Artist: Rudolph Pointner
Martin asked, “How will the birth go?” and pulled this card, last seen here a week ago. Suitable one-card answer for a birth, I suppose. It will be challenging. I need to persevere and not give up. At times things may seem impossible. The trick will be persistence without struggle.
Despite the fact that I like to think this experience will be easier than I think, I do not think it will be.
Artist: Nakisha VanderHoven
This rat is a free-spirited Hierophant who dances with feathers in the wind.
The Hierophant is a person who brings his congregants into the presence of that which is holy: a guide who leads on the path of the spirit and opens the gateway to higher consciousness by means of ritual and surrender. He interprets sacred mysteries and arcane principles. In this manner, he brings the spiritual down to Earth and shows that holiness is not some arcane, obtuse, far-off thing.
The Hierophant teaches by word and by example. He leads rituals that remind his community of their shared beliefs and shared identity. His leadership brings tranquility to the chaos of life. In the presence of the Hierophant, the community blends together, unity is achieved amongst the diversity, and the inner-light of every individual burns bright— illuminated.
There is not just one Hierophant; there is one Hierophant for every community. The breakup of communities and individuation of society makes it difficult to find one’s own spiritual leader. In such situations, the Hierophant becomes inverted. Thus reversed, he stands for (or warns against) the staunch individualism that leads people to refuse to acknowledge the totality of their community. Byproducts of this mindset are: fear of that which is different, stubborn-mindedness, fear of change, institutionalization, propaganda, and fundamentalism.
“Tell me something about gluttony,” I said with a mouthful of food.
I find it interesting that cards come in groups. I mean, for a while I was drawing lots of fives, especially the five of cups. Then I pulled a bunch of kings in a row while I was finishing up my own kings. Now two days in a row I get the Three of Coins.
When I first learned this card, I learned it as craftsmanship, artisanship, and skill. It was the card of the artist. Looking at it yesterday, I realized I missed something essential: teamwork. And today, this little white book says improvement. First, there’s a dirty-looking scoundrel who seems to be saying, “Heh-heh-heh, if I pay off this angel dude, I get to go to heaven! Cool!” Then there’s the middle guy saying, “Here, angel, take this coin, for you are of wonderous beauty!” Then there’s the angel who sort-of looks like he’s thinking, “Geez, why do these guys keep giving me so many coins?” As fast as he can, he gives coins out to everyone in need— but new coins keep appearing in his arms. It is a progression towards selfless giving.
(Brief aside: as a professional arborist, I must say there’s no way that little grafted twig in the foreground is going to take. If you graft a top onto a rootstock, the two need to be the same size. If you graft a twig onto a tree, it needs, likewise, to be grafted onto a similar-sized twig. And the tree needs to be alive. A vibrant twig dies dead rootstock. If this is the situation, I recommend planting seeds.)
Going back to what I thought I missed: teamwork. The truth is, sometimes it’s really hard to see the rest of the team. The craftsmanship takes total focus. As skill improves toward perfection, the rest of the team may be forgotten. The mason, upon completing a building, cannot forget the architect who drew the plans. Students, upon finishing a book, cannot think themselves top in the field and forget the author of primary research. The seed cannot forget the soil that anchors it. The potter cannot forget the formless mud or the Supreme Mud Former whose actions s/he mimics. None can forget the teacher. In reverse, the architect cannot take pride in how well his plans turned out without giving thanks to the mason. The author would be a nameless nobody without a readership. The soil would erode without anchoring roots. And both potters and gods cease to exist without their creations.
We cannot forget our origins. We do not exist in a vacuum. The definition of “individual” is nebulous. A solitary success implies a team. To think otherwise is pure venom. One could read in the Bruegel Tarot image that when one learns to give without thought of receiving, the gifts received are endless.
Artist & Author: Brian Williams
I ask: “Where am I going with [this situation]? How do I progress?”
Excerpt From the Book of Fools:
Divinatory meaning:
Great plans, big setback.
Architects, builders, and workmen mean: anguish.
Constructive ambitions, ambitious constructions.
No monument is built without delays and obstacles: success requires risk.
[…]
Von narechtem anslag — Of foolish designs:
“He who would build without regard
Of what costs are required
Will find himself at the end before he begins.”
The Three of Coins sends encouragement. Dreams are made real with persistence, determination, and effort. Teamwork is essential. The knowledge and experience of my partner is needed. There is no superiority. Feedback and input are important to continually improve.
Oh! But this is exhausting!
Illustrator: Dave McKean
Author: Rachel Pollack
[I just read some old notes I have on this deck. It is the 1995 1st limited edition of the Vertigo tarot, in the white box. The white bag to hold the cards is missing and the card tuck-box is a little wrinkled. My mother got it for $1.00 at a book sale some years ago. She picked it up because she was feeling slightly dizzy. Also she knew I like tarot. Plus, my younger sister is a Sandman fan. A dollar!]
Dexter:
On one hand, the Two of Wands is about the power and energy of a focused will to achieve a goal. Such self-authority leads to progress, wise decisions, and discovery.
Sinister:
On the other hand, inability to focus may lead to lack of planning. Instead of letting this lead to fear of unknown, it can be used to enable one’s self to be open to change and to give up a sometimes-debilitating need for power.
This card contains great balance. There is a sort of symmetry in balance, but balance is far from symmetry alone, for balance is more alive than symmetry— more dynamic— more real. Symmetry remains unchanging; balance moves like fluid around obstacles. Growth is difficult when one focuses on maintaining symmetry. Balance has space to expand toward unknown horizons— to explore an un-bordered edge.
Artist: Alexandr Ukolov
Author: Sophie Nusslé
Designer: Karen Mahoney
I said, “Give me a card for my friend K.G.”
The deck gave me this fat nine of cups— the foundation of pleasure— the wish card.
Interpretation:
(Paraphrased from the companion book into a blessing for K.G.)
May all your wishes come true!
May many things you never wished for, too, come true!
Let these things fill you with contentment.
May you enjoy your sensuality in pleasures found and pleasures shared.
May your desires be fulfilled. May you love both gifting and receiving.
May your heart be fully opened into a solid foundation for your emotions.
May you find joy everywhere, and in the simplest of things.
(I love you & wish you always the best.)
Aritist: Jessica Rose Shanahan
Strong stance: challenge • competition • perseverance
Seven of Sticks indicates a struggle after initial satisfaction. The struggle is about maintaining a position at the top while others compete for the same success and status. Competition is rife. Challenging obstacles that appear to block the path forward can be overcome with effort and clarity of purpose.
Those with public acclaim must expect competition and challenge. The Seven of Sticks does not win everyone over, but takes a stand to hold its ground with determination and courage. This requires self-confidence, strength and determination. There will always be opposition. This is not a card about compromise or negotiation.
Weak stance: giving up • overwhelmed • overly defensive
The reversed Seven of Sticks is overwhelmed by challenge, responsibility, and a multitude of commitments. It is at risk of falling behind and being caught unprepared. Focus on one or two things and be confident in the ability to do them well. Constantly comparing one’s self to others or feeling one is constantly being judged and criticized is exhausting and inevitably leaves one with a sense of inadequacy.
Sometimes, the reversed Seven of Sticks tries to avoid conflict wherever possible, backing down too easily. In this case, being accepted and liked by others is more important than fighting for one’s beliefs. It is time to let go of struggle and move on. Of course, there is the opposite extreme, when the reversed Seven of Sticks becomes overly aggressive about protecting its turf to the detriment of personal relationships. There needs to be balance.
Artist: Giordano Berti
This is a 22-card art deck produced by Lo Scarebo in 1991 as part of their “Tarocchi d’Arte” series. It was later made into a 78-card deck called “Tarot of the Druids.”
OisĂn was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland. His name means “young deer” or fawn, because his mother was a woman turned into a deer by a druid. When a hunter (his father) caught her but did not kill her, she regained her human form. As soon as the woman was pregnant with OisĂn, the druid turned her back into a deer and she returned to the wild. Seven years or many years after OisĂn was born, father and son were reunited. OisĂn’s mother apparently spent the rest of her life as a deer.
In OisĂn’s most famous adventure, he is visited by a fairy woman who announces she loves him and takes him away to “the land of the young.” The have two children in what seems to be three years, then OisĂn decides to return to Ireland. In truth, 300 years have passed. there. The fairy woman gives him a white horse and warns him not to dismount, because if his feet touch the ground the years will catch up with him and he will become old and withered. OisĂn returns home and finds everything he remembers abandoned and in disrepair. Later, while trying to help some men lift a stone onto a wagon, his girth breaks and he falls to the ground, becoming an old man. The horse returns to fairy land.
I am not certain what this card has to do with the moon, other than I pulled it from the deck at 2:30 in the morning when I could not sleep due to an earache. Although this deck is useful for a random exploration into Celtic mythology and has cute pictures, it is not useful in my endeavor to learn more about reading tarot. I will no longer use it for the purposes of this blog.
Artist: Giovanni Vacchetta
After I finished the last illustration for my Tarot of the Absurd a few weeks ago, I started contemplating publishing options. I would really like to find a publishing company to help produce it well and help market it. I am interested in fine quality cards that will stand the test of time. Eventually there will be a book to go with it.
There is a print-on-demand game site on line called The Game Crafter, where people who like to make up games can find all sorts of game parts and design a game and have it printed for themselves and others to purchase and play. A few people have made tarot decks on poker-size cards. The site just started offering larger-size cards for tarot. In order to check out the quality and pricing, I re-produced an old historic deck originally illustrated in black & white by Giovanni Vacchetta in 1893. It has been in-&-out of print since then. I produced a sepia-toned copy with words in English. It is perfect for hand-coloring, should you be so inclined, and available for purchase here: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/giovanni-vacchetta-tarot
“What should I do about publishing my own deck?” I asked my new-old Giovanni Vacchetta tarot, and drew Temperance.
Favored: Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning
Opposed: Imbalance, excess, lack of long-term vision
Temperance is about moderation and self-restraint. Balance, patience, and avoiding extremes— especially important in situations of stress or anxiety— all lead to a sense of calm and a place of peace. Walking the middle road— the way of tranquility— leads to an even temperament and a fulfilling life.
Temperance has a clear, long-term vision of what needs to be achieved. Refusing to rush along, Temperance takes its time to learn along the way. The way is peaceful, guided by an inner voice which cannot be heard amongst chaos.
Temperance works in harmony with others, combining forces in a beautiful synergy of talents, experiences, abilities and skills. Always needed during periods of transition, Temperance asks for patience to act with good timing and precision. Change is essential for learning and accomplishing anything. Temperance lets us know there is nothing to fear.
Temperance tells me: “Stick to your focus. Take time to work hard. You have spent 13 years illustrating your tarot deck. Do not rush into printing it without thorough research. Everything will come together beautifully in the end.”
Illustrators & Authors: Karen Mahony & Alexandr Ukolov
Well-tempered:
The Queen of Swords is a stern, impartial judge, sometimes seemingly devoid of emotion. Her immense amount of book learning is balanced by a life tempered with sadness and loss. This gives her strength, determination, and detachment. She is highly perceptive and honest, with a quick, dry wit. The blade of her rule cuts through gossip and sentimentality to get straight to the point. It is best not try to trick or deceive her.
Ill-tempered:
On a bad day, the Queen of Swords comes across as a cold-hearted, bitter, bitchy misanthrope. In her honest quest to get to the bottom of an issue, she puts a lot of people off and loses support. Her emotional self-isolation may make her seem narrow-minded, intolerant, and mean. Perhaps it would do her good to open her heart just a tad.
Today, this Queen tells me I need to pay attention to how I take care of myself: “When you are tired, sleep! Eat less sugar and more vegetables! Do your baby-positioning exercises! Don’t spend so much time on the damned internet!”
