Thursday, September 03, 2009

Theme Thursday - Beginning


The Tarot Major Trumps cards can be seen as a depiction of the individual's journey through life. In this view, The Fool (number 0) is the traveller on the path, but the first step on that path - birth - is not the card numbered 1 (The Magician), but rather #21, The World. In the Tarot scheme of things, The World is where we start the journey, and we travel down the road toward the ultimate goal of the soul's development, #2 The High Priestess (in my own deck retitled Psyche) and #1 The Magician; these two cards represent the soul's mastery of both the spiritual and physical realms.

The card depicted at the top is my handmade deck's World card, designed some 20 years ago, and the card to the left is a computer graphic collage I put together 7 or 8 years ago when I got some ideas for a new deck done on the computer (still thinking about that one). Both incorporate strong birth symbolism, but I'm not departing from tradition very far in that idea. A look at The World card in both the Tarot of Marseilles deck (derived from early 15th or 16th Century woodcut designs) and the current standard Rider-Waite deck (designed by A.E. Waite and Pamela Coleman Smith and published by Rider Publishing in 1909) carry the same strong birth imagery.

I also added the Apollo 8 Earthrise shot to my symbolism because to me this emphasized even more the notion of beginnings and birth. For the first time in our history, humanity was able to view the Earth from an entirely new perspective; we had literally gotten outside ourselves and were able to see us from a distance. And what we learned was that as beautiful as our Earth was living in the midst of it, it was just as beautiful seen from a distance - a jewel suspended in the black of space.

In any event, The World card is all about beginnings, birth, and even rebirth (although that notion of rebirth is more rightly the territory of #13 Death - which in my deck is renamed Rebirth). It's about starting up, or getting things started. It's also about getting back to basics - the nature motif is also very strong in all versions of the card, and the female figure in the traditional decks has often been interpreted as Mother Nature. And that makes sense, too; we always start with what Mama Gaiea gave us, and we build on that. So I thought The World card would be an appropriate response to this week's "Beginning" theme.

The music I chose for this week started playing in my head as soon as I started working on this post; I was hearing John Lennon sing "(Just Like) Starting Over" the whole time I was searching for the right images and writing the text. And when I went into YouTube to find a video for the song, this charming (and bittersweet; pay attention to the ending) rendition was the first listing, and I just couldn't resist. Enjoy!


Photos & text © 2009 by A. Roy Hilbinger

21 comments:

  1. Roy, you didn't pop up in my reader( blooger trouble-GAH! ). This is such a great series( it is turning into that, right? )and this world card will leave me to ponder a while...thanks!

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  2. What an excellent depiction of the world card and I'm not just saying that because it's also my header on my own blog.

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  3. And enjoy I did. I love your contemporary take on those tarot cards. A very enjoyable series and, of course, the music gave added-value.

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  4. I'm so glad to see more of your Tarot.

    These "beginning" posts have been wonderful, yours no exception!

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  5. Love the Lennon song and fun to see the images of John and Yoko. Fun to see more of your tarot series. And oooh, the Marseilles woodcut cards are fabulous. Wouldn't you love to have a vintage set of those babies? Or, maybe you do?

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  6. the line about getting back to basics is what grabbed me in your post. i find myself in the space between and ending and beginning...these words were apropo for me today.

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  7. My information about Tarot cards and readings really doesn't exist. I've always been somewhat anxious about someone "reading my cards". It is nice to learn more about the cards. Of course, I love Lennon.

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  8. my goodness you are a man of many talents and so much knowledge!!

    thanks for sharing!

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  9. So sad that the beginning at the end of the song was life without Lennon.
    Interesting post on the tarot.
    My new knowledge for the day.

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  10. Thanks for sharing your view on Tarot and the wonderful Lennon.

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  11. Like the card, and Lennon is always a good thing to add on! :)

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  12. Interesting! Thanks for sharing John!

    xoxo

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  13. Very sad, how Yoko and son were left alone.

    I do like your artwork on the left, with the umbilical cord and imagery of new life/beginnings.

    I know nothing about tarot except what you teach here- and you are an interesting teacher :)

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  14. Excellent Mr Hilbinger. I do like the computer generated image and Eva Cassidy was singing what a wonderful world. I'm not sure about the Tarot I'm one of these nitwits that checks my monthly horoscope religiously but doesn't really believe in it unless something turns out to be true! Silly I know.

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  15. Hi Roy, great understanding of beginning...
    Oh, John... I was going to college in NYC when he was assassinated. His voice always brings me to tears. -Jayne

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  16. The Lennon video is very touching. Working Class Hero, indeed.

    I am one of the five people in the world who has never even seen a Tarot deck. Your image is beautiful, Roy.

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  17. ...you are talented, Roy....and knowledgeable. It's always a treat visiting.

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  18. Great post, Roy.

    I quite feel like making myself over.

    Clean slate. New direction. Take that road not yet taken...

    Perhaps a reading...

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  19. One of the fringe benefits of Beatles Rock Band coming out is that all the music channels are running lots of videos & specials about them - before, during & after The Fab Four. Loving it.

    Marvelous post, as usual.

    Have a lovely weekend! Hope the tourists don't get in the way of your lens!

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  20. I love the second photo... What perfection to illustrate the beginning.

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  21. perfect

    good thing resistance is futile

    aw john....

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