Lesson 4 - Assignment

[Amethyst Rose]

Due May 18th:

Due date extended to the morning of May 20th


1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

[FaerieGothMommy]

"1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter."

My most favourite card from the major arcana is, The Hermit. When i look at this card i get a feeling of calmness and tranquility. The hermit is descovering who he is, and finding peace of mind aswel as maturing his inner self.
I think this is why i like this card so much, as i can personally relate to this card.

In my cosmic tarot deck, the hermit is sitting down in the middle of no where alone, with his eyes closed, a latern beside him and a star shining brightly in the nights sky. He is going through a form of transition, and learning what the world is really about aswel as learning about himself. I believe this is an important phase for us all to go through as some point in ours lives.
He is contemplating his own self, with the lantern being his spiritual guide, as he is working in solitude and peace. The star to me represents satisfaction that he will reach a state of calmness and maturity within himself, so that he can go on with his day to day life afterwards.
I feel that i have been through a short phase of this at a young age, it helped me mature and i bagen to descover who i really am. I still feel as though i have a long journey ahead of me, and i still have a lot to learn. But the hermit is a card for peace of mind, that we can reach that point. And everyone needs some solitude every now and again.

This card appeals to me the most, due to both art and meaning and also personal feelings, so i feel a strong connection with this card.

It has such a calming feeling just looking at the image, it's predominant colour is blue, which to me is very soothing - yet, he is re-descovering what it means to live, and the best way in which to live his life and be the best he can.

"2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter."

My least favourite card from the major arcan is The Hanged Man. This card always confuses me during a reading, and i get mixed feelings from this card. I always feel as though there should be a very complex meaning, which i try to look for, but the simple image it depicts tends to throw me off course.
Even though the image is a very simple one, i often get all sorts of weird feelings thrown at me when i look at the card, and i get confused sometimes resulting in my mind going completely blank.

This card from my cosmic tarot is of a young man, hanging upside down from a branch of a tree with one foot, in the desert. He has his hands together, his eyes closed and looks very calm, comfortable and still. I felt that it was probably the art which usually throws me off-track with this card, as the art is so simple, and i often look for very complex meanings and interpretations, when i do this i tend to get a lot of different things come to me, but they pass so quickly that i can't pick out any sort of meaning.

It's very interesting to me what the actual meanings of the card is.
The you need to surrender to win, or sacrfrice to gain or to go with the most simple solutions and go with the flow, rather than trying to find a logical or complex answer.
I think this is maybe why the card confuses me, it has a lot of opposites which need to work together in order to succeed. And opposites usually work against each other, not with each other.


I really enjoyed this assignment :) I also read through the fools journery, which i found really interesting, i will definatly be going back to that from time to time.

[angelbaby]

My favorite Major Arcana Card
Death-I really love the death card in the celtic dragon tarot. this card truly symbolizes what the death card represents; transformation and change. In this deck, the death card shows a large dragon shedding off his old black skin, revealing the new white skin underneath. It symbolizes shedding off the old and giving way for the new to come to light and to methat is what death is all about. Letting go of one thing to allow room for something new, possibly even better to take its place. While many other tarot decks show a death-like scene, the artwork in this deak speaks more to me on the actual meaning. This card also has a more postive conotation, since transforamtion and change can in many places be a good thing. I think another reason why I love this card is that it for the last couple months, I really relate to it. There has been so much change and transformation in my life. I had to move from the states to Japan, had to learn a new culture, make new friends. I shed off my old life basically and had to start a new one, which is part of military life and why I think this card totally relates to me.

My least favorite Major Arcana Card
The towers-Although the artwork on this card is absolutely amazing, the Towers are my least favorite among the major arcana. On this card, there are two black chaos dragons, curling around a stone tower which is begining to crumble. They are breathing fire at the tower and are ripping at the tower with their claws. The sky in this card is stormy and there is lightening bolts shown between the clouds. The reason this card is my least favorite is because it represents chaos and destruction. Even though it may not always be as bad as it sounds, since good can come from anything, I still wouldn't want this card to come up in a reading.

[phoenix1010]

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

My most favorite card is a toss up between the Sun card and the Empress card. I think this has to do with the fact that I am a mother. The Sun card show a little child (naked) riding a white horse, in front of a wall with Sunflowers on it. The child is holding a big red/orange flag. The sun is quite big and takes up most of the sky. The child looks happy but the horse seems to have a stressed look on his face. This card has a happy joyous feel to it; satisfaction, accomplishment, warmth. The child makes me think of my son. The horse's face bothers me though; I used to have horses so maybe I am seeing somthing others wouldn't notice. The blank grey wall behind the child also bugs me. Why isn't it a field of sunflowers, or a lush pasture? Maybe this card is showing joy after an accomplishment or an obstacle?
When I went to look up this card on Acletic Tarot and some other sites I found an interesting bit of trivia: On some versions of this card the shading around Pamela Coleman Smith's initials spell out the word "Love". I can barely see it on my card.

The Empress card shows a woman sitting on a nice seat that has lots of pillows and blankets for her comfort. There is wheat in front of her; lovely trees and a waterfall behind her. Her dress is very simple but quite pretty. I think they are flowers or strawberries on her dress? She is holding a wand or septre in her right hand, and she has a crown of stars and ivy on her head. I think I read somewhere that some decks show her as being pregnant. She just has that a very feminine, motherly feel to her. The wheat is a symbol of fertility.

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.
My least favorite card is the Hermit. It feels so empty, stark and depressing to me. The card shows an old man, dressed in grey, holding a latern, walking on a stark desolute landscape. I am a bit of a loner (introverted) , I find it hard to make friends. Maybe this is my least fave card because I fear this is my destiny.

One card that I am on the fence about is the Wheel of Fortune card. Most all the tarot cards I have looked at give me a direct impression of them (immediately one word comes to mind to describe them). The Wheel card just hits me with so much imagery I don't know what to make of it. Why are those critters reading books, why does the sphinx have a sword, what is that red fox thingy, why is there a snake in there, etc.... It is a card I would like to take apart bit by bit to learn it's meaning.

[nightstream]

My favorite major arcana card has changed over time. I've had this deck for a few years now, and my first favorite card was the High Priestess. It features a beautiful black-haired woman in a flowing white robe, standing beside a well, with a swan at her feet. The full moon, with a glowing ring around it, is rising in the sky behind her, and she holds an orb that mirrors it in her hand. A willow branch curves across the top of the card. This card still holds a lot of meaning for me, though most of that meaning comes out of my past - it reminds me of my first steps on my current religious path, and the imagery it pictures was really potent to me at that time, and is still potent in reminding me of that time. My next favorite card became The Star, which shows a glowing white star rising in the evening sky over a stone circle. A fire is burning in the center of the circle, sending sparks and smoke up toward the star. This card has brought me a lot of hope in dark places; it's always reminded me of another mental image (or poem, in this case) that brings me a lot of hope - I've always connected it with a poem from The Lord of the Rings - Sam's song in the Orc-tower. This card just really rings of hope, and it's brought that to me in my life.

My current favorite card is The Sun; I never really looked at this card until it came up in a very meaningful reading. It shows a glowing face of gold metal as the sun, radiating warm rays over country fields. There is a path that runs across the fields; the gate ends here at this card - the safe end of a journey. Near the stone wall near the gate are little white flowers, and St. John's Wort is around the card's edges, along with lizards and a bumblebee. This card (understandably!) makes me feel warm inside - it's a card full of joy, comfort, happiness, successful completion.

It's funny how the cards that I used to like the least - Death and The Tower - are now pretty close up there with my favorite cards. I ended up studying these cards when they would come up in readings, and I would think that they were horrible until I saw what they meant in my life. I think that I like them more now that I've stopped being afraid of what they could mean. It's a challenge for me to balance out the emotional reactions I sometimes have with my own readings with the practicality of what I can control and what I can't control.

My current least favorite card is The Underworld - a card that is different in my deck (Sacred Circle) from the Rider-Waite deck. It seems to be a combination of The Devil and Judgement; it comes between Death and The Tower. I haven't had this card come up much (maybe once?) in readings, and I just... don't like it. A man with a serious yet uncomfortable expression stands at the entrance to some sort of underground tomb. He is dressed in a purple robe, holding a spear, with a silver crown sitting on his long gray hair. A large sow stands behind him. At the bottom of the card are yew branches with red berries, and two dragons sit at the top of the card - one is red, the other green. I think that part of the reason why I don't like this card is that it is visually unappealing. The dragons look rather plastic-y to me, and it just doesn't make sense to me why the Lord of the Underworld or the Dark God would be wearing purple. There's probably a reasonable explanation for it, but it just really doesn't fit with my own personal sense of color symbolism. Other than that, it just doesn't really connect me with a specific meaning; when I think of the Underworld, nothing that I identify with that is mirrored here, other than possibly the tomb opening. I just feel that the symbolism is ineffective with me, personally. It's not that I have a problem with the meaning, just the aesthetics.

[PeleRising]

Due May 18th:

Robin Wood Deck


1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

I had a difficult time choosing between the High Priestess and The Hermit; I am equally fond of both cards. However I eventually decided to discuss…

The Hermit ~ This card shows a older man with white hair and a long white beard standing on a mountain top holding a large wooden staff with a red feather attached to the top. He is wearing a raggedy gray robe which has definitely seen better days, and on his feet are red shoes. In the distance you can see other snow covered mountain tops. The sky behind him is a dark violet blue… and he is holding a lantern up that has 8 streams of light emitting from it.

I like this card because the man seems so strong. He is standing tall on a mountain top in the winter, and yet he is bravely holding up a light so he can see and be seen. He appears to me to be smiling, even though he is all alone, and his clothes are ragged. He doesn’t appear cold to me… in fact he looks quite comfy. He is self assured… he knows what he wants, and how to get it. He has everything he needs to be happy and successful and isn’t afraid to strike out on his own. He isn’t surrounded by books, wealth or teachers, and yet he knows how to find the answer to any question he might be curious about. He has the knowledge and is freely offering it to all…

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

I also had a hard time choosing the card that was my least favorite. The choices came down to Temperance, the Chariot and The Hierophant. After reading both AR’s description of them, as well as the fool’s journey, I finally chose to discuss…

The Hierophant~ This card shows a very serious looking man wearing a gold bishop’s hat, richly trimmed robes and clothing, holding a golden staff and wearing white gloves. He looks pale and perhaps a bit sickly. I say that because he looks almost gray and appears to have circles under his eyes. He is standing under a stone arch upon which there are carvings. On the left are carvings of a woman’s face, a boat with a person in it and sheep, and on the right there is a man’s face and men carrying packs on their backs. Seated by the hierophant are two young boys dressed in white robes who are praying. One boy appears to be smiling and the other serious, almost frowning. The very top of their heads are shaved.

This card screams conformity to me. Being confined, told what to do, following the pack, being rigid, and false appearances. I say that because for all of his fancy clothing and accessories, this priest looks like he has forgotten what it is to be human. He cant even let children be children… they must bow down to his will… Peer pressure, total authority, ack… this card scares me a bit… shows how we can be lead by our noses by a strong authority figure… and in doing things to please him… doing things we think we ought to… we are losing who and what we could be.

[i_am_serenity16]

My Favorite Major Arcana Card:
Is actually a tie. I cannot choose between them so I chose both.
The Star: I like this card. It has a black background, with a large 7 pointed star that gives off the impression that it is lighting up the entire card. Just in front of the star is a dark-skinned woman with long blonde hair, green eyes and a yellow dress with stars on it. She is pouring out a blue vase that is full of smaller stars, there are 7 smaller stars. I like this card because when I see it I get a vibe of happiness and warmth. I know immediately that this card symbolizes happiness but to me it also represents light in a dark time. I liked the defintion of this card that you had in lesson 4 because to me that is exactly what I feel this card is trying to tell me whenever I look at it.
Temperance:I like this card because it is as balanced as possible in artwork and gives off a vibe of serenity and balence. In it there is a woman in a yellow dress with long golden hair. She is standing barefoot on top of a feild, vines are coming up from under her feet, one under each foot. On each vine is a beautiful purple flower. On her left side a little green turtle is sitting near her foot looking up at her, on her right is a rabbit looking up at her. She is holding 2 vases, one in each hand and there appears to be water flowing freely from one to the other. She is smiling happily. above her on her left is a sun and on the right is a crescent shaped moon. I like this card because it is another that I look at and just know that it is trying to tell me something. I also love the balance in the artwork.

My Least Favorite Major Arcana Card:
The Hanged Man: There is not much to say about the artwork on this card... the background is completely black. It shows a man hung by his feet from between two tree branches. He is wearing orange pants and a red shirt. He has medium length brownish-blondish hair and his cheeks are bright red (probably because he's hanging upside down), his expression is very hard to read... almost lifeless. I dislike this card because the facial expression of the man. All of my other cards I can tell how the person feels and that gives me some insight to the meaning of the card but I cannot read his face which makes it difficult to remember the card meaning. I didn't understand his expression until your defintion and now I suppose he makes a bit more sense... but it's still my least favorite major arcana card.

[Nellie]

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

I guess I'd have to go with The Empress. My immediate reaction is fertility. Also abundance and contentment. She has a slight bump and so could possibly be pregnant. She is sat amidst a corn field perhaps taking a break from collecting the corn, as she has some laid on her lap. At her feet is a conch shell (horn of plenty) filled with fruits of all variety. The scene is tranquil and very appealing. To be able to sit in a field quietly contemplating life, with no need to rush or be somewhere else. To be able to do your own thing at your own pace feels me with warmth, peace and serenity. For many of us in today’s world this is not always possible. The commitments and responsibility we carry means we are constantly clock watching. I love the idea of a world without time. One were we can do as we please without breaking our responsibilities. (Is such a thing possible???) I feel you could fulfill your creative side amongst this back drop. The calming influence of the waterfall behind also adds to the atmosphere. This is also a very feminine card, one of esthetic as well as inner beauty. I love all aspects of this card and feel this is definitely one I shall meditate with in the future.

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

The card that I find least appealing is the Judgement card. In my deck the picture is of a man, woman and child all naked standing in what appears to be coffins. They are all reaching out to an angel above who is flying just beneath a cloudy sky. I’m not familiar with the Major Arcana cards, as I’ve only studied the Minor ones when I started this course, so am not sure what this card means other than maybe being judged for ones actions, but its more the picture that leaves me cold. It almost feels like these people are being judged by others and banished or punished for their beliefs. The fact that they are naked shows their vulnerability, which I find disturbing that it is on show for all to see. Perhaps they are regretting something past done & feel the need to repent…..this has definitely given me food for thought!!!

[gypsy0108]

OK my fav is a toss up between the Empress and strength. Most of my life revolves arround my children by choice I would not relly have a life with out them that is why this card means so much to me in the Empress card in my deck it looks like she is sitting on a model of a house or something not relly sure I will post a pic of the card for your opinion that is the only part of the card that confusses me as to what she is sitting on.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/gypsygin/3.jpg

The next one that i relly like is strength my card shows the woman pulling apart the jaws of the lion i relly like the meaning of this card and it shows some thing verry needed strength in the pressence of adversity. I think it could have the meaning of a need for strength that a person may be lacking but is going to need soon.

The card I like the least is the tower card I have always had such a bad feeling from this card and I am not a fan of the looks of it either it shows a man being tossed down a hill the tower crumbling as lightening hits it and the other figuer in the card appears to be dead. every time i tough this card i get such a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach not sure if any one understands that but it is the best i can explain it.

[Rhianna813]

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

The Star – I first noticed this card as special during a reading I received a few years ago from my favorite local reader. The Star was in the reading although I no longer remember in what position. It was a reading about a possible relationship. She said “ You are a Star in someone eyes”. She went on to say that this was a card of blessings and of a guardian angel so to speak. This really piqued my interest.

The card ( Robin Wood deck) shows a beautiful naked woman with long flowing hair. She is kneeling by a body of water. One foot in the water, the other on land. She pours water from 2 urns both into the pool and onto the dry land. There is a large bright 7 pointed star above her and it’s surrounded by 7 smaller stars. A small tree and Ibis bird are in the background.

This card very quickly reminds me of the image for Aquarius, the water bearer. Her nudity shows an unashamed self love and acceptance. She is on equal ground with her body (the land) and her spirit (the pool). She is so connected with Spirit that she gives and takes of the water using her urns. As she pours the water onto the land she is symbolically feeding her physical nature with the divine. She is very balanced, at peace, and calm in her activities as she comfortably kneels. This image is very striking as artful and one of beauty.

This is a card of hope, faith in yourself, inspiration, a sign of divine protection and blessings. It is about realizing that you are your own star, unique, special, and full of potential. Stars are both mysterious and distant yet they seem so close and accessible. I believe the message of this card is that through faith, love and commitment to your true self, you tap into the power of the universe, to Spirit.


2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

The Heirophant – Robin Wood deck. On a superficial level this card has never appealed to me because of it’s overt Christian imaginary. The Pope with his emotionless face, robes, tall headdress, and preaching posture. He is attended by 2 humble students who bow in honor. Is this a card about religion? Spirituality? Submission to God…..or man? By comparison the Hermit is his opposite. The Hermit is also a spiritual seeker but he is has no glorious robes, no students to impress. I understand the Hermit, but not so much the Heirophant. I have read the meanings in the little white booklets, in Tarot books, online, etc but I just don’t feel connected with these meanings.

On the other hand in 2 of my decks this card has been renamed and totally redrawn. In the Sacred Circle deck it is called the Druid but looks more akin to the classic Magician card. The Druid stands behind a stone table with all four tools (suits) laying on it. In the DruidCraft deck this card is titled the High Priest and shows a seated tartan clad man with red hair. His arm is outstretched with his hand making the Horned God symbol. I am still researching the meanings of these cards in comparison to the classic Heirophant.

Rhianna

[Khaelo]

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.
My favorite card is the Hanged Man. This is certainly not because of the art. On the Art Nouveau version, he dangles over some sort of deserted wasteland with an orange sky. Since I see the card as associated with water, all that orange is irritating. The figure is nearly naked and half-starved, tied by his ankle to a pair of crossed boughs. He gives off a kind of golden glow. He's doing the one-knee-bent thing of most Hanged Men. The Rider Waite one does that for esoteric reasons that undoubtably make sense in the Golden Dawn system. Presumably, the wastelands represent hardship, the nudity represents vunerability, and the glow represents spiritual enlightenment (more or less), but none of it does much for me. The Robin Wood Hanged Man -- my first version of this card -- is also hanging from the bough of a living tree. He's dressed in a white shirt and red leggings, and rather than being tied, he hangs by his left knee. At least he's not in a parched desert. On looking at it again, the art is assuredly not the root of my connection with the Hanged Man.

Why do I like this card? Among other things, 12 is a lucky number. :hahugh: More seriously, in my meditations of the Major Arcana, I have come to associate the Hanged Man with my patron. My ideal Hanged Man, the one in my head, is an image of him. He hangs from both ankles, one behind the other, a gesture of submission (to circumstance/necessity). Rather than crossing his arms behind his back, he rests his hands behind his head. This creates a flipped scene of comfort as well as echoing the alchemical symbol for water. The "bough" is the mast of a ship -- a mortal construction, a vessel of travel, a perilous place of refuge in the ocean but a refuge nevertheless, a thing that causes illness/misery for some and joy for others. Behind him, the sun hovers just above the seascape horizon.

The Hanged Man figure is a sacrificial god, one who teaches us how to suffer gracefully. He's unafraid to take knocks, unafraid to look at the world from an oddball point of view, unafraid to change. He is, perhaps, even eager for the spiritual insight of this challenge. Even in a difficult position, he remains calm and tranquil. He is suspended between heaven and earth, his feet in the spiritual and his head in the material, reversing expectations. He's the connection (or buffer!) between Justice and Death in one sequence (=mercy in death?); or he follows from Strength and looks forward to Death in the other (=strength to prepare for death). Finally, his calm expression means he's not taking this whole thing too seriously -- it's a bit absurd, a reminder of humor and laughter even in painful circumstances. Sometimes if we don't laugh, we cry; the Hanged Man reminds us that we have a choice. That lesson, and the ability to take spiritual strength from difficulty, have been valuable for me.


2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.
Temperance. If I understood this card better, I might not have such a problem with it.

The Art Nouveau Temperance is an angel standing on a seashore. I think she's female, based on the eighties-esque hairdo. (Edit: Actually, according to the LWB, this is an "innocent, winged woman," not an angel. :razz: ) Her wings are spread and she holds a cup in each hand. There is an arc of water going between the cups. Unlike most Temperances, you can't tell which cup is pouring where. The water's just flying between them. The Robin Wood version is an androgynous-tending-towards-male angel standing with one foot in a mountain pond, juggling. Angels -- or "innocent, winged women" as the case may be -- stand between the divine and the mortal. S/he blends waters/juggles different materials.

I don't get it. I don't understand what Temperance brings that is not in, say, the Magician, the Lovers, the Chariot, the Star. It's like some sort of combination of all of the above. Mixing, yes: the Magician mixes for control, the Lovers mix unity-from-duality, the Star mixes because she has "ingredients" to give. Temperance mixes...because that's what it does??? The Robin Wood Temperance is juggling, which makes a bit more sense (some versions of the Magician are also jugglers...) -- balancing, keeping track of multiple things, finding moderation. But why a whole separate card? I just can't find enough unique meaning, purpose, symbolism, to grasp it. Therefore, it is my least favorite card.

At the rate the Major Arcana Discussion thread is progressing, it's going to be a looong time before anyone can help me comprehend Temperance. :confused:

[BelovedDru]

Well, I have two favorite arcana cards...

The Margician--A middle-aged man with long white hair, dressed all in purple, at an alter with tools and a dragon in the middle of the forest. Two crescent moons surround his hat, and he looks kind of happy. I just always get a sense of security when he turns up in one of my readings. To me, he represents my own father, or perhaps even the grandfather I never got to know--point is, it feels like someone is there with me.

The Hanged Man is my other favorite--simply a man hanging upside down from a tree, grinning at the world around him. This is another favorite because it reminds me that no matter how bad things get, there's always a way.

My least favorite card is the Tower. Everytime I see it, I feel this deep sense of foreboding. I can't explain it, I just want to get it out of my sight as quick as I can.

[IvyWitch]

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

In the Old Path deck, my favorite card is The Chariot, though the card is renamed "Mastery". I love this card for it's imagery in this deck first of all. Riding the Chariot is a king with a pentacle on his crown, and armour that is silver and gold plated with a crab on it (since the sign cancer is associated with the card), and he is holding a piece of hazel - the tree of knowledge to the Celts. The chariot is guided by four horses, and each horse represents an element (one of the reason I love this card). Fire on the right side is a red horse who breathes fire from his nostrils and his mane is made of fire. Earth is green, with daisies and grass as a pattern on his body, a gold pentacle on the bridle, and his hair is braided and at the very end are pieces of wheat. Air is a royal blue with stars printed on his coat and mane, and has a crescent moon on his forehead. Water is a very light pastel blue, and his mane is made from water. It's just such a beautiful card that I don't think my descriptions can do it justice.
One other reason I like this card is because I feel like it represents the person I aspire to be. The Chariot to me is about control, which is something I don't have - over my life, or myself. I am struggling to attain that control and believe that one day I will achieve that goal that this card represents.

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

In this deck, I really don't like the Heirophant, which is renamed "The High Priest". One of the major reasons is that the man on this card looks to me like a very angry and mean person. I could't even really say why, it's just a feeling that I get from this card, it makes me feel creeped out. Also, this card is hard for me to interpret on instinct because it uses so much symbolism that isn't easily understood.
The man is wearing robes that look like something the Pope would wear if he were a member of the Illuminati - his robes are gold, with a gold mantle and a purple cape, and he's holding his right hand up with his thumb, index and middle finger up. The chair he sits on is gold and the right side has the head of a buffalo and the left the head of an elephant as an arm rest. In the foreground is a hawk.

[LisaT4P]

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

I am using the DruidCraft Tarot.

I like almost all the majors in this deck. None of them scream out at me to dislike them for any reason. I have chosen to discuss the Hanged Man card for this deck as my favorite, though, due to the fact that it is absolutely full of wonderful symbolism and I find that this is not the case with this card in many other decks.

The Hanged Man is strapped to a tree by his left foot. His right foot is at an angle behind him. He is nude. He has long blond-ish hair and blue eyes. His hands are also strapped behind his back with the straps crossing over the front of his chest. He has some sort of foliage in his mouth, sort of like a gag, I suppose, but it really reminds me more of images of the Green Man. It doesn't seem as threatening as a gag somehow.

I'm sure there is a lot of significance to the various trees and plants in the image, but I'm not a druid so I can't tell you what they all mean. There are flowers that resemble blue bells, some berries that look like blackberries to me and what I believe is mistletoe growing on the tree. The tree seems to be fruit-bearing, as there are a couple of greenish orbs hanging in the upper branches.

In the background is a wheat field and lying in near the wheat is a scythe-like instrument.

I really love the fact that the archetype of the dying god was represented so well in this card. I always associate it with Odin and his sacrifice to gain the runes and I think that this card just screams that image for me. It also really brings home the idea of Lugh and Arthur and other sacrificed kings/gods which is just a great way to really understand the meaning behind the Hanged Man. There are so many images from mythology like this of the god sacrificing himself and being reborn in the grain. This card takes the traditional Hanged Man that one step further and alludes not only to the sacrifice, but to the resurrection as well.

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

As I said, I do not dislike any of the cards in this deck. They are some of the most beautiful tarot cards I've ever seen. However, since I had to pick one as a least favorite, I chose the Moon.

The night sky is filled with intermittent clouds and the moon is a waxing crescent. The landscape is rocky. There is a path leading down to the water that is in the foreground. The path comes over a hill and passes through two stone "pillars" (they don't really appear to be man-made). Near the shore there are a wolf and a dog. They are both howling at the Moon. There is a small crab climbing a rock on the left, front side of the card.

The only reason I chose this as my least favorite card is because it seems to be unfinished to me. The rest of the Major Arcana in this deck are so rich and vibrant with symbolism that this one seems a bit neglected. It carries only the traditional RWS type of imagery and so it seems to be lacking what the others have in abundance.

You can see images of the cards here: Beware of Hanged Man nudity! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/RGareth/XiiMoon.jpg

[enchancea]

Im juding my decision on art for now because I havent read enough to really judge on anything else.
My favorite is Power. It has the goddess Freyja on it. I like this card because I think the picture is gorgeous. Freyja is in a cart being pulled by 2 large black cats. She is being pulled in the sky, you can see the land below her. She is riding on the clouds. She has red hair and is in a pink and green dress with lots of gold jewelry.
My least favorite is Oppression. It has the Wawalak on it. Its very plain. It has 2 ladies holding babies and sitting on the ground. They appear to be in a very dry place. The grass in yellow and there are alot of rocks. There is a storm cloud above them and they are looking up at it. They are surrounded by red mountains.

[dolphincity47446]

1. Tell which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite and why. Describe the card and what appeals to you the most about it.

My favorite Major Arcana card in the Gilded deck is The Lovers. The image on this card really draws me to this card.
On the Lovers card, there is a man and a woman with long brown hair, in water up to the man's thigh. It seems as if the man is lifting the woman up out of the water, but she also seems to be rising herself out of the water gracefully. Her feet are still in the water. The woman is looking up towards the sky. There is light shining down upon them with orbs coming out of the light. There is a dolphin on each side of them jumping out of the water in the background. The sky in the back ground is bluish and the sun is shining in the water behind them. You can also see their reflection in the water in the front, next to them.

What appeals to me the most about this card is that there is a great emphasis on a blessed and romantic relationship.

2. Tell which of the Major Arcana card is your least favorite and why. Describe the card and what you don't like about it.

My least favorite Major Arcana in the Gilded deck is The Tower. I don't like this card because when I see this card, I want to draw back and hide or something.
The image is great on this card. There is a tower that is crumbling down and there is fire in the middle of the tower. There is a man free falling from the tower. In the background, there are dark clouds rolling by the tower. It really shows a shakeup and changes.

I don't like this card because it strongly shows shakeups and changes. I am not someone who likes sudden changes and needing to adjust to the changes in order for things to go smoothly for me again.

[Amethyst Rose]

Thanks to everyone who's gotten their assignments in so far, I have read through them and I really like reading the reasoning behind your selections, it gives in insight into who you are. :)

Only half the class has gotten assignments in so far, though, and it's due tomorrow. Do the rest of you need a couple day's (till Friday) extension? Would those who have done the assignment already mind that? Or would you rather that we just go one with the next lesson tomorrow? You've already made the effort to have the assignment in on time, so it's your call.

[Nellie]

Hey Amethyst Rose,

I don't mind as long as we still get the same length of time for the next assignment, as in don't give it us Friday to be handed in on Monday!!!

[FaerieGothMommy]

Nope i don't. I would like to know my grade though ;) but, i can wait :)

[Amethyst Rose]

Hey Amethyst Rose,

I don't mind as long as we still get the same length of time for the next assignment, as in don't give it us Friday to be handed in on Monday!!!

I wouldn't do that, we don't have a deadline or anything so we can take all the time we need for the class. :)

[Rhianna813]

I don't mind extending the due date. The assignments, group readings, and major arcana discussion is keeping me happily occupied :-)

Rhianna

[gypsy0108]

I dont mind extending the due date a few days.

[Greybird]

Mine's written. I planned on getting the scans done tonight and posting tomorrow, but it doesn't bother me if you extend it.

[Nellie]

I wouldn't do that, we don't have a deadline or anything so we can take all the time we need for the class. :)

Cool Teach :clapping: Just let us know when you're ready with the next one!!! :vanish:

[Amethyst Rose]

Alright then, I'm extending the due date to Friday morning, and the next lesson and assignment will be posted Friday afternoon. Those of you who haven't gotten this assignment in yet, please get it in before Friday. :)

[Catiana]

I'll have mine in tonight after I get home from work.

[Naiad]

Most Favourite Major Arcana Card

Aeon (21)

In my deck the last Major Arcana card is called Aeon instead of the World and is my favourite Major Arcana card. In the top left hand corner of the card there is a mother cradling a baby and she looks very peaceful. Coming from the chest if the mother is a rainbow that gets wider and leads down to a ship in the bottom right in the middle of a storm-tossed sea. In the top right is the world and taking up most of the card is an upright infinity symbol, that looks like the number 8. The background is purple, like a night’s sky and dotted with white stars. The keyword on this card is Synthesis.

I like this card because of the wholeness it represents. It doesn’t represent the end of something more, the completion. The rainbow leading down to the ship in trouble is like a beacon of hope and is giving help to the ship and its crew. The mother cradling the baby is like the beginnings and rebirth. The infinity symbol sums up the whole meaning of the card as something never ending and complete.

Least Favourite Major Arcana Card

Hanged Man (12)
In my deck this card is shown with a simple figure of a man being suspended in the air. He is almost a silhouette but some parts of him are highlighted in white. He is horizontal but curved up. He has his hands behind his back and his feet have been lifted up. It doesn't look like a comfortable position to be in. He is being held up by many strings. These strings are being held by a crowd of people. Behind the crowd are four trees, two on either side and a sun above them in the middle. The background behind the hanged man is grey and behind the crowd it is pale green. The keyword for this card is Sacrifice.

In my deck he is depicted almost like a puppet. He looks so helpless just hanging there with all his strings being held by a crowd of people. It’s like the crowd has complete control over him and there’s nothing he can do. I know it stands for people to accept things and let them be but the way it has been represented seems to over exaggerate that. The traditional picture of a man hanging by one foot seems to get across the meaning fine. All the strings seem a bit like overkill.

[Niamh celtic mist]

Due May 18th:

Due date extended to the morning of May 20th


1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.



1) My favorite card is The Empress. In the Gilded Tarot she is depicted standing..Astrological symbols surround her...she holds the symbol of feminism,the circle with the cross... in such a way that gives the impression of being nurturing and protective....a protective mother. She has firery red hair...and wears a blue cloak that seems to imply that along with her beauty and passion..there is a calm and nurturing woman...

I love the feeling of completion and potential that this card projects. That the underlying power of creation lies within her nurturing grasp. I love the power that is found within this image and yet a gentleness is there as well. I meditate with this card and I am able to tap into the protective atmosphere that is present. I find it a very secure and comforting card. Finding a balance of nature and passion. This is the card that brings me very close to my feelings as a mother. The need to guide, nurture,and comfort. Motherhood has been the most rewarding and frusrtating experiance! I have learned so much from my children...the most important lesson...to love unconditionally.........


2) My least favorite card is The Tower card. In the Gilded Tarot The towering brick structure is struck by a bolt of lightning from a dark cloud that has appeared out of a blue night sky....flames shoot out and bricks along with a naked man tumble from the ruined upper level.

This card shows that even though structures and foundations appear solid...they can still be torn apart...reduced to rubble...sometimes from out of the blue. The sudden change that disaster can bring...the desolation and shock that can accompany it....are all represented in this image.

I dislike this card...mostly because it makes me think of all the hard work that went into building that tower and then..in a matter of moments its laid to waste...taking lives, dreams...with it...even though I know that this card comes along when change is needed and by rebuilding....life will be improved in a much needed way...I am not comfortable with the idea of violent change. Although looking back on my life the most beneficial experiances have been the ones that occured with sudden and unexpected events. It is the truest lessons of life that are found at these times and in the long run I learned to cherish them...but I still get a shiver when this card comes up!

[Catiana]

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.
My favorite card is Death. It has a black background and there is a large white dragon that is shedding its old black skin. There is beam of light shining down on the dragon illuminating it as it roars. I love this card for its beauty.



2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

My least favorite card is The Wheel. It has a brown background with a book laying open with a wheel on one page and the other page contains writing that say “Grimoire of Life, The Wheel Turns, Learn to Ride with Dragons” there is a Celtic spiral design underneath it. A dragon claw is holding the book. Next to the book is an ink well and quill. I don’t care for this card because the art doesn’t fit with the other cards, and I prefer that it would have a full dragon rather than just a claw.

[Nellie]

What deck are you using Catiana?

[Catiana]

What deck are you using Catiana?

Celtic Dragon deck

[ajna]

I apologize, I only read May 20th and thought I had a bit more time to finish up than I had.

I chose my cards based on the art and the impression I got from them.

1. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

I chose Strength as my favorite. It is by far the most colorful card in the Legend deck and has quite a good amount of detain in it for a card – in this deck – of the Major Arcana. You can feel the vigor emanating from the card.

The card is titled “Percivale’s Vision”. The story behind his vision can be found in Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, a highly Catholic story. At one point in the text, Percivale was marooned on an island of wild beasts. Here, he found a lion and a serpent fighting each other. Believing the lion to be the gentler being of the two, Percivale came to its aid and rescued it from the serpent. That night, Percivale had a dream in which a beautiful girl claimed the lion to be hers and an old woman claimed the serpent to be hers. To make amends for killing her serpent, the old woman asked Percivale to be hers. Percivale refused this offer.

When Percivale woke up the next day, a vision of an old man came to him and spoke to him of his dream. The old man said that the woman represented the new religion (Christianity at this time) and the old woman represented the old religion (Paganism – remember this is a story written almost for the sole purpose of spreading and retaining the morality and beliefs of the Christian faith). The old man then reminded him to remain true to his honor and the code of chivalry and disappeared.

Later that day Percivale came across a beautiful young woman who asked a favor of him. As a knight, he – of course – accepted without even knowing what it was first (sorry it’s a pet peeve of mine, in many of these stories the knights accept quests and offer help without knowing what it entails beforehand and they get into a bunch of problems because of it). Well, in return she agreed to feed him and help him off the island.

Well Percivale is but a man and he found himself quite taken with the little lass. She offered to sleep with him if he pledged to be only hers and to serve only her. He did, and when he was waiting for her to get ready for the big event he saw the cross on the hilt of his blade, made a cross on his forehead, and started to leave. Once he had crossed himself, the girl and everything around him in the area she had taken him disappeared claiming – as she disappeared – that he had betrayed her.
Percivale believed himself to be unworthy of the quest of the grail now and stabbed himself in the thigh. Suddenly that old man from the vision showed up with a ship and Percivale was able to get off the island. The old man, on their trip, told Percivale that the old woman from his dream and the beautiful girl he was going to play around with were the same entity.

The picture shows a conglomeration of both the battle between the serpent and the lion and Percivale’s inner moral struggle. On the card, the young woman is riding the lion and is fighting the old woman on the snake – one of each of their arms is raised at the other and are crossed against each other, the young woman seems to be pushing the old woman’s fist away. The snake is a mixture of orange and green sections with the old woman, dressed in a red hooded dress, riding on his back and takes up most of the image, whereas the girl on the lion is wearing white with a purple shawl/scarf of sorts and only takes up about half the space of the serpent. The battle is taking place in a forest in the fall. Yellow leaves lie at the bases of trees and under both animals. Behind them is a canyon of sorts. They are on the same level as the bottom of the canyon.

Many of the other cards in the Major Arcana of this deck have bluish hues – which normally appeal to me. The radiance of this card amongst them is too much to pass up though. This car’s image is filled with fiery colors, the primary colors of the card being red and yellow. The only bluish hue on the card is the violet shawl the young woman is wearing and even that takes on more of a reddish hue amongst the other colors.

I also appreciate the assertiveness of the art and the bold feel of the card. Rather than a stagnant character, like many of the other Major Arcana cards, this card is action. The figures almost move on their own. The women’s cape and shawl fly behind them as if they’re moving at high speeds and both the snake and the lion are reared up. The women’s skirts as well are beautifully draped and flowing around them. The attention to detail is amazing…

2. Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your least favorite, and why. Describe the card to me, and what you don't like about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

My least favorite card – which is also a good card, the whole deck is beautiful – is “The Horned One” or “The Devil” card. It isn’t the meaning that turned me from this card – I actually hadn’t associated “The Horned One” and “The Devil” cards yet when I chose this card. I just didn’t like the overwhelming green color to the card. Everything in the card, save a fox standing at the central character’s left and part of a tree stump behind him to his right, is different shades of green.

The Arthurian story associated with the card is that of Cernunnos – whom I have never heard of. According to the book that came with my cards, Cernunnos is the Celtic horned god (more information about him can be found here (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/cernunnos.html)). The half goat half man with antlers sits cross-legged in the middle of the card holding a snake in his left hand and a ring of sorts in his right hand – there is another such ring around his neck. To his left stands a brown/orange fox and resting on his right knee is the head of a boar – I believe the boar’s body is hidden behind Cernunnos’ leg. Behind him to his right is a stag. He is sitting in the forest at what appears to be nighttime with a full moon barely appearing over the hill behind him. The predominant colors, as I said previously, are many shades of green with a few areas of more of an orangey/brown color – such as in the case of the fox and a stump sitting just behind him to his right.

Because of the lack of diversity in it’s coloring, the card appears stagnant and a bit alien to me. The creatures in the card also appear to be unmoving and fixated – the animals on Cernunnos and Cernunnos on the person holding the card, or just beyond them. The green color also makes the card look foggy. Though the picture is clear and wonderfully detailed, the moon in the background is clouded over which gives a hazy overall feel to the card – not at all like the decisiveness and motion of the previous card.

[Amethyst Rose]

No problem, thanks, you did a great job!

[Greybird]

My apologies - the last two weeks have been beyond messy around here (some ugly family thing are going on), so I'm playing constant catch-up. Hopefully these things will settle down soon.

-----------------------------------

Before I begin with this, I need to clarify my mindset for those people who don’t know me. I tend not to think like most people, which becomes a factor when discussing my personal feelings about various things. I have a genetic disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a very mild form of autism. As a result, my emotional responses and needs tend to be a bit off from the general populace, and my thought patterns are a bit different as well. It isn’t a huge difference – historically, when autistics were just labeled ‘insane’, people with Asperger’s were just called ‘eccentric’. It is important to understand, however, that I don’t always look at things (including symbolism and correspondences) the same way as most people; I’m not loony, just a bit eccentric! ;)

Tell me which of the Major Arcana cards is your most favorite, and why. Describe the card to me and what appeals to you the most about it. It can be based on meaning or on art, or on your personal feelings... doesn't matter.

I use the Robin Wood Tarot.

I’m going to have to split this one as well, as both The Magician and The Hermit really speak to me.

The Magician is a middle aged man with dark brown hair and beard. His robe is slightly open, showing a hairy chest. On his head is a deerskin headdress, antlers attached. He is shown as a virile, masculine person, wearing the accoutrements of the god, and yet his expression is one of understanding and compassion. Despite his obvious masculinity, he doesn’t let it overpower him. He is power without domination, confidence without arrogance, solidity without rigidness, and masculine without denying the feminine. He is what masculinity should be, the positive qualities without the negative ones (which is appropriate, as I see this card as being the representative of the concept of masculinity within the tarot, if you hadn’t guessed ;) ). This comes about through balance – everything in the image strikes me as representing balance. Behind the magician are one white and one black candle, representing the balance of dualities – give and take, yin and yang, hot and cold, darkness and light, masculine and feminine (I could go on, but you get the idea). On the table in front of him are the four symbols of the minor arcana, a wand, a dagger (representing the swords), a cup, and a pentacle, the whole comprising the typical pagan (or even ceremonial) altar. Again, the image is one of balance. With the four tools, you have the four elemental forces represented, themselves a four-way balance. Furthermore, two are hot, two cold, two masculine, two feminine, and so on. In his projective hand (again considered "masculine") , he holds the symbol of infinity, the wholeness that comes about through perfect balance.

He wears a robe of red, representing strength, power, and potency, but it is white on the inside, showing the pure truth that underlies the strength of the red. The white also shows that the outer red relies on the underlying, hidden complexity of the white, that the powerful male qualities he shows so boldly to the world are backed by the greater whole. In the borders of his robe are white roses, above each of which hangs a white lily. I can’t claim complete understanding of the symbolism here. Eden Gray suggests the roses are passion, and the lilies abstract thought, but I’ll have to think about that one a bit. Passionately and abstractly, perhaps.

Overall, The Magician represents the archetypal ideal man – strong, powerful, confident, yet fully balanced and in touch with the feminine energies of the universe. That is the source of my fondness of the card – it is a concept that makes a worthwhile ideal for any man, a state that I might strive toward.

The second card that appeals to me is The Hermit. I’ll try not to go into as much detail on this one, as I’m probably making everyone fall asleep already.

The Hermit show an elderly, but solid man. He strikes me as not so much frail as well-worn, from his long beard to his threadbare gray robe. He stands alone, high in the mountains, holding a staff topped with a red feather in his left hand, and an upraised lantern in his right. The lantern shines brightly, its light projecting on past the limits of the card. He stands alone. He doesn’t have property, and what he does have isn’t rich or luxurious. Despite his weather-worn looks, he is both strong and content. His contentment, then, comes only from within himself, not from his possessions or from others. He represents the idea that true happiness and contentment must from within oneself before you can seek it elsewhere. His light represents a number of things to me. He is an observer from within himself, with a grand view and a light to see it by. He is also a beacon to others, holding the bright, pure, yet evasive light of truth and happiness that everyone wants to find. He holds it where they can see it, so that they can make the journey on their own.

Anyway, as to why I like the card, let me quote our teacher’s meanings from this lesson: “This card represents all the feelings that go along with the desire to turn away from the world, and look within. In readings it often represents a need to be alone for personal reflection, to seek out your own personal truths and determine what you need to be happy.” No card in the tarot better represents me. Due to my autism, I don’t have the same social needs as most people, and am most comfortable by myself. For me, happiness and contentment has always come from turning inward, away from the world, seeking out my own personal truths. The Hermit, then, appeals to me simply because it represents, in a single image, my own nature. It also reminds me of one of the hardest lessons I ever had to learn – that solitude can be a catalyst to happiness and contentment, not just a barrier to it.

The card I like the least is The Tower.

The Tower shows a great, spiraling black tower that has been struck by lightning, cracked and burning. Those who were inside have been flung out, falling toward the jagged rocks below. It is dark, and I see the card as exceptionally foreboding and terrifying. It almost brings tears to my eyes, and not just this version – every deck I’ve seen with a tower card has a similar effect on me.

Why do I dislike it so much? I’m not entirely sure. I can hazard some guesses – my early life was a lot like the card, with a number of great destructive upheavals, altogether unexpected, both painful and difficult. The meanings behind the card, sudden change, surprise, and disruption, are also things that grate against me in a painful way. All autistics tend to cling to regularity, to schedules, and so forth as a source of comfort. We hate unexpected changes from our routines, surprises, and disruptions. An unexpected change of plans can make me a nervous wreck for hours, so those aspects of this card are really uncomfortable things for me. For whatever reason, though, when it comes right down to it, The Tower simply makes me uncomfortable.

See? I told you I was a bit eccentric! ;)

[Amethyst Rose]

Thanks, Greybird! Excellent job, as usual. :)