Easy as STU…

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click HERE. 

For DEF, click HERE. 

For GHI, click HERE. 

For JKL, click HERE. 

For MNO, click HERE. 

For PQR, click HERE. 

Background image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

S is for SIBYL. 

Well, why not? In Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, The High Priestess is portrayed as the ancient pagan prophetess Sybil. Her open scroll “displays the symbol for consciousness in the center of the seven-pointed star and the circular anagram relating the words TAROT, ROTA, and ATOR.” In this case, “S” can also stand for Symbolism,  and the number Seven: for the Seven Virtues of Temperance, Strength, Justice, Prudence, Faith, Hope, and Charity.

T is for TYPHON.

Typhon is the character descending the wheel in the Thoth Tarot representation of the Wheel of Fortune card. According to Greek mythology, Typhon was a Titan (another “T”!), a terrifying, huge monster who had nothing but serpents below the waist. When the card is reversed, Typhon ascends to the top of the wheel, a representation of dark times and bad luck. We might also say “T” is for TEN, as seen in the ten-spoked wheel on this card. “T” might also represent “TIME,” as the position of the wheel changes, and Typhon rises and falls, with time.

U is for UNDERTAKING. 

The Ace of Wands is often seen as representing creation, a beginning, or the start of an undertaking. This card has appeared before in the ABC series, representing the letter P for “Potential.” This time we are using the Universal Waite Tarot. Synonyms for “undertaking” include enterprise, venture, project, campaign, scheme, plan, operation, endeavor, effort, task, assignment, charge, activity, pursuit, exploit, job, business, affair, procedure, proceeding, process, and transaction.

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S: The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery by Robert M. Place  (Hermes Publications)
T: Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)
U: Universal Waite Tarot with drawings by Pamela Colman Smith and coloring by Mary Hanson-Roberts (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Easy as PQR…

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click HERE. 

For DEF, click HERE. 

For GHI, click HERE. 

For JKL, click HERE. 

For MNO, click HERE. 

Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

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P is for POTENTIAL. 

On the Ace of Wands from the Tarot of Pagan Cats, we see an orange tabby perched in a tree. Out of a weathered, dead tree trunk, a new trunk and multiple sprouting branches grow, representing an opportunity to take a fresh, new, exciting action.

Q is for QUERY. 

I do not have a Tarot deck beginning with Q, so I decided to use The Quest Tarot, which I accessed on line. The Eight of Stones, titled “Knowledge” seems to me to fit well with the idea of a “query,” which usually involves an attempt to learn or understand something. With Tarot readings, the person asking the question(s) is often referred to as the "querent."

R is for RECOGNITION. 

Like many other decks, the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg presents the Ace of Swords as a card of ambition, initiative, triumph, and determination. Like all Aces, it represents a beginning. With Swords being the suit of mental clarity, we can easily see the Ace of Swords as representing recognition – an awareness or understanding of something, perhaps for the first time, leading us in a new direction.

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P: Tarot of Pagan Cats by Magdelina Messine with artwork by Lola Airaghi (Lo Scarabeo)
Q: The Quest Tarot by Joseph Earnest Martin (Llewellyn Worldwide)
R: Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg, illustrated by Yury Shakov (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Easy As MNO...

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click HERE. 

For DEF, click HERE.

For GHI, click HERE.

For JKL, click HERE.

Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

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M is for MASTERY. 

On the Eight of Pentacles from the Mystic Dreamer Tarot, we see a woman working in a studio. At the moment, she is an apprentice, still learning her craft, but her goal is mastery of that skill. Why else would she work long hours and devote endless energy to her work? Mastery may require tedious repetition and practice, but if we are passionate about our goal, we can be enthusiastic about the process.

N is for NATURE.

The Strength card typically represents interaction between our higher and lower natures, and how our higher nature can overcome or subdue the lower nature in a calm, gentle manner. In Tarot of Northern Shadows (one of my oldest and dearest decks), the beautiful giantess Grid is poised to take on strong, negative emotions that threaten to overcome us. We might use the term “gentle giant” to suggest the approach taken by the higher nature in dealing with the lower nature.

O is for ORDEAL. 

With the Ten of Swords in the Otherworld Tarot and many other decks, we are often looking at “rock bottom” when things can’t get any worse. We may not have much hope for the future or may feel beaten down or overwhelmed. The good news is that this last card in the suit of Swords often points to the start of something bright and new, better times after a period of darkness. Nowhere to go but up!


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M: Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras (Llewellyn Publications)
N: Tarot of Northern Shadows by Sylvia Gainsford and Howard Rodway (AGMuller)
O: Otherworld Tarot by Alison Williams, Artwork by Sarah Howell (Schiffer)

Easy as JKL…

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click _HERE._  For DEF, click _HERE_.  For GHI, click _HERE_.

Image background by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

J is for JUSTICE. 

Yep. I finally drew an actual card with a title that starts with the appropriate letter. I love it. The Joie de Vivre Tarot is obviously tuned into this game. In this deck, Lady Justice is accompanied by a “furry green companion named Creed,” who displays a golden set of balanced scales.

K is for KARMA. 

I don’t have a Tarot deck whose name begins with “K.” An internet search revealed the Karma Tarot. You can see the cards from this deck _HERE_. I went to one of hundreds of sites on line where you can randomly click and choose a Tarot card. The card that turned up was The Wheel of Fortune – which, in turn, I have decided represents “K is for Karma.” (See what I did there?) I think of this card as a “what goes up must come down” kind of thing, meaning that we all have ups and downs and round-and-rounds as we go through life. At times we might even feel centered and stable, in the middle of the Wheel. How much of what we experience is actually due to “karma” (“what goes around, comes around”) is not always clear.

L is for LANGUISH. 

In Legend: The Arthurian Tarot, the story linked with the Nine of Swords is the story of Elaine, Lily Maid of Astolat, whose unrequited love for Lancelot (another “L”) cause her to die of a broken heart. When we “languish,” we are obsessing over something or someone, giving ourselves over to grief or worry or suffering.

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J: Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)
K: Karma Tarot Deck by Birgit Boline Erfurt (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)
L: Legend The Arthurian Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson (Llewellyn Publications)

Easy as G H I ...

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click _HERE_.  For DEF, click _HERE_.

Image background by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

G is for GATEWAY. 

In The Gilded Tarot, the Two of Wands shows a traveler facing a fork in the road. He is at a crossroads, and needs to make a choice or decision, even though it may not be clear to him which choice is the “correct” one. No matter which path he chooses, he is going to go through a (figurative) gateway beyond which lies the unknown.

H is for Heart. 

The suit of Cups is usually linked with the suit of Hearts, and both typically represent relationships, emotions, and the subconscious. The Two of Cups often indicates a heart-to-heart connection based on chemistry, magnetism, or recognition of “like meeting like.” This heartfelt connection can be romantic in nature but could also apply to a connection between a person and a group, idea, or project. With the number Two, we can be looking at opposites that are attracted to each other because each offers something the other lacks and needs or wants.

I is for IDENTITY. 

I don’t have a deck whose name begins with I, so I did an internet search and found Ibis Tarot. You can see the cards from this deck HERE. I then went to one of hundreds of sites on line where you can randomly click and choose a Tarot card. The card that turned up was THE SUN. In astrology, the Sun represents our Self – hence my choice of the word “Identity.” The Sun card in Tarot is also often seen to be a representation of our personality and character. We are encouraged to be our authentic, shining Self.

For Easy as JKL, click _HERE._

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G: The Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti (Llewellyn Publications)
H: Tarot of the Hidden Realm by Julia Jeffrey (Llewellyn Publications)
I: Ibis Tarot by Josef Machynka (U.S. Games Systems Inc.) Based on the designs published in the book Practical Astrology by Comte C. de Saint-Germain.

Easy as DEF...

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click _HERE_.

Background Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

D is for DISCOVERY. 

Whether THE HERMIT is a dragon keeping watch over a treasure or an old man with a lantern, the card is about discovery – seeking and finding, searching and uncovering, enlightenment and gaining knowledge you didn’t have before. The treasure is “that which the journey offers to the hero who undertakes an esoteric trip.” (Toraldo)

E is for EDGY. 

The suit of Swords gives new meaning to the expression “to be on edge.” The NINE OF SWORDS is often about the kind of fear or anxiety that keeps us awake at night. Whether the crisis is real or imagined, our nervous system remains in fight or flight mode.

 

F is for FAIRNESS. 

The association of “fairness” with JUSTICE was pretty much a no-brainer for me. On this version of the card, we have statues of ancient Chinese Lion-Dogs or Fu-Dogs, placed by temple doors as guardians. They protect the space they guard, hunting down and driving away evil spirits.

For "Easy as GHI," click _HERE_.

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D: Dragons Tarot by Manfredi Toraldo / Artwork by Severino Baraldi (Lo Scarabeo)
E: Ethereal Visions by Matt Hughes (self published)
F: Fantastical Creatures Tarot by Lisa Hunt and D.J. Conway (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Easy as ABC…

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

Background Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

Ancestral Path Tarot

A is for ACTION. 

The PRINCE OF STAVES (Knight of Wands) is represented in the Ancestral Path Tarot by the god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris. Fire of Fire, he is filled with solar energy, with a passionate spirit that propels him into action.

Baroque Bohemian Cats' Tarot

B is for BONDAGE. 

(Okay, not THAT kind of bondage… or is it?) With the EIGHT OF SWORDS, we are looking at feelings or a perception of being trapped, confined, or controlled. The cat in this image from The Baroque Bohemian Cats’ Tarot stands with eyes shut and head down, surrounded by swords. Her paws are bound. Valuable insight and freedom can result from challenging emotional or mental bonds / bindings / bondage.

Chrysalis Tarot

C is for CHARM.

The KNIGHT OF MIRRORS (Knight of Cups) card is titled “The Dreamer” in the Chrysalis Tarot. Among this Knight’s many appealing qualities is his charm, along with his spirit of hopefulness and his dreamy, mystical outlook. At his best, the Knight of Mirrors channels his thoughts and dreams into real-life experiences, inspiring us by demonstrating that dreams can come true.

For "Easy as DEF," click _HERE_.

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A: Ancestral Path Tarot by Julie Cuccia-Watts (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)
B: The Baroque Bohemian Cats’ Tarot by Karen Mahony (Magic Realist Press)
C: Chrysalis Tarot / Paintings by Holly Sierra, Written by Toney Brooks (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)