Llewellyn Tarot - The Horned One

LixiPixi

I'd love to offer up this card to start off our study group if nobody objects?!

This card is so different from any of the others that I have. I'm having a hard time depicting it as anything other than representing the guardian angel for animals and that's something I'm gathering from the book.

I'd be anxious to hear how others view this one in particular.

LP~
 

Astraea Aurora

Hi all Llewellyn lovers out there

tough card to start with, but since I own this lovely deck, too, I will tell you about how I see the Horned One.

Every time I see the devil card it reminds me of that old story about Luzifel, God´s most loved angel who fell from favour and became Luzifer or the Christian Satan. And this is closely related to the fact that most (not all!) Wiccans see the Goddess as the One and her companion as a minor fact. It makes me sad ... often I watch myself misunderstanding him, too. I see the Horned One as playing several roles (like the Goddesss): he's son, father and wise man, he's warrior and caretaker, he's a lover and the Lady's companion, he watches over nature and all animals, he's our father (like the Lady is our mother), he rules manhood and he rules the sun and its daylight kingdom. He means different things to me, although I often forget him.

I must admit I haven't read the Welsh story behind the Horned One, since he hasn't shown up in my studies yet ... but I will ... there's time enough till December 1 when my 78 days end.

What I find most amazing about that kind of Tarot's 15 is that he isn't portrayed as doing anything evil to mankind. He doens't tie up women and men, he doesn't live in a hot and red hell ... he just sits quietly in the woods, a small camp fire beneath him and a wolf accompanying him. Yes, he can be dangerous towards other creatures, but only to defend himself I guess. He's the ruler of the woods and all creatures living in there and he has the right to be wild.

To relate him to the devil's traditional meanings of seduction and deception is hard for me, very hard. This card doesn't appear like that.

Blessings, Astraea Aurora
 

manhattan9thgate

it's about time someone corrected that gross misconception (perpetrated by you-know-who) of the "Horned One" don't you think.
I revel in it.
as tarot decks go, it's one of the finest both artistically and conceptually.

in fact I think people will have to switch between the Llewellyn and other decks using the tradition Devil image, depending on their mood and the type of reading they want.
the energy of the Llewellyn is different from other decks and the Horned One underscores that diffference.
 

Dwaas

Great perspectives. Astraea Aurora, have you seen the stag on the card as well? It is a bit late now so I will add to this thread more by tomorrow.
 

sunflowr

This is probably my least favorite card in the deck, because I dont see anything "evil" here, so it's hard to read it as such. He loves animals, he's on his own.. he's more like the Hermit. Or "High Priest" (as he is in the Druidcraft, am I right?).

So, very confusing. How am I going to know, when I do a reading and he shows up, that this represents bondage, addictions, obsessions, etc??
 

manhattan9thgate

sunflowr said:
This is probably my least favorite card in the deck, because I dont see anything "evil" here, so it's hard to read it as such. He loves animals, he's on his own.. he's more like the Hermit. Or "High Priest" (as he is in the Druidcraft, am I right?).

So, very confusing. How am I going to know, when I do a reading and he shows up, that this represents bondage, addictions, obsessions, etc??

he doesn't represent those things.

if you want that kind of reading use another deck with a typical Devil card.
 

manhattan9thgate

LixiPixi said:
I'd love to offer up this card to start off our study group if nobody objects?!

This card is so different from any of the others that I have. I'm having a hard time depicting it as anything other than representing the guardian angel for animals and that's something I'm gathering from the book.

I'd be anxious to hear how others view this one in particular.

LP~

please don't take this as a insult or misogynistic but it occured to me that some people here are having a block relating to this card because it's a very powerful male symbol (and you are a woman with your focus on The Goddess).......it's too simplistic IMHO to say that he's simply a guardian angel for animals.
Astrea Aurora really got that down, but I'm also not surprised to see that she says "........although I often forget him".

but I do disagree with her commment that he can be a danger to others only in sef-defense.......I will take back part of what I said before........he can certainly represent excess......acting according to base-primordial instincts......but there's a difference between the Horned One in this light and the Judeo Christian concept of him as a evil fallen angel.....acting conciously in a wanton and destructive manner to supress and subjigate the higher self.
 

Dwaas

sunflowr said:
This is probably my least favorite card in the deck, because I dont see anything "evil" here, so it's hard to read it as such. He loves animals, he's on his own.. he's more like the Hermit. Or "High Priest" (as he is in the Druidcraft, am I right?).

So, very confusing. How am I going to know, when I do a reading and he shows up, that this represents bondage, addictions, obsessions, etc??

He lacks civilization. When man is totally reigned by animal instincts he gives up morality. No more brakes on rules of society. So that is when people get drunk, abusive, have a lack of compassion, etc. Just as examples...
 

Sulis

Dwaas said:
He lacks civilization. When man is totally reigned by animal instincts he gives up morality. No more brakes on rules of society. So that is when people get drunk, abusive, have a lack of compassion, etc. Just as examples...

I like that :)

Thanks Dwaas... I have trouble with cards like this one too (even though I haven't even seen this one yet - it's on it's way to me in the post).

Another thing is to remember that The Horned God is a party animal... Pan or Cernunnos rules over animal sexuality as well as frollicks and fun.
He's a guy of excesses and he doesn't see them as a bad thing (and they're not always bad).
And he loves to get it on with all those nymphs :)
 

Dwaas

manhattan9thgate said:
if you want that kind of reading use another deck with a typical Devil card.

In all respect, and maybe it is my sensitivity but this is imo not a very constructive answer to a sincere question. This is a study group and if we already know all answers there is no need for this group.
I find it a difficult card as well, but I can see with some extra effort the Judeo-Christian and other meanings as well. Now it is up to us to explain how we do that. I tried in the former post.
Blessings