0. The Fool

The Fool can be seen as the symbol of our essence of spirit who incarnates through the archetypal energies of the tarot.  Not of this 3D reality, the Fool has no expectations and so is never disappointed, has no attachments so feels no competition, has no fear, so ventures where no one knows the outcome.  This is the choice of a joyful appreciation of the opportunity of incarnation in a human body.

Key Words:  The Big Bang/Pure potential/ Evolutionary Impulse/ Child like nature/ Risk taking/ Carefree/ Innocent/ Naive/ /Total trust in a benevolent universe/Relax!  Have Fun!

The Fool          Karen Santos

“The night before drawing the Major Arcane cards for this project, I dreamed about drawing the Fool card.  I woke up thinking, NO, NOT THE FOOL! , I don’t want to be the Fool! At the ritual, I reached to pick up a card, stopped and said to myself, “No, not that one, it’s the Fool Card,” and moved my hand to the other end of the pile and chose a card. Eagerly turning over the card, confident that I had beaten the possibility of drawing the Fool Card, I found myself looking straight into - The Fool.

After days of frustration, I settled in with the idea that the Fool chose me for a reason. I did my research, learning that the Fool’s energy begins with our first breath of air.  That this energy is pure, fearless and “childlike in nature.”  I came to the conclusion that the Fool chose me to restore the purity of my first breath of air, for I had entered this world pure and fearless, but soon after that first breath, there was a need to create a safe and controlled environment for myself which left my “childlike nature” behind.  I realized that what had happened to me in childhood was affecting me in my adulthood, as I continued to control my environment for safety. 

Coming into my life through this process, the Fool has given me the courage to open up to life as it is and take the journey without self-made barriers.”  

1. The Magician

The Magician can be seen as the emergence of the conscious mind with all the tools of physical manifestation, the four Aces of the tarot suits, on the table.  The Magician realizes the possibility of manifesting the desires of the conscious mind, showing us the map of our journey of manifestation.

Key Words: The Animus / Visionary/ Say YES!/ All types of communication/ Creating something out of seemingly nothing/ Great Beginnings

The Magician           Kathy  O’Leary    

“One of my favorite signs on 101 is near Laytonville: “Don’t Forget The Magic”.  I feel there has been “magic” afoot in my life because of experiences I can’t explain any other way.  Drawing the Magician card for this project seemed like another example of that “magic”.

Delving into this card I came upon this quote:  “The Magus receives inspiration from the Soul of the Universe whose message he spreads on Earth” (Aleister Crowley). So for me, the Magician is the personification of feminine energy, since, symbolically, women  represent that creative energy with their historical connection to the earth and as the bearer and nurturer of each generation.

Coming up with symbols to represent the energy of this card was the easiest part. The colors I chose, the egg, the rainbow, the chakras, the pentagram, my brush strokes and directions all represent the Magician’s role in bringing the Soul of the Universe into human consciousness.  The difficulty for me was accepting my own role as a “Magician”.  The audacity of including myself in that magical process!  As I worked with this image, it also became clear that while the potential is there for everyone, it is up to us, to me, to open up to receiving that gift (for that’s what I believe it to be), and act with courage,  love and passion as a channel between the Cosmos and life here on earth.  Drawing this card means I can no longer ignore this work.” 

See more of Kathy O'Leary's work on her website kathyoleary.com

2. The High Priestess

The High Priestess can be seen as our unconscious, that part of us who has access to all knowledge, whose wisdom within us speaks with our intuitive hits.  You might meet her deep in meditation for she reflects the light of Divine consciousness too brilliant to behold, offering an image of source to reflect upon.  As the Number Two the Priestess marks the beginning of duality, the necessary contrast for evolution. She is the invisible guide on our journey.

Key Words:  The anima / Deep intuitive knowing/ Receptivity/ You have the answers within 

High Priestess           Libby George 

        

“After drawing my card from the deck, I wanted to learn what the High Priestess represented historically.  I scanned the Internet for images (and there are many) and talked with people who practice tarot.  I read article after article and decided there was too much to learn in just one year.  So I let go of research and began working in my studio. I didn’t know what my High Priestess would look like or how I would find her. 

It was a messy long slog.  I changed the image a dozen times.  I made carborundum plates, drypoint plates, and monoprint plates.  I would get close only to crack the plate and be forced to start again. At some point during this chaos of disappointments I found an old yoga book and felt compelled to stretch. I had not practiced yoga in thirty years.

The creative process was not easy and in February, failed prints scattered everywhere, I let go of all expectation.  I went home thinking ‘this is not going to happen’.  I came back the next day prepared for more of the big nothing but instead the High Priestess began to show up with birds, the moon, and the earth and I recognized her. 

I cannot say if it is her face or stretching again, but I feel good about the journey now.”

See more of Libby George's work on her website libbygeorge.com

3. The Empress

The Empress can be seen as the archetypal Mother, perpetually pregnant with creative life force.  Her energy of pure Universal Love brings the dualism of the Magician and High Priestess to fruition.  As our creative imagination, the Empress gives birth to possibilities out of seeming chaos and imagines the world into being, pushing us forth into the birth canal of authentic becoming.

Key words: Mother Nature/ Abundance/ Unconditional Love/ Creative feminine imagination/ Eros/ Creative imagining

The Empress               Nina Wolf

“Swirling

  Motes of dust

    drops of water

         flickers of flame

              circling    ever circling    ever tightening     until form Be Comes      

                                                                                                                            Time begins

The Empress, as we know HER, is in beauty.

Curatress, nurturer.      

Allowing all life to evolve

Accenting limitation, then   

                                            NOW      

                                                        the terrible

                                                                              STOP                      

Has the next evolution begun?

The Queen of life has dominated my life, as she has yours.  I began my conscious connection with her at the onset of menses, at the age of 11.  Her consciousness has dominated my maturation as a human being, a tribal member, an artist.  She has informed and guided me on this long journey,

So may it be yours.”

4. The Emperor

The Emperor can be seen as the manifestation of the Empress’s wild creative imaginings.  The archetype of leadership at its best, one who serves the people first, sacrificing the self for the whole, the Emperor signals the maturity of the mission, a stabilization of purpose.  This is the point on the journey where all seems possible.

Key words- Manifestation/ Authority/ Structure/ Leadership / Stability/ Containment/ Creative masculine imagination

Lyn Risling             The Emperor 

“After reading about the Emperor, I immediately thought of my father who embodied the positive characteristics of the Emperor, a charismatic, trustworthy and rational leader who was respected and admired, but also loved by many.

The man depicted is not my father, but he represents one who believes in the law and order of the natural world rather than one created by mankind. He understands the balance and cycles of life and gives thanks for the gifts from the Heavens and Earth. He realizes that his main purpose in life is to 'Fix the World,' to be a role model for others in how to live in balance.  He takes his responsibility whole-heartedly and is willing to fight and die for it. 

The Emperor is also very wise in knowing that the world is not in balance without the Empress. He knows and respects her power, wisdom and characteristics that are not his own. He knows his own balance comes partly from her and hers from him, and without each other there could be chaos.
 

For me, the Emperor represents my own journey to not only find balance in my own life, but to be part of the greater responsibility of humankind to restore the balance in our communities and to our world.  He is a reminder for me to work towards becoming a role model for our younger generations, through hard work and sacrifice, as well as prayer, ceremony and love.”

Learn more about Lyn's work lynrisling.com

5. The Hierophant

The Hierophant can be seen as bridging heaven and earth.  Interpreter of the Cosmic vision, the Hierophant ushers initiates into their own higher knowing, teaching and bringing structure to the incomprehensible for the human mind. Here on the journey we turn to our teachers within and without as we struggle to understand and bring forth our purpose.

Key Words: Enlightened teacher/ Channeling/ Organized spirituality

Donvieve          The Hierophant

“When I was eight I remember my aunt reading my fortune with her cards, backed with red and black emblems. I remember her turning up queens of hearts and diamonds, beautiful faces with ominous looks, the ace of spades and those kings looking very stately. I wondered, what do they represent? To this day I enjoy listening to my intuition while looking at the Tarot cards. When the Hierophant chose me, this poem came to me.

            Awake sleeping one

            Dawn is the time

                                                   Center your being

            Trust intuition                       

            Follow your inner child’s curiosity

    Walk the spiritual/mystical path

            Using practical feet.

These thoughts have inspired my design of my Hierophant card.

Standing in a yoga pose called vrksasana, the tree pose, balancing on one foot on top of the lotus flower, I stand serene and balanced in the midst of my life’s challenges.  The meaning of yoga is union, the union of body, mind and spiritual awareness.  I realize that though I play a small part in the major play of life, when I join forces in cooperative alignment with others, my Hierophant sends out golden rays of sharing, good will and love. The key to finding happiness is to do all I can to uplift the lives of others.”

Learn more about Donvieve here maskmakersweb.org/Donvieve/

6. The Lovers

The Lovers can be seen as the realization of the Free Will of our separateness and how we choose to be as one again.  Here the feminine seeks balance with the masculine as we learn that we must first fall in love with ourselves as Divine beings before we can truly love one another. We learn as we make choices in our loving that we are all interconnected, that we all mirror each other and we come to a much higher loving than we ever imagined.

Key Words: Discrimination/ Alchemical wedding of  masculine and feminine consciousness/ Finding God in sexual ecstasy 

                        

Walter Pence                  The Lovers 

“A long standing opposition in me manifests itself as a conflict between reason and art.  I have lived this contradiction.  Making this card has helped me to create a mythic harmony which I explain as follows:  The force of love in nature is already present in us at birth as a seed waiting to blossom when the time is ripe.  The sun’s warmth, like a smile, spontaneous and unbidden, is also love; its heat generates in earth the myriad forms of life.  As complementary opposites, human beings become one in their love for one another.  Their need for wholeness is expressed, first in erotic desire, but also in the tenderness and appreciation each shows for the other. 

Still, no relationship can exist without difficulties and problems.  Enter the serpent.  The serpent is wise because it knows both darkness and light.  Moving in the unknown world below ground, as well as above, ancient peoples saw it as a messenger between the two worlds.  Since the snake sheds its skin and grows a new one, it also has the ability to transform and heal divisive elements in both body and psyche.  Hence its presence in a romantic relationship.  Humans share the earth with other beings making up the web of life.  Just as the force of love is universal, so are the empathetic/symbiotic connections holding all things in interdependent relationships.  Love unifies, imparting purpose and meaning to life.  Thus everything attains a wholeness of being.”

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7. The Chariot

The Chariot can be seen as the emergence of the ego whose job is to help us navigate this physical dimension.  The Charioteer takes the Divine Will revealed in the Hierophant and expressed in the Lovers and takes it on the road. Here on our journey we learn that the art of keeping your chariot on the path is knowing when to surrender the reins and when to take control.

Key words: Begin Now!/ Focused intention/ Sense of soul purpose

Annie Reid                      The  Chariot

“I approached the Chariot image intuitively as is my practice. I envisioned the lovely spirals of the double helix, those coded messengers we call DNA, carrying critical messages from the ancients through time. I glimpsed the spiraling energy of the 3rd Chakra, driving our passions forward with the strength of our Will. I repeatedly recognized the 'Spira mirabilis', the miraculous logarithmic spiral that mirrors the movement of the universe. With all these wheels in motion, I wondered how I might possibly capture the essence of Chariot in a still painting?

Then, in late August, I was unexpectedly called to sit with my beloved Mother-in-law as her spirit struggled to leave her body. With her last breaths I witnessed the light of her soul lifting. As wings of angels fanned the air, I held the stillness and power of the Chariot driver assisting her transition between Spirit and Earth.

When I returned to the Chariot image it was with a heightened sense of devotion. The words of the spiritual, 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' rang true, yet with alternate insight. In the stillness of my sorrow I committed The Chariot's journey into art. In the process I found such peace and pleasure I never wanted to stop. When I traveled to Hawaii in February I brought the unfinished Chariot painting with me. There, I was mesmerized by the curling waves as they repeated the timeless spiral of universal momentum and I began to lay the final brushstrokes onto the image.”

See more of Annie's work on her website anniereid.com

8. Strength

Strength can be seen as the loving acceptance of our animal nature which holds much of our raw power. Here the Divine feminine consciousness lovingly guides our more unconscious desires for the strength to hold the Self to a higher standard.  The Charioteer continues on his journey without being carried away or controlled by ego desires.  Compassion for who we are, spirit in an animal body, strengthens us, creating a more refined whole.

Key words: Integration of anima and animus/ Control of instinctual responses/ a merging of the extremes for a stronger whole

                                                  

 

Christy Mueller                  Strength  

When the Strength card arrived in my life I wasn't exactly surprised.  A series of surgeries to identify and correct a disease process within my body have left me contemplating my physical and emotional strength.  But I also have had significant doubts about my strength as an artist.

As I learned about Strength, visual metaphors seemed abundant: trees, mountains, eggs, spines all came to mind, as well as people that embodied the archetype.  But in my studio I found myself struggling.  With all my artistic might and force I tried to make the strongest strength card ever.  Yet image after image failed to capture the essence of the card.  One day in tears, with the deadline looming I just gave up. 

That evening, reflecting on my work and accepting that I was unable to make some sort of profound statement about Strength, I found some humor in the situation.  I was trying to power my way through the work and make a strong artistic statement.  I was approaching this work exclusively with my ego.

Returning to the studio the next day the image for this card came effortlessly. The masculine strength of the king of beasts (ego) and the strength of the woman (intuition and heart) working in a harmonious balance become a greater strength than when either works independently.

Personally I am grateful for the months that I have spent meditating on this card and honored to be a part of this amazing project.

See more of Christy's work on her website christymueller.com

9. The Hermit

The Hermit can be seen as the need for a side trip on the journey to take the “road less traveled,” moving away from the “herd mentality.”  Here we are compelled to take the light of love and compassion and go within to find the authentic Self, the self beyond the egoic mind and society’s expectation, for deep insight and healing.  

Key words: Withdrawal/ Seeker/ The spiritual path/ Way Shower/ Inner axis/ Teacher within

Kacie Flynn  The Hermit 

When I drew this card comical images of what I perceived a hermit to be swam into my mind. The modern day hermit: the crazy cat lady, the girl who got dumped and retreats into pity, or the gamer glued to their console substituting reality for fantasy. But all my negative connotations placed my hermit in a pathetic self-wallowing light. 

It wasn't until i started searching into the meaning of the card that I saw past the cliche. To the religious the hermit becomes the anchorite, withdrawing from secular society to lead an intensely prayer-oriented life. To the skeptic they become the misanthrope, full of anger and hatred towards mankind.

At some point we all find ourselves with that desire for peace and solitude: to think, organize, ruminate, and take stock. In tarot the Hermit is almost always shown on the move. He's never hiding away in his cave. Rather, he's out wandering and searching for clarity. Like an artist who hides away for days then emerges to paint a masterpiece, this quiet time allows all the pieces to fall into place.

"After a long and busy lifetime, building, creating, loving, hating, fighting, compromising, the Fool feels a profound need to retreat. In a small, rustic home deep in the woods, she hides, reading, cleaning, organizing, resting or just thinking. But every night at dusk she heads out, traveling across the bare, autumnal landscape. She carries only a staff and a lantern."

10. The Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune can be seen as a fork in the road of the soul’s journey.  Here the consequences of our choices come to create fortune or disaster because it’s up to us how we choose to perceive our reality.  If we see disaster then we will continue spinning in our illusions. If we choose opportunity and growth, we can sit in the center of the wheel, observe, learn and begin to flow with the cycle of events and take the first step of awakening to our Cosmic Self.

Key words: Karma/ Cycle of life and death/ Creation and destruction/ Cause and effect/ Opportunity                   

            

Frank  Speck              Wheel of Fortune

The theme: change, good and bad. The setting: Humboldt, between the Redwoods and the ocean. The time: twilight, between day and night.

The Wheel symbolizes the chance of perpetual golden opportunities, resting on the resources we have now, with the stumps representing fortunes past that have been made but now have gone.

The creatures aboard the wheel are monochromatic to signify a place between life and death. The rabbit in the ascendency represents good fortune, the snake being jettisoned, bad luck or evil. Atop the Wheel is, in my own personal experience, my most fortunate encounter, my ever-present companion – Bullet, an Italian Greyhound -- majestic, impartial, and a creature capable of unconditional love.

See more of Frank Speck's work frankspeck.com

11. Justice

Justice can be seen as the first step after our realization of the Wheel, when we cut away all that is not needed as we begin the seeking of a higher level of existence.  This is Cosmic Justice that asks us to “lighten up,” to cut to the truth of the matter in all aspects of our lives, leaving no trace of false illusion to clutter our path as we bring about exquisite balance.

Key words:  Clarity/ Detachment/ Assessment/ Adjustment of Karmic balance/ Inner discipline/ Self-regulation

Orr Marshall                   Justice

As I left the building, after the tarot artists' meeting where Justice chose me, my attention was caught by the show window of a shoe boutique next door. Could Justice be depicted as an imperious persona, I mused, wearing extreme shoes? Crossing the intersection on the way to my nearby studio, I glanced down the street and there past the buildings, the view was dominated by an immense fog bank filling the background and stretching from the horizon up to a dark gray, fast-moving edge high above. The sky directly overhead was still blue, but the sheet of fog below it was suffused with a strange orange glow, probably from the sinking sun hidden behind the fog.

What a setting for a colossal figure of Justice, I thought! With one giant shoe planted in the middle of the street and the other shoe perched atop the city buildings, her figure would tower against the glowing fog and her head would reach the height of the blue zenith! It then occurred to me that she wouldn’t need clothing at all; she wouldn’t even need a body. I could make an opening through the glowing fog in the shape of her silhouette, uncovering the low sun from behind the fog and let its rays stream forth.  Justice would be made of sky, the sun at her knee, stars in her eyes and the moon in her hair.

I realized that my Justice was already speaking to me, guiding me toward the painting of her picture.

See more of Orr Marshall's work orrmarshall.com

12. The Hanged man

The Hanged Man can be seen as a time when we ask for transformation, purposefully putting ourselves into a situation where we must surrender to the circumstances so that we can gain an entirely new perspective. The Hanged Man has hung himself upside down in an attempt to break out of old ways of thinking that are no longer useful.   Forced to reexamine his reality, he can choose to be stuck or to begin to see another way of being.

Key words: Capitulation/ Surrender/ Victimization or the falling away of the ego

Connie Butler         Baffled:  The Hanged Man

I chose the name Baffled for the Hanged Man because the image represents the old sentence meted out to traitors who were hung upside down publicly. As a child, growing up during WWII, I watched the movie newsreel of Mussolini and his mistress being hung upside down and beaten to death by the mob. That ferocity of collective rage left a deep impression on me of shame and fear, of bafflement.  Later I came to understand that we risk being baffled if we ignore our dark side, our hang ups of power, ego trips and taking the easy road. We risk collective baffling if we fear the unknown, risk our hard earned security and cannot wait for guidance from within. I realized if we baffle our own individuality, we sacrifice our priceless soul’s journey.

But my baffled woman has an enigmatic smile on her face. Balanced delicately in a cosmic dance, she is listening carefully to the inner music of her soul. Hidden behind her is the glyph for the inexorable Pluto, Lord Hades. “Better to master your dance and not fear death,” whispers Pluto.

My woodblock image is colored in with ink pens. I thought it would be simple to do, silly me. I struggled to capture the image and it has still left me - Baffled.

So, here is a work in progress, as is my life.

See more of Connie's work on her website conniebutlersculptures.com

13. Death

Death can be seen as transformation, enormous change but rarely physical death.  This aspect of the journey is more about ego death, when we die into our greater expanded Self, transcending our limited view point of who we are in this solid reality and begin to see opportunity in surrendering to what is.  Having developed the outer personality up through the Chariot, maturing and overcoming the ego through the inner journey of the Hermit and surrender of the Hanged Man, the Fool now dies to a Higher Self.

Key Words:  Transformation/ Ego death/ Transmutation/ Surrender

Kati Texas                      Death

There is a quote from the Tao Te Ching that rings true with me, so much that I find myself sharing it often. “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”

For a time, sorrow was my constant companion. I was feeling pretty carved up.  Then one day I found something to hold onto: Change.

Suddenly I saw my situation differently. No longer was I plummeting helplessly toward an inevitable crash. Instead, I was a fledgling bird, spiraling out of control, but already possessing everything I needed to fly. Some lessons are harder to learn than others and some little birds hit the ground before they figure out they've got wings.

My interpretation of the “Death Card” isn't about the end. It's about the beginning.

Joy is meaningless without sorrow. Creation is not possible without destruction. The cultivation of roses requires handling shit.

See more of Kati's work on her website katitexas.com

14. Temperance

Temperance can be seen as the true integration of the personality with our higher consciousness as this card straddles the physical and the higher spiritual realms. Here begins the hard work begun with the Death card, the alchemy of turning lead into gold or our gross physical self into the gold of our higher Cosmic Selves.

 Key Words: Alchemy/ Dissolution/ Mixing of polarities of the physical and the spiritual

Libby Maynard                   Temperance

My knowledge of and involvement in the tarot was minimal, no preconceptions either way. So when Kathryne DeLorme and Carolyn Ayres asked me about the idea of mounting an exhibition of original artist interpretations of the major arcana, I thought it was a great idea.

When I finally made it to a “choosing” meeting, my card had been waiting for me till the end. The card was Temperance. After Carolyn gave me the nutshell explanation of its meaning, my first thought was: “Busted.”

Although I’d had that immediate connection with the card, I was then unmoved to explore it further until November 2011, when I had a strong urge to research more about its meaning. What I learned about it helped me successfully resolve a difficult situation. I was grateful and promptly lost the urge to work on the card again.

Finally, in January, the need to research and understand came back strongly and images drifted into view. The concept that resonated strongly with me was alchemy – combining unique elements to create something new. My image is of two “mountains” merging and creating a new reality. Both mountains overlay rainbows, but the black mountain (the Void, pregnant with possibility) obscures it, while the waves of the blue mountain (the material Earth, abundant) let it show through. The new reality is born of the alchemy wroth by the universe. The background is the light of a Big Bang, full of potential and energy.

The process and outcomes have been a wonderful journey.

Learn more about Libby http://blog.artsusa.org/?author=411%22

15. The Devil

The Devil can be seen as our illusion of limitation, the ego at it’s most dominant when we are chained to societal mores and our own fear of breaking out and following our desires.  It’s about our love of the material and though there is nothing wrong with enjoying all the food, distractions and stuff, at this point of the journey, these distractions are holding us back from the liberation we seek, the freedom to be ourselves. It’s important at this point to not take ourselves too seriously, enjoy it all but also know this is not our true reality.

Key Words: the Shadow/ Dweller on the Threshold/ Hedonism / Ego inflation / Addiction / Inertia / Materialism /Oppression/ Untapped creativity

Connie Rose                 The Devil 
 

“The Devil card chose me at a time last summer when the accumulated stress of 40 years of living on the edge emotionally and financially finally hit critical mass.  Although energy and action toward a major personal shift had been building for five or six years, now I could finally let go of my reliance on the workworld, society and our culture of materialism in an attempt to meet my spiritual survival needs.  I had sold my soul for too long and my body started to break down. 

The Devil pointed out to me that the choice to live the life I really wanted to live was mine alone and that I had the power to do it.  The alternatives were allowing myself to remain inured to the allure of modern culture, or being willing to let it all go to the largest extent possible so I could take care of my soul.  I clearly saw my personal journey portrayed in the Devil card. 

My interpretation of the card is that the forces of evil -- our personal dark side, the dark side of society and civilization, materialism, overindulgence, dark political powers, etc. – are below us, and we have the choice to rise above them.  There are mountains to climb on every soul journey – it takes great courage to stand outside the dominant paradigm while living within it.  Yet the rewards are to be able to see life as the spiritual adventure it really is and to live it freely.”

Learn more about Connie http://constancerosedesigns.blogspot.com/

16. The Tower

The Tower can be seen as the illusion of our security, the Devil card again which whispers, “If you follow the rules, you will be safe.” The Tower is built of fears and worries, our need for security and our fear of change.  This is the ego/personality we build as a buffer, to protect us, that keeps us from taking responsibility for what is going on in our lives. Unless we are willing to take the risk and pull  our tower down ourselves, we risk being blasted apart by a difficult insight or tragedy.  After the fall, it’s up to us whether we find the positive effect and so see the gift and healing that is offered when our lives fall apart.

Key words: God speaks/ Sudden awakening/ Liberation / Blasting insight/ Divorce/ Breaking up of the status quo/ Grave illness/ Physical death

                       

Madeline  McMurray         THE TOWER 

“My first response to the tower card was one of excitement.  For me, the deeper meaning of life is often discovered in the “falling apart” moments of my life.  The image of lightning splitting the tower in half speaks of divine power and the complex mystery of death and rebirth, the message of destruction which is one I accept and work with on a daily basis.  This is the territory of psychotherapy which is my calling and my profession. 

The image of this card came to me at the moment I picked it up as I know this card to be a statement of reality.  Breakdown and collapse as symbolized by the destruction of the towers is actually natural to our human condition.  Every life stage; birth, growth, relationship, family, maturity, old age, and death involves the destruction of our old patterns to make room for life’s next step. Our psychological and spiritual work is to let go to the falling apart of life.”

Learn more about Madeline's work http://www.dreamandimage.net/

17. The Star

The Star can be seen as the place we come to after our world of the Tower has been blasted apart.  Here we are free, dissolved to a fluid where only the present exists.  No more worrying but only a deep healing, for all we have now is the expansive reality of connecting with our authentic Cosmic Self.  We have lost our false sense of reality of the Tower and can now rebuild on a more honest foundation.

Key Words: Divine revelation/ Meditation /Trust / Receptivity/ Peace after the storm                                                         

Regina  Case           The Star

“I had no experience with Tarot when I agreed to do this project, but the card that came to me could not have been more perfect.  I love everything about water; walking along it, sunlight patterns on it, looking down into all the amazing colors of it and most of all swimming in it. I live it, paint it, dream it.  In long walks upriver my mind becomes quiet and I am aware of my connection with the planet, a sort of timelessness, being. I was amazed to read that what the water represents in the Star described much of the focus of my life for years, learning to ignore the noise of the ego to allow for stillness and presence. The Star’s water symbolizes connecting with the earth, inspiration, knowing we are part of something greater. It is about letting go of your concept of self and trusting in the process, that something more than you can come through you.

For my painting, I decided to turn the traditional view around so the hands holding the water are the viewer’s, giving the viewer possession of that connection to the unconscious and intuition represented by the pool. The nighttime setting was a challenge since my paintings are so much about light. It became a matter of trusting in the process, of letting go constantly of what I’d already painted and covering it over with new layers, trying to let the light come into it in a new way.”

See more of Regina's work on her website reginacase.com

18. The Moon

The Moon can be seen as the rising up of the unconscious, the world of dreams where we receive messages that are lost in static and we can see where we want to go but cannot see the path ahead.  A time on the journey when many turn back for fear of facing their demons in the dark.  Sometimes the illusion feels more comfortable and the enormous change feels unbearable.  But we have come so far.  So, stop a moment, breathe, listen deeply and sink into the deep knowing of the High Priestess we met so long ago.

Key Words: Threshold into higher consciousness/ Psychic awakening/ Madness or illumination/ Substance abuse/ Depression

Julian Lang              The Moon

“The Moon has been a part of my life for many moons, and for us all. It was not a surprise to select this card. I have written about the Moon.  Recently I created an animation featuring the moon and each year I track the moon to determine certain auspicious times. The moon has been my personal teacher and companion since 1980.

I employed a simple and direct process with this painting. I let the image gel as I carried on with my day-to-day duties. I read about and thought about the moon as an image of the tarot. I talked with others about the differences and likenesses between the indigenous view of the moon and the western view. And then, the "bell" went off: Time to paint!

I first roughly sketched out a composition. Then I turned off all contact with the outside world and began painting. The image morphed and simplified into what I believe are the basic elements of this card: inspiration, sleep, the path leading to the mountain, the rising spirit, the sacred pool, the night, and the Moon itself. The image revealed itself to me and forced me to change the composition occasionally until I saw its interconnectedness and balance.”

Learn more about Julian on his website http://web.me.com/katimiin/Sandvox/