SONG OF THE FOOL
by Zanna Starr

Based on The Fool
from the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg
(Artist: Yury Shakov)

I am like the wandering skomorokhi of Old Russia,
A clown, a minstrel,
Traveling through cities and across the countryside.
On my hand, a puppet smiles and nods;
He looks exactly like me.
I am fond of gazing into his eyes.
This is how I begin my journey,
Innocent and self-absorbed.
I can be a beggar or a jester,
A wild man, or an insouciant young fellow
Out for a stroll.
Am I a saint or a simpleton?
A genius or an idiot?
Will you try to reason with me?
My wolfish dog laughs at the thought.
I wonder where my road will lead
And I wander where it leads me.

~

Interview with Legacy of the Divine Tarot

I have had my eye on Legacy of the Divine Tarot for a long time and finally broke down and purchased it from Llewellyn during a sale. I have not yet read the accompanying book -- Gateway to the Divine Tarot -- although I did read the dedication which reads, in part, "to Barbara Moore for having pointed me toward this wonderful journey all those years ago with her initial suggestion, 'Have you ever considered creating a Tarot deck?'" Well done, Barbara!

I have not studied or used this deck at all yet. I thought it might be interesting to interview the deck as a complete stranger. After I become more familiar with it, I can revisit this interview and see if my understanding has changed. Those of you who are already familiar with the deck are welcome to make comments!

The Interview

When I opened the door, I found myself looking into dark eyes filled with distress. A young girl stood before me holding two goblets. The broken remnants of three other goblets lay at her feet. I invited her in and poured red wine into the glasses she held. She offered me one and we sipped wine as we talked.

1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?
FIVE OF CUPS
My most important characteristic is the ability I have developed to withstand heartache and emotional pain, to acknowledge and deal with shattered pieces while still being aware and appreciative of that which is emotionally whole and healthy in my life. I dwell in sorrow for as long as I must, in order to grieve properly. But when I move forward, I move forward wholeheartedly, leaving broken promises and shards of shattered dreams behind.





2. What are your strengths as a deck?
ACE OF CUPS
My strengths as a deck lie in the realm of emotions, spirituality, and new beginnings. I am always ready to take you in a fresh, new direction -- to show you that there are more fish in the sea than you have ever dreamed of, more paths and more dreams than you realize.






3. What are your limits as a deck?
THE WORLD
My limits are only those you perceive and choose to place upon me. I stand at the center of time and space, surrounded by the realms of existence as represented by the signs of the zodiac. I can turn in any direction, take any step, or simply "be." How then will you limit me?






4. What do you bring to the table -- what are you here to teach me?
FOUR OF WANDS
I am here to teach you how to find green grass and lush foliage, blue skies and rainbows and soaring birds. I am here to share with you a vision of a stream that runs through you and through all creation, to teach you how to find and follow that stream to inner peace and harmony.






5. How can I best learn from and collaborate with you?
THE EMPEROR
You can best learn from and collaborate with me by listening to me and taking my messages to heart, by acknowledging my power in terms of my ability to guide and advise you. I may seem imperious at times, but I have your best interests at heart. My concern for you is that of a father for his child.




6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?
SIX OF SWORDS
A voyage lies ahead for us, a journey into the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. Together, we will travel through the swirling mists of time and place, overcome troubles and celebrate victories. You will learn to breathe deeply and look deeply into yourself, even as you begin to see all that surrounds you more clearly.





Well! It certainly looks like I'm in for a fascinating experience with this deck.

After we finished our wine, the young woman left. She seemed at peace with herself, looking forward to the next stage of her journey.



CARDS: Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti

ORACLE CARDS

The oracle I would like to share today is called Karma Cards. Devised by Monte Farber, the deck is described as "a New Age guide to your future through astrology."

These cards are designed to be read in threes by drawing one card from each of three piles representing Planets, Signs, and Houses. The cards have different meanings upright and reversed. If you are looking for an outcome or what kind of situation/mood/atmosphere you can expect, you read the words printed in the blue panel on each card. If you want to know what you should do in a situation or what you should keep in mind, you read the words printed in the red panel on each card. The letters S, M, and P on the right and left borders of the cards represent Spiritual, Mental, and Physical levels.

To demonstrate how this works, I pulled three cards.

In this set, the "Planet" (actually a luminary) is the Moon, the Sign is Capricorn, and the House is the 6th House -- so we have the Moon in Capricorn in the Sixth House.

Reading the red panels across, we have:
Spiritual level: Defend your goals as a full-time job.
Mental level: Accept the day-to-day reality of serving.
Physical level: Let your feelings tell you how to use the most businesslike way and do it a little at a time.

Reading the blue panels across, we have:
Spiritual level: The nurturing of dedication to achieve service to others
Mental level: Feelings caused by focusing on what is good for us
Physical level: Reactions resulting from the rules imposed by your work

Knowledge of astrology isn't really required to use these cards, but I feel they are more useful if one has a working knowledge of that field.

I enjoy using these cards, even though they can be seen as formulaic and "too structured." Sometimes, I'm in the mood for a direct, simple message -- and as an astrologer, I enjoy the associations made with the planets, signs, and houses.

Zanna

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In addition to my 60 Tarot decks, I own a great many oracle decks. I love these decks, but don't use them as often as I would like. Every now and then, I am going to share a card from one of these oracle decks here on the blog. I hope people will enjoy seeing cards from various decks and will gain something from the interpretations of the cards!