Lesson 3 - Assignment [Archive] - MysticWicks Online Pagan Community and Spiritual Sanctuary

celticfire

January 11th, 2005, 10:41 PM

For me, I prefer to lay my cards out under the full moon each month to cleanse them. If the weather is not right (too windy, rainy, cloudy, etc) to do this directly upon the sand (I live in a very sandy area, but not at the beach), then I will typically meditate with them spread out around me on the night of the full moon. Once cleansed, they are placed in a silk bag that has three thistle's stitched into it in green and purple. To me, this offers extra protection to my cards. I usually keep the cards lying on my desk in the living room, because here it is surrounded by my presence, as well as that of my family which is all important to me. I also believe that they offer a sense of protection to this room just by being placed here.

The types of symbolism that are used in the cards is subtle. The cards themselves are made to look ancient, worn even...as if used and revered for their purpose. The backs of the cards have celtic knotwork and animals woven into their designs. Intricate. Delicate. The colors are light, but the lines have such definition. The pictures of the cards themselves are done with alot of celtic design, artwork, and knotwork where it can be placed. The characters/figures/images of people are what I would expect to find wandering in a medieval castle. The men are made to appear like warriors and the women, although feminine, do not appear weak, timid, or powerless. All of the women appear physicall and mentally strong...as if to say 'I have a secret, one that you cannot know'. Also the characters/figures appear intelligent. Their eyes seem 'all-knowing'. But these are only a few of the things I see as having symbolism in the cards.

There is also a representation in almost every card of the four elements. In the card Queen of Swords, the Queen is sitting on her throne, which is adorned with knotwork and on the arms are carvevd some type of bird, each. It is red and orange in color and reminds me of fire. The birds though remind me of air, even though they are not shown in flight. There is an archway made of stone behind her. To me, this is a representation of earth. She is holding a sword in her left hand and she wears gold and jewels on her brow, neck, forearms, and wrists. The gown she wears is blue, fitted but flowing, all at once. This reminds me of being submerged in the water...it is all encompassing, yet flows all around me as well, not restricting or hindering my body. So in this, I see all elements represented.

Again, in the Ace of Pentacles I see all elements represented. The solitary pentacle sits on a stone pedestal, in a window seal and appears to be made of a golden material, with what appears a golden halo as if the sun is rising behind it to illuminate it. There are vines growing inside the windowsill, but they do not overwhelm it. There is also blue sky above the halo of the sunrise, and I see this shading as a reflection of the water upon the earth. Carved in the window pedestal are a myriad of spirals, which i see as the winds blowing upon the land. Again, to me, all elements are represented.

And maybe this is something only important to me, personally, this need to find all the elements within something. But it offers me comfort and strength knowing they are present and seem procteting without having to be called upon.

Upon shuffling the cards, I pulled the Four of Wands. In the card are present four men, each holding a staff (their 'wand') sitting around a large wooden, square table. They appear in thought and discussion. On the table is a large book, and one man has his hand placed on the top page that is open. There is an ink quill and ink on the table also. It seems they are discussing or negotiating. And maybe the paper is some sort of record of achievement or record of compromise of the discussion(s). They appear to all be working together to achieve a particular goal or end. One other point is again that all four elements are represented (the four men are wearing robes: one is blue, another red, one green and the last is somewhat a rainbow of colors (orange, red, green, purple, peach, and decorated with spirals). The next step to success, that's the first thought that comes to mind with this card, for me.

bb

Amethyst Rose

January 12th, 2005, 01:09 AM

Great! Thank you! I like how you interpret the elements in your cards... It sounds to me like colors are very important symbolism in your deck, as well. :)

Valkie

January 12th, 2005, 01:28 PM

There is no research involved in this assignment, so I won't be grading... this is to give others a chance to catch up, and to make sure we're all on the same page.

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. :)
:woot: NO RESEARCH!!! sorry, had to get that out :D

As of right now, my cards are stored in thier original box. They feel at home there. But, alas, the box is starting to get tattered and worn out... I don't know how much longer they are going to like thier current home. Once the box dies, I have a wooden box that I plan on moving them to.

As far as cleansing goes, I do it whenever they decide not to read right. I'll seperate them into 5 piles, (cups, coins, swords, wands, and Major) and then take each cars seperately and give them a psycic brush down. I also do a full cleansing twice a year, one on Halloween and one on my birthday in which I set them in the window in the moonlight overnight.

The Dragon Deck uses so many different symbols, I'm not quite sure what to put in... Most of the symbolism stays within the Major arcana. Color is a big one, but it seems to be more than that... am I making any sense at all?

Let me regress. All of the Minor arcana keep the same color theme through out the suits. Coins have green as the dominate color, symoblizing growth and prosparity. Cups have blue to symbolize intuition and feelings. Wands have red and orange to symbolize action. Swords have blue and white to symbolize thought.

The Major arcana uses the color combinations, but it puts the color into actual symbols to give a more concrete meaning. A lot of these symbols can be found in the minor arcana too, but it's the placement in the major arcana that gives clues to the meanings in the minor. Cards that deal with unknown future, or an unknown psycic force have a black sky with white stars. Known possibilities are shown as a blue sky with white stars. New thoughts are symbolized by white bubbles. A sudden change or sudden realization is shown by lightening. Growth in love is shown as red flowers, while growth in a more mundane way is shown by red mushrooms.

There is also a mix of modern and traditional symbolism. Examples include the Fool, who has the four suits of playing cards above his head and is shown with dice, and Death who has an egg in the lower corner, showing the possibility for rebirth.

All of the major arcana have their astrological symbols on the bottom of the cards, and others go further by incorperating the glyphs into the picture. The Emporor has the Aries glyph at the bottom, but the Sun glyph on his throne as a reminder that the energy of this card is not only male and active, but about the individual and personality. The Sun and Wheel of Fortune both have the entire zodiac showing that those cards relate to everything in the person's life. And the World has just the fixed signs, reminding that this card is about stability.

Animals are used. Smaller lizards to show oppostions and strife. Smaller dragons can ean birth, new beginings, or control, depending on the card. Crabs to remind that the card is emotionally based. Lions to show strength. Parts from an animal... or rather products from animals are used too. Feathers, spider webs, eggs, and bones.

For the third part. After shuffling, I pulled the Page of Wands. The picture is of a single red dragon flying up, above a torch. The dragon has white highlights and facing the right. Below him is a desert (most of the wands have a desert backdrop). There are 3 piramids clustered on the left behind the dunes and 3 palm trees infront of the dunes, two on the right and one on the left. In the forground, there is grass under the torch and to the right of the torch, is an open book with a feather quill. The book has runes in it (don't know runes, so I can't help you there) and a trinity knot. The sky is red with black and a sun is on the left. Above the dragon, is a triangle.

I get the feeling of a new message, or new information with this card. The book on the right containing information, the use of white in the dragon, and the white quill all show me that this card has a mental flavor to it. With the majority of the vegitation being on the right, and the dragon looking to the right show that it is about growth to the future. The piramids and sun on the left remind that stability and sense of self is still ancored in the past, but don't interfer with the new direction. Though the future is still unknown (black in the sky) the dragon isn't balking at the idea.

Amethyst Rose

January 12th, 2005, 02:39 PM

Excellent answer with the symbolism of your cards. I'm glad you recognized all of it! Good reading of the card, too, thanks!

Bix

January 12th, 2005, 03:21 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all. I'm just going to store them in the original box they came in. I'm working on crocheting a bag for them but it's taking a while due to the fact that I keep messing up. :whatmewor For cleansing I'm thinking about just putting a bit of salt around the cards to pull out negativity. Or, if I can find an inconspicuous place, putting the cards in the sunlight and moonlight for a day to charge them and banish the negativity that way.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards. Astrology signs, archetypal symbols, elemental, religious,

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me. Four of Coins in the Dragon Tarot deck - A green dragon is on the ground in a clearing in the woods either staring at the trees behind it or up at the sky. From the horizon in the background the sky is dark so it appears to be night time. The trees have no leaves and are black, maybe they're dead?

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. The dragon in the card seems a bit confused and lost. It looks like it's trying to find a way out of the mess it got itself into. Most of the other dragons in the deck are flying and above ground, so maybe this card represents you came into a hard time and are just trying to figure a way out of it.

LadyAutumnCat

January 13th, 2005, 11:05 AM

There is no research involved in this assignment, so I won't be grading... this is to give others a chance to catch up, and to make sure we're all on the same page.

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. :)

1. I believe in cleansing my cards by the full moon. Because the weather is currently not conducive to leaving cards outdoors, I will rest them on my windowsill. I still have them in their original packaging, which is a bit worn, so it is time for me to find some sort of satchel for it. I haven't found THE ONE yet, because I believe that I need something very mystical in dark deep blue, with a celestial undertones to it. When summer returns, I intend on dressing the satchel with herbs to infuse the cards with the strength of the Earth and with the love that I have given the herbs I grow.

2a. I'll start off with the back of the cards. The back depicts two striped cats of multi colors, greens, blues, and yellows, bottom to bottom. They are each within an aura of beige, brown, and taupe as if cradling them in protective energies and light. The cats stare straight ahead, imploring you to focus on their strengths and messages.

The major arcana in this deck depicts cats as not only companions, but also as protectors. Cats symbolize the power within man if they choose to accept it. They are the teachers. Man can learn from their aloofness, indifference, calmness, yogic ways, as well as their lack of need to look back. However, man can also learn from their fierceness, intelligence, strength, and slyness.

The colors are dark in the major arcana with many cards set in the night time, with the full moon in the back ground, representing renewal as well as the nocturnal nature of cats. There is a repeated usage of glowing eyes in these cards, as if representing the cat's ability to see so well even in the night, or when times appear so dark and difficult. Essentially, the cat's represent the emotions of man and man represents the emotions of the cats, they are a conglomeration, infused as one.

I'm going to break down the minor arcana into each particular suite starting with the swords - the back ground color on each card is sand or black. The cards are set in a desert like world where the warriors are fierce and powerful. Cats are the guardians as well as companions in battle and sentinels leading to new visions and quests. The represent the strenght of the warriors and even lead the warriors into battle and the direction they must approach.

The cups - the background color in this suite is beigish with some green and gray undertones. The cats are companions in wealth or poverty, however in many cards they are able to teach the people to look beyond the immediate surroundings, or overturned cups that signify loss or emptiness, and to move forward instead.

The wands - deep green and jewel green undertones - the cats, like the wands light the way or lead the way to the appropriate pathway in life. They glow in the light, bringing the truth, or illuminating the problem.

The pentacles - orangey blue undertones - the cats here seem to be more in spiritual balance with the humans. They are sharing experiences and admiring one another, they are partners, companions, and revere one another. I sense home and balance in the suite.

2b. The Two of Cups - This card has a beigish green background, more beige, almost gold. There are two people a man and a woman facing one another with cups in hand, cup to cup. They are looking at each other and sharing an experience. They are wearing long bronzish/gold dresses/robes with belts and necklaces. Above them is the face of a cat with rays around it, as if it was the sun. The cat looks straight ahead. The couple is bathed in the cat's light.

2c. I think this card represents a shared experience, and exchange, perhaps the closeness of love. The cups symbolize a joining of the two, a sharing of the future. The cat brings hope and light into their relationship and lives. They are intertwined, forever linked to one another.

Amethyst Rose

January 13th, 2005, 12:09 PM

Great job, Bix and LadyAutumnCat! I love hearing the discriptions of your cards, and your interpretation of the card....

Everyone's doing a great job so far, I'm thrill that it's working out for you! :)

linaXgrazzada

January 13th, 2005, 02:43 PM

my parents fully do not support my choices in life and unofrtumately i still live with them. They are of a religion that see's wicca as "the devil on earth". so i keep my tarot cards in secret. I keep them in a victoria's secret bag in a tote that sits on my book case. this tote also holds all my books on magick and my candles.
to cleanse my deck i simply hold them and focus on sending all of my good energy into them. i visualise it coming out of my fingertips and into the deck
part 2 will come soon
alli

Shana-chan

January 13th, 2005, 04:53 PM

Rainlily

January 13th, 2005, 06:13 PM

. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

I store my cards in a white satin bag which a freind made for me in Highschool. To cleanse my cards I plan on using the salt method, leaving them out under the full moon sounds nice but it's quite windy here, i'm afraid they would blow away.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
Religious symbolism is used very often but color symbolism is used as well and at times animal symbolism. I believe there may be plant symbolism as well as there are a lot of plants used in the cards but I really don't know enough about plant symbolism to say for sure.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
Ok I got the sun. A naked child is sitting on a grey horse, she looks happy. She holds a red flag in her left hand. behind her is a wall and there are sunflowers growing on top of the wall. The shy behind her is bright blue and there is a large and bright sun in the sky.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.
carefree and happy is what I am getting.

Rain Gnosis

January 13th, 2005, 07:38 PM

I store my cards in the original boxes, or in drawstring bags, depending on the deck. My Goddess tarot is in a velveteen bag, my moon garden tarot is in a leather bag, and I have the unicorn tarot, the ancient egyptian tarot, the quest tarot, and the osho zen tarot still in their original boxes. I do not cleanse them either, however I am the only person who touches them and prefer the feeling imparted when my energy has accumulated inthe deck.

The Quest tarot deck reveals many types of symbolism. For example, the borders of each card are coloured white, red, blue, yellow, or rainbow. White relates to air, swords, lungs, and breathing, blue relates to water and emotion, red relates to passion and wands. Yellow relates to commerce and earthly concerns, and rainbow contains all possibilities.

The minor arcana and major arcana each have gemstones relating to the card's meaning. The major arcana depicts Hebrew letters on each card. In the minor arcana, and only from card two to ten in each suit, I Ching hexagrams are shown. The minor arcana show an astrological sign and planet at top left, indicating a planet in a sign, where the major arcana cards depict planets that relate to the card's energy.

The deck also depicts various animals to suggest energies, along with flowers such as tulips. Here swords are associated with air and the intellect, while wands are related to fire and passion. Cups are related to water and emotions, and stones are associated with earth and material concerns.

The card I chose was 4 of cups, subtitled mixed emotions. As it is cups it relates to emotions, and it depicts four spinning cups -3 of which seem tarnished and old whereas the 4th is gold. The cups are floating above a lake, before a mountain range, and below a very cloudy, greyish sky. There are green stepping stones through the lake to the other side, where it appears as if there is a marsh at the base of the mountains. Most of the card is coloured in greys and browns, with only green and a touch of gold to liven it up.

The border colour is blue, again, suggesting emotions. The gemstones shown seem to be pearl and ruby, suggesting heirloom jewels to me. The astrological symbols show moon in cancer - moon and cancer being both a feminine, watery planet and sign to me, suggesting emotions and secrecy. The hexagram shown depicts open line, solid line, open line, open line, open line, solid line. I am not familiar enough with I Ching to determine what this means, however. :)

I feel this card suggests things are "in the air" and uncertain. Though the environment seems murky and grey, there is a path to be found. One can easily be distracted by the depressive aspects, or they can choose to focus on the positive aspects. The querent may be unsure, or confronted with something that they are worried about, but can see a silver lining to.
Everything seems so grey and boring, and the querent may be tempted to simply be immobilized by depression rather than stepping forward.

Amethyst Rose

January 13th, 2005, 07:48 PM

*clapping* Oh wonderful :) You guys are doing so great. :D

Shatril

January 13th, 2005, 10:44 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

I use sage smudge for the cleansing, and also after I use them I sort them into suits and arrange them numerically. I store them in a wonderful tapestry bag, that I made and lined with pure white cotton. I sewed beads on the back and the closure is a frog kind of flower thing.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

This is where I could and have written lots of words. I will link you to the tarot thing and I will insert my work on the Magician and Wheel of Fortune, as they contain much of the symbolism that is in the RWS deck. http://www.mysticwicks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=102 This is where the Tarot Studies are, and you can look up what I did relative to this.

The Magician Symbolism

OK, I want to start out by discussing the infinity/lemniscates, which in many writings on the subject also claims it represents a mobius strip, which would also represent infinity. This is a strip of paper that has only one side. See the web connection below for the definition and math behind the mobius strip. I'm not as happy with the idea that in this site it is represented by the recycle image rather than the classical infinity type image, but I didn't waste too much time looking for a different site that would give me what I wanted.

http://www.mobiusproductsandservices.com/tms.html

In some magical writings the mobius/infinity/lemniscates represent a passage into the realms of magic. This is clearly the meaning that this card conveys to me. This is the passage into the magic.

The symbology of the four suits is sometimes thought to represent the four precepts of wicca, magic and the witch's pyramid; i.e., Imagination, will of fire, rock hard faith and silence. Again completely related to the Magician image.

The Magician is also related to Thoth/Hermes, and as the Hermes image he is said to have invented mathmatics, numerology, alchemy and astrology. The image of the infinity screams science, math, and alchemy at me, along with the above symbology.

The wand is the symbol of Hermes the messanger but also relates to the caduceus, which is the wand of Mercury used to induce sleep or ward off slumber. This symbolizes both sides of power. In the mythology of Hermes one of his great sayings is "As above, so below" If you notice the Magician is gesturing with his right hand holding the wand pointing up, and pointing also with the left down. In most work of power the dominate hand is the ingress of power, thus, for most that is the right, and the right hand pointing up as the conduit from above, and flowing threw and out the left hand and below.

SNAKE BELT— The snake biting or swallowing its own tail is a powerful symbol of infinity, and also of universal nature, of completion, perfection and totality, the endless round of embodied existence, the union of the chthonic with the celestial. Parallels abound with infinity/lemniscates. This snake belt represents the birth in the rebirth cycle of the fools journey, and fits quite well with the other symbology of the card.

ROSES and LILIES-The symbolism between the rose and the lily is that a rose has five petals and a lily has six. These numbers represent the pentagram and hexagram, the microcosm and macrocosm, or for those more Qabalistically inclined, the Microprosopus and Macroprosopus.

In short "As above, so below"

X-The Wheel of Fortune Symbolism

Take a look at the letters and symbols in the outer wheel area... start with the "T" and read clockwise to the "A", then the "R", then the "O" and back to the "T". As you can see it spells TAROT, which to the Ancients signified that body of knowledge (within the 22 cards) that teaches us how to evolve spiritually. Now read the letters backward... start again with the "T" and read counterclockwise to the "O", then the "R" and finally the "A". It spells TORA... the word root of Torah, the Hebrew book of law, which contains the rules for proper spiritual evolution. There is still another word root built into this... start with the "R" and read clockwise to the "O", then the "T" and finally the "A". It spells ROTA which means "wheel" or ROTATION, which signifies that life moves round and round, lifetime after lifetime in its INVOLUTIONARY/EVOLUTIONARY spirals and cycles.

Another Interpretation of the Letters - on the wheel that spell TARO are an anagram which spell Tarot or Rota (wheel) or Orat (to speak) or Tora (the law). The completed sentence reads “The Wheel of the Tarot speaks the law of YHVH.
In between the TARO letter you find the tetragrammmaton Yod, Heh, Vav, and Heh. This is the Hebrew spelling (without vowels) of the name of God, YHVH, , or Yahweh.

The alchemical glyphs surrounding the wheel's core are for the compounds... Mercury (above); Sulfur (right); Salt (left); and below is the alchemical symbol of dissolution or Water. The Ancients wanted us to understand that all growth processes in life bear the qualities of these compounds. Sulfur creates form (birth); Salt preserves form (maturation); Mercury modifies or changes established form (transformation); and Water dissolves or disintegrates form (death). Alchemically these elements relate to separation an overview of processes; change; eternal return; reincarnation; bad or good luck; Fate.

TETRAMORPH
Again the four animals and the angel represent the cycles of life. Alchemically the represent the cycle of four see the website below for full details of the tetramorph.
The tetramorph described in Ezekiel 1:5 in the bible there are four living beings having the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of a bull and the face of an eagle, each being with four wings, and the hands of a man under the wings. The tetramorph also had wheels that "turned not when they went." In the tarot the tetramorph is broken down into its constituent parts, and wings have been given to each. This is the tetragram of the tetramoph. (see numerology below)

QUATERNITY
The sacred "fourness," which is the magical obsession. There are four very powerful things that all entities can do. They can:
1. Come into existence.
2. Know existence.
3. Change the nature of existence.
4. Cease to exist.
The secret of magic is nothing more nor less than the absolute understanding of the meaning of the four elements. The sorcerer calls them "Ritual, Invocation, Chaos and Contagion," the alchemist calls them Sulfur, Salt, Mercury and Azoth, the physicist calls them Time, Space, Matter and Energy. But whatever we call the terms, every reality is divided into the same four parts.

Numbers
Certainly the number 4 is significant to this case, as we see the tetramorph, the 4 elements, the four animals, the four directions, the 4 Hebrew letters of the name of G_d, and the 4 letters that represent the 4 letter words, taro, rota, orat, tora. One cannot overlook this theme when analyzing this card. Number 4 as used in this card we see the ordering of life. It represents the cycles of life.
The number of the card is 10, which brings us back to 1. The energies of a 1 are aggressive, active, seeking mastery over all things. It indicates that the exercise of will to direct the future of his/her life.

Sphinx ask riddles
"What has one voice, and is four-footed, two-footed and three-footed?"
Oedipus gave the answer, “Man.” When he is a baby he crawls therefore is four-footed, when he grows he walks on two feet and is two-footed, and when he grows old he walks with a cane and it then three-footed.
There is still another answer to the riddle of the sphinx, an answer best revealed by a consideration of the Pythagorean values of numbers. The 4, the 2, and the 3 produce the sum of 9, which is the natural number of man and also of the lower worlds. The 4 represents the ignorant man, the 2 the intellectual man, and the 3 the spiritual man. Infant humanity walks on four legs, evolving humanity on two legs, and to the power of his own mind the redeemed and illumined magus adds the staff of wisdom. The sphinx is therefore the mystery of Nature, the embodiment of the secret doctrine, and all who cannot solve her riddle perish. To pass the sphinx is to attain personal immortality

I guess I’m not surprised that the sphinx that asks this riddle would be on the Wheel of Fortune card, as the riddle’s answer describes the cycle of life similar to the other symbols.

Round and round she goes; where she stops nobody knows! Spin the wheel of fortune in some cards there are people tied to the wheel symbolizing the ups and downs of fickle fortune. In the Waite Rider deck you see the anubis rising which symbolizes death and the snake descending representing life, this is the circle of birth, death, and rebirth. Some say it is samsara and a thing not to be desired. Others view this cycle as opportunities to gain knowledge. Whichever your view happens to be this cycle remains the same. The card itself is the fickleness of fortune, coupled with the cyclic, orderly rhythm of life. When I see this in a reading I see changes, a new cycle, a turn of the wheel, a progression, a movement, the workings of Fate in a person's life. This is a rhythmic, circular movement, though fate can be both good and bad, I generally see this as positive. One should always bear in mind that since fickle fortune put you in this good position, that it is cyclic, and what goes up does come down. One must make plans for the down turn in ones fortune.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

The devil is a winged being with bat wings horns that curve down and a baphomet laced in his horns and a point on his forehead. The face is pink with a beard and devilish. He has the body of a man, with what looks like a sign of Jupiter on his right palm. He has the lets of a goat, the feet of a bird. In one hand he has a torch. He is perched on a block, that has a hitch like thing with two chains running to either side, which circle around the neck of a woman (right) and man (left) the man and woman have red hair and horns on their head at the sides. The man has a tail of fire, and the lite torch in the devils hand looks to be touching the tail of the man and set it on fire. The woman’s tail ends in a bund of grapes. The background is black.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

The Devil—captured, addiction, under someone’s control. This also in some ways shows me the throwing off of the chains and moving to freedom from addiction

Raven Reed

January 14th, 2005, 06:41 AM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

I am currently storing my Goddess Tarot deck in a cotton headkerchief that I have that is a funky pumpkin orange with red hearts all over it. (The colors sort of match the deck) I wrap it up and then tie two ends together. After that, it either goes in a wooden box that my dad painted ravens all over, or more often stays under my pillows.

To cleanse my deck I either smudge with sage or run it through dragon's blood incense.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

Each card is triple bordered. The outside is white, the next peach, the inside varies. Staves has volcanoes, Swords has mountains and air, Cups has water and Pentacles has foliage and birds. In addition, each goddess card has symbols in the border that relate to that goddess, for example, Juno has peacocks, Isis has lotus plants and falcons, Venus has a city behind her(I am assuming Venice), and water with roses floating in it. There is a lot of symbolism just in the borders of the cards.

In the cards themselves, there is much symbolism also. For instance, Venus reclines on a couch with a rose topiary behind her. She holds roses and there is a small dog under her couch. Many of the major cards have some sort of animal or bird in them, either in the border, or the card itself.

The Minor cards follow fairly closely the symbolisms used in the RW deck, although not always. The moon shows often in various cards, as does water. The two of pentacles has the lemniscate (?).

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
I drew Power which is the equivalent to the Emperor.

The inside border shows a hall with runic looking animals inscribed on the ceiling. There are interlocking circles on the hall floor.

In the card there is Freyja in a two wheeled cart, a war chariot, being drawn by two greyish/tawny cats. Behind her are the stars of night. She is descending through the clouds over a fertile looking farm area in the daylight. Her cart is covered in animal depictions. She wears a rose colored gown, trimmed in gold, with a green cloak. Her hair is braided in the front and loose behind, blowing in the wind.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

Because Freyja looks to be in a war chariot, I would say the card means leadership. Also, she is descending from the heavens to the world below, perhaps to dispense information and wisdom...

Willow Rosette

January 14th, 2005, 01:43 PM

linaXgrazzada

January 14th, 2005, 04:14 PM

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

Part 2
2a- there is a lot o symbolism in my cards in the pictures alone. the piture on each card tells the story for it almost. most of the pictures are set outside and the weather or color of the sky can symbolise the meanings in the cards. for instance on the ten of cups there is a rainbow in the sky to symbolise hope, i suspect. there is rain or snow or grey skies in cards with more desolate meanings. in my deck shades of blue, yellow, and grey are the predominant colors.
I find that the pictures also reflect the numberology symbolism in my cards. the aces usually show an abundance of vitality, enegy , or new beginings. and so on with the rest of the minor arcana.
I dont believe there is any astrolical syymbolism in my cards or maybe i am just not seeing it. There ares any animals. there is a lot of food though. I'm not sure what it symbolises but there are a lot of different fruits in different pictures.

2b-
::shuffle shuffle shufffle:: hehehe
i pulled the 9 of wands. there is a light blue sky and green hills in the background. the background looks like an uninhabited land. there are 8 wands standing up in the foreground. they look like they might be making a wall or guard of some kind. there is a man in the foreground. he looks sad or dazed or confused. There is what looks like a bandage around his head. he is holding the ninth wand strait up in the air. Maybe he's using it for support. The man is wearing a white shirt with the sleeves pushed up. over the shirt he is wearing an orange tunic with a brown belt. it looks as if he might have done some manual labor. he is wearing golden pants with green boots.
2c-
I think this card has to do with a loss of some kind. something about being on your own, maybe for the first time. Earning what you get. Mybe there is are problems that progress and resolution need to be made with.

Eternal Seeker

January 14th, 2005, 11:41 PM

1) I do not plan on doing any sort of cleansing ritual, as I am the only one that handles my cards. I store them in the original box they came in.

2a) It is difficult to see the types of symbolism in the Universal Waite (and the Rider-Waite) unless you know where to look. Qabalistic symbolism doesn't seem to be present, but all Tarot cards can be related to the Tree of Life regardless of pictorial symbolism. Astrological symbolism is present, if you know where to look. The Lovers, for example, corresponds to Gemini. The male and female on the card relates to Gemini. The lion on the Strength card relates to Leo.

2b) 10 of Cups
Across the top of the card, a rainbow fills the sky, with ten cups overlapping it. The sky is clear. A man stands with his left arm upraised, his right around a woman, who has her right arm upraised. They appear to be looking across a meadow that a brook runs through, a house setting on a hill overlooking it. Two young children are dancing by their side, hands locked together.

2c) To me, this card suggests family, love, joy, home, and blessings.

Willow Rosette

January 15th, 2005, 12:48 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. :)

#1 For the moment my cards are stored in their origional box inside my alter, but the box is getting very warn so very soon I am going to have to figure out what else to put them in. i might make a bag and paint on it or something along those lines. As for cleansing them, all I rally do at the moment is, thank the cards after each reading and tell them I appreciate their help, and when it seems like the answers are getting a little fuzzy and not as clear as they normally are I will hold the deck and project white light to them, and that seems to help clear up the fuzzy answers. Not sure if that is cleansing them or not but that is what I do.

#2a This one is much harder for me. I have a very hard time seeing the symbolism in my deck. Most cards have a star/pentacle in the artwork as well as a astrological back ground, meaning simply the sky in most cards if they night time cards have stars and sometimes the moon in the back ground.

#2b The card I pulled was The Lovers Reversed. This picture has a man and a woman with white hair wapped in a blanket with 1970's kinda circles all over it. They are holding a boquet of pink flowers and the woman has the same flowers in a wreath on her head and the man has a big necklace of blue and gold around his neck. Her hair is very long almost down her back while his is shorter only to about his shoulders. The back ground is a brownish/gold color and is lighter closer to the people with kind of a spot light effect. Down at the bottom of the card are two white cats snuggled together with their tails intwined.

#2c Since I pulled it reversed I think it would mean being alone or seperated, maybe unreliability
The lwb says it means: Failure to meet the test, unreliability, Seperation, Frustration in love and marriage, interference by others, fickleness, untrustworthyness, and unwise plans.

Anubis RainHawk

January 15th, 2005, 08:44 PM

I don't cleanse my cards regularly becuase I don't really thing it's nessicary. However, I really liked the idea of blowing away the unwanted enery, as described in the lesson. I think this would be a good idea to do before and after every reading. Another way I might cleanse is through sage smuge, but I don't plan on doing this any time soon.

I store my cards in a wooded box that I painted. The box is black on the outside and red on the inside, somewhat resembling a coffin. Don't ask why I painted it this way. I don't really know. Along with the deck, I have the LWB and an amethyst crystal. I think I read to put a crystal with my deck in a book a while ago. It seems to be working quite well.

There are a number of symbolism in my deck including pagan, nature, color, astrology, numerology, and modern symbolism. I would go into detail, but I think I already answered this question in the first assignment. If you'd like more info, I'd be more than happy to post it.

The card that I chose for this assignment was the Page of Pentacles. The first image that catches my eye is the Page herself. She has long dark hair, probably to represent the eath and extented periods of time, respectively. The Page wears a bown dress with a dark brown belt. From the belt hangs a small book, which can mean knowlege and learning. Her feet are bare, possibly to show freedom and her inner sleaves are green.

The Page holds and stares at a golden pentacle with eight rays shinning from it, which could mean concentration as well as contemplating wealth. Behind her the sky is deep blue, showing deep relaxation in the situation. On the left is a large tree but only 6 leafy branches show. Below the page is a bright green grass and a number of yellow flowers, wich can symbolize life. Beyond where the She stands, six hills and five bushes can be seen.

After looking it over for a short time, I feel the Page of Pentacles means deep concentration and thought rooted in reason. I also get the feeling of relaxation in the situation. The length and color of the hair could represent long deep thought on the situation.

I don't know if that was what you wanted. I didn't really use my intuition to make my conclusions about the cards. I based my meanings on the symbols themselves. I hope that's ok.

Anubis RainHawk

goldcat79

January 15th, 2005, 10:10 PM

I would not clean my cards
The card i drew
Justice was that card
The background has a arch with two cats holding it up they have gold eyes standing at atttention under the arch the person in the forfront looks to be a woman she wearing a gold robe with long golden blonde hair with a balance in the left hand and a sword in the right her face emotionless and the cats to are the same way

My Interpratation

a balance to life ,punishment ,blindness, honor ,good intention,righteosness

Ivy Artemisia

January 16th, 2005, 08:04 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.
I usually cleanse my Gilded Tarot cards using sage smudge. I light the sage, then move the deck of cards through it. If I feel as though it needs more cleansing, I might smudge each of the cards. I like to try different things, though. I've visualized clear white light entering the cards, cleansing it of all negative energies. I've also used crystal layouts to direct negative energy out of the cards. I've even left them in the moonlight- as best I could. Where I live right now, its just not possible to try that again. Right now, they are in the organza bag they came with. :)

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
Color, Number, Animals (just noticed this one- neat!), time of day (night, moon phases, day, twilight, etc), Plants, Astrological (on some cards)

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
Its the magician. A man is the center of the card, he has long gray hair and looks out, very intent on what he is accomplishing. He is looking, not at his magical intruments, but at the reader. His hair is gray and very long, it drapes over his purple robe and he wears a thick chain around his neck. In front on him, four tools are suspended in midair, a wand, a cup, a sword, and a pentacle. The representations of the tools match the other representations used throughout the deck. In the center of the tools are two loops, that look like orbits, almost, and in the center of them, twinkly lights are suspended. Behind the man, a planet crests behind his head, looking green against the space-sky background. At the top of the plant shines a light like a sun, as though the day is beginning for those on the planet.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.
I feel that this card speaks of experience, knowledge. The magician is very intent, looking at the reader, while his tools are suspended in midair. It seems almost effortless for him to balance his tools. The 'sun' rising against the planet makes it seem as though this moment is important. Like this moment is the moment that is needed to make everything come together. And the magician knows that. I guess I would say that this card is about transformation... maybe making knowledgable choices to transform your life.

Or, the tools could be taken to represent the elements, and the magician the manipulator. He knows the exact moment to make it happen. It could mean that the magician could represent someone in the persons life, using his knowledge to 'make things happen.'

Bookgirl83

January 17th, 2005, 09:21 AM

1. I'm not sure about how I'll cleanse my cards. I need to give it some more thought. I want it to be something personal and meaningful. Right now, I'm leaning toward some kind of meditation involving cleansing and the deck. The cards are being store right now in the original box. This will change if I find something I feel is more appropriate, but it works now.

2a. There is a lot of symbolism in these cards. The first one to jump out at me was color. This is a very colorful deck, and because the artist used colored pencil in the originals, she was able to make certain colors stand out. In most of the cards it is easy to pick out the dominant color. Animals are also used throughout the deck. Many of the cards have at least one animal, or part of an animal. Going along with animals, nature is a big symbol in this deck. Almost all of the cards depict outdoor scenes, and those that don't have some kind of natural element. There are plants and animals as well as natural forces, such as rain.

2b. Knight of Pentacles:
A knight dressed in silver armour stands before a plowed field. The knight is a young adult; he has shoulder length brown hair. On his head is a helmet with a fur lining, horns and a red banner. In his left hand he holds a large golden pentacle medallion; both hands are covered by dark orange gloves. The field behind him is brown, lined with plowed furrows. There is a tree of some sort to the right bearing small berries. On the horizon, a line of evergreens stands firm. The sky is beginning to lighten either with dawn or dusk.

2c. To me, this card suggests uncertainty, or perhaps wistfulness. The young knight stands before a a plowed field that symbolizes his future. He is at the start of some new adventure and is unsure of the outcome.

Rua

January 17th, 2005, 11:37 AM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.
I cleans mine using a quartz crystal and visualization. For storage, Ive got a really pretty wooden chest that they like being kept in.
2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
color, numerology, animals
2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

Judgement:
The overall color is blue with bold bright pink at the top. The entire top half of the card is an angel blowing a horn with a flag attached. The flag is white with a red equal armed cross on it. Big white mountains are in the center of the card separating the top from bottom. The bottom of the card has six people (2 men, 2 women, 2 children)pale white with yellow hair, all naked with arms raised twards the sky.
2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. :)
My intuition says this is a bad omen. If feels scary. Its like an abrupt ending. Im not explaining it very well, sorry. Its kinda creeping me out so Im going to put it away.

Amethyst Rose

January 17th, 2005, 12:41 PM

Before I do this excersice i have a question.

I get very accurate readings from my cards as long as I use the meaning from the lwb. when I just look at them I cannot seem to see the sybolism in them that for example LadyAutumnCat can see. When I look to them I see something totally different than the meaning. Can you tell me why and what I can do to be able to see the meanings untill my own deck is created?

I"m sorry I missed this post... I've been away for the last couple of days.

Part of it is practice, and that's why for this lesson I didn't want you to worry about being wrong or right. I want to see what you're seeing in your cards, without worrying about the LWB.
The LWB, while it does have the traditional meanings of the cards, also gives you the author's interpretation of what the cards should mean, so you'll often find that meaning changes from deck to deck. This is also why intuition is so important. I don't even look at the LWB anymore, and yes, there are times when the meaning of a card gets forgotten, I go soley on my intuition, and knowledge of symbolism. That's really all you need to read the cards, (like I said in the lesson). It helps if you know the meaning as well, but it's not 100% necessary.

Amethyst Rose

January 17th, 2005, 12:43 PM

Thanks everyone who got their assignments done already, you've done a great job!

I'm going to give the rest of the class until Friday to get their assignments in. :)

Rowan MoonDragon

January 17th, 2005, 02:35 PM

Lady Ravenna

January 17th, 2005, 04:01 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all. I just purchased my new deck the other night (The Gendron Tarot) To cleanse them I used Amethyst Rose's method of blowing off all the negative energy and replacing it with positive energy. I have also been carrying them with me to infuse them with my energy, and I have slept with them under my pillow for the last few nights. To store them I have the original box, and a hand made pouch to put them in. In the pouch with them I keep some amethyst crystals.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards. There is a lot of symbolism in the Gendron tarot, the main one being animals which show up in most of the cards. Everything on these cards has some sort of symbolism as described in the LWB. On the cards there are hebrew letters, as well as astrology symbols. Each suit of the deck has it's own energy, astrology, element, direction, & totem animals.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me. I pulled the Transition card (XIII) also known as Death in most decks. This is a very busy card featuring butterflies, bats, skulls, and a vulture. At the top there is what looks like a dream catcher with a heart in the center and 4 feathers hanging down, and there is a female figure holding a butterfly. The colours in this card are mainly blue/green & purple. The Hebrew letter is N/Nun; Astrology symbol is Scorpio.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. This card to me says rebirth, new beginnings, changes. I am not surprised I pulled this cards because it is perfect for my situation right now.

Dashifen

January 17th, 2005, 05:03 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

In general, my cards are stored in a hand-sewn pouch made out of what ever cloth is available to me at the time. My vertigo deck, the one I’m using for the class, is in black cloth – I think cotton. The pouches have no “lid” so that they’re really just a sleeve. The color usually isn’t important to me though I’ve usually tried to choose a color that matches the colors on the cards.

As for cleansing, if my cards are acting up, I usually put them in the headboard while I sleep. I’ve often used quartz and a quick wave through the air to cleanse them in between readings when I’m doing a marathon session of readings on night. In between readings, the cards are usually in the sleeve and I keep them in no place in particular. I live alone so the energies of my apartment are largely my own and I don’t think it matters where I put them for storage unless I feel the need to re-empower them.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

In the minor arcana, each suit has their own symbol, where wands are often printed as torches, cups are more similar to an image of the Holy Grail, pentacles are coins with a pentagram on them, and swords are crude double edged blades (which to me is a great reminder of the potentially dangerous nature of ideas). Beyond those four main symbols, around them are almost always placed human faces, facial features, or body parts (hands, torsos, hearts, etc.).

Many times, the position of the “suit symbol,” if you will, around the body parts or face can give a hint as to what’s going on in the card. I’ve found that by reading the cards bottom up, the symbolism begins to have meaning. For example, the three of wands shows a murky, cloudy image out of which a trunk reaches which splits in the three fingers which “grow” into the torches which are the three wands. You can see an image of the three of wands below as an attached image. So, reading from the bottom up, one trunk splits into three fingers/torches, so the card can represent independence or a separation of smaller pieces from a whole project or idea. And when reversed, the three torches grow into the trunk representing cooperation between people towards a common goal.

On other thing that is often used is text. Usually this text is blurry or unreadable but often one or two words can be made out of the surrounding mess. For example, on Justice (attached below) the phrase “sense of justice” are clearly printed, but the word “justice” in the phrase is hidden, out-of-focus, or scratched out as if by pencil. This helps to emphasize that it is our perception of the situation that colors what is just for each individual which is a big part of the Vertigo justice card.

The court cards have four main symbols outside of the suit symbols mentioned above. On all of the pages there is a feminine torso, the knights are all a horse head (like a chess piece), the queens have a feminine face and the kings a masculine one. Plus, each of the torsos, horses, or faces are the same from suit to suit. While its interesting to show connections between each of the court cards, it makes them very difficult to read based on symbolism and, since the deck is Crowley-style deck, if the symbolism is hard then the whole card is hard to put together.

The major arcana symbolism is often traditional but twisted. For example, the fool is often shown on a cliff with a dog. The Vertigo makes the dog a canine skeleton and the fool is already at the bottom of the cliff while a silhouette of a human is on top backlit by a large, red-orange burst of light. The same meaning – of someone willing to take the first steps on a journey but perhaps without looking before they leap – is attributed to the card, but the symbolism is presented in with a darker theme. And, lastly, each of the major arcana has one of the characters from the DC Comics Vertigo line of comics. The fool, to complete the example, is John Constantine (the same Constantine from the movie coming up of the same name).

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

The card the popped up for me was the Knight of Cups. I find it ironic since this is one of my personal cards and I often consider myself to be very similar to this knight and what he represents. But, first: the card. I attached it below so you could see it, too.

But first thing I notice is that the horse’s head is distorted. It’s indistinct and it seems to be made up of a blue swoosh of color – like the trail off a paintbrush – more than anything else. Only the nose of the horse seems photorealistic, which is in contrast to the other knights which are usually much clearer.

In the center of the card there is a small rippling effect as if a pebble was dropped into a pond. These ripples continue throughout the card but are not uniform. Instead, it’s as if a handful of stones have been tossed into a pond and the ripples are beginning to merge and cancel each other out.

There is some text in the bottom left corner the clearest words, and the ones that I think have the most meaning to the card are the words “question” and “interrupt.” Across from the text there are three cups, two that are very clear, but the middle one is distorted, especially across its stem. In other words, I’ve often felt that the left and right cups are “above” the water and the middle one is below it where the water is the rippling effect across the face of the card.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

The knight of cups, to me, represents inaction through reflection. It’s a card that represents someone who thinks so much about a situation and how to solve it that either someone else solves it or the solution is no longer pertinent. It also, to me, represents someone who is willing to act not from logic but rather from intuition. The first interpretation is the one I use when the knight is upright and the latter when it is reversed. In this case, the reversal shows the knight as he could be if he let go of the trappings of logic when deciding and simply act on instinct. So, upright it is inaction through reflection while reversed it is action without premeditation.

As always, the images are copyright 1995, 2000 by DC Comics and all the other legal stuff.

Amethyst Rose

January 18th, 2005, 03:33 PM

#2a This one is much harder for me. I have a very hard time seeing the symbolism in my deck. Most cards have a star/pentacle in the artwork as well as a astrological back ground, meaning simply the sky in most cards if they night time cards have stars and sometimes the moon in the back ground.

#2b The card I pulled was The Lovers Reversed. This picture has a man and a woman with white hair wapped in a blanket with 1970's kinda circles all over it. They are holding a boquet of pink flowers and the woman has the same flowers in a wreath on her head and the man has a big necklace of blue and gold around his neck. Her hair is very long almost down her back while his is shorter only to about his shoulders. The back ground is a brownish/gold color and is lighter closer to the people with kind of a spot light effect. Down at the bottom of the card are two white cats snuggled together with their tails intwined.

#2c Since I pulled it reversed I think it would mean being alone or seperated, maybe unreliability
The lwb says it means: Failure to meet the test, unreliability, Seperation, Frustration in love and marriage, interference by others, fickleness, untrustworthyness, and unwise plans.

Okay.....to figure out what symbols your deck uses, look at the picture. You discribe pink flowers.... so it it uses colors and flower symbology. The colors of the man and women's clothes, as well as the color of the background can be a symbol. You mention two cats....so it also uses animal symbology. (At least in this one card, I don't know about the rest).

And don't worry about the LWB. I only wanted to know what your intuition said. :)

Amethyst Rose

January 18th, 2005, 03:36 PM

I don't know if that was what you wanted. I didn't really use my intuition to make my conclusions about the cards. I based my meanings on the symbols themselves. I hope that's ok.

As long as you didn't ignore anything that your intuition was trying to tell you about the card. :)

Amethyst Rose

January 18th, 2005, 03:41 PM

My intuition says this is a bad omen. If feels scary. Its like an abrupt ending. Im not explaining it very well, sorry. Its kinda creeping me out so Im going to put it away.

Pay attention to this card, hun....it maybe trying to tell you something important. Don't be scared of it. :)

Amethyst Rose

January 18th, 2005, 03:44 PM

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me. I pulled the Transition card (XIII) also known as Death in most decks. This is a very busy card featuring butterflies, bats, skulls, and a vulture. At the top there is what looks like a dream catcher with a heart in the center and 4 feathers hanging down, and there is a female figure holding a butterfly. The colours in this card are mainly blue/green & purple. The Hebrew letter is N/Nun; Astrology symbol is Scorpio.

Great, Lady Ravenna! This is one of my most favorite cards in the deck. I just love the amount of symbolism in it. Did you notice the turtle? You have to look really close. :)

Lady Ravenna

January 18th, 2005, 05:34 PM

Great, Lady Ravenna! This is one of my most favorite cards in the deck. I just love the amount of symbolism in it. Did you notice the turtle? You have to look really close. :)

*studies the card* No, I can't see it, where is it?!? Is it on the face??

Amethyst Rose

January 18th, 2005, 05:38 PM

Shoot...lol. It's been a while since I really looked, and now I can't find it... maybe i'm remembering a different card, but I could have sworn it was this one...sorry. I'll look throught the deck and see if I can find what my brain was remembering...

Amethyst Rose

January 18th, 2005, 05:54 PM

Ah! Found it! Sorry for my bad memory... it's actually on the princess of Pentacles. Interesting thing is that it's the only turtle in the entire deck. Why I remembered it on the transition card is beyond me....

Lady Ravenna

January 18th, 2005, 06:16 PM

oh yes, I see it!
It could be easily mistaken for a flower.
Thanks for pointing that out, I haven't studied that card yet.

Amethyst Rose

January 18th, 2005, 07:08 PM

You're welcome. :)

Jackiedanielz

January 18th, 2005, 10:57 PM

Well, right now my cards are in the original box they came in, within that box they are wrapped up in an organza bag. I will undoubtedly move them to the box Valkie bought me for yule. Its just the right size for my cards, in their bag, the companion book and for my tarot journal. I think they will be happy there. If not, I'll find a different place.

I read somewhere that if you just place your deck back in its original order then it will cleanse it between readings. I took your suggestion though. I took all my negative energy and any energy that may have been placed within my cards and I blew them away. Then I asked my cards to help me learn the knowledge that they possessed in order to help me understand my life a bit better. I also plan on leaving them out on the next full moon to charge them.

I find that my cards possess a lot of symbolism in them. The artist, Ciro Marchetti, used brilliant colors that really stand out & catch my eye. They help me to see the things I need to see in them, they set the tone for the card. Then there are little animals popping in and out. Deers, owls, cats, mice, and even a cute little mole (sumbolizing the blindness in the Eight of Cups). They either are watching the action in the card or are drawing you into what to see. Then his use of mother earth, each leaf is done with intricate design, each blade of grass, each tree, placed so specifically as if to place you right there into the card itself. He also uses mechanical devices as if to say that this technology is beyond our existance. Marchetti also has a strong love for astrology and zodiac signs can be seen in most of the major arcana.

The card I pulled was Temperance. Here's what I first wrote down:
There is a cup with burning flames, water is flowing from it into another, in the womans other hand as if to provide balance. The woman is gazing into the flame as if she is listening to what it has to say. But I don't think she is going to take what it says to heart. She will decide for herself what is truth because she knows who she truley is. Her clothes are red and shear. Her hair is also red, as is the planet placed behind her. She is in a sea of deep blue clouds. The red, to me, shows her passion for life while the blue balances out her clarity and honest emotions. To me it shows true balance in life.

Now what I didn't notice but read about later was that one cup was gold & the other silver. But this, again, shows the balance that I got from the rest of the card with the colors and the emotion of the womans face.

Madjek

January 19th, 2005, 12:08 AM

Lesson 3 assignment

I read on a post that this assignment was due by friday so I decided to take my time. I hope it's not late. So here it goes:

1. I have been storing my cards in the box they came in. I feel however that I will have to switch them to a more “comfortable” spot soon. I’m thinking maybe a box and it will have to be made by me. I feel the energy would be well received by my cards. But so far I get the feeling they are alright living in the box. The way I have been cleansing them is by putting my positive energy into them when I am feeling extremely good. It seems to work fine, I will however try blowing the negative energy off them as well.
2. a. The symbolism I see on the cards (Universal Waite) is definitely influenced by Christianism. For example the Devil which is a Christian belief and not pagan. Another example are the lovers; which remind me of Adam and Eve. The woman has a tree behind her with a snake in it. This reminds me of what Christians believe happened in the Garden of Eden. I also think there is some Egyptian symbolism which I am not too familiar with. The chariot for example looks like its being pulled by two sphinxes. The wheel of fortune has a sphinx on top as well.

b. The card I got is the X of cups. This to me is a happy card. It has a rainbow on top with ten cups on it. The sky is white. The rainbow shines very brightly; it has red, blue and yellow in it. On the land there is a family, a couple with two small children. The man has his wife around his arm as they are admiring the beautiful rainbow. The children are playing right beside them. They look to be playing ring around the rosies. In front of them is a bright blue river or stream that doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. The trees and the grass is bright green. There is a house with a red roof peeking from behind a couple of trees.

c. This card leaves me with a warm feeling. To me it signifies family, a happy family. It tells me everything is going to be alright. To me the rainbow signifies hope. The children are safe and happy. There seems to be no danger nearby. So I feel like my family will be alright as well.

I actually had a great time doing this assignment. I did not do any research on it I tried to just write what I felt the cards meant to me which I guess was the whole point eh?

Amethyst Rose

January 19th, 2005, 01:24 AM

I did not do any research on it I tried to just write what I felt the cards meant to me which I guess was the whole point eh?

Yup, absolutely. :) Good job. :)

piglet

January 19th, 2005, 03:57 AM

Part One: Cleansing and Storing My Cards

I love to cleanse things with smoke! So, that is what I’ll do with my tarot cards, too. I’d probably do it card by card with sandalwood incense and make a little chant up to go with it, something like: “Smoke, connection to the divine, cleanse these tarot cards of mine.”

To store them, I have the idea of making a little drawstring bag with some of my favorite fabric scraps. The main bag would be this light blue cotton (very soft, almost flannel) with a string or ribbon for the drawstring and some detail of my favorite fabric which has a really bright flower and butterfly design on it. I will post a picture when I finish it.

Part Two: Symbolism in the Mythic Tarot

Oops! Forgot to add this part, Ill put it in soon.

Description of The Fool

The Fool – doh! This has been a problem card for me, but that’s probably why I picked it, isn’t it? ;)

This card is totally made up of shades of brown unless otherwise noted. In the foreground –in front of a large boulder or rock wall- is the fool, Pan as a young boy (complete with tiny little horns on his head). His body is in mid-stride and he’s walking straight off the side of the cliff that he stands on. He is wearing a robe of animal fur with an animal tale (fox or raccoon or something) attached at his waste, and a crown of green leaves. His hands and feet are bare. Over his head, I bare tree branch extends from a tree that is out of the picture, pointing right (the same direction that the fool is facing). An eagle is perched on the branch and also faces right. In the background, underneath the cliff, are many hills or mountains. On the horizon, an orange sun rises (this is probably what the fool is looking at) and sends its rays out into the white and pale blue sky.

Meaning of The Fool

Proceeding without caution but no harm will come as you are being watched over. “Folly” and the feelings of immortality that come with youth.

Aidron

January 19th, 2005, 11:56 AM

Note: I did this lesson awhile back and e-mailed it to myself when I started coming down with the flu so I wouldn't lose it, so that's most of the paragraphs look so thin and... well, weird. :fpatricks

1.) Storage for me took many matters into hand. I've given this much
thought since I first obtained this deck and carefully planned out
each aspect so that each has a reason behind it and appeals to me
personally. What I have decided upon is this:

I wrap them in what is most likely a polyester (I loathe natural
materials, they itch, they feel terrible and they make me cringe
[silk, hemp, it's all evil]) cloth that I obtained from a druid animal
oracle I happened to have on hand. It is blue and the border outlined
in celtic design along with the alchemical symbols for each element
upon two of the sides. Furthermore, there is an elemental dragon (one
for air, earth, fire and water) in each corner that were taken from
the actual deck in which a card exists for each of these dragons. This
I felt appropriately reflected my own personality represented by the
color (I associate blue with purification, psychic influences,
intuition and the unconscious) and the alchemical symbols (I have a
great interest in the elements and it resonates strongly throughout my
entire craft). Possessing both celtic and dragon emblems I felt it was
absolutely perfect for my own deck, the Celtic Dragon Tarot.

Once wrapped inside the cloth neatly so that there is sufficient
padding on all sides (took me awhile to figure out how to fold it so
that it seemed equal on all sides and I am still perfecting this) I
store them away in a black velvet (which normally makes me cringe...)
bag that is a bit large for the cards (intentionally, to provide room
for a specific stone and so the cards will be less likely to be bent)
with three feathers embossed on the front. I fell in love with the bag
when I saw it on a birthday trip this past year since the number three
carries such significance in my life and the raven being my chief
totem animal.

After that they are stored inside a box my mother made for me this
past solstice. She bought an unfinished box, painted it grey and
adorned the top with clay that created an image of a dead (or as she
adamantly proclaims "Not dead, leafless!") tree with three ravens
perched on the branches. Grey being the color of greatest significance
to me spiritually and the number three again being incooperated with
the raven. It is lined with black felt and inside I lay a postcard
that is the closest image to my tarot guide (which coincidentally
happens to be a dragon); a dragon with silver scales and rainbow
moonstone eyes (though the eyes happen to be yellow in the postcard).
I call on him anytime I work with the tarot and his image remains in
the box at all times to watch over my deck and to be with it since
from him I have learned dragons have a great affinity for divination
arts.

From there they simply go onto a cabinet I use as a pseudo high altar,
with a silver votive candle next to the box in honor of my tarot
guide.

Obviously this all has a great deal of significance, whether it be
symbolic in terms of the ravens, the colors grey and black or images
of my tarot guide. It also serves to keep my cards out of harm's way
as mishaps do happen and I'm in no mood to see them happen to my
cards, whether it be dust, soiling, or being dropped and bent. This
also serves to offer several layers of protection, both metaphysical
and mundane. If by some miracle I do not slaughter anyone fast enough
when I notice them lunging toward my deck, they must at least get
through the box, the bag and the cloth before they put their nasty
hands all over my sacred tool. It also shields them from hamrful
vibrations and entities which may somehow sneak their way past my
defenses. Yes, I'm overly cautious, that's what you get when you have
the armadillo as a totem animal. :tongueout

As for cleansing, it depends on the circumstance. I plan to thoroughly
cleanse and bless them every three full moons. Nothing too elaborate,
but more thorough and detailed ritual cleansing by far. Beyond that to
use a sage stick or an incense blend of my own recipe geared toward
purification, exorcism and empowering, depending on my mood. For swift
cleansings I extend them out like a fan and blow on them, visualizing
my own causing any negativity to fly off the cards and dissipate
harmlessly. Very similar to your technique Amethyst, but I assure you
I've been doing this long before I read the lesson. :hehehe: It

reflects elemental air, which is why I do it in such a manner. While I
prefer that they accumulated my energy over time, I like anyone else
will carry negative energies from time to time and I would prefer that
not be present within my deck.

2-A.) The Celtic Dragon Tarot does not include a great deal of
symbolism that some other decks do, such as runic associations, the
quabbalah, i-ching, astrological correspondences and so forth. What it
does possess is color (from dull greys to vibrant reds and yellows),
intricate imagery which while not symbolism in and of itself
necessarily it does provide a rich back drop for each card. Much of
the symbolism included is very general, such as spirals representing
untapped or available resources (or cosmic energy as D.J. Conway
states) though I have also utilized them noting whether they were
spiraling in a deosil or widdershins fashion and determine whether the
energies represented in the card are being pushed away from the
subject or pulled toward them. Obviously, dragons are also present,
and depending on how you view them as a whole, the type of dragons
within each card, and their actions it can showcase a wide array of
things whether they be benevolent forces guiding you or displeased
forces that are hindering your efforts until you can grasp the larger
picture. Much of the symbolism is card specific, and by that I mean it
does not necessarily flow throughout the entire deck. The aces, for
example all display baby dragons newly hatched or in the process of
hatching which relate to the beginning and newfound sense aces often
communicate about.

2-B.) Three of Swords - Three red fire dragons in flight form a circle between them, each wielding a large sword, their faces displaying feelings of rage, hatred, malevolence, anger and extreme displeasure with their wings outstretched. Fire explodes within the circle of the three dragons, no doubt being expelled from their mouths. Below them is a vast forest that is aflame with very little greenery every noticable and moreso the flames consuming the forest stand out. The sky is dark, a deep brown-black.

2-C.) Definitely not a card I welcome in any spread, it signifies to me betrayal, upheavels, disruption, destructive chaos, not realizing that your actions are destroying all that is around you, anger, malevolence, and that an outside third party may be the one manifesting the negativity within the group or that an outside party may be the what the hatred is directed at. It brings focus as a card showcasing that you are either unaware of the larger picture, not taking responsibility for your actions or too blind to see the destruction you sew.

Below you will find pictures that I took awhile back for the assignment of the box my mum made me for my deck, the black velvet/crushed velvet/velveteen drawstring bag with three feathers embossed on it that my deck is stored inside of after being wrapped in the cloth shown displaying alchemical symbols for each element, celtic designs, and two of the four elemental dragons present within the animal oracle deck I stole it from. :smile:

Clockwork_Eros

January 19th, 2005, 01:50 PM

Due Friday, January 21

There is no research involved in this assignment, so I won't be grading... this is to give others a chance to catch up, and to make sure we're all on the same page.

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. :)

My Thoth cards enjoy their box. A friend, who I have since lost contact with after a rather drawn out fight gave them to me, and they prefer to stay in it. I've recently begun to miss the boy, and the cards seem to be responding to it.

My Osho Zen are in a piece of peach coloured fabric. It's sheer, like an organza or something. I don't know for certain, the material was left over after an installation the senior class did, and I kept it.

The symbolism. Well, I think I'm going to concentrate on the Thoth deck, because it is the one I use most often. On the back are quadrilaterals with gold/rapiers, blue/dots, red/staff of hermes, and blue/drinking bowls. There is also, a Rosarian cross? something like that. It isn't what I find important.
The front sides....There is a lot og geometric design, as well as a snake/wings/lions/nudes/sola/lotusr motif. There are hebrew letters, aastrological signs, egyption symbols in certain cards such as the hanged man. The cups normally have lotus imagery, while the disks have either flowers or architecural structure. Swords and wands generally have their namesakes.
4 of Swords: Truce
The card has a blue-violet background with intensely angular markings done in a pale yellow, with four more vibrant yellow angular 'rosettes' at the top, bottom, and both sides. A green 'X' is placed in the center, with triangulate tips. Four swords, point down the legs of the X to the center, thought the tips never meet. In the center of this X is a large pale pink, with lavendar and yellow accents, flower. I think it is a crysanthemum. At the top of the card is they symbol of jupiter, and at the base, libra.
My Meaning.
Well, it says truce on the card, but there is more than that. The X is safe, with the lightning like marks in a cloudy sky kept out. The four swords are at rest, pointing into the center of a flower, either a crysanthemum or lotus which symbolize peace. The hilt of each sword is different, which feels as if it is not only a physical truce, but something with energy. Four suits of the cards, four elements, four aspects (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual), and the four of swords. It feels like a balance, a safety, both truce brought by equal and opposite force, as well as by mutual respect.
"Four by four, the four winds blow, at the center a doldrum"

Goddess Rhiannon

January 20th, 2005, 12:19 AM

1. Each of my five decks has it's own pouch that has been custom made for them to live in. I cleanse them before each reading by passing them through nag champa or a ritual incense.

I will complete the other 3 components as time allows

Devi

January 20th, 2005, 01:59 AM

1A Storage

Right now i keep my cards close to me. They are usually kept by my bedside I do not have special cloth or container for them yet. I think I would like to get a wooden box and keep them in there with some quartz. I will still keep them close to my bedside. I like being able to reach and get them when I'm having insomnia and need to relax.

1B Cleansing

For cleansing I put the deck in a container filled with quartz and placed them in the moonlight for 3 nights.Both times that I have done this, the 1st day was a full moon night. I then place them on my altar and just say a little prayer to my deities and ask for clarity and a connection to the deck.

2A Symbolism

The symbolism in my Goddess deck comes from several cultures all of course are associated with women. In some ways i think it would be easier to interpret the symbols if you had a little bit of knowledge about the different goddesses and the particular cultures.

The minor arcana is divided up by 4 great goddesses.

Venus,(Roman-cups) Isis,(Egyptian-swords) Freya(Norse-staves) and Lakshmi(Hindu-pentacles)

and so some of the symbolism in these cards reflect that particular culture.

For instance, in the 3 of swords(Isis-group) you see an heart with three swords and also the eye of Isis "representing the sorrow experienced by Isis upon the death of Osiris."The symbol for the "divine feminine" is also present "promising compassion and healing to all"

The major arcana is made up of 22 goddesses and symbolism associated with them and from their particular part of the world. They include

0 - Beginning: Tara-Tibetan
I -Magic: Isis-Egyptian
II - Wisdom: Sarasvati-Hindu
III - Fertility: Estsanatlehi-Navajo
IV - Power: Freyja-Norse
V - Tradition: Juno-Roman
VI - Love: Venus-Roman
VII - Movement: Rhiannon-Celtic
VIII - Justice: Athena-Greek
IX - Contemplation: Chang O-Chinese
X - Fortune: Lakshmi-Hindu
XI - Strength: Oya-Yoruba
XII - Sacrifice: Kuan Yin-Chinese
XIII - Transformation: Ukemochi-Japanese
XIV - Balance: Yemaya-Santeria(of the Caribbean sea)
XV - Temptation: Nyai Loro Kidui-Javanese
XVI - Oppression: The Wawalak-Australian Aboriginal
XVII - The Star: Inanna-Sumerian
XVIII - The Moon: Diana-Roman
XIX - The Sun: The Zorya-Slavic
XX - Judgment: Gwenhwyfar-Celtic
XXI - The World: Gaia-Greek

Card Interpretations

2B-2C

Osho ZenTarot

The card I picked was 9 of fire. The keyword is Exhaustion

The card shows a very haggard looking man inside a huge mechanical robotic contraption. The man looks very tired and you get the feeling that he is using up all his life force working in this machine. The machine looks like it has a face smiling, as if its enjoying the mans suffering.You see a glow behind the man which probably represents the fire that is keeping the machine going, but it also gives you another clue as to why the man looks so miserable..... its hot in there!

I think thinks card is saying its time for rest. A time to sit back and relax before you have a burnout. Too much energy being spent. Others sapping your energy and time.

Goddess Tarot

The card I picked was XI-Strength- Goddess Oya

The scene in this card depicts a woman standing outside in nature with her arms out. She stands on bare feet.(you only see one foot but since that one is bare I assume they both are) She is dressed in a long red dress with decorations in gold.The dress is blowing all around her as is the trees . There is a big storm coming and the sky is darkening,lightning decorates the border of the card. The woman looks unafraid and you get the idea that she is the source of this powerful storm. You also see 2 dear going by. They don't seem in too much of a hurry and from their proximity to the woman not too afraid either.

I don't know much about this particular goddess so my interpretations could be waaay off.

From its title strength you know the meaning has something to do with that. I'm thinking Strength of mind and body because you can see that this women is creating this magnificent wind that has the trees bending in the direction her arms are stretched. Strength also in spirit,which is illustrated by the normally anxiety filled and timid dear calmly passing by her Even though they can see the power she holds they are unafraid. So I'm thinking this means gentleness of spirit. Kindness and love of nature. That quality being seen by others.The color of her garments also make me think of a sun or fire quality to this card.

* Quotes are from The Goddess Tarot Handbook written and illustrated by kris Waldherr

Wolfscout1

January 20th, 2005, 03:26 PM

Amethyst RoseDue Friday, January 21 -- Oh my ok.....

There is no research involved in this assignment :fpraiseyo

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all. Presently my deck is new and i have been using is out of it's original box. When i go to a Metaphysical store that has a drawstring that calls to me then i will get something else or perhaps a case of some sort. I have as yet not felt a need to cleanse them but that will surely come. I see myself meditating on the cards visualizing an exchange of negative and positive energies to restore the necessary balance. Perhaps during a cleansing ceremony for my other tools.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards. Wow, my deck it is said is everything is symbolic and supposed to be whatever draws your sight upon first viewing it for that draw. I have liked this idea and since i am new i make a lot of notes to go and look up if something doesn't hit me with it's meaning As soon as i pull it and loook. often teh books interpretatona dn the Woods book she authroed does little to aid this in which case i do a special meditation so see what the card may have in store or be trying to relate to me. the small deck book is ok but the authored book is much better and much more useful to me.
Symbols have meaning to me both in life history and lessons and the books interpretations. i try to see which meaning speaks most at that moment.
allows for more varied and meaningful reading.
This deck - everything has meaning down to artistry of how the light is drawn and shadows background items and the situation appearance. very good to use.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
Queen of Swords. A tall lady, looks to be strong and confident. wears a mail on her headwith a veil around her hair. a long flowing blue outer cloak with Bellowing white clouds at the bottom, the underside is white and has various colored butterflies. she has a light blue shirt with gold lace sleeves.she is holding a sqord straight up in her right hand. left hand is begin extended out . she is standing in a grass field(?) with a waist high rose bush to her left. in the far background you can see rolling hills. the sky is partially cloudy, left side of card has dark clouds right side has white cloudls, with the sun's rays coming through the middle of the two... 2 birds are flying.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. Coolness, confident, strength, perceptive, quick-witted, a keenness as to be aware.

hope that works for the class. ?

AmethystMoon08

January 20th, 2005, 08:31 PM

1. I keep my cards in a wodden box I purchased at a local Pagan shop. it has a sun and moon on top, with stars. :) I cleanse them by passing them through incense after every few uses, and i lightly tap the previous energies out of them after each reading.
2a. There's lots of pagan symbolism in the cards. Penticles, lots of nature and pagan references.

2b. I chose the lovers. There are two naked people in the card, a man and a woman. the woman is of dark long hair, and the man fairly long blonde hair. they're embracing with one arm, and each of their other palms are turned up. The woman is holding the moon, the man the sun. There's a tree with berries or apples behind them, with a white thing in the stump, shines of light glowing out.

2c. My intuition tells me that the card represents a feeling of content and happiness, completion.

RhiamonButterfly

January 20th, 2005, 10:16 PM

Lesson 3 Assignment:
1) I store most of my decks in tarot bags or the original box they came in. My Robin Wood deck however, demanded to be queen and have her own box, so she is in a wooden box that looks antique, with a cloth and crystal inside. She deserves it because she gives me the most accurate readings :)~
I have been cleansing my decks using incense to run them through the smoke, but I think I like alot of others' ideas also, so may try something new next time.
2 a) The Gendron uses animals, colors, God/esses, nature (trees, mountains, foliage), elements, and jewels
b) I drew the 6 of Cups
I see 2 nude girls playing in the water, 3 crows, 3 coin-like symbols with hearts on them, flowers/leaves, another girl holding a cup, and a basket of apples.
c) I would say based on my intuition that this is a positive card, considering the main girl in the picture is smiling. I think it indicates freedom, abundance, fruitfulness (the basket of apples), something involving family, and love, or a new relationship (family=basket of apples, relationship/love= the hearts).

-Sky-

January 21st, 2005, 09:15 AM

Merry Meet!
AmethystRose I'm sorry once again for being absent for almost a week.I guess my life is full of problems and something always comes up,my computer broke down a few days ago.But I will try and catch up this weekend.:)

Aleigh

January 21st, 2005, 02:38 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all. I store my decks in cotton bags I made especially for them. I keep them in a drawer near my computer desk, just to have them nearby. I have this anal tendancy to put all the cards back in order after each use, but I'm trying to stop doing that because I think it just requires more shuffling each time I use them. LOL I cleansed my decks in a sort of similar way to how you do. I lit a white candle and some incense and did a grounding/centering meditation. Then I held the deck in my right hand while I pictured drawing white, positive energy from my center, up my arm, into my hand and then into the deck, and forcing the negative energy out of the deck. Then I pictured the smoke from the incense carrying the negative energy away, and neutralizing it.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards. First of all, I'm sure the use of dragons is symbolic to D.J. Conway. I still haven't figured out quite what they mean to her, despite reading the book that came with the deck twice. :lol: There are a few other animals on some of the cards...for example marine animals on the knight of cups. But I'm not sure they are supposed to show anything other than the fact that it is a water dragon depicted on the card. There is some use of color symbolism in the deck, but for the most part the colors used in the deck are fairly "washed out" so it only hints at the color symbolism. I honestly haven't noticed any astrological symbolism in the deck. All I see are the 4 suit symbols. If astrological symbols are there they are so small and well hidden I don't see them. :whatgives

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me. I drew the 3 of Swords. On this card, there are 3 orange dragons flying in a circle, with their heads in the middle, and their wings and bodies forming the shape of the circle. They're each holding a sword in their left...foot? :lol: They are flying over leaping yellow flames. The sky behind them is dark gray/black. There are 3 rays of light shooting out of the middle of the circle. The inside of the circle itself is very bright, unlike the sky behind it. It looks like the light might be caused by the dragons breathing fire at each other. It also looks like the dragons are snarling at or trying to bite each other. They each are holding their swords toward one of the other dragons. There is one dragon at the top of the circle, and two at the bottom of the circle, and they're all overlapping each other...all you can see of each one is one wing sticking out and then their body flowing into the dragon before it...it almost looks like it could be one big 3 headed, 3 winged mutant dragon. LOL

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. I think it means conflict, fighting in what should be a close knit group...like a family or close friends. I think the fighting is more vicious than it would normal be over whatever caused it because there are strong emotions involved...maybe betrayal.

~Elise~

January 21st, 2005, 04:55 PM

There is no research involved in this assignment, so I won't be grading... this is to give others a chance to catch up, and to make sure we're all on the same page.

[QUOTE=Amethyst Rose] 1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

When I first started using cards--I stored them using mugwort in the sack. Now--they just stay in the bag I use for transporting them to the psychic fairs I participate in.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
Dragons and Nature are about the extent of the symbolism here...there isn't much, as other haved stated earlier about the Celtic Cragon Deck.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
The Chariot

Two dragons, one yellow one blue, with an energy ball between them. Their wings are spread and they are over the top of a snow-capped mountain range. There are six smaller dragons flying around them, as well. The sky is dark midnight blue and seems to be clear.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. :)

At first glance--the dragons seem to be fighting until you look very closely at them and see they are not angry and are in reality working together.

So--at first glance the card would SEEM to be about conflict. This is one of the cards in the deck that has absolutely nothing in common with the traditional meaning that is obvious, to me at least. So -- I see it as a problem & resolution card and working together type of thing.

Here is what the book says:
The Chariot

High on a mountain peak, two powerful dragons hold a large, sparkling crystal ball between them. Although of different elements and natures, they are firmly balanced and in harmony with each other. The positive and negative forces they control flow evenly into the atmosphere around them. The smaller dragons represent life events that are attracted to this harmonious balance; events that seek the balance and harmony necessary for resolution. The high mountains are a gateway to the spiritual realm. Climbing them is a strenuous endeavor, one requiring commitment and determination. However, at the peak, when we at last rediscover our spiritual connections, we will also find the harmony and balance that our souls seek.

Divinatory Meaning

Balanced control of a situation allows you to benefit. Success comes through confidence and being centered. You must pull the two opposing forces together to accomplish a goal.

JMO and YMMV,

Elise

halfwaynowhere

January 21st, 2005, 06:53 PM

sorry this is so late, it shouldn't happen again anytime soon, i just had a lot to do with getting registered at community college, adding classes and stuff, but anyways, here is my assignment:
1. I store my cards in their original box, but i am working on crocheting a nice bag for them with black and gold yarn, it will be really pretty when its finished, and that way when the box gets worn out, i have something special to store them in. as of now, i don't cleanse my cards in any way.
2a. I don't see very many symbols in my cards, except the way they symbolize life as a stage and stuff.
2b. The card i drew was the Chariot. This card is very abstract. it shows an alien in a flying saucer, being pulled by two creatures resembling seahorses. in the background, there are some really strange images, like a flying pig, a little person with extraordinarily oblong legs, some pyramids, and some houses. the flying saucer is purple, and has the number 69 on it, but it could also be the symbol for the astrological sign cancer, which would link astrology into the cards, something i hadn't really noticed before. the card also has a puzzle piece on it, which the LWB says means that the card has masculine influences. most of the colors in the card are green.
2c. To me, this card represents "out of this world", the alien, the flying pig... i think it means that the person has their head on the clouds or has outrageous ideas, maybe is thinking of foreign travel, or something like that.

Amethyst Rose

January 21st, 2005, 06:56 PM

2a. I don't see very many symbols in my cards, except the way they symbolize life as a stage and stuff.
2b. The card i drew was the Chariot. This card is very abstract. it shows an alien in a flying saucer, being pulled by two creatures resembling seahorses. in the background, there are some really strange images, like a flying pig, a little person with extraordinarily oblong legs, some pyramids, and some houses. the flying saucer is purple, and has the number 69 on it, but it could also be the symbol for the astrological sign cancer, which would link astrology into the cards, something i hadn't really noticed before. the card also has a puzzle piece on it, which the LWB says means that the card has masculine influences. most of the colors in the card are green.

Okay... I don't know your cards, but by your description I would hazard a guess in saying that symbols used are animals, colors and like you mentioned astrology, but there may also be more.

Flaire-FireStar

January 22nd, 2005, 02:55 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

My cards are stored in a silk bag inside a velvet draw-string bag.
When I feel they need to be cleansed, I sit them on the windowsill in the full moonlight. Sometimes I smudge with cinnamon incense.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

I believe that everything in the cards could be considered symbolism. To name a few, colouring, animals, locations for certain cards to be set.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

2 of Pentacles
The background is a fading blue (the top is dark, but as it gets to the bottom of the card, it has faded dramatically.) 3/4 way down the card, there is an ocean, which is very rough. The waves are massive. There are 2 boats attempting to navigate these waves. The lone man in the scene stands upon dry land.

The man, himself, always reminds me of a jester. He's wearing a tall hat, loose fitting shirt with a frock, belt, red tights and green shoes. He is a brunette. He does not look straight out at you, but at his left hand, which holds a pentacle. There is also a pentacle in his right hand. Around the pentacles is the infinity symbol, in green.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

I get the feeling that this guy is a worrier. (because he can't stand on both feet. It's as if he is shifting his weight) He is afraid to make a decision and is using the pentacles to weigh the pros and cons. (The pentacles are not even in his hands, but one is higher than the other.)

Brielle LaLune

January 22nd, 2005, 07:52 PM

Well here it is at last! Sorry its taken so long, but thanks for understanding. :D

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

For the last few months, I have kept my cards in a blue velvet bag I sewed. Right now, I am in the process of painting a wooden box in which to keep them. Typically to cleanse and recharge my cards, I will leave them out overnight in the light of the full moon. I also blow the residual energy off before and after someone else has touched them.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

I could probably write a short novel about all of the symbolism in the Legend: Arthurian Tarot deck! *LoL* Well, I’ll sum it up as best I can and throw in a couple of examples. For starters, the cards use a mix of traditional tarot symbolism (as demonstrated by the four suits), pre-Christian Pagan symbols, and Christian symbolism from the latter years of Arthur’s kingship and the Grail quest. The back of the cards depict a labyrinth, a way of focusing the mind.

This set of tarot cards is filled with tons of nature based symbols, including animals and plants, as well as seasonal, elemental, and astrological, symbolism. Colors also play a huge role, setting mood and symbolizing status and many other details. Something I found super fascinating was the artist’s use of the weather and light (sun vs. moon, cloudy vs. sunny, clear vs. hazy) to create a unique ambience for each card.

To give an example, I’ve chosen two cards, which between them, entail all of the above. First I chose The Priestess card, one of my favorites. The Priestess card depicts Nimue seated in a sacred grove and surrounded by Nature spirits. A kind of tree man stands behind her and fairies and sprites hover about her and play within her hair. This is demonstrating that while she is of this world, and fully human, she is at once tuned into these beings and the pulsating life force of nature. Nimue is draped with an iridescent white cloak, a cloak of light, representing her enlightenment. Her gown is a rich purple and a deep indigo blue off sets the trees. These two colors are linked to mysticism and wisdom.

The next card I chose demonstrates Christian aspects and Pagansim all wrapped up in one. The Ace of Shields depicts Evallach’s shield. Its edges gleam gold and it is inlayed with silver, and adorned with an embellished gold cross. It hangs on a stone wall beneath a stone carving of the face of the Green Man. Sun beams in from an unseen window and the image is framed with rich red and gold tapestried drapes.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

The card I drew was The Lovers. This card features Gareth and Lady Lyones walking together, hand in hand, through an autumn wood. This card has a very warm and comfortable feeling about it. There are two enormous trees which dominate the background, one behind each of the lovers. The two are surrounded by warm red and gold leaves, rich greens, golden flowers, and in the bottom right hand corner are 4 red, white, and brown butterflies hovering among the flora.

Gareth and Lyones themselves are clothed in garments of the same colors as their surroundings, very warm natural tones. Light seems to reflect off of them, making them seem at once wholly part of their environment, and somehow ethereal.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

This card emits a very warm and comfortable feeling. I can feel the love coming off of it, the two huge trees suggesting the strength and depth of their love for one another. I could see this signifying a love that seems too good to be true…a love found once in a thousand life times, something surpassing all reason. A romance awakening a love of nature deep within oneself.

Lolith

January 24th, 2005, 04:26 AM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.
I've always loved boxes so naturally I wanted to keep my cards in one. When I bought my cards I was tight on money, so I figured I'd make my own. I went to the craft store and bought a plain wooden box, some soft fabric, and some foam stamps that you can use with paint. I spent the next day putting my box together. I lined the entire inside with the fabric and painted the outside. On top of the paint I stamped little symbols to represent each of the four elements. I love the way it turned out, especially since I spent so much time on it.
As for cleansing my cards, I kept it a little simpler. I passed each card through some sage smoke, and spent a lot of time shuffling them (whenever I had some free time). To get even more of my energies into the cards, I slept with them under my pillow for a few days. Now I keep them in the box with some raw amethyst, and when I feel the need, I sleep with them under my pillow. After each reading I shuffle the cards well, and bang them on the table a few times.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
The artist of my deck wrote a book to go along with them. In the book she listed most of the symbols that she used along with her meanings for them. She uses color, plants/herbs, animals, pagan, and everyday common items for symbols. She also uses a little bit of numerology, but in the book she mentions that she's not always consistent in it.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
6 of Swords: A blonde man is sitting in a boat. He is wearing a puffy white shirt with a black band on his right arm. On his back is a blue cape, and on his legs are a pair of red pants. He has one arm resting on the side of the boat, which, by the way, is in the shape of a large, white swan. The 6 swords are in the front of the boat point down. Behind the man is an image of a cloaked person. The person is completely see-through and is standing. In this person's hands is the oar, so you know it's controlling the boat. The man seems to just be relaxing and enjoying the ride. The water is clam and a very clear shade of blue. The only disturbance is the ripples from the moving boat.
The boat is moving towards some land which is very hilly. The hills are a healthy shade of green with only a few trees. On top of one of the distant hills is a small figure, which might be a house. Right on the shore is a dark spot (which I'm assuming to be a cave). In the middle of this spot is a white star. Above the land is the sky which is a perfect sky blue, and has a few puffy clouds in it. It appears to be a beautiful, partly cloudy, spring day.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right. :)
Off the top of my head when looking at the cards I feel: solitude, peace, calm, journey, instinct, moving towards your goal, trust in yourself, escape from the bothers of everyday life, meditation, inner guidance, heading towards greener pastures.

:( I do apologize for being late with my assignment. I had a hectic week at work (a few people quit suddenly), and I had to go out of town for a little bit. I've been online very little this week, and only for a short time. I might not turn in my assignments early, but it's not like me to be late with them. I'm usually very good at meeting deadlines. I do not plan on this becoming a habit.

Madjek

January 24th, 2005, 10:04 AM

Ummm...I just saw the first post and it says I have to hand in my assignment. I already have last week it's post #40. You even commented on it...heehee!

Amethyst Rose

January 24th, 2005, 12:49 PM

Thanks for pointing that out for me. :) Sorry bout that!

CanisFirebrand

January 25th, 2005, 10:12 AM

Thanks for pointing that out for me. :) Sorry bout that!

I still owe my 3rd assignment. I've been fighting a cold and haven't been doing much.

I'll get it in today.

I still plan on trying a few of the games you posted, even just for fun. I don't know if there was a time frame on the extra credit for lesson 2.

Amethyst Rose

January 25th, 2005, 12:12 PM

Extra credit can be handed in at any time, and dont' need to be completed to move forward in the lessons and readings.

CanisFirebrand

January 25th, 2005, 01:25 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

My cards are stored in a nice green velvet type material, which also serves as the spread cloth. Once they are wrapped, they are placed in a nice wooden chest that keeps them safe. The chest was stained with a cherry color stain and a pentegram was burned into the top. It has a nice brass clasp to close the lid.

My cards are cleansed fully once a month. I will perform a small ritual I use to cleanse each card using the elements. I will pass the cards through incense smoke for fire and air as well as sprinkle(carefully so that the cards don't get too wet) water that salt has been put into for water and earth.

At the start of the reading, I'll pass the cards through incense smoke to do a quick cleansing.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

The symbolism used in the deck I choose is gothic in nature. The images contain such depicitions of gargoyles, ghosts, demons, angles, vampires and ghostly ethereal humans. The cards are mainly black and blue in color, though some do have colors such as red or green in them.

The number 3 is represented in a number of cards in this deck. From the first card, The Fool, there are 3 ravens present as well as 3 skulls.
On another card, there are 3 females surrounding a powerful looking vampire sitting on a throne.

The major arcana use the artists work to tell the story of the fool and his journey.
The minor arcana appear to use the same types of symbology as a Rider deck.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

I drew the Ten of Wands card.

This card features a beautiful female vampire, wearing a white dress, descending a set of curvinf stairs. The picture shows her with 3 steps in front of her still to travel, though I am certain there are a few more beyond the lower border of the card.

Behind her, surrounded by mist are the 10 wands. Each wand is a straight shaft with a metal looking circular piece on top with a red jewel in its center. Beyond the wands is blackness. And nothig can be seen beyond them.

In her right hand, she carries a candelabrum (three candles). The candles are burning and leaving a trail of smoke/heat behind them that has mist-like qualities to it.

At the base of the stairs on a pillar is a Gargoyle statue with its head turned looking at the female as she descends. The gargoyle is very feline in structure with wings in an open position and its mouth open as if to speak.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

To me, the card seems to represent acceptance of the path you have chosen. The 10 wands at the top of the stairs are seeming to block the path of the woman, should she choose to turn and ascend the stairs.
Combine that with the fact that the gargoyle has its head turned to watch the lady approach and has its mouth open as if to speak or beacon her to him. She is very much in her place and is seemingly resigned to the path she has chosen and is repeating it as if it is her nightly ritual. I get the feeling she is either descending to tend to the lighting(all the candles) in what would appear to be a castle, or is going to great a visitor.

I would guess its a card saying you must accept the path you have chosen and do not linger or think of what might have been by turning back. The path you came from is blocked and you can only continue on in your journey.

If you like, I can post an image of the card so that you can see if my description matches what it actaully looks like. :)

faerieridingdragons

January 25th, 2005, 08:15 PM

1.Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards,if you choose to at all.
Two of my decks {The Faerie Oracle and The Wolf Pack decks} are still in their original boxes,as I have yet to find or make them containers that they may prefer to their boxes.However my Gendron deck{which I'm using for this class} is in a small clear box which my hubby purchased for because it contained my favorite chocolates.I've yet to perform any type of cleansing on my decks,and was concerned about using the Gendron deck as I had purchased it second-hand.However I do believe that by it being in a box bought for me with love and filled with love that it has been cleansed,as the reading I did earlier has proven they are very intune with me.
2A.List all the types of symbolism that is used in your cards.
In my deck every card shows some form of plant and animal life.Most of the cards also contain some form of water,be it droplets,a waterfall,pond or lake.They also portray different religions from Native-American to Grecian.There are lots of pagan symbolism aswell as elemental.The colors are very vibrant and change from card to card.
2B.Shuffle and choose the top card.Describe every little detail of it to me.
The card I drew was The Sun.The sun on this card is looks like a giant yellow flower with touches of red and orange.There is an angel on the card done in beautiful blues and purples,and she has a pink&white flower in her hair and she holds a small ball of light in her hands.You can make out little beads of water on her wings,andalso every feather.There is a cute little red-haired girl who is wearing a red headband and has white beads at the ends of her many braids.Her cantalope-colored dress seems to compliment her lovely red-hair.She seems to be handing a flower simular to that of the sun to the angel.The little bird in the oppisite corner has it's wings spread as if in flight and is blueish-purple ontop while his underside is orange with just a touch of white under his eye.The border of the card is made up of smaller flowers just like those that the girl is holding.
2C.Tell me what your intuition says the card means.Don't worry about being wrong or right.
The first thing that popped into my head was forgiveness,although I'm not sure as to why I felt this card should have that meaning.I also thought about the giving and receiving of gifts or ideas.The bird in flight reminds me of freedom.

OriginalWacky

January 26th, 2005, 02:11 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.

I currently store my cards in the open on my bedside stand, which I happen to have built, so it's charged with all sorts of positive energy. (I can hardly wait to build my altar myself as well!) They stayed in my pillow for almost a year, soaking up all sorts of positive energy, as it's rare that I am unhappy in bed, because I'm almost always next to my love, and I rarely have bad dreams. It's just my cards in their box, and nothing else at this point; if the cards want something else, they'll let me know at that point. I think they like being out where the cats can rub on them and such. I've also used them to ground when I've had way too much hyper happy energy. I never use them to burn off anything negative, only the "good" things.

To cleanse my cards, I pulled all the stops out, and did a full blown ritual. I cannot reveal the details, as it was a very private and personal thing, but I combined aspects of ceremonial magick and general blessing rituals in a way that made sense to me. I only did that once so far, and I don't expect that I'll need to again, unless something happens that requires them to be cleansed. Thus far, they've not soaked up any yucky stuff that I've needed to get rid of.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.

I'm not quite sure exactly what you mean by what kinds of symbolism used. The cards have numbers, which can correlate to numerology, pictures which can correlate to life experiences, and they have color which can correlate to color correspondences. Beyond that, I generally just go with what the cards tell me, usually without much more than a cursory glance, because they most often give me some kind of impression right from the start.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.

The card I drew is the Nine of Pentacles. The main color of the card is yellow, which is a bright and cheery color. There is a woman on the card in a yellow robe, with red flowers on it, who is holding a bird on her left hand, probably a falcon, as she has a yellow falconer's glove, and the bird has a hood on, which is red. Her robe is long and flowing, not tied with any sash or belt, and the sleeves have quite large openings. Her right hand rests on one of the pentacles, and there are six of them on her right, leaving three on the left. On the right, the one she is resting her hand on is on top, then two under it, staggered, then one centered under those, then two more staggered under that one. The bottom two are resting on the ground. All of them are almost set into what appears to be vines, probably grapes, though the fruit is fairly red, rather tan green or purple. There are nine bunches of grapes visible, scattered around the pentacles and in the bushes they are set in. In the back, in the distance, there appears to be hills, or mountains that are very far away, which could have snow on the top, though it's hard to see for sure. There are two trees, one to each side of the woman, both standing very tall and strong in the background. To the left of the left tree, there is a castle way off in the distance, appearing to be something set near the hills/mountains. On the bottom of the card, there is a small snail in front of the woman, who apears to be on a path through the vinyard. She looks to be some kind of nobility, perhaps royalty. On her right hand there is a large ring on her index finger. She has her head tilted very slightly to the left, and it's turned towards the left to look at the bird. She appears to have a hood or cowl on her robe, which is laid back rather than covering her head. She has curly hair, which is either put up or fairly short, and a red hat/head covering. Her neck seems graceful, and is fairly slender. It seems as if her body is slender too, although the robe is fairly shapeless and doesn't really reveal. It appears that she doesn't have a large chest. The robe drags on the ground, towards the left, as if she had just come from that direction, like a bridal dress train almost. There doesn't appear to be any water in the picture, but the healthy look of the grapes/fruit makes one feel as if there is water nearby, or at least access to it. The fruit looks healthy and full. The three pentacles to her right are in a triangle, with the lowest one being set ust at the top of the train part of her robe, the next one off to the right of that one, and higher, so they would overlap about alfway were they directly above one another, and the highest one set just to the right of the bottom one, but fully above it, and to the left of the right one. She appears to be wearing something under the robe, though it's just a peek, so it's hard to determine if it's more, or part of the way the robe is made. The inside of the robe, where it is opened is red. Although one cannot see, I get the feeling that she is wearing slippers under the robe, not regular shoes. The ground is a maize yellow, and the sky is a bright almost canary yellow. The bird is nearly the same color as the ground, and has a hood on that almost looks like a mask. It appears to be sitting calmly, and is unrestrained.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.

I feel the card says something about accomplishment, either accomplishment already made, or soon to happen. She seems to be very calm and serene, and the bird is relaxed. Perhaps they have had a successful hunt? Or maybe they are embarking on one.

-Sky-

January 30th, 2005, 07:26 AM

Sorry for the extreme delay for this assignement!But they say "Better late than never",right? :)

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.
The truth is that until recently I haven't been paying much attention to storing and cleansing my cards except from little things.So i will tell you my future plans and ways of cleansing in general,i hope this is ok.
Storing the deck
Storing your deck is an exclusively personal choice but i believe that the cards should be kept inside something(whatever this is) by all means.This happens in order for the cards not to absorb any unwanted energies that may exist in the room or come from the persons living in the house.Also i think that when you are not working with the cards,they are sort of "resting" and regaining powers for the next reading.The cards are in some sort of meditation,if i can say it this way,so it would be good to aid them with items such as herbs or crystals.
Gemostones and crystals like amethyst or quartz that have psychic or healing qualities are excellent for tarot.Same goes with herbs.I usually like to place a quartz on top pf my tarot box.
Now,about where exactly I store my cards.I keep all my decks in their original boxes which i don't particularly like(except the Legend tarot box which is beautiful) but they are doing their job well.I don't feel that my cards complain about their storage but I am planning to buy a wooden box for every deck i have.Another idea would be to wrap them in purple or black sil to seal their energies.I might try this one also.
Cleansing the deck
Cleansing my cards have been troubling me a lot as lately I've had the feeling that my cards need cleansing desperately.My hopefully Imbolc is coming and i will have plenty of time to devote to my cards.Ways of cleansing:
-A Tarot cleansing and blessing ritual which can take place whenever you want.Personally i decided to do this ritual once or twice a year because it will be detailed.I will spend time purifying each card by sprinkling salt or passing through the smoke of incense.Then i will charge it with my personal power and finally ask the deities to get rid of any negative energu that has remained.At the end,i will leave it for 3 days in my altar,surrounded by crystals to be charged.
-Montly cleansing-Leave the cards under the light of the Moon to be purified by the power of the Goddess.I've been doing this for the past months and it has worked very good with my cards.But you can also leave the cards in the sunlight or in the balcony for 24h in order to get both the Solar and Lunar energies.
-Quick cleansing-Smudging,passing them through the smoke of a herb(preferably sage or whatever feels good) or incense(i like sandalwood,vanilla and lavender but it depends on the deck).Cleanse them with all the elements-Pass through smoke of incense,smoke of candle,sprinkle with salt or rub with crystal,sprinkle with water.Pu them in numerical order after doing a reading.
-For faerie related decks-I had this idea yesterday because I have myself the Faery Ring.You can make a faery ring in your balcony,garden or sacred place and leave the cards there for the night so that the faerie can bless them.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
It would take a long book to present all the symbolism of my deck because it is a purely pagan deck and it is enhance with many symbols throughout the cards.But i will give you here some categories of symbolism and example of 2 cards.
1.Scenery-Backgrounds- The scenery behind the persons or the wands/swords/cups/discs in every card is very important because it is inevitably related to the interpretation of the card and the other present symbols.I examined the cards and noticed some backgrounds that appear a lot:Stonehenge and other stone constructions,the full moon or the sun,forests,meadows-plains,mountains and lakes.And they usually help interpet the meaning of the card.
Random example of scenery:
The High Priest
Symbolism of Scenery: He is shown standing in a bright summer meadow at the time of the summer solstice.This is a time of glory when the days are long,the weather is warm,and plant and animal life flourishes.At his feet grow some of the sacred herbs of midsummer,which are the time are imbued with greater magical value and are gathered for protectiona and purification.
2.Animals- In the Major Arcana and the Court cards there are animals which are associated with the meaning or the archetypes shown in the card.The Celts gave great importance in spirt guides,familiars and animal omens so i believe that one interpreting the cards should be aware of their presence.Animals shown include-swan,badger,rabbit,wolf,other mammals and birds.
Random example of animal:
The Chariot:
Symbolism of animal: The cards shows Boudicca,queen of the Iceni who took their name from the horse.Horses represent the land itself,virility,fertility,strength and swiftness,as well as being the steeds of sun and moon deities.
White horses symbolize the sun and the light half of the year.while black horses are connected with the dark half of the year,death and the Underworld.The Celts also believed that souls traveled to the land of the dead on horseback.
2.Herbs-Plants-Trees- Herbs,plants and trees appear in almost all the cards and they are also important for the meaning as we know that each herb has qualities that can be used in spells and rituals.
Random example of herbs-plants-trees:
Death
The ivy is sometimes seen as the female companion to teh cron,the Goddess slayer of the Corn Lord.In England,the last sheaf to be cut in the harvest was bound with ivy and called "The Ivy Girl".The farmer who was last in with his harvest was given the "Ivy Girl" as his penalty,and it represented bad luck until the following harvest.The Ivy Goddess is the force that slays the Corn Lord so that he may feed us all.But she takes him back into her womb to await rebirth.

Now...I am not very familiar with astrological,numerological and Kabbalah symbolism but i searched and couldn't find any in my deck.I am not sure though...

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
Th card i got is number 12,"Sacrifice".The background of the card is a very green meadow.At the horizon we can see a forest,in the middle is the green meadow and as we approach the closest point of the card we can see red poppies in bloom.Above the poppies there is a corn dolly which is hang reversed like it is ready for sacrifice.The corn dolly is golden,except the face which is purple.Illustrated in the border of the card are poppies,cornflowers,blackberries and a little mouse.`

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.
So the card is number 12 and in my deck it is called "Sacrifice".It is a card i like and one i have met before in a reading.Based on the image,the cards' title but also my intuition here is what meaning i would give:On a mundane level-Our lives are a constant struggle of losing and wining.But sometimes in order to gain one thing we have to sacrifice another.We might be hesitant to make this sacrifice but in the end something new will be reborned and give us great pleasure.So if i was in an actual reading,I would tell the questioner to sacrifice something in order to gain something new and maybe better.
On a spirtual level-It means that the questioner is still in a stage of transition.She/he has to leave behind his old self,he/she needs to sacrifice who he was and be one with nature and the universe.But he must know that soon rebirth will come and he will be an evem better person.

Tell me what you think Amethyst Rose.
Blessings,
~Anna