Thursday, August 06, 2009

Theme Thursday - Kiss


A little over 20 years ago I created my own Tarot deck, mostly as a way to express my own ideas about what the whole thing was about, which were decidedly more earth- and human-based and firmly rooted in Jungian symbolism than the commercial decks available at the time. This is my version of the traditional The Lovers card. To me this card symbolizes far more than just "love" as it is normally seen, but rather as the force that holds together everything in the universe. whether you want to call it "gravity" or "magnestism" or "attraction" or "harmony" or anything else. In the classic Christian theological sense, this card covers all three forms of love - agape, eros, and philia. Whatever it is that brings us together - personal or communal - is reflected in this card. I even used lovers of different skin coloring to represent bringing diverse elements into harmony. And of course the kiss is essential - the flowing together, the blending, the essential breath of each flowing into the other and creating a deep, binding unity.

One of the more famous love poems in Western culture is Paul's paean to love in 1 Corinthians 13. He uses the word αγάπη (agape) in this, which basically means complete, unconditional love. I couldn't think of a better quote for this week's theme:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

The music video I chose for this week's theme is more proof that at heart I'm a sappy romantic. Heh, heh! I couldn't help myself; I fed the word "kiss" into YouTube's search engine, and hidden in the mass of videos by the rock group Kiss was this little gem I remembered from the '90s. Yup, Seal singing "Kiss From a Rose". I love that song! This is a live version from 2004 in Wembley Stadium, part of a tribute to Trevor Horn, who was Seal's producer. Enjoy!


Artwork, photo, and text © 2009 by A, Roy Hilbinger

23 comments:

  1. a nice journey you took us on today. love does hold the universe together and thus the converse tears it apart. a maelstrom expanding and contracting with our whims. thought about the quote myself...and the seal vid was a nice reminder of a song forgotten.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm learnin' a lot from you, Roy! Great post and any version of this song will do :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like the creativity you used in making your own symbol and the diversity in the characters is most hopeful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Is the force that holds everything together in the universe. :D

    I love this song by Seal. Very cool. I'd love to sing it someday. :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful post Roy. The idea of love being some universal bond is a good one and a rare source of optimism in today's world.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." My favorite!

    Now I am very curious to see what your other Tarot cards look like. Show us more!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very beautiful expressions, Roy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your card is so beautiful, in artwork and intention. LOVED this post.

    Seal-ed with a kiss.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! Roy you old smoothie you!

    What don't you know?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely post. Seal brings back memories of living in a yurt in Maine.... -Jayne

    ReplyDelete
  11. I once toyed with creating my own tarot deck, but, alas, I'm devoid of artistic talent.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Roy-thank you! For taking the word 'kiss' from my mind as being sex, and turning it to love. There is such a difference, huh? Very interesting that from kiss you went to Paul's unconditional words. I guess perhaps I've been kissed too many times by unloving lips; it's left me jaded that a 'kiss is just a kiss'....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Fantastic and a bit of a surprise. I wondered how you'd cover this one photographically. I love Seal and I love that snog, I mean song. I just wish I understood the lyrics.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this song- and seal is a great vocalist.

    I am very familiar with 1Corinthians 13, but I know nothing about tarot so was interested to hear what this card means to you. Your depiction of the Lovers is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fun post. Love that song by Seal. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. How neat that you desined your own cards! The Mister and I had these scripture verses about love read at our wedding. ...very nice! Love really does make the world go 'round!

    Love Seal...

    ReplyDelete
  17. That plate is quite [ahem] stimulating.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I like Chris Wolf's comment. And I like that drawing, very much.

    ReplyDelete
  19. you are a deep soul!

    I am impressed that you made your own tarot deck! wow.

    and by the way, wonderful song choice!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I really like your Tarot art--it evokes what it means to.

    And I second what others said--I'd love to see more of it!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Roy...you are a true Renaissance Man and old soul. Creating your own Tarot card deck and choosing the symbolism, which is as beautiful as the art. You do inspire me. I would like to see what your other cards look like too. I hope you can find a way to work them in!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Roy, Mighty Art Work.Yes, Unconditional IS the key me'thinks.I'd love to see the other Tarot Art you made.
    Have A Fine Sunday Sir.

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a lovely idea and the artwork is cool! Lovely :-)

    ReplyDelete