Saturday, September 1, 2007

THE DEVIL (XV)

This was a devilishly (sorry, but the pun is apt :-D) difficult card to design. Both the drawing and tanka went through not only many minor revisions, but each had a couple major total do-overs, in which I took an entirely different tack. Maybe XV is too "close to home." It's astrology sign is usually Capricorn, which is mine, too. :-)

As with all but two of the previous designs, The Devil card was dream-influenced. I'd just finished a lengthy dream journaling session which had ultimately explored issues of psychological projection. How many of the demons and even sometimes angels we see in others, are our own inner qualities projected on them, masking who they really are and also masking ourselves in that process. I then thought "The Devil card!" Here's the design that thought finally brought me to:



And here's The Devil in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck for comparison:



The Devil's hebrew letter is often "ayin," which means "eye" in noun form. That has always puzzled me a little. No matter the various esoteric explanations of it I'd read, they were not satisfying. But on associating XV to issues around psychological projection I finally find a more satisfactory take on ayin. We need to really, fully open our eyes, to ourselves and others, and not just accept the disowned aspects of ourselves we paste on to each other. No matter The Devil's hand gesture says "All you see is all there is," we need to see this is not true.

One of the positions The Devil can hold in our lives is as a tough spiritual teacher, a Guardian at The Gate, who will not let us go further in our development until we are ready. And, in this capacity, I see XV confronting us with our projections. Those demons and angels we attribute to others that are really our own. Those projections that chain us in fear and stunt our growth. In the RWS version above the chains around the necks of the two figures can be seen to be very loose. Just as with projections, the figures' own willingness to fully open their eyes and see, can free them.

As a simple letter in the hebraic alphabet ayin refers to mirth, and that I have always gotten from the first time I read it. I.e, a healthy sense of humor about the misperceptions and incongruities in life are necessary to our well-being and growth. We also especially need to be able to laugh at ourselves, a lot and heartily; not to take ourselves so seriously.

BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THE TAIGA TAROT (Click here for additional background on the Taiga Tarot.):

Please note: This deck is not necessarily being designed for use in divination, but rather to share taiga based on each of 78 Tarot cards.

When I decided the name of the deck would be The Taiga Tarot, I liked not only the alliteration but the resemblance of the word “taiga” to “tiger.” One of my power animals is the Siberian Tiger (and by extension, all tigers), which first appeared as three tiger kittens in a dream. What I had completely forgotten at the time was that the area of Siberia in which the tiger ranges is called “The Taiga”!

A “taiga” (briefly put) is an illustrated tanka. A “tanka” is a mood poem written in five lines, that usually references natural images and human emotions. Also, there is often a contrast or conclusion or response in the last two lines to the first three. I recognize that the tanka/taiga I’m developing for The Taiga Tarot are non-traditional. As with the dreamku I write (haiku-like poems about dreams), I am not only attempting to bridge two things – Tarot and taiga – but also bringing my own experimental slant to it all.



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‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila

[aka: Patricia Kelly]

****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Tarot Gallery & Journal and Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm.****

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

THE KNIGHT OF WANDS

Just short of 25 years ago, I was considering offering my first Tarot classes at the urging of others. I was hesitant to do so as I was not sure I knew enough about Tarot. One night on going to sleep I asked my dreams for help with this decision. In a dream that night I "heard" a voice that I instantly trusted clearly say "You will be taught by teaching." Well, there it was. I began to plan the series of classes the next day. And I learned a great deal (and not only about Tarot) in the preparation and in the actual teaching.

How does this all relate to the Knight of Wands? In the wee hours of this morning I was awake and began muzzily going over in my mind each of the Ace through King of Wands in The Voyager Tarot (like counting sheep, in a way :-D) that I had just finished a two week meditation on. For some reason I settled on the Sage, which could be corresponded to the Knight of Wands. I then realized how the Knight of Wands, especially in The Thoth Tarot, has always for me been a highly energized card, blessed (or fraught, as the case may be) with all sorts of personal associations, in addition to it's usual meanings. To make a long story shorter, I realized it should be my next Taiga Tarot design. It was when I thought this that I recalled the above 25 year old dream. I'd never associated that dream to the Knight of Wands before. But decided to go with it, grabbed my dream notepad and began working on the tanka and drawing. The Knight of Wands below was completely sketched and the tanka written before I finally went back to sleep.



And here's The Knight of Wands in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck for comparison:



This Knight is sometimes said to be very generous. And although I've not specifically associated him with teaching, Wands are about communicating so it fits. (I've probably said several times in these blogs of mine that a Tarot buddy and I had an expression about what we'd see in the cards: "If a meaning doesn't fit, we'll make it fit." LOL!) Wands, in my understanding, are also somewhat closer to Spirit (very generally speaking) than the other suits. So this teaching can be more on an intuitive and spiritual level than the more worldly.

By the way, I think my sleepy mind tossed that dream quote up as it is as applicable now in my life as it was back then. It is, in a way, very reassuring to be told I can learn what is needful along the way. That I don't have to "know it all" before doing anything, as I'm on the verge of going along some pretty big and new roads.

BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THE TAIGA TAROT (Click here for additional background on the Taiga Tarot.):

Please note: This deck is not necessarily being designed for use in divination, but rather to share taiga based on each of 78 Tarot cards.

When I decided the name of the deck would be The Taiga Tarot, I liked not only the alliteration but the resemblance of the word “taiga” to “tiger.” One of my power animals is the Siberian Tiger (and by extension, all tigers), which first appeared as three tiger kittens in a dream. What I had completely forgotten at the time was that the area of Siberia in which the tiger ranges is called “The Taiga”!

A “taiga” (briefly put) is an illustrated tanka. A “tanka” is a mood poem written in five lines, that usually references natural images and human emotions. Also, there is often a contrast or conclusion or response in the last two lines to the first three. I recognize that the tanka/taiga I’m developing for The Taiga Tarot are non-traditional. As with the dreamku I write (haiku-like poems about dreams), I am not only attempting to bridge two things – Tarot and taiga – but also bringing my own experimental slant to it all.


* * * *

‘til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila

[aka: Patricia Kelly]

****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Tarot Gallery & Journal and Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm.****