Observations wheel of fortune

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Maan	23 Jul 2002
I don't now if this is the right place to post it so moderator feel free to move it :) Anyway when i was in France last week i walked by a big church. There was a sculpture above the door that struck me. It was a saint surrounded by four beings. The one in the upper left corner was an angel reading a book, the one in the upper right corner was a eagle reading a book. Down left was a lion reading a book and down right a cow. Well does this remainds anyone of something? (I took some pictures so as soon as the are developed i try to post them here) When i got home i asked my aunt about it, she's a catholic pastor, she told me that they represent the four evangelists. Intriged i looked a little further in my little "library" and found that the indians use almost the same animals for the four quarters. Almost makes you think that everything comes from the same source a long while back ;) Just my little observations:)

truthsayer	23 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Maan It was a saint surrounded by four beings. The one in the upper left corner was an angel reading a book, the one in the upper right corner was a eagle reading a book. Down left was a lion reading a book and down right a cow. Well does this remainds anyone of something? When i got home i asked my aunt about it, she's a catholic pastor, she told me that they represent the four evangelists. Intriged i looked a little further in my little "library" and found that the indians use almost the same animals for the four quarters. Almost makes you think that everything comes from the same source a long while back ;) Just my little observations:) you know i've never made those symbolic connections but what you are saying is fascinating. i've known of those things for years but i never "connected the dots". what i thought they meant on the wheel of fortune were the 4 elements of the zodiac--water fire, earth, and air. plus that relates to the 4 minor arcana suits. the 4 directions in wicca and others. but now that you mention it i remember in the "power of myth" series by joseph campbell that the symbol is brought up as representing the 4 evangelists from a french church. (now i've got to get my tarot of the saints out!!!!!!!) yes, it's similar on the medicine wheel. medicine wheel--wheel of fortune. very compelling evidence of world wide archetypal links to the universal consciousness. LIGHTBULB MOMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank-you for posting that maan!

HudsonGray	23 Jul 2002
In the Catholic religion the four represent Mathew, Mark, Luke & John's sections of the bible.

wavebreaker	23 Jul 2002
In the Kazanlar deck, they are linked to the four suits: Wands = fire = lion = Mark Cups = water = angel = Matthew Swords = air = eagle = John Discs = earth = ox = Luke

Major Tom	24 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by tarotlady In the Kazanlar deck, they are linked to the four suits: Wands = fire = lion = Mark Cups = water = angel = Matthew Swords = air = eagle = John Discs = earth = ox = Luke There's also an astrological association: lion = leo angel = aquarius eagle = scorpio ox = taurus

midnightmerry	24 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Maan Almost makes you think that everything comes from the same source a long while back ;) Just my little observations:) I've long been a proponent of the 'single-source' theory. There are certain truths which have echoed through human thinking & perceptions since the dawn of time. I personally believe that this is our innate knowledge of Creator/Divinity/However You Perceive the Infinite. That's just my opinion, though & what I've intuited about things like this. It's a fascinating subject.

Maan	24 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by midnightmerry I've long been a proponent of the 'single-source' theory. There are certain truths which have echoed through human thinking & perceptions since the dawn of time. I personally believe that this is our innate knowledge of Creator/Divinity/However You Perceive the Infinite. That's just my opinion, though & what I've intuited about things like this. It's a fascinating subject. OOOOO Its my little pet subject :) Did you now that almost every world religion has a story about a great flood. The native americans survive on a big turtle like noah's arc. And even the ancient greeks where floded by Zeus when he did not like how the human race developed. And than there is Atlantis so my conclusion............. Stop me because i can go on like this for ever ;)

midnightmerry	24 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Maan OOOOO Its my little pet subject :) Did you now that almost every world religion has a story about a great flood. The native americans survive on a big turtle like noah's arc. And even the ancient greeks where floded by Zeus when he did not like how the human race developed. And than there is Atlantis so my conclusion............. Stop me because i can go on like this for ever ;) I love this subject too! Maybe we should start a thread in the non-tarot chat area. Yes, I did know about the flood mythology from around the world...and there are so MANY things that are similar from culture to culture. Really interesting.

catboxer	25 Jul 2002
The four creatures also appear in Ezekiel's Vision (Ezekiel: 1) and the Book of Revelation. Ezekiel, I think, would be the earliest Judaic record of them. Actually, in Ezekiel, they aren't four creatures, but four four-headed creatures, called, I believe, tetramorphs.

Kyrielle	26 Jul 2002
Parallel myths are fascinating! I think this is what Jung calls the "collective unconscious." -- Kyrielle

Laurel	26 Jul 2002
I'm with you, Kyrielle. I think the four Kerubic animals and 4 elemental weapons are two of the best pieces of evidence of the collective unconscious ala parallel myth that we've got. Laurel

jade	26 Jul 2002
verrrrrrrry interesting! hmmm, jade

Maan	26 Jul 2002
Just picked up my holiday pictures and the ones from the curch are al blurry :( But the curch was really there ;) Its in Arles that's the town van Gogh cut of his ear maybe anyone found something like this in the tarot too? If so please tell! I really love to hear and learn about it

wavebreaker	26 Jul 2002
I did some searching on the internet, because I was getting really curious about that sculpture ;). I found a website about the St. Trophime Church in Arles, with a sculpture that looks exactly like the one you described it. Is this it?

Maan	27 Jul 2002
Ooo thank you :* (((((((((tarotlady)))))))))) Why did i not think of searching the web Well what do you all think ...its gorgeous ans so wheel of fortune and the world

The Observations wheel of fortune thread was originally posted on 23 Jul 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.