| Author(s): Starwynd Panther
Date: 12 April 08 C10. Create one or more Tarot cards that use Earth as a central theme. Use the traditional Tarot Major and Minor Arcana and create a life-sized, fully-rendered version of the card(s). Include an explanation of the symbolism of your card(s). Note: as many team members as wish can work on this task; however, each member must complete different card(s).
 | In creating an Earth Day based Tarot card, I immediately thought of trees. Trees take deep root in the earth while stretching their branches towards the sky. They eat sunlight and drink water. Thus are they connected to each element. While I could have created a Minor Arcana card, I confess, I was drawn to the Major Arcana for its potential for power and creativity. Since most of Major Arcana cards contain a human or humanoid figure of some sort, it seemed imperative to add one to mine. What better creature of the tree than a hamadryad? A hamadryad is a spirit that is so closely tied to her tree that her strength deteriorates as she ventures from her tree. She will also protect her tree with a vengeance, for her very life depends on the tree's health. There are those who claim that the Earth itself has a hamadryad. She is the soul of the Earth and our efforts here make her stronger. Thus, although most cards in the Tarot are commonly associated with a given gender, all of the cards in my deck would be female. In choosing which card to create, I researched magickal correspondences of trees. Using the information, I then connected trees with Major Arcana cards of similar properties. Eventually, I settled upon the Alder. The Alder is a tree associated with oracular powers. It is a tree with both masculine and feminine properties. It is a tree that connects to all four elements. A tree is easily associated with Earth, but also, the Alder is "[r]esistant to the rotting element of water, wood from the Alder was often used in the making of bridges, boats, clogs and milk jugs. It was also frequently used in the making of magical whistles, flutes and pipes. It was once a crime to fell an Alder since the angry tree spirit was believed to take revenge by burning down houses." The Alder was used for divinatory purposes and was associated with intuition and spiritual guidance. For this reason, I have used the Alder tree as basis for The Magician. The symbol at the corners of the card are the glyph for Mercury. Mercury is a planet associated with a swift mind and communication. The Magician is known for mental prowess and imparting wisdom. Works Cited: "Alder, The" http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/alder.html. "Dryad(Druid)" http://www.chqhost.com/LairFiles/races/dryad.html. "Wiccan Tree Correspondences" http://www.magicspells.in/wiccan_tree_correspondences.htm. |
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c10 (swp) |