February 2010 Archives
Albano-Waite: The Sun
XIX The Sun
The Sun is one of the most favorable cards in the tarot. The child represents innocence and joy, but the addition of the wall (security) means protected innocence, unlike the innocence of The Fool who usually depicted as a young man about to step off a cliff. The sunflowers imply abundance, as well as hope for a bright future.
In Tarot for Writers, Corrinne Kenner states that “the white horse is a hero’s mount. Horses represent mobility, partnership and social status”. (Horses also represent freedom of movement.) In a story, this card could represent “a child, a farmer, a horseman, a musician or a poet”.
If this card comes up as an answer to a question, assume an emphatic “Yes”.
Lyndi
Art Nouveau Knight of Swords
Knight of Swords, Art Nouveau deck
This knight appears to be a dashing fellow, riding courageously to the rescue or impetuously into danger.
The LWB says that Swords represent “fight and both physical and spiritual sufferance”. If you’re using this card as a significator*, it embodies “an able and courageous man, with a passionate, irascible and insolent nature”. (Typically, a Knight is used to represent a young man and a King for an older man.)
This is all well and good, but what if the card turns up in a spot where a type of person isn’t the answer?
I turned to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tarot Spreads to see what it says.
Swords “represent thoughts and ideas” and the element of air. They indicate “how we face obstacles and make decisions”.
The Knight of Swords in a reading “indicates the need to act quickly” or to make a quick decision. It makes sense; knights represent action and swords air, i.e. thoughts, so the two combined means quick thinking.
Lyndi
* A significator is a card chosen to represent either the subject of a reading, or if you’re a writer, could represent one of the characters in your book. I like this article on Significators at The Lotus Pond.
L.
Sensual Wicca: Hanged Man
Hanged Man, Sensual Wicca Tarot
This is my newest deck, and I think this photo is better than previous ones. (I actually looked at the cameral manual to figure out how to take extreme close-ups. What a concept!)
The Sensual Wicca Tarot: A Wiccan vision of the world of sexuality from Lo Scarabeo lives up to its name with some very sensual and sexual images. It differs from traditional decks in avoiding obvious Judeo-Christian images and titles for the cards. In this deck, Queens become Mothers, Kings are Sages, Knights are Acolytes and Pages are Maidens. The images in the cards represent folk magic practitioners from around the world: Europe, Africa, the Americas, etc.
The Hanged Man is traditionally shown suspended upside down by his feet, tied to the tree by a rope. In this deck, he is suspended by locking his feet over the branch, implying that this is, perhaps, self-bondage. The LWB says:
Sacrifice, dedication, a new perspective, seeing things from a different point of view.
In Tarot for Your Self, Mary Greer interprets this card as meaning “suspended action. A time of stagnation and frustration” and I can certainly relate to that. I’ve been in a long period of low writing productivity. I hope exploring the world of the tarot will help to fill my creative well. How can I not be inspired by such wonderful images?
Lyndi
Lotus Circle Tarot: 7 of Wands
I was introduced to this deck at the 2007 Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Houston. Marilyn Campbell, who designed the deck and wrote the companion interpretive book, gave a workshop of Psychic Fiction. In the workshop, she read one or more cards for everyone present. The 7 of Wands was one of the cards I drew. I remember because she looked right at me and said, it doesn’t come faster if you push the button every five seconds. Or words to that effect. I laughed, but she was right on. I’m an Aries and I can be quite impatient at times.
Seven of Wands
In this card, a businesswoman stands waiting for an elevator. The companion book, Tarot of the Lotus Circle by Marilyn Campbell, Jasmine-Jade Enterprises, 2007, says:
Blockages; Minor Obstacles; Solvable Puzzles; Business negotiations are in order; Taking a stand. The change required at the moment is in your attitude.
If you draw this card when you’re looking for a yes or no answer to a query, the answer is clearly No.
This is a lovely deck, very contemporary, with a strong feminist feel. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of print at the moment, though a few are available through Amazon’s affiliates.
Lyndi
