but I understand, This once beloved friend has been slain by your hand. You feel alone, betrayed and adrift. But maybe her loss can be viewed as a gift. Now I'll be your rock, your strength and support, You're close confidant with whom you can consort. I know you completely. Come melt into me. Unleash the power of your destiny.

You've proved to yourself now that you've made the kill That you're just like me With as evil a will. Our forces are meant to be merged into one. The world will be panicked when our work is done. Let the music of war, with its lust for refrain Arouse us to heights with a passionate strain. Imagine how awesome together we'd be. So feel what I'm feeling. Come melt into me." However, when she looks over at Gabrielle she lowers herself to the ground, looking confused. Callisto asks her if she enjoyed killing her friend.

Callisto: "Did that fill you glee To kill your little friend. Did that ease your suffering Or bring it to an end. Let go ... All of your anger will poison you yet, Unless you can just -- let go.“ Ares: "Nothing more need be said. Ding, dong, the bitch is dead.“ Xena lifts the body, holding it close and, as she does so, the army, villagers, Ares and Callisto disappear. Gabrielle's body also disappears.

Xena and Ares go into a hot dance number, Xena in her red dress. They are the LOVERS (rather than signifying sex or romance, the Lovers card signifies that a choice must be made. Indeed, Ares is trying to woo Xena back to his side, and she is tempted. Then as she slides to the floor, she turns to Gabrielle -- who represents the virgin. In the traditional Lovers card the hero has a temptress on one side, and a virgin on the other. Only the innocence of the virgin, the true feminine, can lead the hero to discover her individuality and wholeness.

At the end of this little dance, just as Xena notices Gabrielle again, Callisto shows up as JUSTICE (her clothes has the scales of Justice embroidered on them;   Justice is about learning that all imbalance comes from within and that the restoration of balance also comes from within). Callisto prods Xena on her way.

There is the sound of a door opening and Gabrielle walks through, unable to believe that Xena had killed her. Xena: "I killed Gabrielle." Gabrielle: "You killed me. By the gods, Xena, you killed me. I knew you were trying before, Xena, but I ..." Xena: "No ... no ... I didn't ... none of this is real ... Ares and Callisto ... Joxer ... I didn't kill you, I killed an illusion." Gabrielle: "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Gabrielle: "What is that?" Xena: "Us. Somehow, it's all about us. Everything about this Illusia place has been bright and cheery, the music, the colors. But, this place is dark. It's meant to scare us." A bolt of lightning strikes the temple of Dahak and suddenly Xena and Gabrielle find themselves in a hall of pillars. They start to argue and, as they do so, their voices echo loudly around them. Gabrielle: "What if you're wrong?" Xena: "You got any better ideas?" Gabrielle: "You're asking me? Well, that's a first. You know, ever since we've met you've always made the decisions." Xena: "That's because you take so long to reach one, always weighing the pro's and con's ... con's ... con's ... con's ... con's ..." Gabrielle: "What's causing that?" Xena: "We are ...or, I should say, you are." Gabrielle: "There you go again, always blaming me for everything. Xena, why is it never your fault?" Xena: "It's the past. Every time we accuse each other about the past the echoes start and we can't hear one another." Gabrielle: "Well, how do we stop it?" Xena: "Tell me how you feel, nothing about the past, right now." Gabrielle: "I hurt inside! Don't you?"

Xena: "My heart is hurting beyond words. The pain is tearing up my soul. These days have seen my spirit die, My life propelled out of control. My wounds lie naked to the world, My depth of suffering exposed. This damaged past can never heal Until this nightmare book is closed." Gabrielle: "My heart is hurting beyond words. The pain is tearing up my soul. Please tell me how can I retrieve The life that all this sadness stole. Because of you this happened, Because you had to carry out your vengeful little plans."

Xena: "It's you who should feel guilty. Because of you my child is dead, His blood is on your hands." Gabrielle: "If only you had never brought me there." Xena: "If only you had done what you were told." Gabrielle: "It's you who's to be blamed." Xena: "And you should be ashamed." Gabrielle: "It's your fault." Xena: "No it's yours." Gabrielle: "How could you?" Xena: "How could you?!" The wheel appears and fire bursts out from the centre and takes hold of Gabrielle. She realises it is Dahak. She screams and Xena tries to help but loses her grip. The fire embraces Xena and pulls her through the centre of the wheel after Gabrielle.

As Xena is realizing what she has done, holding Gabrielle, Gabrielle's form appears in the doorway behind surrounded by an aura of light. Gabrielle is TEMPERANCE (a winged angel from Heaven, with a ring of stars or light around her head; Temperance is about the eternal nature of true love, the eternal nature of life). One meaning of Temperance actually states that temporary stalemate followed by reconciliation!

Xena and Gabrielle are transported to a new room, which I believe is evocative of the MOON (this card usually has a pair of towers or pillars, one on each side, which represent the rigid structures that develop from past actions). Xena and Gabrielle must find their balance between the rigid structures of their past experience. In fact, the echoes force them to forego yelling about the past. By focusing on their feelings right now, they begin to overcome the traps of perception and seeming reality.

During this sequence, Xena and Gabrielle look up and see the TOWER (total change and loss of security leads to a new beginning; the Tower card usually shows a tower shattered by lightning). Imbalance builds to the point where reality explodes, forcing Xena and Gabrielle to face the reality of their dilemma. It is a trial, but one that will lead them to freedom.

All is silent. Xena and Gabrielle are in the Temple of Dahak. Gabrielle is on the altar and has blood on her hands. Gabrielle: "Blood ... no ... not here ... it's Dahak ... this is where it started ... I can't ... I can't ..." Xena: "No, Gabrielle ... look, Gabrielle think, everything about this world is a torment. We've been guided through it for a reason. Whatever happens, we have to go through it together."

Suddenly a noise is heard. There are coffins lining the room and dark figures start to emerge from them. They reveal themselves as Ares, Callisto, Khrafstar and Caesar. "It begins very small, seems like nothing much at all. Just a germ, just a speck, just a grain. but the seed has been sown and before you know it's grown. It has spread through your life like stain And its power will strangle your love and joy and its hunger consumes for it lives to destroy. Hate is the star; it becomes who you are. Not the hated, but the hater has a torment that's greater. It will eat you alive, consume you and spit you out. Hate's gonna win that there's no doubt about. Hate doesn't care who you are -- Hate is the Star! Learning hate is an art, even people who are smart can be caught, can be crushed, can be creamed. Hate has swallowed you whole. Did you think you're in control? Hate you thought, hate you spoke, hate you dreamed. All your hate gave me substance, your lives are undone. It's your eve of destruction, your hatred has won!"

Gabrielle is suddenly chained to the altar whilst Xena hangs from a cross behind her. A black-eyed double of Gabrielle appears with a hammer ready to break Xena's legs whilst a black-eyed Xena holds a knife over Gabrielle. Xena: "I never dreamed that we'd be distanced by a hate, that all the trust we had would go." Gabrielle: "How could I hate you?" Xena: "How could it come to pass, This awful twist of fate?" Gabrielle: "How could I hurt you?" Xena: "This madness can't be so." Gabrielle: "I can't believe it." Xena: "I never dreamed that any barriers could rise." Gabrielle: "Or that I'd ever see the stranger in your eyes." Xena: "Our hearts were hurting both the same." Gabrielle: "The hurt was tearing up our souls." Xena: "The fury in us made us blind." Gabrielle: "We could not see beyond the pain." Xena: "If we can turn again to love," Gabrielle: "If we can heal these open wounds," Xena: "We'll leave this hatred far behind," Gabrielle: "So not a trace of hate remains."

Both: "We'll overcome our damaged past, And we'll grow stronger side by side To stand together through the storms. We're safe cause love will be our guide." The dark figures explode, except for one. Gabrielle's chains break and they are both released. The crypt opens. This is JUDGEMENT (people emerging from coffins and graves). The coffin is indicative of life's structure, that what we think of as reality is really a trap. Judgement is about transcending this limitation -- and about the merging or integration of differences between male/female into the child (where child becomes an image of unity). Of course, a few frames beyond this part, Solon makes his appearance... the image of unity. But before that, Gabrielle and Xena are dragged off by the fire arms of Dahak. Clearly hatred gives him opening to the world. When Xena and Gabrielle are chained up, they represent the DEVIL, so appropriate given Dahak's general character and demeanor. (The Devil card is about overcoming the temptations of the physical world -- especially temptations like hatred. Hatred is self-centered behavior that traps the soul within the physical senses, cutting off spiritual light and spiritual redemption). No reconciliation is possible until Gabrielle and Xena deal with the hatred.

The wheel disappears, a shimmering curtain of rain appears before them, beyond which is a beautiful glade. In the glade stands Solan. Gabrielle urges Xena to follow her through the curtain. Gabrielle: "Solan? It was him." Xena: "Solan." Gabrielle: "He's why we're here. It's the way out. It's got to be. He's here to lead us home. C'mon! Xena, quick!" Xena does not follow. As she tries to go through, she is burned and the dark figure from before starts to laugh. Gabrielle, naturally, makes this leap rather easily. It is within her character to do so. The scene of golden rain is the STAR (healing waters of heaven uniting earth and sea). Healing blessings set Gabrielle free, but Xena is not yet able to cross over. She still has to deal with her lie to Gabrielle. Xena: "I can't." Gabrielle: "Of course you can." Xena: "It's no use, Gabrielle. It's Ming T'ien. I killed him. I killed you, you bastard!" Gabrielle: "You lied? You gave me your word. You lied."

Xena: "Yes I lied. Thought I could protect you from the truth, Deliver you from evil, Spare your innocence and youth. That I could simply will it Was the real untruth. I was wrong. I wore a mask to cover my deceit. But underneath it all I couldn't keep away my doubt. Now I'm left with a mask And one question left to ask, I'm sorry, please help me, forgive me, Don't hate me, don't leave me, forgive me. Forgive me my debt as only you could. Forgive me the hate, Replace evil with good. Forgive me and find out that you will be able to forgive yourself too.

My dear Solan, I never told you that you were my son. I didn't know the days we had left were so few. If I only knew I'd have been with you. I'm so sorry I couldn't be the mother you deserved And I regret that I missed your first step, your first word That I never heard -- now it seems absurd. Can you forgive me? Open up your heart and let me in No matter if the fates against us turn There's one thing through all of this I've learned That what I need from you is to ... Forgive me, I'm sorry, believe me, Stop hating, stop hurting, forgive me. Forgive those who harm you, Do good for those who hate. Forgive, if not forget, I know it's not too late. Forgive me and you'll discover too That the love of your love is you." Gabrielle reaches through the water and takes Xena's hand, pulling her out of the temple. Gabrielle at this point becomes STRENGTH (Diana, the virgin huntress, overcomes destructive desires by inner strength -- by confronting herself, and thus achieving self-mastery). Gabrielle is sure that Xena can follow this path as well. Which she can, but only if she asks for forgiveness. Ming T'ien explodes. Solan: "Mother?" Gabrielle: "Solan ... (to Xena) Go on." They embrace, then Xena goes to Solan. She hugs him as Gabrielle watches. The focus moves to Solon, who represents the SUN (love and friendship are equated with the warmth and creativity of the sun). Remember that the son/sun represents unity. The Sun awakens the higher vibrations of spirit within, allowing Xena and Gabrielle to experience their new found freedom from the trap of old structures, old perceptions, old hatreds. Solan: "I love you, Mother." Xena: "I love you, Solan. I'll always love you."

Through all of the upheaval and feelings of betrayal and even hatred, the friendship between the two continues to be the key to survival. There were times when it was difficult to see how the friendship could possibly survive. Too many hurtful things were either said or done. Too much heartache had been inflicted by both women and by the outside forces of Callisto, Hope, Ares, and Dahak. The reaction of Xena and Gabrielle to the deaths of Solan and Hope are images that are hard to forget. The verbal exchange after the funeral was agonizing to watch because, as viewers, we were aware of the toll these events were having on the characters' friendship and knew how each must be suffering because the love and support had been momentarily lost. Still, the key to survival was love, friendship, and forgiveness. There is no stronger reality than that. The events in Illusia clearly illustrated the effects of hatred and distrust, but more importantly, the events highlighted just how important the love and friendship between the two women were. Without this love, neither would survive their pain. The strength of this friendship is clearly demonstrated and the ultimate act of love is the willingness to sacrifice one's self for another person. Both Xena and Gabrielle are ready and willing to do this, which shows that the traumatic events only served to strengthen their feelings for one another.