Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Ace of Coins — Dragon Tarot

Peter PracownikArtist: Peter Pracownik
Designer: Terry Donaldson

 

“Tell me something about work,” I said, and drew the Ace of Coins.

 

“Work,” replied the Ace, “will entail many things you have never done before. Do not limit yourself to the work of mothering, although that is important. Be sure to notice opportunities that come along. Do not be too content and too lazy to take them. Although it may be frightening and difficult to get over the initial inertia, the work of putting yourself out there will be much more rewarding than the comfort of remaining safe.”

 

Positive Meanings:

 

The Ace of Coins is a positive, prosperous-feeling card that heralds a feeling of being blessed with abundance in all areas of life, in both giving and receiving. On one hand, it may point toward a new business venture or investment; on the other, it could point toward a more holistic, earthy sort of wealth.

 

The Ace of Coins is representative of new beginnings, fresh energy, and inspiration. If one realizes available opportunities, the Ace of Coins is the beginning of a plan that leads to the manifestation of goals which may eventually generate income.

 

Negative Meanings:

 

The Ace of Coins reversed is not a good financial opportunity. There is a significant risk of failure due to lack of planning and foresight. One must be very careful about what can and cannot be afforded. Numerous impediments delay the achievement of (possibly unrealistic) goals. Do not rush into business blindly.

 

Ace of Coins reversed may point toward corruption, greed and theft. Others may be exploited in a blind quest for personal betterment. Financial accumulation and wealth becomes obsessive at the expense of other areas of life.

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Three of Swords — Fantasy Showcase Tarot

Jim OdbertArtist: Jim Odbert

 

From the LWB*:

Meaning: Sorrow; strife in love.

Reversed: Disarray in love affairs; caution against loss.

 

Again, the same card two days in a row. I said, “Tell me something about printing my tarot deck.” I am really looking for advice. I got a few estimates. I have to decide how many decks I want to print, what size the deck should be, how to package it, and (especially) how much money I want to spend up front. I’m beginning to settle on a limited edition of 500 signed and numbered copies. I would kinda like to package them in a folio-type cover, tied closed by ribbon, designed & stamped. It would take a while to make those folio covers, tho. The printing company I’m thinking of going with doesn’t seem to make card boxes, but they have a reputation for very good card quality and they do small runs. I’m horrible at marketing.

 

So anyhow, I drew the Three of Swords reversed which, according to this little white book, can mean “caution against loss.” I can’t think of what that might refer to other than loss of money. I’m really pretty paranoid about losing money in this endeavor. I’ve already spent so much time drawing the pictures. I mean, I guess it just might not get as spectacular reception as I’ve hoped. That would feel like a loss. Or sorrow. What about sorrow is not loss or loss is not sorrow? I do hope for a lot in terms of what others think of my work, but there are so many people and so many opinions. Like color? Not this deck! “Traditional” tarot symbolism? Not much here! Conformity? Forget it! But if you want some new ideas, a new way of looking at things, I have a story to tell in rich black and voluptuous curves and eventually, some day, words.

 

Anyone out there who wants to tell me what they really like in a deck and how it is packaged is more than welcome to (please) let me know!

 

*Little White Book of Possibly Arbitrary Meanings

 

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

Three of Guns — PoMo Tarot

Brian WilliamsArtist & Author: Brian Williams

 

My younger sister is visiting. Not wanting to wake her with my early-morning kitchen antics, I put the sprouted rye berries in the pot with the 10-hour home-cooked all organic beef broth and did NOT set the timer, despite the fact that I forget everything except my bladder if I do not set a timer for it these days. “I won’t forget this time,” I said to myself. I sat down at the computer and forgot immediately. Soon enough, the smoke alarm went off. It is a bit louder than the kitchen timer, to say the least, and now the house is full of smoke. The worst part is that I ruined the most delightful broth on the planet! Oh! Such love went into that broth—

 

Will I be doomed to setting timers for everything for the rest of my life? I drew a card from my “new” Brian Williams PoMo Tarot Deck for my forgetfulness. Three of Guns.

 

From the book:

MEANING:
Threat, scare, alarm, disquiet. To catch a wolf by the ears, an eel by the tail. To suffer indignities, to eat crow, avaler des coulevres, to swallow adders. Ir por lana y volver trasquilado, to go for wool and return shorn, spare the rod spoil the child. Qui amie bien châtie bien, who loves well chastises well.

REVERSED:
Conditioned aversion; once burned, twice shy; and repression, forgetting all about that hot stove. Dare in guardia la lattuga ai paperi, to trust the lettuce to the geese, raccomandare il lardo alla gatta, the lard to the cat.

 

The deck tells me: “It is better to wake your sister than to burn the house down out of politeness.” There is nothing wrong with setting timers for everything the rest of my life— as long as I remember to set the timer.

 

I love Brian Williams, may he rest in peace.

Monday, March 12th, 2012

The Tower — Tarot of the Absurd

Jessica Rose ShanahanArtist: Jessica Rose Shanahan

 

TOWER OF BA’BEL
Entropy: this, too, shall crumble.

 

More words on the subject, from Genesis:
11:1 Now the whole earth had one language and few words.

 

Some called it the First Golden Age of Communication. Others called it Grunt-Grunt language.

 

11:4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”

 

Or, perhaps they said, “Grunt, grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt, grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt, grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt, grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt.”

 

And with plenty grunting, much hard work commenced. They started building a tower with bricks of baked clay and mortar of bitumen-tar. Thus began Man’s first attempt at global unity. The tower would be visible from far and wide. Lest Man become scattered, there would always be a beacon to call home.
But the Lord got wind of this. He came down to see the city and the tower.

 

11:6-7 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

 

Yes, God saw that when all Men work as one, there is nothing We cannot do. Was God intimidated by such a show of humane cooperation? He gathered His cronies and set out to cause confusion in order to limit Man’s powers. This was called “The Divine Department of Misinformation.”

 

11:8-9 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Ba’bel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

 

One way of viewing this is: Because God interrupted Man’s initial goal of unity with such forceful intent, world peace can never be attained.

 

Another way of viewing this is: Any power that attempts global domination and dominion is due to be remembered in history books for two things: (1) its construction and (2) its collapse.

 

The city’s name, by the way, was NOT Balal, meaning “to confuse,” but Bab-El, meaning “gate of God.” A third way of viewing this is: The gate of God crumbled, thereby proving that there is no great God, for any great God would have shown support for such greatness on the part of Man.

 

Possibilities will be argued until judgment day without resolve. But let it be known that no ill-will on the part of humanity is mentioned in the Bible. Sometimes, even the best intentions are doomed to failure.

 

But, O! Do not let memory of Bab-El preclude commencement of the plan. Work together. Communicate. Perhaps God wants us to show our dedication to Him through our actions and cooperations with one another.

 

God well noted, “this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” God did not say, “If they are successful at building the tower, it proves that nothing is impossible for them.” No. He placed no such limitations of Man’s ability. He confused the language so that we may not understand one another’s speech. This makes things quite difficult, yes. Persevere. If you are to believe in God, remember what God said first: “…nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.”

 

If you do not believe in God, remember the laws of entropy. The universe is a box of marbles. By nature, life forms organized patterns. By nature, structure crumbles.

Sunday, March 11th, 2012

Seven of Wands — Tarot Piatnik Wien

Rudolph PointnerArtist: 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.

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Hierophant — TaRat (The Rat Tarot)

Nakisha VanderHoevenArtist: 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.

 

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Three of Coins — Bruegel Tarot

“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.

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Three of Coins — Ship of Fools Tarot

Brian WilliamsArtist & 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!

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

Two of Wands — Vertigo Tarot

Dave McKeanIllustrator: 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.

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

Nine of Cups — The Fantastic Menagerie Tarot

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.)