Magical symbols on Gothic's Temperance card?

Alissa

Anyone know the meaning behind the symbols that the incredible vixen is standing amongst, with her cauldron, in the Temperance card?

The same motives are echoed in the stone beneath the Knave of Pentacles.

Both cards came up in a reading I did yesterday for my friend, jhnodoubt. We both looked at the symbols, but don't know what they mean beyond images of power, obviously.
 

Livia

Sorry i can't help too much..I am interested too. It is interesting to me that they seem different on the two cards.... on temperance I would almost say they are made up, but on the knave of pentacles they seem more purposeful. They are reminiscent of a couple of languages on the knave from left to right, the first two look like the japanese katakana syllabaries for "ko" and "wa" but stylized versions the rest look like an indian language to me (of which I know little)
on the magician the symbols on the steps look more astrological or mathmetical to me, I think I see leo and gemini
Maybe they are made up but are alagory, like standing on writing - shunning learned behavior, or getting an education and using it as your base
 

Alissa

I was thinking about this question last night, and I had the strangest realization.... Stay with me on this....

I was watching "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." For those who don't know the (very silly but fun) 80s movie, Bill and Ted ride in a phonebooth through time to do their history report. And, they pick up historical figures along the way to bring to their school report.

Well... they happen to pick up Socrates ("Sew-crates" :D) and I had this FUNNY thought while watching the movie, you see....

Socrates, time travelling in a phone booth, wouldn't know the alphabet that the word "Phone" is written in, on top of the booth they travel. And, if we were inside his head, perhaps he would see these strange markings, connect them with the magic of time travelling, and deduce they were "magic symbols."

But, really, it says, "Phone." And what is a phone but a means of communicating.

So... to tie this all together... I suddenly had the fanciful idea that our Temperance vixen is standing in a "phone booth." The markings say, in another language, "Phone" and once inside, you can create all manner of communication (personal and Divine). :D

I don't know. Just my thoughts. Still am curious what they mean.

(Are they astrological symbols, anyone know?)
 

jhnodoubt

RIGHT ON DUDE!!!

great example, i have no help on the symbols, but that card just reminds me of being ON FIRE. i dont think i could have gotton a clearer answer on my reading. thank you thank you thank you. im anxious if anyone can figure it out.
 

Livia

I decided to email Vargo (from the monolithgraphics.com web site) and ask him the meaning of the symbols.. he has responded. I posted the response on a new thread....
it is at http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27807


I still like the Bill and Ted analogy though, It will be a good way to jog my memory about the cards' meanings