Journey Through My Decks: Page of Pentacles (Disks)

Tarot of Northern Shadows

Bube der Scheiben / Page of Discs

In this deck, the Court Cards of the suit of Discs feature Irish Celtic personalities. Howard Rodway tells us that our Page of Discs is Daoine O’Sidhe, an heroic Irish faerie.

According to Edain McCoy in her book Celtic Myth & Magick (Llewellyn Publications), “Daoine Sidhe” (pronounced Deeny Shee) is a label or name generically applied to all the faery races of Ireland and Scotland. Other names include The Little People, The Wee Folk, The Gentry, and Them That Prowl. The original word sidhe meant “peace.”

The face of this Page was inspired by a young friend of the artist who described to her a series of visionary dreams. In honor of the boy’s 18th birthday, Sylvia Gainsford depicted the imagery of these dreams in the card. In the background we see the youth’s red-haired spirit guide, dancing with upraised arms. The symbol on the spirit guide’s shirt is the _Othila rune_, emblem of home, inheritance, parents, experience, fundamental values, and spiritual heritage.

Dangling from the Page’s right hand is a cord with three spheres on it: red, blue, and yellow. These are the primary colors from which all other colors are created.

The Page’s shield bears five symbols which express the cycles of nature and life:

• Symbol of the Horned God (top)
• Cycle of nature (life, death, rebirth) - upper right
• Essential balance of nature (lower right)
• Four cyclic seasons (lower left)
• Raw forces in nature - perfection, simplicity, cyclicity, infinity (upper left)

And yes, those are little horns forming on his head!

Ambitious and opinionated, the Page of Discs has a strong to desire to learn. He is serious and scholarly and has great respect for knowledge. In keeping with the association of the suit of Discs with Earth (material or physical world), this Page is focused on following a path that will lead to the finer things in life. Concentration, meditation, and reflection will serve him well as tools along the way.

Reverse meanings: “A person with unrealistic and illogical views. Failure to recognise the obvious. Luxury. Dissipation. Prodigality.”
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Tarot of Northern Shadows (deck) by Sylvia Gainsford (Illustrator). LWB by Howard Rodway. AGM AGMüller. 
Tarot of Northern Shadows (book) by Howard Rodway, with illustrations by Sylvia Gainsford. AGM AGMüller.