the court cards

next up - court cards. i started to draw them and had originally made the page, knight, queen and king in the blue star context as dedicant, neophyte, first and third degrees. cai suggested that maybe the queen and king could be priestess and priest. then, i believe cat? maybe someone else suggested the page and knight be hm and summoner.

my stance right now is, i want to keep dedicant and neophyte as is. i am considering the change for the queen and king position.

also, a note on the genders. at this point, all dedicants are female, neophytes male, first/priestesses are female and third/priests are male. i probably will be changing this. i will most likely - unless a strong argument comes up in opposition, be doing dedicants as both male and female based on the suit's elemental association. of course, as with other things, this may change but that's the plan for now!

tens

ten of wands - holding onto the ten wands - a burden

ten of swords - all at odds with the red cord weaving in between them all, they are sliced in one spot...

ten of chalices - ten chalices with a rainbow...i may add more imagery here

ten of pentacles - inside the cozy home and a full cauldron which means full bellies...

nines

nine of wands - two wands tied with red cords protecting the rest of the wands

nine of swords - hung over a bed.

nine of chalices - laid out nice with a feasty like look

nine of pentacles - a nice cozy home from the outside

eights

eight of wands - flying through the air...movement, speed

eight of swords - stuck but if she just opened her eyes and looked around, she may find a solution

eight of chalices - walking away and leaving things behind

eight of pentacles - polishing skills, creating, the apprentice. paints and brushes are out.

sevens

seven of wands - in a position of being attacked...or defending oneself!

seven of swords - taking five, leaving two behind in the cover of darkness...

seven of chalices - all full of different things, save one. the veil hides some of them though...which are real, which are fantasy?
the veil part will have a sheer looking effect on the ones it covers...

seven of pentacles - a septagram with the pentacles all around, each one in a color of a chakra red to purple.

sixes

six of wands - the victory walk...garlands of greenery and flowers falling...

six of swords - leaving things behind (but then why take all the swords with you?) the boat is still not on the other side of the river yet, but it is in sight...

six of chalices - full and happy - the flowers and rune "wunjo" or joy are on the border of this card.

six of pentacles - the same generous person from the five, this time from the inside.

fives

five of wands - five wands "in conflict". this one has to be probably designed a little more.

five of swords - self explanatory.

five of chalices - three spilled chalices and two full on the other bank...which do you focus on?

five of pentacles - fairly traditional - two people in a poverty stricken situation looking in at a generous person giving money away. why don't they ask for some as well? perhaps some snow on the window sill, a fire in the fireplace etc.

fours

four of wands, one wand as a maypole attached to three others with colorful ribbons, lush green grass.

four of swords...time out...the swords are there but not in conflict right now...introspective.

four of chalices - three chalices on one side of the creek, one on the other...the grass is always greener...

four of pentacles - tucked away in a box, potential for saving...not locked away - yet. warns of being miserly.

threes

three of wands - looking out to sea (ships coming in view)

three of swords - the lotus/heart from the star card being pierced. (i love this card - not in a reading, just like the design)

three of chalices - the cup runneth over! but only one...flowers overflow onto the border here too...

three of pentacles - three pentacles being "displayed".

twos

the two of wands, the two wands at a crossroads.
roads to be drawn less...straight!

the two of swords. two swords crossed but stuck in a stone...truce for now...

two of chalices, a handfasting!

two of pentacles, very traditional.

the aces

the first ace - wands. the wand with fire behind it.

ace of swords. designed after the what will now be the old balefire coven sword (with wind behind it). i have strong ties and a strong affinity to that sword.

ace of chalices. will be designed after the glass chalice that martha had made for balefire. it's beautiful! will have water flowing behind it.

and pentacles with a tree branch behind it. this pentacle designed after my own.

the world

our seeker now sits atop the world, creating a rainbow with all he has learned. of course our words would be "his story has ended, his life a new start" but...does it ever really end?

judgement

this card has our high priestess now parting the veil. the tenet is reincarnation. the words - "deep is the darkness where the veil has it's part"

the sun

this card has an adult and two children looking off at the bright sun (will be more elaborate with some celtic knotwork and a tiny flame in the center). the rite of third degree is in this card. "we'll teach your children year after year"

the moon

the moon is full over the ocean with some hoofprints in the sand...yeah i went there.

reflective. "the waters of life surround you" - but don't let them drown you...

the star

the star has the three levels of our initiatory tattoos with second degree (it's rite of passage) at the top. trust is the tenet...trusting that things will be ok...though it may take time. hope blossoms. from home again "the priestess laughed lightly, said perfect love and trust" seemed fitting.

the tower

a tablet carved with "words of truth" that is blasted by lightning. the tenet of tolerance rings true here - things you believed to be true are turned upside down and destroyed. this may be good if those truths are confining your ability to see.

originally, i had norse runes. but keith pointed out those were divine truths. so we agreed he would help me find some old roman type letters...very cool.

the words "ever it be remembered" - once you learn something like that, don't forget it! the tower teaches rough lessons and isn't afraid to teach them over and over again!

the devil

this card is geo...in his usual for circle red and orange fsg tie dye...holding chains and saying his favorite thing
"bondage sets you free!"

temperance

fairly traditional stance, she mixes two things, this time a rainbow mixing the chakras from the root to the crown. our tenet is balance and our words "i am all things and all things are me"

death

the death card has a white flower growing in dusty cracked land. a blue butterfly is emerging from a coccoon hanging from the flower's leaf. in the foreground, again on the edge of the card, a skull and a scythe. death is transformation - initiation in our rites of passage. "in moorland and woodknoll your death toll you ring"

hanged man

again, a fairly traditional interpretation. the seeker now hangs from the same oak tree from strength - hung by red cords, he seems meditative. these words were some of the last to come "though the days pass over thee" - he waits for "something" to happen. the hanged man is the neophyte. his tenet, humility. finding his place in the world.