Shapeshifter - Initiation (The Fool)

quintessence

It's great to see this thread on the Shapeshifter deck. I've had mine for years, and one of the things that drew me to it was The Initiate card.

After working with the concept of The Fool in all the other decks, (someone new or innocent about to take the plunge,) this story starts with a character who is rising from a former "plunge," like a rebirth, coming into the flow with perhaps strengths from former lives, knowledge (the apple) gleaned from prior experiences, passion (the fiery wand) to explore a new life lesson, and strength of guidance (dragon) fully forming to say that he enters with a certain birthright to follow this passion; that he will seek out others in the flow of the story with direction, not blown about in the wind as a fool, not being the brunt of the experiments but fully engaging in them. It sets the tone for the entire deck for me. How about you?
 

Kosjitov

0 Initiation

This card has every element present- fire, water, air, earth- and it's hard to tell where one begins and another ends. I think this is actually intelligently done; it reflects the mutability of the card's energies. It can be all or none or any combination at once. The dragon here is green, a merging of the domniant colors on the card- blue and yellow- right where they meet forming the border between both sky and sea. It is exultant. Dragons are amalgamations of the elements in some ways. Depending on the mythos, they horde the riches of the earth, breathe fire, fly, and have some measure of serpentine feature. He's bold and flourishes a wand or baton yet in the other hand he holds an apple- that which is given to teachers. It's almost as if indicating he is without tutoring and needs refinement and direction, and FORM. This is echoed in the butterfly showing a finished form. I frankly don't understand the dragonfly here, nor the seagulls. The latter are referred to in my area as "rats with wings"... but they are survivors, adaptable, and will eat anything. Maybe a commentary on surviving infancy?
 

yukinkoicy

I really don't have much to say in this thread, as all these wonderful people, and even myself, have given such wide and diverse views on this card. My former post holds true, although with a slight twist.

There are indeed the traditional cliffs in this card, although the initiate is not walking alongside or towards them. I still believe that in a traditional deck the Fool leaps off into the unknown on purpose to start a new life. However what I see in this card is that new life begun - Initiation was The Fool, he jumped off of the sea cliffs and into the sea, and emerged into a new cycle, a new life, a rebirth of her essence, energies, and wisdom. More open minded, willing to learn, understanding that there is no fear in death because there will always be rebirth, and more willing to accept the teachings of the dragon, the divine, and the messengers that lead him to the divine.

The initiate becomes a student once more, and realises that she will forever be a student of life and knowledge and magick, because one never stops learning without complete and utter stagnation. And that stagnation is a true death, rather than the death that comes from the ending of one cycle and the beginning of another.