Sagittarius in the Major Arcana (part 2)

There’s another card from the Major Arcana to look at while we’re in Sagittarius, and that’s the card that’s associated with the ruler of this sign. Jupiter rules Sagittarius; in the system of correspondences that I use, Jupiter is linked to the Wheel of Fortune.

Remember that Jupiter, the largest of the planets in our solar system, is composed almost entirely of gas.  When gas is heated, it expands – so Jupiter has come to represent growth and expansion, and from there, with generosity and benevolence (in astrology, the planet is referred to as the 'greater benefic'). There’s the link to the Wheel - changing fortunes.  Circumstances change; the wheel is constantly turning – things expand and contract, our fortunes rise and fall.

Wheel of Fortune (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

Jupiter was also known as Jove, giving rise to our word 'jovial'.  Jupiter has also come to be associated with good humour, despite also being the god of thunder!  All this good-hearted benevolence has become almost synonymous with Jupiter being linked to good fortune. This is accompanied by a sense of optimism, and faith in something ‘greater’.

Of course, when heat is removed from a gas, it contracts – Jupiter the planet can’t expand indefinitely or it would burst! This cycle of expansion and contraction of Jupiter is reflected in The Wheel.   Circumstances change; the wheel is constantly turning – things expand and contract, our fortunes rise and fall.

We often see Fortuna, the goddess of chance, in this card. Blindfolded, she turns the wheel of life, unable to see the consequences of each turn. Life is unpredictable, and it often seems we have no control over what fortune awaits us.  We can choose what action to take as we’re confronted with new situations, though, so it may not be completely out of our hands.  Events may appear to be random – but are they? And can we recognize the silver lining, the blessings in disguise – benefic Jupiter at work – when they do happen?

The Wheel  (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

In the Wildwood, we see the three herons representing the Three Fates, waiting for the robe to be completed – but we can affect what’s being woven into the fabric of life.  The robe carries symbols of life and death – the cycle of life that keeps on going, reminding us that nothing stands still – or if it does, it stagnates.  The warp of potential, the weft of possibility – that’s what we see in that unfinished garment.

Wheel of Life (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Wheel of Life is a whirl of colour, spinning so quickly it’s hard to make out what might be caught up in it. A face appears to be behind it, at the top – it’s the only thing that doesn’t seem to be moving. A smaller circle of yellow-gold light sits in the centre; the source of the larger wheel, perhaps? The Sun? The larger circle spirals outwards, expanding – not unlike Jupiter’s expansion. In the accompanying book to the deck, Margarete Peterson’s words reflect the “these things shall pass” quality of other versions of the card. Having faith and trusting in the process, gaining wisdom (all linked to Jupiter, astrologically) as we do. 

Fortune (trimmed):© Thoth Tarot

And then there’s the Thoth. All that purple shrieks ‘Jupiter’ at me, purple being associated with royalty, among other things! The wheel has ten spokes, reflecting the number of the card in the Arcana. Three creatures are placed around the edge of the wheel. Sphinx, ape, and crocodile represent three Egyptian gods, and through them wisdom (Jupiter), ability to think clearly, flexibility, creativity – mutable qualities all linked to Sagittarius. All around are whirlwinds and lightning bolts (Jupiter being the traditional god of thunder and lightning, although Uranus took over rulership of lightning: electrical storms) – sudden, unexpected changes in fortune. (Although not astrological, the Hebrew letter Kaph, “palm”, also symbolizes the need to let the wheel turn freely, not being in control over what happens.)

The Wheel  (trimmed):

©  Druid Craft Tarot

In the Druid Craft we see a woman drawing a circle in the sand on a beach at the entrance to a cave, the sea in the background. Different image, but the same message - the circle represents the never-ending cycles of life and death, birth and re-birth, while the sea, with its natural ebb and flow represents the turning of the wheel in respect to our fortunes. The tide will come in and wash away the circle in the sand but it can be redrawn on the tide’s ebb. Trusting in the process, gaining wisdom throughout.

Wheel of  Fortune (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes' Wheel of Fortune depicts a sort of Celtic-knot pattern - something with no discernible beginning or end.  Again, it's about standing back and seeing the bigger picture - about not putting boundaries on everything but allowing things to expand and develop at their own pace. Let the wheel keep turning.

Of course, what comes up must go down – but the Wheel doesn’t indicate which way it’s turning; we rely on other cards in a reading to determine that.  When heat is removed from a gas, it contracts – Jupiter the planet can’t expand indefinitely!  Fortunes change.

Whatever the imagery in the card in front of us, we see a circle, a representation of the never-ending cycles of life and death, death and re-birth – and of our fortunes.  There’s no discernible beginning or end.  We have to stand back and see the bigger picture, taking the Jupiterian view.  We know that what goes up must come down – it’s all part of the cycle – but we have faith that the Wheel doesn’t stop there, but keeps on turning.

Wheel always turning

Happiness, sorrow, life, death

Trust in the process.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Sagittarius in the Minor Arcana: The Eight of Wands

Moving on now to the Minor Arcana, in the astrological correspondence system that I follow, Sagittarius is linked to the Eight, Nine and Ten of Wands. Today I’m going to look at the Eight of Wands, which is linked to Mercury in Sagittarius, and corresponds to the first ten days of Sagittarius (this year, 22^nd November to 1^st December).

Sagittarius is the mutable Fire sign, so we’re looking at transforming what’s been established into something else.  It combines a fiery passion and creativity with the expansiveness and benevolence of Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, to give us the visionary, the explorer, the philosopher.   

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

Mercury is associated with communication, so when linked with Sagittarius could indicate fast thinking, perhaps, or open and optimistic communication.  Ideas are probably more to do with long-term goals or aspirations towards an ideal. Getting bogged down by details seems unlikely, and there could be a sense of restlessness involved.  There might also be an interest in teaching others about what we’ve learned in our own journey. Tolerance and broad-mindedness are also qualities of this combination of planet and sign.

Mercury rules Gemini, the sign that sits opposite Sagittarius in the zodiac.  Opposing forces at work here, you might think.  Rather than buzz about pollinating local networks, Mercury is being challenged here to work on a much larger scale. Global rather than local. 

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

So how might this play out in the Eight of Wands?  Let start with a relatively ‘traditional’ depiction of the Eight of Wands – as illustrated by the Sharman-Burke/Caselli (Beginners Guide to the Tarot) and Druid Craft decks. Here we see wands flying through the air, representing new directions and many opportunities or possibilities.  There’s plenty of space for ideas – represented by flames on the wands - to expand and grow.  The wands are in their element, literally, in Sagittarius.  Juliet Sharman-Burke uses the phrase ‘full steam ahead’ to describe this card; steam is a product of fire and water, taking me back to the idea of Temperance and alchemy! There’s a goal – maybe more than one – to aim for (the castle in the background representing hopes and wishes). The thing to be wary of here is that if the activity is so widespread, it’s possible that nothing will ever be completed! Focus that creative fire into fewer things.

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes version of this card shows the seeds of ideas being carried away on the wind – being communicated and transported in a Mercurial fashion. In the accompanying book, the deck’s creators write “the seeds spin away on the wild winds – at the mercy of entropy but sailing with the purpose nature bestowed on them... and then set down to ...become a mighty tree”.   For me, that sense of being taken wherever nature carries them reflects the Sagittarian expansion by Mercurial means!

Eight of Bows (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

In the Wildwood we have the Eight of Bows.  We see people gathered around a fire, celebrating, perhaps.  Here’s Mercury – gathering, communicating, and sharing with friends and neighbours.  This, to me, seems more about the aftermath of going out and achieving the Sagittarian quest, whatever it might be, rather than the wands being sent out through the air - although you could argue that there's plenty of "spreading the word" going on around the fire!

Eight of  Flames (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Eight of Flames gives us a big cat – a cheetah perhaps, as it’s the fastest of all the felines – above and to the left of a figure with a bow and arrow. The bow reminds me of the Wildwood’s use of Bows in place of Wands…  The arrow hasn’t been released yet, so this might not be so much the end of the action, as in Waite-Smith-based images.  It could signify the sending of news, or maybe even reflecting on what releasing the arrow might manifest.

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

In the Thoth deck, the image is very different – yet the meaning is similar. The card carries the word ‘swiftness’, which we see in the images on the other cards; there’s a sense of those arrows flying at speed through the air.  Here the arrows are red (fire), shooting off in all directions. Communication is clear (the crystal), direct and honest, so that misunderstandings can be avoided or overcome.   Make sure you know where you stand, and that it’s clear to the world!

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Scorpio in the Major Arcana: Death

After dipping into the Minor Arcana – and the excitement of the Samhuinn Tarot Blog Hop! - let’s look at Scorpio in the Major Arcana.  Given what we know of Scorpio, it probably comes as no surprise that the card associated with Scorpio (in the system I follow) is ‘Death’.  Death, as in the end of a cycle – something that’s necessary in order to allow something new to grow and develop.  Not physical death, or at least, not necessarily. 

Traditional depictions of ‘Death’, number 13 in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, show us a knight in armour on a white horse, a king dead underfoot, a religious figure in its path, sometimes children.  The image in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli tarot (Beginners' Guide to the Tarot) is a variation on that theme; here the horse is black (the colour associated with death in some cultures), its rider a skeleton.  The skeleton’s headdress is a swaddling cloth, used at birth, reflecting the link between birth and death and the unending cycle of life. 

The skeleton carries an hourglass, reminding us that everything has its time. In the distance, we see a river – another reminder of the ongoing process of transformation, this time in the form of the hydrological cycle (the river water evaporates and forms clouds, the clouds rain, the water falls back to earth).  The boat is said to symbolize both the cradle and the coffin. In the foreground we see a raven, thought to be a harbinger of death in many traditions.  The theme is Scorpionic – transformation and change; endings linked with beginnings.

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The skeleton with his scythe are also seen in the Crowley Thoth tarot’s version of ‘Death’.  He wears two faces here – one is that of the destroyer, the other that of the liberator – reminding us that in order to change, we may have to let go of things that hold us back, that no longer serve us.  The headdress of this skeleton is a funereal head-covering, used in ancient Egypt – a reminder of the need to bury old, out-dated, invalid ideas and beliefs so that new life can begin.  We see the scorpion at the bottom of the image, ready to sting, and the snake – perhaps THE symbol of transformation – ready to bite.  A fish, representing the past, swims through the serpent’s coils: is it the next victim?  Above it all, the phoenix, which can only rise from the ashes once the fire has consumed everything in its way. Intense? Oh yes!

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes Tarot also draws on the promise of renewal with its phoenix rising from the ashes of the devastation, the tearing down of what has been, ready for what’s to come.  It's one of the more 'optimistic' versions of the Death card, I think - the fiery-red phoenix, symbol of death and rebirth and life all in one, looks upwards and outwards towards what appears to be a sunny future... What do you think?

The creator of the Shadowscapes deck, Stepanie Pui-Mun Law, incorporates a lot of botanical symbolism in her images. Here we see irises, my favourite flower. These are also associated with death, through Greek mythology: Iris, goddess of the rainbow, would not only travel down to earth with messages from the gods, but also transported souls to the underworld.  

13 The Journey (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Deadly nightshade can also been seen here - an extremely poisonous plant, so associated with deception, danger, and death - as well as sumac, which (according to the Victorian language of flowers) says "I will survive the change". 

The Wildwood draws on different images of death, representing transformation.  In ‘The Journey’, Will Worthington has given us an image of the raven (considered to be a guardian of the dead, or guide to the otherworld) tearing flesh from a skull of a reindeer - a symbol of the stripping of life, and of the (re)cycling of life through death and birth; all 8^th house/Scorpio issues.  

Both the Druid Craft’s creators and Margarete Petersen have made reference to the Crone in their depictions of Death. There’s an element of looking backwards and forwards with the Crone-Hermit, and that ‘crone knowledge’ or wisdom associated with the Hermit is necessary in order to make the changes that Death demands. The serpent, representing transformation, is present in both images – in fact, in Margarete Petersen’s version, we see two serpents, one white, one black. There are links back to her High Priestess, Chariot, and even the Lovers in the way she’s used duality and opposites in her work. Her Death image is almost a mirror image: white serpent meets black serpent; Death, in the form of a cloaked skeleton, stands behind the white, earth-bound figure. Out of the dark comes light. A bit like the phoenix, then?

Death (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Here comes the Sun!

XIX The Sun (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

The Sun, the astrological ruler of Leo, is also represented in the tarot’s Major Arcana by, of course, the Sun card! 

Our sun is the source of all warmth and light; it’s the centre of our solar system. It’s a star. Margarete Petersen has truly captured this in her image of The Sun!

Warmth and light, and being the centre of the solar system are certainly Leonine themes – Leos want to be the star, in the spot-light, on centre stage.  So, how does this show up in the Sun in the tarot?  We associate happiness, joy, child-like pleasure, love of life with this card, all of which fit the image of Leo!

XIX The Sun (trimmed):

© Universal Waite Tarot

In the traditional Rider-Waite-based decks, we have a white horse, representing life.  The child obviously symbolizes child-like joy in the simple pleasures of life, as well as being an image of renewal.   Interesting to think that neither the child nor the horse (we assume!) is concerned about what might happen next – both are very much ‘in the moment’, living for now, taking pleasure in the present.  One could say, well, isn’t that the same as The Fool?  In a sense, perhaps, but there’s a difference.  Astrologically, the sun rules the day, while the other luminary, the moon, rules the night.  The sun shines; we see things in the ‘clear light of day’, so you might say that the sun is linked to the conscious self, or rational thought. The moon, on the other hand, doesn’t shine – we see it thanks to the light of the sun, which is reflected off the surface of the moon.   No wonder, then, that the moon/Moon is linked to what’s not seen clearly, to illusion, to the imagination, the unconscious.  Remember - we looked at The Moon in the tarot earlier in the year, when we were in the sign of Pisces.

XIX The Sun (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The Sun follows The Moon in the tarot – with the break of day comes clarity.  The sun can often carry a sense of optimism. How many people do you know who find their spirits lifting on a beautiful sunny day?  What might have seemed impossible in the dark of the night now seems possible.  Yet we need the dark of the night, the Moon time, to rest – otherwise we might burn ourselves out in all that solar energy!

In some decks we see sunflowers or other gold and orange flowers, as well as oranges – called, by some, ‘solar fruit’.  We might also see signs of laurel, symbolizing success.

In the Thoth, the horse disappears and we see two children dancing instead. They dance for the sheer joy and fun of it, celebrating the freedom of the moment.  

XIX The Sun (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

In the Shadowscapes, we see the King of the Birds in all his solar glory...not flying too close to the Sun, though, as Icarus did.

19 The Sun(trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

In the Wildwood, we have a single figure against the backdrop of a blazing sun, with flowers bursting into bloom in the light and warmth of the sun’s rays. Joy, strength, good health... the warmth enters our bodies and ‘lights our fire’, enthusing and exhilarating us!  Go on – go and do something for the sheer fun of it!

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Universal Waite Tarot created by Mary Hanson-Roberts & Pamela Colman-Smith, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Earth Mother - Margarete Petersen’s Mother of Coins

Margarete Petersen’s Mother of Coins reminds me of the Mother of Earth in the Haindl deck. She’s enclosed by the square frame, bathed in gentle golden light. She too nourishes, like the other Mothers, but her nourishing comes from nature and from the body. She “gathers, heals, and enjoys”. 

Mother of Coins (trimmed):© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Mother of Stones in the West: ©Haindl Tarot

In the accompanying LWB, Petersen writes of the coiled serpent, taking us back to the Ace and Two of Coins. Here she says the serpent is coiled at the base of the spine, unseen in the image but implicit, I think, in the use of the boundary, the square frame. 

This Queen/Mother knows “the power of coins”: “when the serpent uncoils, the grass trembles”. She also knows both “wealth and poverty, abundance and scarcity” – and has the wisdom to know how to use them to manifest.

There’s definitely an earth-mother feel to this card, I think: a reminder to look after our bodies, possessions, finances – all the things that constitute ‘personal resources’. Generous, patient and pragmatic. I’d add innate talents and abilities to that list.

Mother of the earth,
Guardian of health, home, wealth
Practical, kind, calm.

 

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books. 2004. 

Haindl Tarot, created by Hermann Haindl, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Stretching - Margarete Petersen’s Son of Coins

Son of Coins (trimmed):
© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Son of Coins, like the other Sons in the deck, is shown in a yoga posture. As one of my friends said, he looks as though he’s literally stretching into being (thanks, Margo!). In the accompanying LWB, Petersen refers to using Yogic wisdom in order to surrender to the body, which would also represent the earthy, material, practical side of life.

Margarete Petersen’s court cards all receive gifts from one another, within their suit. I can see the Son as the more traditional ‘inexperienced child’, receiving the gifts of security or stability from his Mother, structured strength from his Father, and learning how to change and transform from his Sister – all through that yoga pose!

Shedding old patterns
Respect ancestral knowledge
Strength to start anew.

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books. 2004. 

Solar power! - Margarete Petersen’s Four of Coins

In the system I follow, the Four of Coins is linked astrologically to the Sun in Capricorn.  Although Margarete Petersen hasn’t incorporated astrology into her deck (as far as I know), the colours she uses in this card conjure up the Sun, for me.  

Four of Coins (trimmed):© Margarete Petersen Tarot

There’s a sense of creative energy being “coloured” by discipline and tradition – a single-mindedness, perhaps, working towards a well-defined target. Whatever that target or goal is, it’s going to be about being able to express ourselves and our creativity, but in a responsible way. On the downside, pessimism and cynicism can stand in the way of progress.  We might also find ourselves overly concerned with ‘how things look’, or wanting to hold on to what we have – something that’s often traditionally associated with the Four of Coins.  Either way, the Sun in Capricorn can represent a strong commitment to the material things in life – be they possessions and/or resources.

So many of Margarete Petersen’s Coins cards remind me of the Thoth’s suit of the same name.  Here the square-bounded enclosure is reminiscent of the Crowley version.   Squares are solid, stable, powerful structures; it’s hard to move them, so there’s a sense of protection here, but also of rigidity. . The serpent is back, too, forming a complete enclosed area too – an ouroboros, constantly re-creating itself.. The solidity of the structure and the strength of the ouroboros reflect our own integrity, but we have to remember the danger of inflexibility and the inability to compromise.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Treasure held safely

within strong walls but is it

still accessible?

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA, 2004

The Devil in Margarete Petersen’s tarot

The Devil (trimmed):© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Devil is, with Magic, my co-favourite card of the Majors.  A world away from the RWS crouching demon, for sure. I see a multi-faceted jewel, a diamond perhaps, with figures trapped within facets. The face of ‘the Devil’ is also present, at the tip of the jewel. 

Try as I might, I can't see a goat in there! (This card is linked to Capricorn, astrologically.)

Although the facets contain figures, they also represent the ability to shift perspective, I think – like looking at a prism from different angles and seeing the changes in the refracted colours/light. Not unlike the Capricorn goat, having to change direction and find new paths in order to pick his way around the obstacles that lie between him and the top of the mountain.  

The jewel sits in a sea of red ‘waves’ of fire – the passions, desires, that consume us.  MP writes of the “confusion in the passionate flame” – the figures are all topsy-turvy in their quest.  She also writes “In the sharpened vision at the point of brilliance, /New perspectives open”, which sums it all up for me!

I don’t see a right hand raised in benediction here, as in more traditional versions, but I do think there’s a link between the Devil and Hierophant in terms of meaning. One is about working out what to take from the ‘structure’ imposed by culture/society, the other is about working out how not to be enslaved by the trappings of that culture/society.  Ridiculing? Yes, perhaps – the Devil laughs at how easily we fall prey to what we think we need, thanks to the consumerism (and I don’t just mean material) of our society.  No smirking goat in this image but just think of the Thoth's version of The Devil!

Enslaved by desire

Yet unchained, free to escape

Fear and confusion.

 

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA, 2004. 

Co-operation - Margarete Petersen’s Three of Coins

The footprint theme of Margarete Petersen's Two of Coins continues into the Three, but here we see only one of them, set within the blue curves of the number ‘3’. The duality has been absorbed, ready to start something new.  A tarot friend pointed out that the Om symbol represents the seed of new growth, something I hadn't noticed.

Three of Coins (trimmed):© Margarete Petersen Tarot

In the system I follow, the Three of Pentacles/Coins is linked to Mars in Capricorn (as well as the middle ten days of Capricorn – NOW!).  Mars brings a different energy to Capricorn, compared to the expansiveness and benevolence of Jupiter in the Two of Pentacles.  Here we’re looking at fiery Martian/martial energy that asserts itself cautiously and in a disciplined way. Ambition, decisiveness, combined with Capricorn’s (the initiating, practical cardinal Earth sign) focus on careful planning. Patience, not a quality we might usually associate with fiery Mars, comes into play here. The sure-footed mountain goat makes its way slowly and steadily, picking its path carefully but with determination.

Margarete Petersen, in the LWB, talks about co-operation in the sense of the physical, social and emotional working together – a slightly different slant on the way I’d usually interpret this card: focusing on the more practical, down-to-earth, tangible issues. 

Working together,

Ideas become concrete

Through combined effort.

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA, 2004

A new year...and the Hanged Man

My card for 2017 (based on adding the day and month of my birth to 2017) is the Hanged Man, so I thought I’d start off the year by looking at Margarete Petersen’s version.

Trial (trimmed):© Margarete Petersen Tarot

She has renamed this card ‘Trial’, although the image is relatively traditional and in the inverted form of a RWS-style Emperor (although not her own). I like the idea of the Hanged Man as the complement to the Emperor – the letting go and submitting to the flow as opposed to the structure and adherence to principles that the Emperor might impose. 

The High Priestess (trimmed):© Margarete Petersen Tarot

The imagery here seems more related to The High Priestess than the Emperor, in that it’s full of duality – sun and moon, two faces looking in opposite directions, warm and cold colours, water and fire, sky (air) and tree and small animal face (earthy). Complementary in elemental symbolism!

In many old decks, the Hanged Man was known as The Traitor, apparently because in Renaissance Italy people who had committed fraud, etc., were depicted in this pose on public notices.   I don’t see The Traitor in Petersen’s imagery or associated meanings, but some people now associate Neptune with this card (rather than the traditional association with Water), which could link it to the idea of deception...  MP writes of ‘evolutionary history’ being looked at...is this a link to chronological history and the evolution of this card’s naming, I wonder?  A burning up of passion and desire, says MP, healing and cleansing by water – the ‘sins’ of the Traitor leading to the re-birth of man from sun and moon, from surrender.

So what does that leave me with, for the coming year?  I think my haiku sums it up!

Hanging upside down

New perspective, sacrifice,

Surrendering all.

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA, 2004

Big sky… Margarete Petersen’s Father of Feathers

Father of Feathers (trimmed): ©Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Father of Feathers image contains no figures (as far as I can see), much like the Mother of Flames. I tend to mix this card up with the World or the Wheel, even though the sphere has been present in every other Feathers card! This time it contains a vista that reminds me of the badlands or Grand Canyon country. Sky and cloud are reflected everywhere, though, which helps to bring me back to the realm of Air and Feathers/Swords!

I do feel the sense of intellectual freedom here, the wide-ranging ideas that I associated with the King, as well as the ability to DO something with them, to communicate them clearly (sky is mostly clear of cloud). The high cliffs suggest (to me) the high moral codes and rules that he would hold – the moral high ground, as it were.

Ideas abound -

Rules in place, yet free to think,

See the big picture.

And that's it for the suit of Feathers - stay tuned for the Coins next!

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA, 2004

 

Mother of all movement - Margarete Petersen’s Mother of Feathers

Mother of Feathers (trimmed):©Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen calls her Mother of Feathers the mother of all movement. She uses her sword (not visible in the image, as far as I can see) to cut through delusion and illusion, bringing clarity. Within the ever-present sphere sits a giant eye, all-seeing - the result of her sword-wielding, perhaps. 

In the image we see swans (often seen in Queen of Swords images: the Wildwood and Shadowscapes come to mind) flying high among the clouds – their feathers represent ‘new, freshly born thoughts’ that are now ‘singing through the air, breathing the happiness of belonging’.  There’s a sense of nurturing in this, I think, even though the swans are so high they appear remote, detached, aloof – which could perhaps be perceived as the thwarted nature of this Queen.

A cinquain to start with, for a change…

 

Calmly

Cuts to the chase.

Clarity of thought, word -

Dispassionate yet nurturing

All clear.

 

And now back to haiku!

 

Cleanly and calmly

Cut thoughts free from confusion -

Dispassionate eye.

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA, 2004