What Card Am I? (Lit. Clues) 9th June

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Jun 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

jmd	09 Jun 2004
From WB Yeats's A Vision, p 67: Part I: THE PRINCIPAL SYMBOL "When Discord", writes Empedocles, "has fallen into the lowest depths of the vortex" - the extreme bound, not the centre, Burnet points out - "Concord has reached the centre, into it do all things come together so as to be only one, not all at once but gradually from different quarters, and as they come Discord retires to the extreme boundary ... in proportion as it runs out Concord in a soft immortal boundless stream runs in." And again: "Never will boundless time be emptied of that pair; [...] " :):):)

Dakota	09 Jun 2004
well, I will start with the obvious............ The World? for being all inclusive and transcendent...........

mercenary30	09 Jun 2004
Maybe Death in reference to the endless cycle of time?

Dakota	09 Jun 2004
or The Star, for all that pouring out and flowing and goodness triumphing over and driving out evil............

MattDouglas	09 Jun 2004
Sounds like one stage or one aspect of the Wheel of Fortune.

jmd	10 Jun 2004
MattDouglas has it! I've attached a copy of the 'Principal Image' which opens this section of the Book - actually titled 'Book I: The Great Wheel' (the book has more than five chapters, but the principal five each being titled 'Book', followed by number and name) The quote I gave in the opening post continues: [...] and they prevail in turn as that circle comes round, and pass away before one another and increase in their appointed turn". It was this Discord or War that Heraclitus called "God of all and Father of all, some it has made gods and some men, some bond and some free", and I recall that Love and War came from the eggs of Leda. But of course, none need have been aware of either the title nor the passage which follows that which I quoted - for that would not have been fair for the game, needing to see beyond that which is given. The part of the quote I gave could indeed have numerous various cards associated with it - and even the image attached has aspects which are reminiscent of the representation of the World card (as two examples, the four elements in the four corners outside a circular - on ellipse is but a circle viewed obliquely - shape containing other figures). Though visually this is one of the cards which came to mind, it was not, for me, the predominant one. The pair between discord and concord, and their immortality, also indeed presents its contrary: mortality or Death. But again, this was not for me the main aspect which came to my reflections. The Star I did not consider, possibly being too influenced by Yeats's ongoing discussions and the image used - to which most here would not have had access to. Yet, especially as the pouring of the flow of these two 'energies', continuously and oppositely affecting all, it does indeed make sense. But the Wheel of Fortune it is :)

MattDouglas	10 Jun 2004
Thanks jmd! While I guessed it pretty quick, it also opened up a few new dimensions for looking at the card. Now to find a new quote.

Dakota	10 Jun 2004
Good one, MattDouglas!! Congrats to you! :D

The What Card Am I? (Lit. Clues) 9th June thread was originally posted on 09 Jun 2004 in the Tarot Games & Fun board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Games & Fun, or read more archived threads.