IV. EL GABO

MAKER OF WORLDS

“The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to mention them you had to point.” And just like that—¡el Boom!—Macondo was born in One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Like The Emperor/El Emperador, El Gabo is a consummate worldmaker and a widely-accepted leader. Not only does he create frameworks and universes of knowledge that define our (oh so magical) reality, he also represents power, authorship/authority, and a certain fatherly no-sé-qué.

If you get El Gabo in a reading, examine what systems organize your world. What rules do you follow or impose? What is your relationship to structure? Are you holding steady or are you giving away your power? Are your patriarchy alarms going off? Tranqui.

At his best, El Gabo is the steadfast yet fluid maestrx in you—your strong foundations, your ability to follow through, your powers of manifestation. What gorgeous worlds are you creating right now? (And can I come visit?)

♫ “Macondo” by Óscar Chávez

—

If you didn’t know… Just like The Empress/La Momposina, Gabriel García Márquez is also a costeño from the Colombian Caribbean. He is crowned by a copy of Cien Años de Soledad. Labels abound, inspired by Macando residents, including, lest they forget: “Dios existe” (God exists).

This is part of our Winter 2022-23 issue featuring Chancletazo for Your Soul by Marlène Ramírez-Cancio, The Tarot Issue.

Marlène Ramírez-Cancio

Marlène Ramírez-Cancio (2021-22 Aster(ix) Artist in Residence) is a Puerto Rican cultural producer, artist, and educator based in Lenapehoking, aka Brooklyn. She is the Founding Director of EmergeNYC, an incubator and network for emerging artists-activists in NYC and beyond, focused on developing the artistic expression of people of color and LGBTQAI+ folks. In 2021, she brought the incubator to BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, where she is currently Director of EmergeNYC and Practice Lab. Through Mujer Que Pregunta, Marlène works as a tarot practitioner and Process Doula to help BIPOC cultural workers shape their ideas, clarify their purpose, and make sure their projects align with the goals of their practice. When the dinosaurios roamed the Earth, she co-founded Fulana, a Latina satire collective whose videos have been shown internationally at film festivals, museums, and universities. Marlène serves on the Steering Committee of LxNY/Latinx Arts Consortium of New York, the Board of Directors of the National Performance Network, and the Board of Advisors of The Action Lab and the Center for Artistic Activism. She is the mom of a wonderful child, and is currently learning how to sew her own clothes. | mujerquepregunta.com