Everything is coming up ACES!

I am delighted to welcome Helen Howell back to Tarot Notes to give us some insights and impressions about the Tarot Aces!

Everything is coming up ACES!

by Helen Howell

Now we all know the term Ace as meaning that’s good, excellent etc. It’s a term we use when we want to express that something is going great. It demonstrates in one word the potential we are seeing. When an Ace in the tarot deck appears for us, we too get a glimpse of what the potential could be.

The Aces are that first step of their suit. They are the new energy not yet fully formed. What it shows us is the potential of what it could be. It’s just the beginning, but what a great beginning the Aces offer. Now like all cards in the tarot, it’s not enough just to get the card, it’s what you do with the information it gives you, that really determines whether everything is coming up Aces or not.

Bearing this in mind lets take a look at the potential of each of the four Aces in the deck:

Rider Tarot (US Games)

Ace of Swords, by its very nature refers to how we think and how we communicate those thoughts. It’s the suit that represents mental activity and clarity. Swords is also a masculine energy. When this Ace shows up it heralds the opportunity to put those thoughts into some sort of working order from which to proceed. What this card does is it urges you to find a positive solution to any situation you may be facing. It’s a strong card as indicated by its masculine energy, and suggests strength and courage to face those challenges that may have to be faced. 

Rider Tarot (US Games)

Ace of Wands represents energy and action. This Ace tells you that the time may just be right to apply those new and creative thoughts in a positive way which helps to make them a reality. Again a masculine energy, it’s strong and creative and encourages you set your ideas in motion. It shows the potential for will power to see something materialise and not back away from the challenge.

Rider Tarot (US Games)

Ace of Cups lets us tap into our feelings and emotions and imagination. It’s a feminine energy. The potential here is to get to understand yourself a little better, and a chance to allow those feelings to emerge and take form. It offers the opportunity to let your imagination fly free and the chance to follow your heart. When the Ace of Cups turns up in a reading it can indicate a swell of emotions/feelings, whether they be good or bad, but the potential here is to understand them and why we feel the way we do and what we should do about it.

Rider Tarot (US Games)

Ace of Pentacles is also a feminine energy and the suit represents for us the material world, those things which are tangible, including money, house, work etc. This is the Ace that shows us the potential to manifest those thoughts and ideas by the creative conception of an idea (Wands), the emotions that support it (Cups), the mental activity that forms it (Swords), and the manifestation of it into reality (Pentacles).

The Ace of Pentacles is the result of all those other Aces and their suits and what it shows us is how those emotions, thoughts and actions can be manifested into something tangible.

In the Rider-Waite deck we see all the Aces are presented by a hand from the heavens, this indicates a gift, but just accepting the gift is not enough. The real potential of the Aces still depends on the action you take. So when an Ace appears for you, remember the potential it holds and everything will be ACE!

Five-Ten-Fifteen / Mystical Cats Tarot

Wow, it’s been a VERY long time since I did this little exercise! Be forewarned: I am using a deck I just received in the mail – Mystical Cats Tarot by Lunaea Weatherstone, with art by Mickie Mueller (Llewellyn).

(Watch for my review of this deck here on the blog at a future date!)

For now, I am going to just jump right in and “throw” some cards.

The purpose of this 3-card spread is to help me determine what area(s) of life need my attention at this time. For this spread, I shuffle the deck then count down to the 5th card in the stack and turn it over. Next I count down to the 10th card after that and turn it over. Finally, I count down to the 15th card after that and turn it over. Is there a significance to five-ten-fifteen? I don't know. It just sounded good to me!

The three cards go into the following positions:
1.....2.....3
(1) Urgent. Deal with this right now.
(2) Important but not urgent. Can be set aside for now, but don't forget.
(3) Not important. Not urgent. Let it go. Forget it.

(1) Urgent. Deal with this right now.
THE LOVERS
Somehow I just knew this card (or something with a similar message) would show up here. Without going into a lot of personal detail, I will simply say that a significant relationship does need to be on the front burner right now, along with a significant choice or decision about how to continue within that relationship. In the book that accompanies this deck, Luneae Weatherstone writes, “small irritations may bring on a hiss now and then, but their love is bigger than any quarrel.” I hope so.

(2) Important but not urgent. Can be set aside for now, but don't forget.
SIX OF FIRE, rx
When this card is drawn reversed, it can refer to the danger of letting power go to my head or the possibility that others are against me due to jealousy or resentment. On this card, an alpha cat accepts tokens of admiration from other cats. As long as he truly deserves their respect and admiration, all will be well.

(3) Not important. Not urgent. Let it go. Forget it.
FIRE KING
Like the alpha cat on the Six of Fire, the Fire King is a powerful figure – confident, gallant, and courageous. I get the sense that in this position, the Fire King is telling me to let go of a desire for control, power, or leadership in relationships right now. This is not the time to go to the mat to prove that I’m the “top cat.” Sometimes strength is better shown by being willing to cooperate or compromise, by respecting others, and by letting somebody else “win” once in awhile.

A lot of truth in these three cards for me! Those two “boss cats” from the Fire family seem to point a finger straight at my Sagittarius Sun, warning me that ego and bluntness and combativeness are not among my more attractive qualities, and I would be wise to put a lid on that sort of thing for awhile.

An Interview with Tarot Draconis

After I wrote my review of this deck (which can be read HERE), the dragons strongly suggested that I take a moment to interview the deck, and that I share that interview on this blog. I do not say “no” to dragons (or at least not often!)

I am using my THREE-CARD INTERVIEW.

1....................2.....................3

Tarot Draconis

by Davide Corsi

Llewellyn / Lo Scarabeo 

1. What would you like me to understand about you?
THE HANGED MAN

I would like you to understand that I believe in the value of sacrifice and dedication to an idea. Some would call me generous, and others would call me mad. I don’t care. I know that listening to me and heeding my messages will bring not death, but rebirth.

2. What would you like me to understand about myself?
NINE OF WANDS

Your sincerity allows you to rally others around a cause you champion. It is up to you to use that gift for destruction or for creation as you carry the torch lit by our Fire. [Note: The Golden Dawn links this card with the Moon in Sagittarius, my Sun Sign.)

3. What strengths and/or weaknesses do we have as a team?
TWO OF WANDS

In the Number Two, there is you and there is me. Together, our energy is that of Mars in Aries, and we can accomplish important things. No castle can resist our fire, no chain can subdue us. Our energies are in balance, reinforcing our strength as a team. Our weakness may be that we tend to push too hard, too fast, or too far. Sometimes strength is shown by holding back or being subtle, allowing Fire to warm and comfort without burning to a crisp!

Review: Tarot Draconis

R E V I E W

_About My Reviews_

_Tarot Draconis_

by _Davide Corsi_

78 cards, 64-page instruction booklet

Llewellyn / Lo Scarabeo 

ISBN-10: 0738739421

ISBN-13: 978-0738739427

Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 3 x 1.2 inches

(My apologies for labeling the card images "Draconis Tarot" when it should be "Tarot Draconis.")

TOP LINE (formerly Bottom Line)

I like dragons (and dragon-themed decks), so of course this deck appealed to me immediately. I loved the examples of the cards that I saw on line. I like the way the artist gave many of the dragons a distinct “attitude” or “personality.” Unfortunately, most of the card images are darker than I would like. Many of the images look muddy, and details are difficult to see or entirely lost.

I do like the color schemes based on elemental/suit associations. You can tell at a glance if a card is from the suit of Cups, Pentacles, Wands, or Swords. To me, that adds something to a layout. You immediately see elemental strength/weakness and relationships in a reading.

I am quite fond of the Little White Book (LWB) that comes with this deck. It starts with a quote by the dragon Smaug from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Who wouldn’t love that? After a discussion of what dragons have symbolized over the centuries (and still symbolize) to humans, we get a description of what this deck offers: “a mythical past of Humanity. . . a world where heroes in armour achieve their destiny by fighting epic battles to conquer kingdoms and where the skies are obscured by the passage of Dragons.”

That’s very nice – but what I enjoy most are the descriptions of the individual suits. Here are the opening lines of each:

Chalices – The Dragons of the Dawn
“We come to the days before days, in a time when the World was a dream, and Man was still a soul. . .”

Pentacles – The Dragons of Wealth
“We are the first-born of Mother Earth and we know her secrets. . .”

Wands – The Dragons of the Battle
“Our home is the flaming heart of the Battle. . . This is the Torch lit by our Fire. It is up to you to use it for destruction or for creation.”

Swords – The Dragons of Twilight
“We come from the Shadows, from that realm in between, inhabited by ghosts and restless souls. . .”

THE PUBLISHER'S PRODUCT SUMMARY

Embodying all the magic and primitive purity of the mighty winged beasts, Davide Corsi's bold dragon art perfectly combines the epic grandeur of classic fantasy with the iconic power of the traditional Rider-Waite tarot. It has been said that dragons share a common sight everywhere—in the skies, in the sea, and on the land. In this deck, the visionary wisdom of the dragons will be your guide through the mystical and spiritual worlds.

BASIC INFORMATION

Davide Corsi is an illustrator based in Italy. In addition to Tarot Draconis, he is the artist for the Vampire Tarot of Eternal Night, The Tarot of the Elves, the Pictorial Key Tarot, and The Ghost Tarot, all published by Llewellyn.

This deck has the standard Tarot components:

• Major Arcana: 22 cards (zero through 21)
• Four suits: Chalices, Pentacles, Wands, Swords
• Court Cards: King, Queen, Knight, Knave
• Pips: Ace through Ten for each suit

The Major Arcana begins with a glowing golden egg atop a pile of treasure for The Fool and ends with the egg breaking open as a baby dragon emerges on The World.

A number of reviewers have expressed disappointment in the Court Cards from this deck, describing them as “uninspired.” This is largely due to the approach that was used in creating them. For example, notice that the horse on all four Knight cards is the same horse in the same position. The Queens feature the same woman for each suit in a slightly different pose but sitting on the same throne, with the color scheme varying based on the suit. This is true of the Knaves, Knights, and Kings as well.

If you’re interested, you can also get the following from Lo Scarabeo/Llewellyn:
_Draconis Journal_
_Draconis Satin Bag_

APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY

The cards measure just over 2-1/2 inches wide and 4-3/4 inches tall. (Dimensions of the deck in the box are listed on Amazon as 5.1 x 3 x 1.2 inches and on the Llewellyn web site as 3 x 5 x 1 IN.)

Card fronts have black borders and a picture frame colored for each suit (blue-cups, light green-coins, red-wands, gray-swords) or Major Arcana (gold). The backs also have black borders with an ornate golden frame on a red background and a gold emblem of a dragon.

There are no labels or titles on the cards. Majors have a Roman numeral at the top and bottom. Courts have symbols for Knave, Knight, Queen, or King at the top and suit symbols at the bottom. Pips have a numeral at the top and suit symbol at the bottom.

Quality of the card stock is acceptable – somewhere between sturdy and flimsy.  The cards are not laminated.

ART

I would describe the art as a classic fantasy style that comes across very well on the Llewellyn web site, where some of the cards are displayed digitally. Unfortunately, that level of beauty and “sizzle” does not make it into the cards. This is not the fault of the artist, of course, but probably the printing process.

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.