Symbolism

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Aug 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

bonadea	17 Aug 2001
I just started in the BNU tarot class. I also just started pulling a card a day. The images are astounding but over whelming. I'm using the Universal Waite for the class and would like to find a book that explains the symbolism used in the cards(ie; sunflowers in the Queen of Wands card, the communion wafer in the doves mouth on the Ace of Cups, etc.). Anyone have any suggestions?

Rhiannon	17 Aug 2001
I have "Mastering the Tarot" by Eden Gray and "The Mystical Tarot" by Rosemary Ellen Guilley and both of those are very helpful with symbolism, including color symbolism. Rhiannon :)

EveAnna	17 Aug 2001
Hi bonadea, I know what you mean I use the Original Rider Waite deck and I am noticing things like a lizard sitting with the King of wands, a rabbit with the Queen of Pentacles, a black cat with the Queen of Wands - i would love to delve deeper into the symbolism of this deck but I didn't like the LWB that came with it, I don't agree with some of the meanings, so instead I use a book called 'Way of Tarot' by Evelyne Herbin and Terry Donaldson - it explains some of the symbolism of the cards but not all.

tarotbear	18 Aug 2001
The 'lizard' in the King of Wands is a salamander- eternal symbol for 'fire'.

Marion	18 Aug 2001
Hi bonadea, The book Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom goes quite deeply into the Waite symbols... including a fairly long discussion of the salamander and the differences in the salmander depicted above or on the clothing of the King, Knight and page of Wands. It says that the one on the King card has its tails in its mouth to show 'maturity and completion' whereas the ones on the knight do not, to show 'incomplete action, unformed plans'. The page has some closed and some open. I thought it was pretty interesting and helpful.

bonadea	18 Aug 2001
Wow thanks for all the input so far. Looks like I better make some room on my bookshelf and send a big order going out to Amazon. :D

tarotbear	19 Aug 2001
Speaking of symbolism: I have been reading 'Jung & Tarot' by Jung student Sallie Nichols and got to the chapter on the Moon card, hoping to get some Jungian insight into the crawfish......got an interesting lively discussion...but Nichols had nothing to say (of any relevence) about "why" the crawfish is there. First the discussion is that the Hero (unpictured) is frightened by the crawfish waving it's claws - dealing with unconscious fears. Then she concludes that the crawfish is half out of the water offering it's back (DAMN BIG crawfish) for the hero to use as a stepping stone to complete his journey. ??? Her discussion of what the naked Star Maiden represents is equally verbose and says nothing. ???

truthsayer	19 Aug 2001
Quote: tarotbear (20 Aug, 2001 00:51): Speaking of symbolism: I have been reading 'Jung & Tarot' by Jung student Sallie Nichols and got to the chapter on the Moon card, hoping to get some Jungian insight into the crawfish......got an interesting lively discussion...but Nichols had nothing to say (of any relevence) about "why" the crawfish is there. First there discussion is that the Hero (unpictured) is frightened by the crawfish waving it's claws - dealing with unconscious fears. Then she concludes that the crawfish is half out of the water offering it's back ( DAMN BIG crawfish) for the hero to use as a stepping stone to complete his journey. ??? Her discussion of what the naked Star Maiden represents is equally verbose and says nothing. ??? roflmao! :D now i have to get out my nichols book and read this for myself. i don't know if you've ever seen a crawfish but they are pretty small. maybe it's acutally a lobster. :o stepping on it would definitely result in roadkill crawfish. ;D i always saw the crawfish as crawling out of water. therefore, it's a creature previously submerged into the unconscious mind but due to facing personal challenges coming into the waking consciousness of the hero. maybe what sallie nichols was really saying is that she is afraid of crawfish. in shamanism, if one is afraid of a totem animal sometimes the animal will offer some action in way of developing trust w/ the person. perhaps this is a self sacrificing crawfish (the hanged crawfish) who only wishes to advance the hero another foot into the journey. :D ;D rofl i will look this up today. i can't stop laughing about the "damn big crawfish" line. :D :p

tarotbear	19 Aug 2001
Interesting, Truthsayer -- in the 'Alice in Wonderland Tarot' the Hanged Man is a lobster being held upside-down over a cooking pot! :-D :-D :-D

Major Tom	20 Aug 2001
From The Tarot by Paul Foster Case: "The shell-fish climbing from the pool represents the early stages of conscious unfoldment. In these first developments of consciousness, the individual seems to be isolated from the rest of nature." Hope this helps. }>

XCOTYS	20 Aug 2001
[quote]Major Tom (20 Aug, 2001 21:34): From The Tarot by Paul Foster Case: "The shell-fish climbing from the pool represents the early stages of conscious unfoldment. In these first developments of consciousness, the individual seems to be isolated from the rest of nature." The crawfish is pictured in RW's Moon at the surface of the pool waving its claws - at the Moon. Crawfish live and eat off the bottom of their 'world'. Is this significant as well? Why the crawfish? I understand the salamander/Wands significance, but the crawfish??? BTW, they are a great to pick on by the bussel . . . New Orleans anyone?

XCOTYS	20 Aug 2001
Quote: XCOTYS (21 Aug, 2001 03:30): BTW, they are a great to pick on by the bussel . . . New Orleans anyone? Excuse this ridiculously worded/spelled sentence. This is what happens when one changes a sentence too many times!

The Symbolism thread was originally posted on 17 Aug 2001 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.