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

gypsy0108

April 28th, 2005, 10:51 PM

Amethyst Rose

April 28th, 2005, 11:13 PM

Good job. :) Looking at the link you provided, I would say that animals, plants and colors are symbols that can be found in your cards.

FaerieGothMommy

April 29th, 2005, 02:39 AM

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

My cards are stored in a floral box, which is big enough for 8 of them to fit into nice and neatly. At the moment my cards seem very happy being stored in this way. There is also a green fabric with golden fairies printed over it, covering all of the cards.
Inside is a jade crystal which is a very calming stone, which i believe lets my cards cool down after a reading, and also in there is a beutiful picture i picked up at a garage/carboot sale for 50p GBP (95cents USD) which just called me to buy it, to go in with my cards. It just seemed perfect to put into the box with my cards, as though the woman depicted on the picture is watching over my cards for me.

I cleanse my cards in two different ways. If they have been sitting in a box for a while without being read, first i will pass the cards through some sandalwood incense, and then wave them through the air to get any residual energies off them that might have stuck to them.
Or, for cards which i use often - Every now and again, when i know they need a cleansing or the readings start to get a little foggy, i leave them on the windowsill in the moonlight over night, this seems to re-energise and refresh my cards.
After each reading i do, instead of going through a big cleansing each time, i will just tap them on a table, blow on them or wave them through the air. This seems enough for them until they need a more thorough cleansing.
Also, i occasionaly take my cards out for a walk with me, i pop them in my bag and off we go. I guess they like a bit of fresh air like we do :)

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

I chose my cosmic deck to go over the symbology with, as i think it contains quite a lot of significant symbology.

Cosmic tarot - The most dominent symbology in these cards is flowers and plants. I think nearly every single card has a flower or plant in, apart from the ace cards, and maybe a few minor arcana.
Thanks to LisaT4P, i have some great meanings for flowers.

Lotus - signifying eternal life.
White rose - new beginnings, secrecy, new love
Red rose - Innocence, love
Lily - Innocent, purity, virginity, chasity.
Tulip - avowed love, fame, charity.
cactus - Edurance, warmth
Grass - Submission, utility.

Another one is animals. The cosmic deck contains a lot of animals like birds, snakes, lions, scorpians, mountain goat, moose, dog, camel, horse, crab, cat, flamingo. I will have a go at researching a few, and taking some from the attachments you put for symbology in cards - i'll try my hardest to find the symbology for as many as i can.

Birds - i couldn't find a symbolic meaning for just "birds" i could only find a meaning for specific birds, so i'll give a few that i found :
Crow - resourcefulness, survival, death, change, harmony, justice.
Eagle - nobility, balance, courage.
Falcon - Freedom, healing.
Hawk - using your skills/talents. truth and expeirence.
Snake - shrewdness, rebirth
Lions - Assertion of the feminine and the power of the feminine sun (one i also researched : Power of feminine energy)
Goat - Surefootedness and seeking new heights
Moose - Primal feminine energies and the magic of life and death (also what i researched on the moose : headstrong, longevity, steadfastness)
Dog - Faithfulness and protection, strong spirit

Boats - there is a lot of boats depicted in the cards, usually in the background of a scene - i've done quite a bit of searching, and just cannot find any symbolic meaning for boats.
Yin yang Which comes up a lot in the cosmic deck - This usually represents, two conflicting opposites. Such as good and evil, day and night, light and shadow and so on...

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

Strength : Here a very wise, dominent looking young female standing in a field surrounded by plants which reach upto her waist. She is naked, but holding a peice of fabric to cover herself, with only her shoulders showing. On the fabric is printed a lion. Both the young female and the lion have some sort of crown/tiara type head peice. In the background you can see the sun blazing just behind the females head, with two trees. In the far distance is a smoking volcano.
The main colours shown in the card are greens, oranges and yellows.

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

I feel the card is saying that there may be an important situation or occurence going on in your life right now - but you are being very strong, not letting anything break you. The female seems as though she is going through spiritual and mental growth at this time in her life, maturing a lot and learning a lot on her way. This card to me, holds a lot of ambition and confidence, and this person knows where they want to go in life. There may be a few obstacles on the way, but she shows determination that she can overcome this.

nightstream

April 29th, 2005, 02:58 PM

1)

I have two plans for cleansing my tarot deck; I want to do a thorough cleansing (or what feels to me like a more thorough cleansing) when I get home from college for the summer, because I feel like it has picked up a lot of negative energy from being in my dorm room all year. I’ve had some problems with my roommate that have made me feel like most of my stuff that’s been in my room at school just has bad vibes, bad connotations or energy or whathaveyou stuck to it now. I plan on making cleansing my tarot deck a part of a cleansing ritual for all my ritual tools when I get home, but for now I’m starting to cleanse them before I use them by using a visualization. I hold them in my hands in a stack, between my palms, with a little bit of space between my palms and the cards, like I’m cupping them lightly. I take in a clean white light, a clean, cleansing energy, and let it flow out through my palms into the cards, until they’re glowing. I let a bit of a purple energy, an intuitive and spiritual energy, flow in, until the cards are glowing a lavender color in my mind.
I’ve been storing my cards in a drawstring bag that I bought for them a few years ago; it’s made of a green velour with little glittery sparkly bits in the material, and while I’ve been tempted to make another bag or a box for them, they just seem to work with this bag. I hadn’t thought of putting a crystal in the bag with them; that’s something I would like to try.

2A)

I don’t see much astrological symbolism in my cards, other than the Moon on the High Priestess card and the Sun on the Sun card (kind of “duh”, there… oh, and I’m using the Sacred Circle deck). However, there is insane amounts of animal and plant symbolism in these cards - pretty much all of the cards, including the minor arcana, have individualized plants and animals that go with them. In particular, the plants and animals are indigenous to the British Isles, and (supposedly - don’t know how much of this I trust, because I haven’t seen the information anywhere else) have meanings with them that correspond to meanings that were attributed to them by the Celtic peoples (I think some of it is definitely more modern, but that’s if I’m going by the symbolism that the book tells me). There’s also a lot of color symbolism in these cards. The suits each have a border that corresponds with the suit’s element (it’s a swords/air wands/fire deck as well), with clouds for Air, flames for Fire, flowing water for Water, and what looks like moss or marble for Earth. I see color symbolism playing into other places, too; just looking at the first three cards of the major arcana:
The Green Man (The Fool) - lots and lots of green. Newness, the wild world, beginnings
The High Priest - yellow, sky blue, some green - Air, intellect, purpose, projects
The High Priestess - dark blue, black, white, purple - Intuition, looking inside one’s self, the occult
That’s just a start!
There are also two other kinds of symbolism that are particular to this deck. There are many natural and man-made land formations, stone circles and other landworks featured in this deck, almost a new one for each card. They come with explanations of their symbolism in the book, though I’m starting to think that it would be a great idea to use this deck as a jumping-off point for learning about land formations in the British Isles. The other particular symbolism is the way each of the suits is represented. Swords are pretty much your basic sword (though I suppose they could have used the Celtic anthropomorphic hilt type sword, though they didn’t), but the other three suits use Celtic-specific items. There are carvings and shields featured in the Earth suit (though there are also some seven-circuit labyrinths featured as well, and I’m not sure how “Celtic” those are), the Arthurian Grail in the Water cards, and arrows and spears used as wands in the Fire cards.
(I’d like to also say that I feel weird about using the word “Celtic” so much - I’m pretty sure that this deck is more “Celtic-inspired” than actually Celtic (in any sense), but it’s the best descriptive word I have. I apologize if it offends people who know a heck of a lot more about Irish, Scottish, Welsh and other “Celtic” symbolism and myth than I do - I’m working with what I’ve got here… but I really do like this deck.)

Anyway.

2B)

I drew:

Movement - Knight of Cups

The border of this card is like the borders of the other Water cards: it has for blocks in the corners with an intricate round Celtic knot on them, which looks like it has a background of marble, shaded over with blue. Between the corner blocks are border strips that look like flowing water, edged in light blue. The card itself features a very steep, hilly background. The hillsides are lush and green, and there seems to be mist back in between the hills. There are trees in the distance on the far left hillside; behind them, the sky looks like it’s clouding over, with a storm coming soon. Closer in, it looks like there’s a waterfall coming off of the right hillside, which is also very lushly covered in moss. A tree stands close to the left bank of the river that runs down through the gorge between the hills; it has some sort of orange-y red fruit on it - apples? Standing in the rippling water of the river is a knight; he has a calm, strong expression on his bearded face, and holds aloft a chalice, almost like he’s toasting something, though his expression looks a bit too serious for that. He wears a helmet on his head and a chain mail tunic: his undershirt and leggings are a vibrant purple. Oddly, his chain mail seems to be turning purple at the bottom as well, as if the color is seeping up into the metal. He wears black boots, the cuffs of which come up above the water. Near his feet, an otter swims in the river, looking up at him quizzically.

2C)

This card reminds me more than anything of my patron God, Manannan. It’s not so much what the knight himself in the picture looks like, but the feeling that the card gives me. Though the knight looks serious, he’s also raising the chalice, both in a celebratory and almost challenging way. I feel as if the Knight is calling me forth into action, but the challenge doesn’t come out of anger, but out of a call to growth. It feels as if he has knowledge to teach me. The rich background makes me feel like I’m in a safe, secure place, with the hills reaching up around me; in this little valley with the river and waterfalls, I am in a place where the water gathers to flow out as a concentrated force. The apple tree provides for me. I am in a place where I am prepared to move forward. The otter looks up playfully; he tells me that I needn’t take the situation so seriously, that I can flow as easily through the water as he swims. I am ready, prepared, to flow with the stream, out of the valley toward where it will take me.

enchancea

April 29th, 2005, 05:10 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 drawstring bag with a crystal. I plan on cleansing them by smudging.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
Animals:
Rabbits - creativity helps one face fear
Horse - power, dependability
Two big cats - independence, playfulness, caution, and gracefulness
Lions - leadership, action, assists one in moving through fear
Hawk - Nobility, recollection, cleansing, messenger, observer, Solar, clarity, discrimination, inspiration,
the soul.
Doves - peace, calm, and simplicity
Wolf - teaching, the ability to establish healthy boundaries, encourages friendship and sense of community
Antelope - Grace, beauty.
Dog - loyalty, guardian, and protector
Owl - wisdom, clairvoyance, and clarity of thought
Peacock - wholeness, authority of self, and the expression of one’s own beauty
Swans - ability to see one’s own beauty and goodness

Plants:
Roses - hope, love, and beauty
Lotus - birth and rebirth.
Lilacs - Exorcism, Protection
Birch Trees - Protection, Exorcism, Purification
Cactus - Protection, Chastity

Other:
Babies - innocence, warmth and new beginnings
Moon - female principal
Stars - inspiration and cleansing
Snow -
Ocean -

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
Three of Staves - There is a woman with long wavy blonde hair that is wearing a white robe and holding a stick with leaves on it. She is looking out over a body of water. The picture is surrounded by a autumn scene.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.
I think it means new beginnings, turning your back on the past and looking for something new

PeleRising

April 30th, 2005, 12:05 PM

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

I store my Robin Wood Deck in a blue velvet bag that is then kept in a purple gauzy bag with both a moonstone and a carnelian.

For cleansing, I do several things. In the general course of the day, after doing a reading or a daily pull I will often tap my cards on the table or even on my leg to knock off any negativity or energies they may have picked up. Also from time to time I enjoy (and the cards do as well) taking the cards, and one by one…I put them into order. If I feel the cards need a more through cleansing I will sort them into order, and then place them with a quartz crystal sitting on top, and occasionally I have placed them under the full moon with a crystal on top of them.

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

There is a lot of symbolism in the Robin Wood deck. Most prevalent is the use of colors. For example, the people on her cards are often dressed in clothing with many colors… A person wearing a combination of white, blue and red could be indicating a pure heart, one who is dedicated to both the Goddess and the God, a courageous person etc. Every color she adds into her cards has a specific reason for being there. She also uses animals, insects, plants, trees and some occult symbolism. There is an entire chapter on the symbols she uses on her cards in Robin Wood Tarot: The book by Robin Wood. This book is fascinating, especially if you are interested in why the artist drew her cards the way she did.

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

10 of Swords~ This card at first appears quite dark. The sky (the top of the card) is black. Towards the middle of the card or the horizon it is a darkish yellow (as if the sun is rising) but its not a glorious sunrise, in fact if you aren’t paying attention you might miss that the sun is coming up the sky is so dark. Off in the distance are mountains, and in the forefront of the card is a body that is lying on the ground impaled with 10 very different swords. Very different in that they have different hilts and the swords themselves differ in width of the blades and how deeply they are embedded in the person. The person appears to be a young male (and I say this because of the hair and the clothing style and the other cards I have seen in the deck) with blond hair. He is laying face down but his right arm is cocked back, almost as if he was trying or is trying to get up but doesn’t have the strength as of yet to push himself up. His arm is oddly placed… the elbow is up in the air, but instead of his palm being on the ground it is instead facing up.

He is wearing a rich looking purple tunic with a yellow shimmery undershirt, and a leather belt with a gold buckle around his waist. Underneath his body is a pool of blood, and he is lying on bare earth. But the blood doesn’t appear to be staining his tunic underneath him or even where the swords are impaling him. Around him in scattered areas appears to be snow, and more bare earth.

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

This card can indicate a person who is impaled with an enormous amount of troubles. Many different types of troubles, differing in how deeply they are weighing down the person. Although it looks like these troubles will kill this person… that they should in fact be dead with all the problems facing them, they actually look worse then they truly are. Above the person in this card the sky is all dark… but off in the distance the sky is lightening up. The fact that there is no blood pouring out of the persons wounds tells me that although it looks horrid… its really not as bad as even the person thinks. This card also says to me… its always darkest before the dawn. Hitting the bottom of the barrel etc.

Its also a bit dramatic. This card reminds me a bit of my children… when things are bad for them the world is falling apart… One sword would kill this person… but 10? Seems a bit much to me.

Nellie

May 1st, 2005, 03:57 PM

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

I store my cards in a velvet draw string bag which also holds a very old Tiger's Eye crystal (belonged to my Nanny) for protection. This then goes into my wooden box with my other Oracle cards. I've also placed a clear Quartz terminated crystal on top of the cards. I did this previously with the Oracle cards, so have just continued keeping it there. The box is placed under my bed. I cleanse my cards before each reading with a quick burst of Reiki. I also Smudged them when I first bought them. As I am starting to use them regularly now I will start Smudging them more frequently.

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

There appears to be loads in my deck, more than I had noticed until this assignment. The Wands which are associated with the fire element show Salamander's which are said to live in fire. The Pentacles representing the Earth element have animals - rabbits, mice & dogs. The Cups in association with the water element show sea creatures while the Swords in association with air show birds and butterflies. There is also plenty of Zodiac symbols. One thing that does confuse me with this is the lack of consistency. For example the fish - in the Page of Cups is a symbol for potential for deep understanding of the inner world; in the King of Cups the fish represents feelings that are not reined in and an ornamental fish represents feelings kept in control. There is also use of colour and the characters clothing, from the style to the colour, each signifying something different. I do find all this confusing and without looking in the LWB often miss them.

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

Page of Wands - The card shows a young man facing his right. He is looking into the distance. He holds in his right hand a wand which is leaning to the left of the card, while his left hand is placed on his hip. He is wearing yellow & orange clothes, which have both suns and salamanders on to represent the fire element of the card. The Page is standing on sand, while above him the sky is yellow. He is wearing a cap with a feather.

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

Well I know that the Page can represent the beginning of something, or somebody new entering your life. The wand in his right hand, the action hand makes me think its something he will participate in (leaning to the left) creatively. He is looking into the distance - could be looking into the future rather than seeing what he needs to in the present.

Khaelo

May 1st, 2005, 11:59 PM

This is part 1 of the assignment. Part 2 is pending.

I don't actually have special plans for storing and cleansing my cards. They live on a shelf under my altar in their original boxes which are in good condition. Cleansing...well, I just don't feel the need right now. None of my decks seem to collect negative energy, not even the ones I got from used bookstores.

That said, there have been situations where Tarot cards have come to me without convenient homes. My in-progress homemade deck, for which I use index cards, obviously lacks a box. Therefore, I have come up with a way to make Tarot boxes using normal office supplies. I typed it up, and now it looks complicated, but it's really quite simple. :nyah:

How to make a Tarot box out of a piece of paper (computer paper, construction paper, etc):

Supplies:
Your deck
A piece of paper
Scissors
Tape
Ruler (helpful)
Decorations (optional :))

Directions:
Step 1 -- Making the pattern. An example pattern is attached to this post. All lines are straight and parallel/perpendicular (If you've got something like a Motherpeace Tarot, you're on your own. ;)). Obviously, the exact dimensions will vary according to the particular deck. There are a few proportions to keep in mind.
-> Use your deck to make lines with no little green marks. I like to make the lid (sec. 12) and bottom (sec. 14) just a smidge larger than the height and width of a card.
-> Lines with TWO little green marks should all be approximately the same length, the depth of your deck (the "spine" is sec. 13).
-> Lines with ONE and THREE little green marks should be longer than the TWO little green mark lines. How long depends on your piece of paper.

Step 2 -- Fun with scissors. Cut the red lines. Trim if any proportions are out of whack. Sections 1&2 and 6&7 can be trimmed the long way (shortening lines with two green marks) if you want your lid to be less bulky.

Step 2.5 -- If you decide to decorate before folding and assembling the box: Sections 2, 7, 11, and 12 will become your lid. Sections 4, 9, 13, 14, and 15 will become the bottom of the box. Sections 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 10 will be invisible.

Step 3 -- Fun with folding. By "inside," I mean the side of the paper which will become the inside of your box.
-> Fold the strip of sections 2-4 towards the inside of the box, along the black line. Do the same with sections 7-9.
-> Fold sections 1, 7, and 11 against the inside of the box as if they were a single strip, again along the black line. Do the same with 6, 10, and 15.
-> Fold 12 against the inside of 13 and 14. Then fold 15 against the inside of 12 and 13. Section 13, the spine of your box, should now be flanked by folds going towards each other.
-> Stand section 11 up so that it is perpendicular to the sheet of paper. Lay sections 1 and 4 against the inside of 11. Tape. You may be able to fold the outside edge of 11 over 1 and 4, which is helpful. Tape that, too. You now have a lid.
-> Do the same thing with section 15, laying sections 6 and 10 against the inside and taping them.
-> Lay sections 3 and 8 against the inside of sections 4 and 9 respectively. Tape. Voila. You have a box.

Step 4 -- Finishing touches. Your box is now functional if not pretty. You may want to do some extra taping, especially along corners and edges. I'm prone to paper cuts, so I like to cover all raw edges with decorative or subtle Scotch tape. Fastening the box closed can be tricky. If the box turns out nicely, it may not need a fastener. If not, rubber bands work well but aren't particularly elegant. A stickie tab made out of tape also works, but it can be somewhat annoying to operate. Personalize the box to your (and your deck's) taste.

Sources: This is somewhat based on the box for my Robin Wood deck, but it's mostly the result of trial and error on my part. If there are any ambiguities in the directions, please let me know -- I'm not a spacial relations person. :awwman:

LisaT4P

May 2nd, 2005, 07:24 AM

Storage & Cleansing:
I am using the DruidCraft Tarot for this class, I have these cards stored in a Reader’s Cloth that was made especially for this deck by CJTarot. http://www.geocities.com/magickcottage/ (http://www.geocities.com/magickcottage/) You can see what a Reader’s Cloth looks like at her website. My other decks are stored in the boxes they came in, various bags and then stored in a large, trunk-like box that I got at Target. (I love Target) What is interesting about the box is that it even has a little detail on it that looks like a club from the suit of clubs on playing cards. I will try to take images of both the box and the Reader’s Cloth and post them here. I store the decks with an incense stick, not because of any cleansing issues, but because it makes them smell good.

I rarely feel the need to cleanse a deck. The only time I’ve needed to do that was when I got a deck that smelled horribly of cigarette smoke and I tried smudging, burying it in baking soda, wiping it with a fabric softener sheet… lots of different things until I finally just threw them in the clothes dryer on low heat and let them run for a few minutes. That got ‘em clean. LOL

Symbolism used in deck:
Colors
Numerology
Plants / trees / flowers
Animals
Druidry
Wicca
Gods & Goddesses
Celtic influences (such as spirals carved in stones, etc.)
Facial expressions and body postures

2 of Swords
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/RGareth/2ofSwords.jpg

Description:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference" - Robert Frost

Here we see a young woman. She is sitting on a lichen covered rock. She is partially clothed in a bright, red cloak, but it only falls over one shoulder and down part of her back. The rest of her nude body is exposed. She has long, auburn hair and we can see from behind that someone has tied a bit of white cloth as a blindfold over her eyes. On either side of the rock are some small blue flowers, perhaps bluebells. In her hands in front of her she holds two short swords crossed over her chest.

Directly in front of the young woman stands an old, gnarled tree. The bottom portion is touched by the sun and we can see it is covered in moss. The upper branches are in shadow. Two paths lie before the woman, one to the right and one to the left. It is interesting that there does not seem to be a path behind the woman, where she may have walked from. It seems as though she must have come from either the right or left path that are already in front of her. Perhaps she decided to take a bit of a rest on the rock while deciding to either move forward or go back.

To the left we see a path that is mostly shadow. To the right the path has a tiny bit of sky peeking through the trees. Neither path looks particularly inviting or threatening.

Interpretation:
To me this card is always interpreted as “sitting on the fence” and not making a decision. But, a decision has been made whether we like it or not, for “if we choose not to decide we still have made a choice”. Either path is valid, neither are good or bad. We must make a decision which path to follow. This is not as urgent as a 2 of Wands would be, however. The Swords suit is about intellectualizing and thinking things through. A logical and well researched decision should be made, but we must also take care not to over think the situation.

FaerieGothMommy

May 2nd, 2005, 08:47 AM

I store the decks with an incense stick, not because of any cleansing issues, but because it makes them smell good.

I just wanted to add, i also do this! I keep a few sandalwood incense sticks in with the box where i keep my cards, i feel though that it keeps them happy, and they smell really nice too!

i_am_serenity16

May 3rd, 2005, 03:16 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) I currently store my deck in a wooden box that has sides of padded silk. The cards are wrapped in a silk purple handkerchief. I keep this box directly above my bed… I only started doing this a few weeks ago at the suggestion of a friend. Since I put the cards there my dreams have been much more vivid and colorful.
I cleanse my cards outside in the moonlight. This is how I cleanse all of my ritual tools and I’ve always really loved doing it this way. Typically I set them out in their box, which I leave open with the silk cover off of them, in the late evening and bring them back in early in the morning.
2a) My deck uses a lot of color symbolism, animal symbolism, and plant symbolism. Those are the only ones that I can really see influencing my cards. Occasionally I see a card or two that will have symbolic weather such as rain, lightning, etc. Occasionally fire and insect symbolism pops up in a few cards.
2b) I drew the Star (XVII). The background of the card is completely black except for a 7-pointed yellow star in the background. The star has 15 little rays of yellow light coming off of it. Just in front of and to the left of the star is a woman. She is barefoot with dark skin and flowing golden hair, green eyes and is smiling. She is wearing a golden dress with stars on it. She is holding a blue vase and pouring it out. Smaller yellow stars are coming out of the vase that she is emptying there are seven of these smaller stars. They are different than the 7-pointed main star… smaller and not pointed. They are more like small balls of light with a star shape inside and yellow rays of light coming out of them.
2c) My intuition tells me that this card means happiness, hope and good luck. To me the color yellow has always symbolized happiness and it is the dominant color in this card. Stars to me have always represented light and happiness in a dark time.

Rhianna813

May 3rd, 2005, 03:23 PM

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

I store my Robin Wood deck in the box it came in. I really like the box because it opens on the side, not on the top like most decks. I feel the cards enjoy being in their snug little box, even though it’s partially taped together. These cards were first cleansed with milk, literally. I received them as a birthday gift from DH and was so excited that I brought to work the next day to have a good look at them. I put them (box and all) in a bag with my lunch and a container of milk. When I got to work the milk had leaked and gotten all over the cards! I was so panicked! I dried each card off individually and layed them out on my desk to dry. The box is now all taped together but the cards are fine. Normally I just smudge my decks with sage to clean them. Sometimes I put the cards back in numerical order as I read this helps to balance the energy.

My Enchanted Tarot and Sacred Circle Tarot are stored with a puffy hair scrunchy around them. Enchanted has a bright blue one and Sacred Circle has a velvety brown one. I have no idea why I chose to do this but have for some years.

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

The Robin Wood deck contains a lot of European Pagan oriented symbolism and I think the only Christian based symbolism is the traditional looking Heirophant and perhaps the Angel on the Temperance card.

Mythical animals: phoenix, unicorns, seahorses, pegasus, dragon.
Animals: cat, dogs, horses, falcon, lions, swan, fish, butterflies, rabbits, wolf.
Nature: suns, moons, stars, Earth, lightning, lush foliage, trees, mountains, water, crystals, roses, lilies, sunflowers, grapes/vines, fruit.
Tools: spinning wheel, carving and chiseling tools, walking sticks, swords, scale, telescope, paint palate, flute, harp, chains, lattern, firecrackers.
Occult tools: crystal ball, books, chalice, crystal tipped wands, pentacles, candles, blindfold, circlet, cauldron, cloaks.
Symbols: infinity, crescent moon, astrology, ying yang, venus/female, hearts, rainbow.

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

6 of Pentacles

A man who is brightly and richly dressed in red, purple, and fur with grapes and leaves on his over tunic and gold pentacles stringed around his neck. He looks perhaps 30 and quite happy. He holds a scale perfectly balance in his right hand and hands a shiny gold pentacle to someone with his left hand. There are rays beaming from the pentacle which appears to match those of his necklace. Many sets of hands reach up to receive the coins. The bits of sleeve shown on these arms look tattered.

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

This man is generous and he is happy to be giving. Many people are in need. At first they appear be lesser than the man because he is so detailed and prominent on the card. They are faceless, just outstretched hands. But the scale he holds is balanced. It’s held in his right hand which is his active hand. His left, receptive hand is actually the one that shares the riches. Because the coin he gives looks like the ones he wears around his neck – he is giving “of himself”. To me this shows true balance. The balance of rich and poor, give and take, ebb and flow, of nature. I also think this card is about reward and how it is both rewarding to receive and to give.

Rhianna

Khaelo

May 3rd, 2005, 08:51 PM

First, the Art Nouveau deck uses the Sword=Fire, Wands=Air symbol system. This is the primary reason I keep this particular deck around despite a general preference for the Robin Wood. Given their associations with war/violence, blood, pain, death -- not to mention phallic/sex -- swords mean fire to me. Swords do real, visceral damage. Wands, on the other hand, are abstract tools, like the intellect. They're more subtle. The traditional pairing of Swords with Air and Wands with Fire just irritates me. I love the Robin Wood deck, but that's my major quibble with it.

Anyway, on to the assigned commentary...

Symbolism in the Art Nouveau deck:
Color: Absolutely. The artist uses rich colors throughout the deck, but Minor Arcana cards are dominated by elemental hues. The Cups couple are dressed in flowing aquamarines, nautical blues, and kelp greens. The Coins couple wear golds and brownish reds, surrounded by green masonry. The Staves and Swords aren't as classic. Since Myers reversed the elemental associations, clearly visible on the Aces, he seems to have compensated by using color imagery to invoke more traditional Rider-Waite meanings for the cards. The Staves feature the money-green of business and ambitious reds along with sky blues. The Swords are dominated by purples as well as blood crimson. To be quite honest, this particular choice perplexes me. Aside from looking gloomy, I'm not sure how purple contributes to the meaning of Sword cards. Spirituality? Mystery? {Edit: Purple could go with fire if you think of smoke, I suppose. In any case, it makes the cards look very dark. Also, I omitted the Major Arcana colors because each one has a ton of symbols on it, and going through the color scheme on all of them would be tedious.}

Numerology: Presumably, the artist used it in constructing the arc of the Minor Arcana stories. All four of the 7s seem to involve dreams -- both Swords and Cups show the man dreaming of the woman -- and plans. I don't understand how that fits with the given meaning of 7 on the www.realmagick.com site ("choice, wisdom, the need to make decisions, harmony dispelled, spiritual development, morality," etc.). The mysteries of numerology...

Astrology: Nope.

Animals: Yup. The Ace and court cards of each suit has a symbolic animal -- weasels for Coins, salamandars for Swords, songbirds for Staves, fish for Cups. The Fool chases a butterfly, the Devil is wearing a snake around his waist, and fish leap at the Star's feet. There really aren't all that many animals apart from those. {Edit: Strength has her traditional lion, and the Chariot is drawn by bickering griffins. Do these count as animal symbols specific to the deck, or just general Tarot imagery?}

Plants: Yes. The Swords have tulips (?! specifically identified by the LWB, but no explaination why tulips in particular), the Staves have "flowering vines" (honeysuckle, maybe?), the Cups have water lilies, and the Coins have "roses and brambles." The plant symbology, unlike the animal, twines through the borders of the story cards as well. In the Major Arcana, floral patterned fabric is prevalent -- the Lovers cuddle under a pomegranate-decorated tent, indicating fertility. The Empress has both fruits (fertility/bounty) and flowers (sexuality/beauty) on her canopy (both are also femininity symbols). Strength sits under an oak tree, holding the potential strength of another in the form of an acorn. The World is "wreathed in branches" (looks like holly: evergreen -> eternity?). There are thistles growing at the Priestess's feet for unknown reasons.

Kabbalah: Not in this deck. Thankfully. _whistle_

Pick A Card: Ten of Cups
This card is the final card in the Cups couple's sequence. A blonde woman and strawberry-blond man sit together with a chubby baby and a chalice on their lap. Each has a hand on the chalice. All three are wearing green, blue, and evening violet. The woman rests her head against the man's shoulder, and he leans against her. A river flows out from under the couple...well, from under the woman's voluminous prom dress, mostly...towards the reader. There are flowers in the woman's hair. She also has quite some cleavage -- is that symbolic? :bigredgri (The Cups woman's dress is strapless, whereas the other three story-women have straps, sleeves, or a cape on their gowns.) The family looks calm and content. The border features yellow water lilies, some froggish green patches, and a lot of gem-like blue drops. The number "10" appears in a turquoise oval.

Meaning of Card: Ten of Cups
Family harmony. The "ideal" family, be it marriage or children or both. Long-term relationship peace. Fertility. A beneficial or calming influence. Hope. Dreams come true. Sharing. Co-operation. Looking towards a bright future. The flow/river of time bringing good things; the subtle reminder that such things can be transient. Calm. Happily ever after. Love running deep. Potential.

For anything better than these generalities, I think I need context.

There, no more parts of assignment pending. :)

GiftOfTheGoddess

May 4th, 2005, 05:16 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.
I plan on cleansing my cards by (like you suggested) blowing off the negative energy and then smudging them. Right now I am storing them in the little bag they came in but eventually I want to get a cloth bag to store them in.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
I suppose in the minor arcana, color is a form of symbolism used, although I disagree with what the colors represent. For instance, they have yellow for Earth(coins) and green for Water (cups). I haven't seen too much symbolism in these cards, I think they are supposed to be telling a story instead.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
Top card is the Queen of Cups. It has the word Charm on it. There is a green plaid design around the picture. In the background is a faded forest. The queen is sitting down and holding a chalice in her left hand, her right hand is resting on her lap. Her cloak and the front of her gown has labrys on it (the double headed axe thing, I think thats what its called) and the cloak also had crescent moons. The queen is blonde and doesn't look very happy, although that could just be the way the artist makes faces.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right
Well, her cloak and gown have labrys on them, and the cloak also has crescent moons. These are both feminine symbols. The card has the word Charm on it. Because of this I think the card is about a charming woman. She looks unhappy so maybe she's charming on the outside but not very happy on the inside. Or maybe the artist just makes his people look unhappy on accident.

dolphincity47446

May 5th, 2005, 01:56 PM

1. Tell plans on storing and cleansing cards, if you chose to at all.

When I bring a new deck home, I do a through cleaning on them. First, I take a very damp cloth with boiled salt water and wipe off each one of the cards. As I am wiping the cards off I imagine wiping away the dust and negativity off the cards. Then I refreshen them by gliding each one of the cards through some sandlewood insence and finally I let them sit overnight with a quartz crystal on top of them.

In between readings I just blow on each card and imagine the negativity flying off of them and disappearing in the air.

If it has been awhile since they've been cleaned I like to "refreshen" them by sitting a quartz crystal on top of them and sitting them between two white candles. I like to let the white candles burn down before I mess with them.

2a. List all the types of symbolism that is used in your cards.
I am now using the Gilded Tarot deck. I just got this deck this week. The Gilded Tarot tarot uses all kinds of symbolism.

Astrology: There is quite a bit of astrology symbols in this deck, especially in the Major Arcanas. I have not really had the opportunity to do any research regarding the astrology as of yet, but I do plan on doing that.

Animals: I see a lot of animal symbols in my deck.

Lamb: Intellect, loving, obedience
Crows: Intellengce, watchfulness, magical, past life connections, law.
Peacock: Wisdom and vision, obstenetartious, protective and powerful.
Pigeon: Love and security of home, fertility, archetypal energies.

Colors: Color symbols really stand out in this deck. For example the color green stands out in the Queen of Pentacles and the King of Pentacles.

Flowers/Plants and Trees: These are still symbols in this tarot deck but I don't feel that they show as much as the symbols that are listed above.

Numborolgy: Numberology is also symbolised in this deck.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Descibe every litlle detail of it.

I drew the 2 of Swords.

This card has two swords facing down in the center of the card. Above the two swords there is a shape of a woman's head, the woman has shoulder legnth hair. You cannot see her eyes because there is a gold band around her eyes. This card is very clouded at the bottom and clearer at the top towards her head with a lot of blue on the card. There is a full moon underneath her. There are little specks of light on the each side of her head.

2c. Tell what your intuition says that the card means.

My intuition tells me that this card means fear of seeing everything that needs to be seen. She may be seeing only the things she wants to see. She wants to move forward without seeing everything which may not be good for her. There is a need to see everything before moving on to her next adventure.

Greybird

May 5th, 2005, 09:55 PM

Note: I will get a picture of the card I chose in the later part of the assignment tomorrow for reference.

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

I handle both cleansing and storing in one fell swoop. When I was growing up, living with my grandmother, she had a beautifully inlaid, velvet lined Italian lacquered wooden box with a hidden catch that she used to keep family photos in. After her death I inherited the box (which was in the background in this (http://greybird3339.home.insightbb.com/rwref2.jpg) shot from lesson #1). Not only is it surrounded by all sorts of fond memories, I found it to be the perfect size to hold a deck of tarot cards with an inch or so of extra space. I keep a large quartz in that extra inch to keep the cards cleansed – both of negative energies and of positive ones. To me, readings are intended to be objective, and neither negative nor positive energy prior to the actual readings seem conducive to this. I prefer that the cards have only their own, innate energies until I need them. In reading them, they are naturally imbued with the energy related to the situation. When I’m done, they’re returned to the box to be stored and re-cleansed until the next time they’re needed. A couple drops each of lemongrass and bay leaf essential oils were added to the inside corners of the box. The two scents are used for both purification and for enhancing psychic awareness. The cards themselves have become infused with the scents, which in addition to their traditional uses, have begun to signal my own mind that it is time for a reading.

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

Whooph. I’m not sure I could list all of the specific symbolism. I used to meditate to the Rider-Waite deck, and even after looking at a certain card for hours I would sometimes recognize a new bit of symbolism in a color or the positioning of an element. In more general terms, the cards (Robin Wood tarot) are based off of the Rider-Waite deck, and most of the elements remain, although the symbolism has been replaced with more pagan imagery. Nonetheless, swords remain air and wands fire. Cups and pentacles round out the four. While the numbered cards retain the Rider-Waite elements, the aces and court cards are heavily imbued with their elemental correspondences. The Knight of Cups, for instance, isn’t just shown as a guy on a horse near a river – he is wearing scaled armor, sitting on a hippocampus with a mane like a breaker, riding across waves, all of which is done in aqua colors and decorated with shells and fish. The hippocampus even has the elemental symbol for water worked into its bridle.

Almost everything has potential symbolism. The colors of the Fool’s hose, the horned stag hat on the Magician, the black and white trees behind the High Priestess, the astrological symbols on the Empress’s spinning wheel; the wheel itself. There are plenty of examples of each – the crows (Norse symbolism - Hugin/Munin?) and rams on the Emperor, the lion on Strength, and the phoenix on Judgement all show animal symbolism. The Ace of Wands has sunflowers, there are grapes throughout the pentacles, and a rose on Death’s flag – there is certainly flower symbolism. The woman on The Star has one black bowl, and one white one. The woman on the Eight of Swords is wearing white, but bound in bright red. The wands are full of yellows and reds. All of these things are examples of color symbolism, although it is interesting to note that on many of the minor arcana, the artist has found a way to incorporate a spectrum – multicolored jewels, paint palettes, rainbows, and so on. Robin Wood’s are style means that trees tend to be rather abstract and impossible to identify. There are scads of literal symbols – astrological symbols are found throughout the cards, as are elemental symbols, lunar symbols, triscales, and so forth. There is more abstract symbolism in the images themselves – why are all of the stars on The Star eight-pointed? Why is the window on the Eight of Pentacles half blocked? Why are three of the Five of Cups spilled? Why, on the Magician, High Priestess, and Chariot are the black elements on the left, and the white on the right? Anyway, if you look hard enough at a card, almost every element can be seen as symbolic. They weren’t designed as they were by accident – the patterns on someone’s cloak weren’t put there for filler. It is all quite intentional and meaningful.

To me, that is the real joy of the tarot.

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

I drew the King of Cups.

It is either early evening or late morning – I’m leaning more toward evening. The sky is light above, but in the distance purple thunderclouds float. The sky beneath the clouds is diagonally streaked pink. It looks the way rain looks from a distance. Beneath the storm is a purple sea. It is rough, but not violently so, the way a generally flat section of sea looks like when a brisk wind blows across it. In the distance, a solitary dolphin leaps above the surface. The whole scene reminds me ever so much of watching thunderstorms brew over the mountains in the desert; a sense of awe at the majesty of the storm, tempered by a bit of foreboding at the sheer power of it.

In the middle of this scene of the gathering storm is a large, rough natural pillar of black rock. The waves break against it, splashing foam into the air. Atop the rock sits the King of Cups himself. He’s a middle aged man, just starting to show some age around his eyes. He has shoulder length golden hair, and a medium length matching beard. He looks content and knowing – the quiet confidence that comes from being in one’s own environment. He sits there against a back rest of what looks a bit like large gray scales. Both feet rest on the rock, the left a little higher than the right. His left hand is sitting on his left knee, while his right hand loosely holds a golden chalice (the cup itself) up at chest height. Around the top of the cup is a band of silver in which is a ying-yang symbol.

He wears aquamarine robes, loose and flowing. Around the lower ten inches or so of the hem is a scene of a seascape with a bright blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and a rolling bright blue ocean. Seagulls fly in the sky. The lower hem of his robe dangles in the ocean. It doesn’t just touch the water; it blends and melds with it such that you can’t tell where the water ends and the King himself begins. His robe is belted in gold, fastened with a seashell buckle. Over his robes, the King wears a regal purple mantle. On his head rests a golden crown, something of a large, ornate circlet, the front of which is a three pronged trident. Around his neck is a golden necklace of stars alternating with spheres, a gold fish pendant hanging in the center of his chest. His feet are adorned in golden slippers. To his right is a bit of what looks like white cloth, flowing off of the throne like a waterfall, and disappearing behind his robes.

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

A gathering storm – rough times on the horizon, an intimidating situation. The King, so comfortable and sure, obviously understanding what is going on around him, means that by drawing on experience and knowledge, the storm can be weathered. The hope of a clear, bright day is echoed in the scene along the hem of his robes. The way his robes flow into the sea tell me that he isn’t weathering the storm by being separate from what is going on around him, but by being immersed in the environment. This isn’t earth, standing strong against the storm, but water, flowing with it and being a part of it. The storm, while it seems intimidating, is, underneath it all, just an experience to go through – a bit of a wild ride, but not really a danger.

Catiana

May 7th, 2005, 05:14 PM

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

I keep my cards in a Celtic clothe bag. I cleanse them with incense and moonlight. After each use I put all of the cards back in order.

List all of the types of symbolism that is used in your cards

Animal - There is at least one dragon on every card.

Color - The colors used in the deck are very muted and pastel which I think very much symbolizes the feeling of the deck.

Shapes: There are Celtic symbols on every card.

The overall have a very medieval feel to them. The people are all wearing medieval style clothing and the backgrounds have a very medieval feeling to them.

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

I drew the Queen of Cups

There is a blonde woman sitting a chair with a rounded back. The arms of the chair are shells that scallop down with peals at the bottom. The back of the chair has like blue swirls on it. The woman is wearing a circlet of shells on the head. Her blue and lavender dress has a gold collar with Celtic symbols on it which matches the armband that she is wearing.

A small water dragon is sitting on her right arm. She is holding a gold chalice in her left hand.

She is wearing gold sandals with one foot tucked behind the other.

She has a serene look on her face.

Tell me what you intuition says the card means. Don’t worry about being wrong or right.

Looking at the card says tranquility to me. The Lady looks at peace. Like she has finished a difficult task and now she can sit back and enjoy the results.

LisaT4P

May 7th, 2005, 05:20 PM

Because the coin he gives looks like the ones he wears around his neck – he is giving “of himself”. To me this shows true balance. The balance of rich and poor, give and take, ebb and flow, of nature. I also think this card is about reward and how it is both rewarding to receive and to give.
RhiannaJust wanted to say that I love your take on this card. I had not seen this aspect of it before, the giving of one's self. Love that! _handclapp

angelbaby

May 8th, 2005, 07:45 AM

I cleanse my cards by running them through frankinsence incense and them "blowing" off the negitive energy. They are currently stored in a black silk drawstring bag. I keep them in a bamboo box that I found. I also sometimes put a moonstone in there, not sure why just felt right.

The symoblism in my cards: I"m using the Celtic Dragon tarot, there is lots of colors, alot of celtic circles and loads of dragons (go figure..lol) there are also a lot of cats on the some of the cards. The colors and the celtic symbols are what stands out the most though. The suit cards all have the respective symbols there also. THe swords represent action, the wands represent thought, the cups represent emotion, and the pentacle represent material things.

The top card I pulled was the three of swords. There are three fire dragons twisted in a cirlce fighting, with each of them holding a sword. The sky around them is full of fire and there is a blazing forest beneath them. There is lots of reds and orange hues.

Intrepreation: This could be a time of disagreement and maybe fighting a decision, or needing to chose between something. Could even indicate a disupute with someone. Not really sure if this card applies to anything in my life right now, although perhaps I should keep an eye open for any trouble or tough decision that may lay ahead of me. Maybe even be cautious about the people I consider my friends as this could indicate something negative that is occuring, or whatnot.

IvyWitch

May 8th, 2005, 11:37 AM

(bear with me if my spelling is off...I can only use one arm today..and I don't have my glasses...)

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

Storage: Currently I store all my decks in hand dyed silk wraps in beautiful gradient colors. They are made to be scarves or hair wraps (like Muslim women use), but the warps are so beautiful (and, well, the price was right). Anyway my decks get wrapped in a color that I think matches the theme, art style an color types used on the cards. I also want to keep each deck in a bag, but I only have one so far. All of my decks get sored in the drawer 'o Pagan stuff, where I keep my candles and incense and other stuff.
Cleansling: Initially I would like to do a more elaborate ritual to cleanse the deck, and thjen use something simple to cleanse inbetween readings. I would take the deck and take one card at a time and observe it (more of a "becoming friends with the deck" thing tan a study thing) and pass it through incense smoke. This also would be a scent I think matches the cards. And for cleansing between uses I would keep the deck with a stone (either amethyst, quartz, or moonstone) that was itself cleansed and charged by the full moon, and I would leave the deck with the stone in the full moon light once a month.

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

Everything on the Old Path deck means something - mainly the symbolism used in the cards revolves around color, plant, element and animals. Very heave on all three, but in comparing all the cards there is more plant and color (present in all of the cards) than animal (present in about half the cards, possibly a little less). It also uses objects as symbols (like papers and boats), and also a good deal of astrological symbolism.

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

I drew the Ace of Cauldrons (cups)

In the background there are three sets of df what look like natural rock formations, with two waterfalls between them. In the lake where the waterfall flows down to there in a single, large and irridecent cauldron that reflects the water, with three white crescent moons on it (most likely etched). In the foreground in the left corner there is a small piece of land with a yellow flower (I'm pretty sure it's a celandine) on it. The number three is very important on this card - there a 3 rock formaions, three legs on the cauldron, three moons on the cauldron, the water flows in three different colors, and there are three flower blossoms.

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

It looks like a very happy card. The abundance odf water and the three moons tell me that the card is projecting emotional and spiritual joy, an d abundance. The yellow flowers also say "joy" to me because of thier color and thier position (the way the are growing is curved and "fun" looking".

phoenix1010

May 8th, 2005, 12:49 PM

1. Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.
I keep my cards in a little drawstring purse that I made. It is oriental brocade on the outside and silk inside. I was initially told to cleanse my cards with Clary Sage oil or incense. Now I set them on a bed of amethyst. I think you can also cleanse them by leaving them out in the full moon.

2a. List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards.
The more I look at my cards the more symbolism I see! The Wheel of Fortune and High Priestess cards have references to the Tora on them. The Magician, Strength, and 2 of Pentacles all have the infinity sign in them. The Magician also has all minor arcana in the card. Aces all feature a right hand in the sky. Almost all the cup cards have water in them. The Page, King, Queen, Knight of Wands have lions or lizards (salamanders?) in them. Knight, King, and Queen of swords have birds or butterflies on them.

2b. Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
The Chariot. Dominant colors= white, black, blue. A man stands in a chariot beig pulled by two sphinxes, one black and one white. The man wears a crown with a star on it, appears to be wearing armor, holding a wand in right hand. There appears to be moons on his shoulders with faces in them. Yellow sky, castles in background, green trees, river or body of water behind him. The sphinxes are female I believe.

http://www.tarotpassages.com/old_moonstruck/oneill/index.htm
After doing this exercise I found this site which has alot of info if you use the Rider-Waite deck. The little red object on the front of the chariot is a hindu symbol similar to the ying-yang symbol. It represents duality and unity or Shiva and Parvati (Acletic Tarot website). The starry canopy on the chariot probably came from Freemasonary, they often painted stars on the their ceilings. The sphinxes originally had an evil face and good face and were said to be pulling in two different directions but looking in the same direction, but that is harder to see on the Waite decks.

2c. Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.
At first I get a happy triumphant feel to the card, like a soldier coming back victorious from a war. But the sphinxes do seem to be going in two different directions which may indicate a sublying conflict to the victory. May be that the person is pompous without merit.

Sorry I fell behind a bit. I had final exams the last two weeks and a sinus infection to top it off!!!LOL I also have to fit my computer time around my son's nap schedule.
Thanks for doing this class!!
Tamara

BelovedDru

May 9th, 2005, 03:42 PM

Amethyst Rose

May 9th, 2005, 04:02 PM

Snow -
Ocean -

Sorry it's taken so long for me to comment on everyone's assignments... this past week has been hectic for me.

enchancea, I thought I'd add a little insight into the symbolism of your cards by offering suggestions about what the above symbols could represent. Snow can point to a long rest, or hibernation, it's also a good insulator, and though it is cold can keep you warm. The ocean, being the place where all life began is a strong signifier of fertility, and combined with other cards (like the empress) can predict pregnancy.

Amethyst Rose

May 9th, 2005, 04:05 PM

I store my Robin Wood Deck in a blue velvet bag that is then kept in a purple gauzy bag with both a moonstone and a carnelian.

I'm curious as to why you've chosen these stones?

Amethyst Rose

May 9th, 2005, 04:12 PM

The box is placed under my bed.

I'm curious.... do you often have prophetic dreams? According to feng shui, the energy of anything you keep under your bed moves up into you while you sleep, thats why you shouldn't keep anything stress inducing, like bills under your bed, or you'll have restless sleep.

One thing that does confuse me with this is the lack of consistency. For example the fish - in the Page of Cups is a symbol for potential for deep understanding of the inner world; in the King of Cups the fish represents feelings that are not reined in and an ornamental fish represents feelings kept in control. There is also use of colour and the characters clothing, from the style to the colour, each signifying something different. I do find all this confusing and without looking in the LWB often miss them.

I think that in instances like this it really is essential to go with your instincts, and knowlege of symbolism, to give you the meaning of the card. You'll find that while the main meaning of the card may mean one thing, the symbolism present may not so much as contribue to the main maing, but provide you with a deeper insight and understanding to it. If you turn to the LWB for the meaning and find yourself thinking "well that makes no sense", then you're right, it makes no sense for that reading, and you shouldn't pay any attention to it.

Amethyst Rose

May 9th, 2005, 04:27 PM

.

The arms of the chair are shells that scallop down with peals at the bottom. The back of the chair has like blue swirls on it. The woman is wearing a circlet of shells on the head.

I just wanted to comment on this bit of symbolism. Shells, coming from the sea, are a powerful representation of fertility and growth. Pearls represent reward after hard, long, difficult labour. :)

Catiana

May 9th, 2005, 04:37 PM

I just wanted to comment on this bit of symbolism. Shells, coming from the sea, are a powerful representation of fertility and growth. Pearls represent reward after hard, long, difficult labour. :)

Thanks, I didn't know any of that. :smile:

I was way off on my interpretation.

Amethyst Rose

May 9th, 2005, 05:06 PM

Catiana

May 9th, 2005, 05:34 PM

Hardly :) You said: "The Lady looks at peace. Like she has finished a difficult task and now she can sit back and enjoy the results." Sounds right on, to me. :)

You may find it useful to do some research into the symbolic meanings of precious stones and gems, if they are used in your deck.

Thanks

I will check meanings on the stones and gems, I was so focused on the dragons and celtic stuff, I didn't really notice that stones and gems are present in some of the cards. Thanks again.

Noriohtle

May 9th, 2005, 09:15 PM

Due May 9th

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

my cards are held in a small black and silver drawstring bag with 2 quartz crystals, this bag is then placed into a carved wooden box and sits on a shelf in my kitchen over the counter where i do my readings.

as for cleansing from time to time i place a layer of sea salt in the bottom of the box place the bag on it then salt over the top leave the box open and burn a candle beside it when the candle is gone i bury the salt requsting any negitivity in it be cleansed by the earth.

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

Taking time and looking at my cards i see things all over the place that help to unfold the stories they have to tell me..

Colors
Animals
Facial Expressions
Flowers
Fruits
Weather
Shades light vs Dark
Spirtual items and Symbols
Celestial Shapes.

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

The Lovers

Subtle changes in the sky from blue to white and the clouds fade from yellow to white with soft faded swirls of gentle pink and blushes of lavender. The gurdian Angel with the whites so pure they are almost blue and the purple so regal it could be mistakn for black and the child like cherub style face showing pure and total approval of the union of the couple offering his protection and approval., The bushes in the background are lush and green and heavy laden with fruit.
The Woman~ Lush Long hair smile on her face straight back standing strong and tall able to care for everyone and hold pride in herself.
The Man~Short Thin Greasy Hair Depressed Look louched appears as if he is carry the weight of the world, Disbelief that he has the love of his heart.

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

This card no so much shows lovers but a love that is totally pure one that is given out of a pure heart ability and need to protect the one you are giving this love to. A Pull toward finding your soulmate be it a friend or a lover as a mate. The pure total unquestionable love of a monther protecting her child holding the child to her breast protecting him from the world even into adulthood.

Niamh celtic mist

May 9th, 2005, 11:19 PM

Due May 9th

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 store my cards in various ways. Some I place in boxes and some I keep in velvet bags. I actually have one deck at the moment that just has a rubberband around it until I can find its original box. As far as cleansing....I have cleansed my cards in the past, usually this was when I was using one deck for the majority of readings. Now that I have several decks I have not cleansed them lately...this is actually an excellant lesson to remind me to do this! I cleanse my decks by putting the cards back into order and while doing this I look at each card closely. I then light a white candle and shuffle the cards repeating this simple phrase..."May these cards be refreshed and renewed. May my readings be honest and true. Let my readings be for the highest good and let no reading be misunderstood." I then blow out the candle and put my cards back in their storage place.

2a. The deck I am going to use for this assignment is The Victoria Regina Tarot by by Sarah Ovenall. This deck uses collage to bring pictures and printed materials of the Victorian era to depict the various themes for the cards. The Cards are in black and white, giving them the feeling of a time long past...also lending the feel for the Victorian era...where things were usually seen in terms of black and white. The cards use Pens for wands, Guns for swords, watches for coins,and Mason jars for cups. These cards beautifully depict the industrial revolutioin that was occuring during the Reign of Queen Victoria. As Britains longest Reigning Monarch she led her country into a new era. Perhaps the reason she was so popular was because at a time when there was so much change going on in daily life and around the globe--She remained steadfast. Like an anchor, keeping the nation secure in a sea of changing tides. The Victorian era was a mix of new ideas and inventions that led to new freedoms...jobs and chores were shortened because of them. But, in contrast to the industrial revolution..many of the social values were repressed. With the new technologies that were improving their lives there was fear and a desire to hold onto the past...this was mostly seen in the role of women in Victorian society...they were to be sheltered and cared for...they were to be ornamental...untainted from the industrial movement a link to their simple and comfortable past.

The cards are a mix of cultures..Asian, Hindu, European...representing the vast Empire of Queen Victoria. Because of this there is a wide variety of symbols to be found in thse cards. From Angels to Valkries to moon and stars. These symbols are juxtaposed with different machines or inventions of the era. The Queen cards depict various stages of Queen Victoria's life. The remainder of the court cards depict members of the royal family or famous Brits of that time. The Pages are Princess' and the knights are Princes. These cards show the Victorians love for things mystical as well as their love of exploration.

2b. I shuffled the cards and pulled the top card. It was the Princess of Wands.

This card shows in the center a close up of a Regal woman. Queen Victoria's sixth child-Princess Louise. Her hair is elegantly arranged. She is facing sideways but her face is turned towards us. She is wearing pearl earrings and has a high lace collar. A large ornate fountain pen is behind her on the left hand side of the card. The word Vogue is printed on it. Surrounding the Princess are six women painting pictures on canvas.In the background there are several sculptures in various stages of completion.

2c. To me this card shows artistic endeavors, thoughts. The word Vogue on the pen to me means that these artistic ideas that are floating around this very confident woman are in the present..they swril about her...showing creative spark....The unfinnished sculptures in the background to me shows that it is not always that easy to complete these projects...it is difficult to get these creative endeavors to manifest...it takes work and dedication.

Sorry this posted at 12:18 am...we lost our power from a weekend storm and I am just able to post this now. :ballonsmi

Niamh

oops! :foopsies: Forgot to add link in case anyone wants to see these cards.
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/victoria-regina/

Nellie

May 10th, 2005, 03:37 AM

I'm curious.... do you often have prophetic dreams? According to feng shui, the energy of anything you keep under your bed moves up into you while you sleep, thats why you shouldn't keep anything stress inducing, like bills under your bed, or you'll have restless sleep.

Not that I know of. I have all sorts of stuff under my bed, from bills to old college work to old books, to jigsaws. I keep my Oracle box right under where I sleep though, so I can reach down and touch it. Our room has too much stuff in it, but I hate clutter, so the rest of the house is tidy and everything gets dumped in our room. Will definitely have a clear out now you've said this!!!

I think that in instances like this it really is essential to go with your instincts, and knowlege of symbolism, to give you the meaning of the card. You'll find that while the main meaning of the card may mean one thing, the symbolism present may not so much as contribue to the main maing, but provide you with a deeper insight and understanding to it. If you turn to the LWB for the meaning and find yourself thinking "well that makes no sense", then you're right, it makes no sense for that reading, and you shouldn't pay any attention to it.

But how else do we learn about the symbolism if not from the LWB? And how can it mean one thing for one card & another for another. Do symbols all have the same meanings no matter what the deck? I do use my intuition where possible but feel I always miss the symbolism out because I haven't a clue without turning to the book & I don't want to keep doing this!!! Anybody any ideas???

gypsy0108

May 10th, 2005, 07:24 AM

1.)Tell how you store and cleanse the cards.
I store my tarot cards in a carved wooden box wraped in a piece
of green slik cloth
I cleansed my cards by first smudging them and then storing
them with a crystal.
2a)List all types of symbolism used in my cards.
There just does not seam to be a lot of symbolism
in this deck like the batons just show different agricultural scenes.
The cups show different musicians. The Coins show people at a feast
on some of the cards.3 or 4 of the swords show dissaters and the rest
just show something like a old army camp or something.
The Major Arcana is not overly discriptive all in all.
I also thought i would add that you can get the look of the cards in
general at this link these are the cards I have
http://www.themysticeye.com/pics/oldeng.htm

2b)Shuffel and pull top card describe every detail.
9 of coins is the top card. the card sort of looks sort of like
christmas there are 2 wreath in green with red bows exactly
like christmas wreaths and some backgorund christmas decoration
there is a man and a woman sitting and toasting each other it looks like
because there is a drink in each of their hands. of course there is the
9 coins as well the coins actually look more like sheilds but that probally
has no refference here. Other than that just some edging decoration on the card.

2c) Tell what I think the card means by my intuition.
I could be way off cause i just cant seam to bring the meaning
of the card to mind but the card looks like they are celebrating
so mabey it means there will be a cause for celebrating.
some type of good thing will happen is what i get from it.

Just to add to this I decided to work on the symbolism of my cards some more and look into what it all meant.

Plants/fruits-- Grapes are used a lot in this deack more than anything else in fact. There is also a lot of pears, apples, and strange twisted trees, well manicured trees and lots of vines.

Grapes: Luxury, wealth, affluence
Apples: Sin, vice. Apples alone generally represent knowledge, as the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden was an apple tree. The knowledge is of a mystical nature, since if you slice open an apple, the seeds form a pentagram.
Pears: Sin, vice. symbolize fruitful abundance and nourishment
Wild, Twisted Trees:The supporting factors of the situation are troublesome and possibly weak. The past was rocky and unstable. The situation is wrought with fighting & instability. Things aren't/haven't been taken care of properly. They're in new territory.
Tame, Cultivated Trees: Care, stability, lack of fighting, lack of instability. Any problems are against the backdrop of successfully resolved conflicts. Can add the influence of domesticality or diplomacy.
Vines/Creepers: Wildness, untamedness, newness.
Apple tree: magic, youth, beauty, and happiness
Wheat: Symbolizes fertility and abundance
Grove of trees: Represents unity of spirit with matter; the victory over obstacles

Animals are also used some in this deck.

In a random order these are the animals found in my tarot deck.
Lion: Assertion of the feminine and the power of the feminine sun
Crayfish: The crayfish represents an unknown part of ourselves, part of our animal nature, primordial and a bit scary-looking, with a horny carapace. This unknown creature rises from the depths and triggers the journey through the Moon card.
Goat: Surefootedness and seeking new heights
Dragon: The Dragon is an ancient symbol of royalty and wisdom, and is often found on the Kings and Emperor cards.

Ravens: Associated with omens and fortelling the future events, prophecy, or possibly withdrawal from dependence on physical senses
Horses: Travel, power and freedom, burial rites and birth

Dogs: Faithfulness and protection, strong spirit
Birds: Birds represent freedom, inspiration, sometimes messengers related to the God/dess.
Rabbits: Fertility and new life, recognize the signs around you

Oxen: Oxen symbolize the motive power in agriculture, because they were used to pull plows, etc. A symbol of virility, tenacity, and warlike nature (association with Mars).

Chickens: raw, undeveloped, undirected power
Bull: Fertility, insight into past lives, masculinity
Peacock: astral body consciousness,mastery over emotions and a willingness
to give without binding

Odilla

May 10th, 2005, 12:43 PM

My Assignment, late because of my Aunt being in the hospital (as I said in my PM)

1. I currently store my cards in a blue silky bag. To cleanse, I usually run each card over incense smoke.

2a. There are many different types of Symbolism in my cards. Color, Numbers, animals, plants, gender, mythology used, placement of symbols

2b. I drew the Two of cups.
There is a blue border around the card. At the bottom there is a fairy circle (ring of mushrooms of all different shapes and colors). The grass around the circle is green, with a couple of flowers. The mushrooms are red with black spots, brown, and little button white. There is a green and black snake, in the same of an infinity symbol wrapped around the bottom of the circle. In side the circle is yellow, will little red flowers with green leaves.
There are two people standing in the circle. They both are androgynous. The one in front has his/her back to me. He/she has black hair that comes down to the neck and flairs a bit, light skin, a red tunic with blue belt, black leggings, and boots with red lacing up and down. He/She holds a white lily in the left hand, out and down to the side. In the right hand is a cup that looks more like a golden flute (they type of cup, not the instrument). The arm is up, and the elbows of both are intertwined (like a toast at a wedding). The other figure is facing me. He/She has blondish hair, that is short on the top and ends in a pony tail, dark skin, A black tank tunic, with a green belt. The tunic has a symbol of a red diamond, with four red triangles come out from it, and two yellow/green tear drops connected but below the diamond. The bottom of the tunic has red lining, and red where the tunic flairs. He/she is also wearing blue baggy pants, and no shoes. In the left hand (my right facing me), down to the side he/she is holding a red rose. In the other hand, he/she holds a goblet, and wears a green bracelet
Behind them is a white cloud. It has a star at the top middle, that is colored in yellow in the middle, red, the black as an out line. The star is 8 painted, with 6 triangles coming out of it (none on the top.. all from the sides and bottom). On the left top behind the cloud is a woman with long blue/purple hair, green head band, green long sleeved shirt, blue jeans?, I cannot see her feet. In her hands she caresses a heart. On the Top right behind the clouds is a man with long orange/yellow hair, darker skin (but not as dark as the person dancing), playing a green pan pipe. He has a orange ish beard, and what looks like two green horns. He wears no shirt, and has shaggy legs (orange/yellow with black) and hooves (Pan?)

2c. To me, this card is about a relationship. A happy loving relationship that is just starting. They are dancing, and it appears to me to be a celebration. New things, with love starting out. The gods are smiling upon them, and IT seems like it could last forever.

Naiad

May 10th, 2005, 02:39 PM

Sorry it's late!

Storing and cleansing my cards

My cards are currently kept in the box I bought them in but I don’t think that’s going to last. It was already a little worn when I bought them but I suppose me sitting on the box whilst the cards weren’t inside didn’t help either. I’m planning on making a bag for them to go in, possibly a wooden box depends on what feels right.
When I first got my cards I separated them into four piles of the Major Arcana and all the Minor Arcana suits. I concentrated on each one and imagined the negative energy being released and positive energy taking its place. That was pretty much it for cleansing but I might sit them out on the next full moon because there’s a windowsill on the landing that gets direct light from the moon, especially since I just missed the new moon which was yesterday.

Symbolism

My cards use a lot of different symbolism in them. Instead of the normal suits the suits are the four main elements; water, fire, earth and air and each one has a corresponding suit. The element in each suit is well represented, mainly with colours. The suit of fire is primarily red, orange and pink, water is darker shades of blue and turquoise, earth uses greens and browns and yellows and air uses pale blues and yellows. Other colours are used on each of the cards but those are the colours that appear most often on each suit. Also each card in the Minor Arcana has its own specific name which is related to the element of the suit and gives a clue as to the meaning of the card. For example, the 10 of Fire is called Strike, this card represents imbalance and you can tell some of that from the name of the card. Also on the Major Arcana there are keywords so you can also tell some of the meaning from them. For example the Fool has the keyword potential which I think is a very appropriate keyword.
Also on the cards are two astrological symbols for each card in the bottom left hand corner. There are many people in the cards but there aren’t so many animals. Some of the people are based on famous people like Bruce Lee but you have to guess who they are because it doesn’t state who they are. There are some animals and a few plants and trees but not that many. The animals that occur the most are fish and dolphins, birds and butterflies and sometimes horses.

Top Card

The card I pulled of the top was the Empress. On this card there are three women. On the left is a tribal Africa woman dressed in purple and on the right is an Ancient Japanese women in a red dress, both of them are in traditional dress. The Japanese woman is holding a fan at about chin level and the African woman has a pot on her head. Neither of them have shoes on. In the middle is a modern white business woman in a grey suit with a big, black notebook in her hand. She is wearing grey court shoes. I think she is based in Hilary Clinton but the LWB doesn’t specifically state this. Behind the Japanese woman is the globe and above the African woman is a yin-yang. The ground beneath their feet is a dark grey-green and the background behind them is a blended yellow and green.
The keyword for this card is Mother and the astrology symbols are Ascendant/Moon

http://www.wicce.com/experimental.html

Meaning

This card has a strong feminine feel about it. It shows that women can be strong and self-reliant and don’t need men. It also has a motherly feel about it and because of the two women flanking the woman in the middle it also has a protective feel about it. Although this is a feminine card there is a yin-yang in the corner and to me that signifies balance and the need for the balance between male and female.

ajna

May 14th, 2005, 12:43 PM

Tell me how you plan on storing and cleansing your cards, if you choose to at all.
I store my cards in a carved soapstone box. I have been thinking of getting a crystal or two to place in there and assist with some of the cleansing between reading spurts, but as for cleansing between readings – I’ve always just held the deck in my hands until I feel a sort of “calmness” coming from the cards. I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do, but I don’t mind being corrected if this is something I shouldn’t be doing.

List all the types symbolism that is used in your cards
I’m not quite sure what this question is asking. Every card utilizes the same symbolism in different ways depending on the context of the symbols around it. A baby goat on a card can be seen as birth when coupled with an egg or with The Devil card if coupled with some fire perhaps or horns.

I am still using the Adrian Tarot for this exercise, I have received my new deck, but it is in my car which – at the moment – is in a far away place and cannot be reached. The Adrian Tarot does not use any coherent symbolism. This is a terrible starter deck. Any symbolism shown in the cards is the artist’s interpretation of those cards and is the artist’s interpretation only. There are the usual swords, wands, pentacles (or coins in some cases), and cups suits. All of the other cards contain a human-like form on them except the wheel of fortune which contains only the wheel and the three animals.

The background color is very prominent in each of my cards, but I do not know how much it has to do with the interpretation. The colors range from blue to green to red to orange to grey with multiple colors on any one card. Death and the Seven of Pentacles have the same green color in the background so I went to http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/ and http://www.paranormality.com/tarot_meanings.shtml and still have no clue what these colors could stand for. Perhaps they are only colors or perhaps they correspond kabalaisticly (I think I just made up a word). These cards really aren’t for reading it seems. They are more for Kabala study.

Shuffle and choose the top card. Describe every little detail of it to me.
First, I apologize if this card has something to do with a problem of mine. I can’t seem to clear my mind at the moment, and all I can think about is that.

<shuffles>

The five of Swords shows five swords all pointing upwards on a violet/red background. In English, the one word term for the card drawn on the card is Defeat (my cards have one word summaries drawn on them). I don’t understand this interpretation because these swords are drawn upward as if to battle someone, not pointed downward as if ready to submit. Perhaps this card has more to it than just “defeat”.

Tell me what your intuition says the card means. Don't worry about being wrong or right.
My intuition says that the card means that an endeavor that has been worked on will not work out. It could be any sort of endeavor of course. Defeat is not always permanent, however. You can be defeated, but you do not have to give up.

Note: I don’t feel I have learned much from doing this exercise on these cards. I may come back with my new deck and attempt it with that deck.

I just looked up the meaning of this card. In my new deck the swords are all faced downwards. I wonder why in this deck they were faced upwards. I even checked to make sure I had it right side up... Hmmm. That is something to think about.

ajna

May 14th, 2005, 09:38 PM

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

Well, I have moved my new deck into the soapstone and, thus far, I am only wrapping my old Adrian deck with a hair tie for now. It is being temporarily retired. It is still a quite potent deck, however. I did a reading with it tonight which went quite well.

My new deck is Legend: the Arthurian Tarot. I have yet to do a reading with it and must completely cleanse it before I start it. This will be done by leaving the deck, in the opened box, outside during a full moon. Now all I have to do is wait for the next full moon in about eight days.

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

These cards are story cards. The symbolism is the story behind the images themselves in addition to the stance of the character, what character was chosen (for example: The Lovers card is not Guinevere and Lancelot but is Gareth and Lyones). In interpreting these cards I will have to draw from story, symbolism, comparisons to the Rider Waite Deck, and my own intuition in bringing all the information together.

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

The Ten of Shields (coins/pentacles)

This card, being a “coins” card will usually have something to do with material gain or loss. The name of this card in this deck is “Camelot”. This card shows the scene of what looks to be a gathering. An obviously rich man dressed in purple robes stands in the doorway taking an apple from a boy before him who is offering it to the rich man. A girl follows behind the boy carrying what looks to be a pitcher of a sort of drink. Standing next to the man on his right is a woman ushering the two children through with open arms appearing as if to embrace them. You cannot see her face. There are two smaller children tugging at her sleeves and a cook or maid of some sort turned completely away busy doing something behind the woman and still to the side of the man. Everyone in the picture looks well off. Not necessarily rich per-se, though some of them obviously are, but everyone looks well cared for and are dressed in lively colors. The main part of the scene takes place in the kitchen-like area, the party can be seen through the archway.
The man has a solemn face.

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

Prosperity, perhaps generosity a sort of coming together.