Sunday, May 6, 2012

JUDGMENT (XX)

As usual it was a dream that precipitated this new Taiga Tarot card design:


On Apil 26, 2012 I dreamed I was in my old neighborhood back in New York city. I'd heard a new company had jobs available and I thought I should probably apply. I stood before their front door just as a train rumbled by above on the elevated train tracks. I decided to go to lunch instead. As I thought about this dream I associated that rumbling from above to the trumpeting on the more traditional Judgment (XX) card. Here it is in the Rider/ Waite/ Smith deck:


It seemed I was being "called" to something more nourishing (food) than another job, another door to open. Since this "door" was in the past (an old neighborhood) this led me to something I've been nibbling at the edges of for some time. Renewal may not be not predicated on every last issue in one's past being completed and learned from, but on a certain -- shall I say -- critical mass of that sort of inner work. I've certainly been yearning for a renewal, and feeling discouraged and oft times exhausted emotionally. So I began to wonder if this dream was saying to listen, rewewal may be already calling. At that point I realized I was also beginning to work on XX in The Taiga Tarot.

With respect to this project, I did a bit of prioritizing a few nights ago using The Tarot. I have many, many different projects, some creative, some pragmatic and was wondering which needed addressing sooner rather than later. The Taiga Tarot came up as of the highest priority (which was quite a surprise). It was also clear that although I cannot rush The Taiga Tarot, I can take the time when I feel those little nudgings and urgings to make notes and sketches. No matter how many other projects are awaiting my attention.

Following along with the message from The Tarot that The Taiga Tarot is a high priority in my life, I should mention that I've now also got a design for The Nine of Wands percolating. It should be up in a day or two.

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,





**** [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; Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm; Opening to the Light (for digital pix only); and DREAMJIN: for Haiku-Like Dream Poems, a Yahoo group.****