Deck: (Left) The Victorian Romantic Tarot; (Right) The Bohemian Gothic Tarot

Element: Water
Associations: Emotions; feelings; relationships

The Page of Cups is “the dreamer” in the deck–the card that represents a a creative force in action, a lust for life and the desire to see what it brings. In both Page of Cups cards in The Victorian Romantic and The Bohemian Gold, we see a sense of longing, but there are also contrasting emotive qualities between both Pages depicted in the two decks.

The Victorian Romantic Page of Cups shows a youthful girl depicted as the Page, dressed in a purple cloak, symbolic if knowledge and victory. I have been using the The Victorian Romantic Gold for my readings and gold accents decorate  the to part of her cloak, indicating strength and even nobility in this case. The Page has gazes forward at us, as if asking for attention, with a desire for us to be onlookers as she listens to someone else play the harp. The older girl is focused on playing her instrument, her gold glove colored hands, gracing the keys. She wears a blue dress, denoting emotion, feelings and creativity, which is also adorned with gold detailing. A white lace headdress represents innocence and purity. Is this other person the teacher and the Page the student? Or, is the Page just listening to the music and taking in the lush surroundings? It. The foliage in the background is symbolic of growth.

The Bohemian Gothic Page walks down a staircase. As with all of the cards in the Bohemian Gothic Tarot deck, it is dusk or nighttime and an eerie light has been cast upon the scene. The Page is wearing a dark blue, navy colored dress with white lace around the collar–denoting mystery and innocence. She is not looking directly at us, but past us, as if wondering what will happen next. Unlike the Page of Cups in the Victorian Romantic, the Bohemian Gothic Page expresses a look of concern. She is strong, as the red headband on her head indicates, but she may have been forced to be strong at too young of an age, forced to grow up too soon. Green ivy has taken over the building and the staircase that she climbs down, symbolic of age, growth and even wisdom attained beyond her years. A Green Man-like head of a statue at the end of the staircase has it’s eyes turned at the girl. There are forces beyond her control, buts she must remain focussed ahead and in pursuit of her dreams as well, whatever they may be…

The Page is the first stage in the Court cards in Tarot, and I have pulled quite a few of them this month. I seem to be swaying back and forth between the Pages and Knights in many suits, so this makes for an interesting thing for me to consider.

It’s okay to be a dreamer, someone who is optimistic, a hopeless romantic in many ways, but it is important to be aware and keep your emotions in check as well. If one goes to far off the spectrum, these thoughts can become muddled and put you on a path of false awareness.

© 2010, aurarcana – A Tarot Blog | Tarot Journaling & Tarot Cards. All rights reserved.

Has it really been three weeks since my last post? So far, this year has been off to a busy start. After a busy work week and preparing to go away, going away and then coming back and getting things back up to speed, I feel like I lost track of time! Needless to stay, I am ready to get things back on track with this blog. Posting three times a week (under normal conditions!) isn’t too much to ask of myself.

Whilst I have not been blogging, I have still been doing daily draws. Single card draws for reflections work well, and I like the simplicity of three card spreads (past – present – future or the like). However, I have become quite fond of two card spreads as well. Clear and to the point, they offer a concise way to do a assist in clarifying the issue depicted in the first card drawn. Sometimes, less is better!

I assume that there are variations of this simple spread, but this is what I came up with:

2 Card Spread: (Left)Focus and (Right) Solution

(Left) Focus – Page of Swords

Element: Air
Associations: Thought processes; conflict

The focus of the Page of Swords is standing on guard and being attentive to one’s surroundings. Within the court cards, the Page is the youngest of the court and represents learning and the attributes of the suit.

In The Victorian Romantic Tarot, the young page is outside in the courtyard outside of a castle, holding his gun and looking to his left, representing action. He is on the look out, but looks like he can protect himself. The grounds are lush with grass and vegetation and he wears a red coat with regal lion decor on it, denoting strength.

In The Bohemian Gothic Tarot, we see a girl as the page. She appears to be standing in castle grounds at night. There is a light, but it is not on. Instead the luminous moon is behind it, adding an element of mystery. When compared to The page in the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the page in The Bohemian Gothic Tarot appears on edge. Her body language indicates that she has closed herself off, as opposed to the active stance of the other page. She also gazes to the left as if she is awaiting what will happen next. Her coat is buttoned to her collar and a gold cross necklace hangs at her neck. She may have the inner strength to protect herself, but that is all that she has right now. But, her faith may fail her as well; the angel statue in the background sits down and looks asleep as it leans on a sword.

(Right) Solution – 9 of Pentacles

The focus of the 9 of Pentacles is the culmination of wealth in many ways, including material gains, the path taken to get to that point, and a robust lifestyle.

Element: Earth
Associations: Possessions; financial growth; status

In The Victorian Romantic Tarot, a woman stands confidently with her hand on her hip, gazing, looking as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. She holds a basket overflowing with daisies representing her connection to earth, growth and strength. She wears a yellow silk bodice around her waist, the color another symbolic reference connected to the daisies and the outdoors. Her white gown has an abundant amount of material on it and she wears a black hat with an enormous brim. She is relishing in the abundance of things gained, life in general and the experiences that happen within various cycles of life. In the Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Nine of Pentacles reminds me of the themes in the Empress card and certainly bares a resemblance to her in many ways.

In the Bohemian Gothic Tarot, the woman shown almost appears to be a slave to her lifestyle. She wears a white wig, a common practice for high society in the 19th century. What strikes me is the silver headdress worn at the crown of the wig; it almost looks like a spider. She wears a black dress with a white rope, denoting duality and balance. But, is she balanced? Perhaps she thinks she is. But, by the looks of the vulture, she seems to be possessed by her wealth. Her red fan and red shoes are the only other colors in the card, each serving as a metaphor. Her passion helps her stand her ground. And, the red fan helps her keep her cool. A vulture sits perched on the stone at the top of the landing that the woman is on and the skulls of other vultures appear on the ground, symbolic of the cycles of life. There is a pattern here, and even though the woman lives in a big house–as seen in the distance–she is trapped by her lifestyle.

Summary:

Focus: I may be on guard, but I must have confidence to be able to succeed. Perhaps there is blockage, or the path isn’t clear. I’ll have to test out the waters both physically and mentally, and trust that I can come to a resolution.

Solution: Once I have gained the confidence and am no longer on guard, I can enjoy the good things in life. Abundance is something that can be earned or simply gained. It will be key to remember that wealth doesn’t necessarily mean material gains; one doesn’t want to be a slave to their own environment. Appreciate the things that you have.

© 2010, aurarcana – A Tarot Blog | Tarot Journaling & Tarot Cards. All rights reserved.

I read a post on Tarot Dame’s Blog featuring a New Year Spread last week. I was planning doing a 3 card reading using the past, present and future positions, and this spread is a fun take on it:

New Year Spread

(Left)What I should leave behind me when the new year arrives?
(Center)What I should take with me in the new year?
(Right)What I have to look forward to in the coming year?

My first observation was that I drew three Major Arcana cards. This implies that each of the answers involves a significant event or stage. Valuable and possibly life-changing events are in the works for 2010. Most of us feel this way when we start the year and we tend to focus on the immediate. Sometimes it’s wise to take a step back and observe where we where, where we are, and where we are going.

(Left)What I should leave behind me when the new year arrives? – The Empress

I drew The Hanged Man from The Victorian Romantic this past Christmas Eve. It signifies sacrifice and physical sacrifice to learn something new and insightful, or removing oneself from day-to-day activities to seek something new.

In The Bohemian Gothic Hanged Man, my eyes quickly gravitated towards the moon which creates an aura of mystery. The Moon is directly above the suspended figure that hangs from the window of an old gothic building, illuminating the scene and the calm waters behind him. An owl sits on the outer ledge of the building towards the left corner, a metaphor for actively becoming wise.

Summary:

Together, they represent seeking answers in a solitary environment by methods. The focus is natural and organic. I should take into account any lessons I have learned and remember that material things are just a temporary solution. Last year was a difficult one, as I am sure it was for many die to the current financial climate. The answer to this question tells me that I should make a move and that it’s time to step out.

(Center)What I should take with me in the new year? – Death

The Victorian Romantic Tarot The Empress shows a woman who looks maternal, is full of life, love and happiness. She is the epitome of nature and nurture working together in sync. She sits on a stone monument and is surrounded by flowers, two children and doves, symbolic of strength, creativity, growth and purity.

The Bohemian Gothic Tarot shows life, but also death. We see a woman who has grey hair and may be a grandmother to the child in the card. And, in a mirror behind the woman, we see her reflection depicted as a skull. This is symbolic of the cycles of life. This Empress is in a lushly decorated room and looks quite wealthy. While material things may make us happy in the short-term, they will mean nothing in the long-term when we pass on…

Summary:

In the New Year, I should focus on embracing life and the happiness that can be achieved through relationships with family and friends, as well as creative projects. They will come to an and–as all things do–but, these experiences are most valuable.

(Right)What I have to look forward to in the coming year? – The Hanged Man

The Victorian Romantic Death card shows various types of people in a scene with the Grim Reaper, an archetype for death. Once The Grim Reaper makes the cut with the blade, the end will be here. But in tarot, The Death card doesn’t mean a physical death; it represents the end of a stage in life, and the start of a new one. They people don’t appear fearful; a women holds up a baby and a man holds a skull with a laurel crown on it in his left hand. In the Victorian Romantic Gold, which is what I am reading with, the skull and laurel are gold, emphasizing the details. There will be conscious victory in the end.

In The Bohemian Gothic Death card, we see three skeletons in a church. One wears a red robe and holds an hourglass, while the other two lay covered on a bed of skeletons. There is a theme of duality represented in the stone scenery, but there is no balance here.  Time is running out in the hourglass, but the people are already dead in this card’s scenery. If that is the case, than time doesn’t matter. Does this represent being stuck in time?

Summary:

In the upcoming year, there will be a life changing transition or stage that may be drastic, but if I come out unscathed, it can be a great new beginning. I must not allow myself to get stuck in the past and must do my best to accept any changes instead of fighting them. An arrested development will work against me.

Image: The Victorian Romantic Tarot © Magic Realist Press

Image: The Bohemian Gothic Tarot © Magic Realist Press

© 2010, aurarcana – A Tarot Blog | Tarot Journaling & Tarot Cards. All rights reserved.

Grab a deck and remove all of the Major cards from it. Shuffle the Majors only and focus on the question: What do I need to be focusing on this year?

I drew The Hierophant from The Victorian Romantic Tarot. Since I am also using The Bohemian Gothic Tarot to offer a shadow interpretation, I pulled the Hierophant from that deck so that I could view them together.

Synchronicity in the works. The Hierophant is key 5 in the Tarot journey. And, the number 5 is my number of the year based on my yearly numerology forecast, which I figured out earlier today. Some things aren’t random.

This Hieropant denotes order versus chaos, being a teacher or guide or following one, learning something new and focusing on it.

The Victorian Romantic Tarot card shows a teacher going over a lesson with his students. One boy is holding a book, looking at the teacher, and the other boy appears to be studying. Both students don’t seem under duress. In fact, they seem to enjoy themselves. Both students wear white, symbolic of innocence and purity, and have purple robes, denoting knowledge. Their red hats represent the passion and desire to make strides. The Hierophant in this card looks a wizard, and has a long beard, a metaphor for being older and wiser. He also wears white, indicative of he purity of his lessons. A brown robe could represent his connection with the earth and intelligence attained by being well grounded.

The Bohemian Gothic Tarot shows a more pious figure in a church, which is traditional in most Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) decks. This Hierophant wears a purple robe and a red hat, indicating that his knowledge came from his desire for it. He gazes to the right and also holds a scroll or document in his right hand, symbolic of unconscious thoughts. Behind him is a stone statue of an angel that looks towards the heavens. He is sitting by an iron gridded window, separated from the nuns outside. This Hierophant appears to be contemplating something. In contrast, he does not appear to be a a questionable role model. What lessons is he teaching? What would I learn from him? In this case, I would rather follow my own path.

The number 5 is significant for movement, travel, new adventures, figuring out a new path. But, with lack of order, it can result in unwieldy behavior. Balance will be essential. And, I will post my reflections throughout the course if the year.

Image: The Victorian Romantic Tarot © Magic Realist Press

Image: The Bohemian Gothic Tarot © Magic Realist Press

© 2010, aurarcana – A Tarot Blog | Tarot Journaling & Tarot Cards. All rights reserved.