Meet the Cards: Ace of Air

Note: We’ll work through the pips by focusing on each number group rather than one suit at a time. Thus, to avoid redundancy, the first post of each number set will include the general information, that which is consistent across the number, in addition to suit specific information. The other three posts of each number set will focus on the suit specific information.

Generally, all Aces:

1. Share the purest, uncorrupted, attributes of their suit, or element.
2. Reflect the themes and wisdom of the Magician.
3. Symbolize potential.
4. Can represent Act One, the set-up, of your story; or the first stage of your character’s arc, their change and growth; thesis.
5. Begins the first of the three triads, or mini-dramas as mentioned in last week’s Numbers in Tarot post.
6. Tarot Notes is doing a series called Take a Number, for additional info on Aces check out her post on Ones.

Air is the breath of life, it blows away strife and carries positive thoughts. In most decks this would be the Ace [1] of Swords. Typically depicted by a right hand (symbolizing action) holding a sword aloft, think Excalibur.

What I See:

I choose to start with Air because of the butterfly, it reminds me of how we started this journey with the Fool or Seeker. I’ll bet you knew the Greek word for ‘soul’ is psyche. But did you know the Greek word for ‘butterfly’ is also psyche?! We have the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. This image speaks to me of birth and transformation. We have the spring blossoms reminding us of the seasons and cycles of life. According to the book, that’s hawthorn which is considered the May-flower, so awesome that we’re starting the pips in May I come away from this image with a sense of trusting oneself to change.

General Air element/Sword suit:

• Keywords: Strife, Tension, Conflict, Struggle, Communication, Travel, Powerful, Intelligence, Foresight, Boldness, Reason, Logic, Sarcasm, Threats, Legal Actions, Surgery, Cutting, Accidents, Justice, Truth, Detachments, Separations, Moving On, and Mental Activity.
• Style: Storming, Freezing, Striving, Communicating, Cutting, and Confronting.
• Jungian Function: Thinking

Light (upright) Reading:

You are blooming with new thoughts or decisions.

• Keywords: Power, Courage, Fresh Ideas, and Authority.

Shadow (upside down or reverse) Reading:

You may be stuck in your comfort zone and avoiding change.

• Keywords: Threats, Sarcasm, Pessimism, and Cynicism.

Plots:

The Ace of Air represents a new beginning on an intellectual level. Perhaps your story is about a student, or a teacher. The sword represents justice. Perhaps your story is about a mediator or lawyer, or even a law enforcement officer. How about a knight, sworn to protect and defend the weak? Or someone with knight-like qualities?

How about a Sci-Fi twist, and the people emerge from giant chrysalises? Or has that been done already?

How about a Charlotte’s Web type story featuring a butterfly?

All Aces represent the potential for creation. Perhaps you story involves a pregnancy. Perhaps a new idea is conceived.

• Ace Themes: Beginning, Potential, Opportunity, Conception, Birth, or Elemental Energy.

Characters:

“Follow your heart,” says Hawthorn.

“You’re a brand-new being,” say Butterfly.

• Suit Archetype/Feudal Class: Nobility, Warrior, and Political class.

The personality enneagram, a nine-pointed array of personality types, might also be a useful reference for character building.

All Aces are E1: Perfectionist and/or Reformer

• Self Image — I am right
• Passion — Anger
• Virtue — Serenity
• Narcissistic Trap — Perfection
• Avoids — Vexation
• Speaking Style — Teaching or Moralizing

E1 people are instinctive, spontaneous, and intuitive. Their “gut” feeling is the center of their awareness. They are often direct or territorial. They are concerned with power, ruled by aggression, and may be troubled by self-doubt or self-blame.

Additionally, look up one of the Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) for personality traits.

Image: Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert from Llewellyn Worldwide

Numbers in Tarot

Last week, in the Meet the Cards series, we concluded the Major Arcana (trumps) of the Gaian deck. Next week, we will begin to explore the Minor Arcana (pips).

Before we continue meeting the cards, I want to pause and explore the numbers we find associated with the tarot. Just like a standard deck of cards, tarot cards are numbered. And there is a whole science around numbers!

As we saw, the Major Arcana is numbered 0 to 21. Major secrets, lessons, and archetypes.

There are two basic thoughts on how you figure the numerology of the cards.

1. Reduction. For example, the Star (17) would be reduced to 1 + 7 = 8.
2. Numerical Signifier. For example, Temperance (14) would be 4.

Either way works and from what I can tell it’s a personal preference.

One overview of what the numbers mean is The Numerological Significance of the Tarot by Anthony Louis. There is also a school of thought that the odd numbers are masculine (active) while the even numbers are feminine (passive). That goes back to the elements too.

If we look at the above examples.

1. The Star (17) is reduced to 1 + 7 = 8.
   

   Eight is made up of 2 x 4, or 2 x 2 x 2. Like the four, it is a number of power, manifestation, and material accomplishment.

2. Or Temperance (14) as 4.
   

   Four is the number of manifestation and material reality. There are four elements, four sides of a square, four cardinal directions of a compass, four seasons, four winds, etc. It is a number of order, structure, power, and earthly dominion. Four is the number of the prototypical complete family: a father, a mother, a son, and a daughter.

What do those mean to you? How does it add to your ‘reading’ of the card as you look at the image or read the details out of the LWB (Little White Book) that came with your deck?

The Minor Arcana is closer to a regular deck of cards in that we have four suits (which correspond to the four suits of a standard deck of cards) and each suit is comprised of fourteen cards numbered ace [1] to 10 plus four court cards. The Minor Arcana represent the everyday events and feelings within each suit. The court cards represent family with the father (king), mother (queen), son (knight), and daughter (page). The Gaian deck focuses on this sense of family (or ‘it takes a village’) even more by changing the court cards to Elders, Guardians, Explorers, and Children.

If you’re interested, I uncovered a great series of lessons while researching this post. The Secrets of Tarot Numerology is 12 lessons long complete with assignments to practice. I’ll definitely be doing this in the near future.

However, we’re going to look at the journey.

Just like the Seeker’s journey through the Major Arcana we have a Seeker’s journey through the Minor Arcana, too.

Three mini-dramas, in fact.

• Ace – 2 – 3
• 4 – 5 – 6
• 7 – 8 – 9

Or look at it this way.

• Ace, 4, and 7 = new beginning
• 2, 5, and 8 = the challenge
• 3, 6, and 9 = resolution (if the Seeker met the challenge)

Each of the three sets of three goes a bit deeper as the Seeker grows and matures. The first triad parallels the trials and exploits of youth, roughly corresponding to the Child and Explorer [court] cards. The second triad is more about the experiences of midlife, corresponding to the Explorer and Guardian cards. The third triad is about maturity and wholeness, corresponding to the Guardian and Elder cards. ~Joanna Powell Colbert

• Culminating in 10…transition. Something dies, is reborn, and the cycle begins again. Hmm, doesn’t that just sound like the “dark night of the soul”?

How about this?

From: Meaning of the Tarot Numbers

Is it me, or are you seeing character arc and/or plot structure at every turn of the tarot?

For a blogiversary giveaway tease hop on over to Tarot Elements where they recently featured the delicious Steampunk Tarot.

Meet the Cards: The Hermit

The Hermit, sacred solitude, is the ninth card in the Major Arcana. In a way, we’ve already met the Hermit as the Fool, s/he is simply older and wiser now.

• Symbolism: Wisdom
• Element: Earth (see Tarot Elements)

What I See:

It’s an earth card yet I see all the elements in harmony here. The setting feels peaceful to me. I love that he’s alone but not. The owl speaks of wisdom. The wolf speaks of a deep bond to family/friends. He appears reflective, or meditative, as though he’s taking stock of his life. The wispiness of some of the features in this card make me think of dreams, ideas, memories. And he’s writing in a book — Hello! Can we writers relate, or what?

Light (upright) Reading:

The spirit is crying out for sacred solitude, a time to focus on life and spirituality, refill the well.

• Keywords: Self-Discovery, Self-Sufficient, Prudence, and Atonement.

Shadow (upside down or reverse) Reading:

Beware too much isolation can lead to loneliness.

• Keywords: Exile, Loneliness, Fear of Intimacy, and Skepticism.

Plots:

How about a magical world? Or a dreamworld? Maybe a cloak of invisibility or some other ceremonial clothing that imbues the wearer with power. Perhaps your story focuses on a worn down caregiver in need of a break mentally, physically, spiritually. Or a retelling of Diogenes, who lived by example, the philosophy of cynicism. And there’s the obvious Merlin the Magician connection just waiting for your muse to strike.

What about the number nine? Pregnancy? According to Kenner, nine symbolizes selflessness, compassion, universality, humanitarianism, and spirituality…all good things to explore.

• Themes: Solitude, Retreat/Withdrawal, Silence, Introspection, Replenishment, Wisdom/Experience of Age, Guiding Light, or Communion with Natural World.

Characters:

The Hermit retreats from others to replenish his soul in solitude.

• Archetype: Wise Old Man, Mentor, Guide, Hermit, or Crone.

An archetype found frequently in dreams, myths, and stories is the Mentor [Wise-Man], usually a positive figure who aids or trains the hero. ~The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler

• Mythical Figures: Saturn, Chronos, Father Time, Hestia, and Hecate.

The personality enneagram, a nine-pointed array of personality types, might also be a useful reference for character building.

The Hermit is E9: Mediator, Peacemaker, and/or Preservatioinist

• Self Image — I am content
• Passion — Indolence, Laziness, or Accidia
• Virtue — Diligence
• Narcissistic Trap — Self-abasement
• Avoids — Conflict
• Speaking Style — Monotonous or Rambling

E9 people are instinctive, spontaneous, and intuitive. Their “gut” feeling is the center of their awareness. They are often direct or territorial. They are concerned with power, ruled by aggression, and may be troubled by self-doubt or self-blame.

Additionally, look up one of the Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) for personality traits.

In many ways, the Hermit has a lot in common with writers. In fact, writers usually are hermits. ~Tarot for Writers by Corrine Kenner

Image: Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert from Llewellyn Worldwide

Meet the Cards: The Fool

Or in this case THE SEEKER. I like Seeker better than Fool. No one likes to be a fool but everyone has been a seeker at one point or another in one form or another. The Seeker is the zero card in the Major Arcana, a starting point (we can count up or down, into negative numbers), a new beginning.

• Symbolism: Innocence and wonder.
• Element: Air (see Tarot Elements)

What I See:

This is a peaceful card with its predominately blue and green palette and I get a sense of excitement not anxiety. The Seeker has a small bundle of belongings — the bare necessities — and I picture someone about to backpack across Europe. They’ll work when they need money, sleep in hostels when they can, and get their feet dirty experiencing the different cultures, learning new languages, and trying new foods. It’s all about the journey not the destination.

Light (upright) Reading:

Be open to all the twists and curves in the road ahead.

• Keywords: Innocence, Spontaneity, Fresh Start, and Originality.

Shadow (upside down or reverse) Reading:

Be careful of a tendency to be naive or gullible.

• Keywords: Foolishness, Gullibility, Frivolity, and Irresponsibility.

Plots:

The start of a new story, a turning point (plot point: first, mid, or second), a new obstacle or challenge, and/or the promise of accomplishment. And remember the Hero’s Journey from The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler (or use the Hero’s Journey spread).

In most decks, the Fool is shown with an animal. Here, that is the Fox: A trickster in Native American tradition, perhaps you’ve gone off on a tangent. A shapeshifter in Chinese myth, perhaps your story should be a paranormal.

• Themes: Spiritual Quest, Spontaneity, Innocence or Childlike Wonder, Simplicity, Pilgrimage, Adventure, New Beginnings, or Taking a Risk.

Characters:

The Seeker stands on the threshold between Childhood and Adulthood, their life lies before them like a blank page.

A hero begins as a Fool and at various stages of the adventure rises through the ranks of Magician, Warrior, Messenger, Conqueror, Lover, Thief, Ruler, Hermit, and so on. ~The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler

• Archetype: Eternal Child, Beggar, Vagabond, or Free Spirit

• Mythical Figures: Parsifal, Dionysus, Jester, and Green Man.

The nine-point personality enneagram can also be useful for character building.

The Fool is E4: Tragic Romantic, Individualist, and/or Connoisseur

• Self Image — I am different
• Passion — Envy
• Virtue — Equanimity
• Narcissistic Trap — Authenticity
• Avoids — Ordinariness
• Speaking Style — Lyrical or Lamenting

E4 people are relationship oriented. They are concerned with what others think of them, image and prestige. They see themselves as being for others and often believe they know what’s best. They dislike being alone and may feel sad or inadequate.

Additionally, look up one of the Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) for personality traits.

As a writer, you’re the consummate Fool: you’re always ready and willing to take a leap of faith and dive into a blank page. ~Tarot for Writers by Corrine Kenner

Image: Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert from Llewellyn Worldwide