Topsy
Hi everyone,
I just got this deck and my gosh, I think I'm in love! I'm surprised there aren't many forum threads about the individual cards yet, since the artwork is so beautiful. I'd love to study this deck in more depth, so I'll start with my favourite card from it, Strength.
Now, here's the funny thing... I'm not normally a fan of Strength. The "woman taming the lion" imagery never really resonated with me. But replacing the lion with a wolf is very symbolic of "taming the beast within" - wolves have long been associated with the darker side of human nature, eg in the legend of the werewolf or as the cunning bad guys in fairy tales. But the evil, bloodthirsty portrayals of wolves in literature are very unfair. They are actually highly intelligent, sociable and curious animals; they develop strong family attachments and are very loyal.
And the woman sitting so coolly on the back of a wolf in the Sun & Moon Strength card embodies someone who has faced their fears and discovered that in fact, those fears were unfounded and can be overcome, even turned into a positive thing. The woman is completely at ease with what others shy away from. What I really like about the vibe between these two is that neither seems to be controlling the other. The lady isn't trying to turn a wild animal into a tame, harmless pet; nor is the wolf attacking her or viewing her with caution. The trust between them symbolises the woman's courage and trust in her own abilities, as well as her willingness to embrace even the wild, unknown waters of her mind which others might block out or fight against.
The butterfly seems to be a recurring image in this deck. In this card, it's flitting about at night-time when butterflies should be fast asleep. Just like the woman, the butterfly has dared to venture out of its comfort zone and explore the darkness rather than hide away from it.
I'm still deciding what to make of the snake... I thought that since it is coiled tightly around the lady's leg, it could represent temptations that will always be present in our lives, and that we must learn to resist and live with. Any thoughts? How about the flower she's holding in her hand? (It looks like some kind of chrysanthemum-like blossom to me.) I'd love to read other people's opinions and insights into this card. Any input, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.
I'll upload the card image so people without the deck can see the picture I'm talking about.
Topsy x
I just got this deck and my gosh, I think I'm in love! I'm surprised there aren't many forum threads about the individual cards yet, since the artwork is so beautiful. I'd love to study this deck in more depth, so I'll start with my favourite card from it, Strength.
Now, here's the funny thing... I'm not normally a fan of Strength. The "woman taming the lion" imagery never really resonated with me. But replacing the lion with a wolf is very symbolic of "taming the beast within" - wolves have long been associated with the darker side of human nature, eg in the legend of the werewolf or as the cunning bad guys in fairy tales. But the evil, bloodthirsty portrayals of wolves in literature are very unfair. They are actually highly intelligent, sociable and curious animals; they develop strong family attachments and are very loyal.
And the woman sitting so coolly on the back of a wolf in the Sun & Moon Strength card embodies someone who has faced their fears and discovered that in fact, those fears were unfounded and can be overcome, even turned into a positive thing. The woman is completely at ease with what others shy away from. What I really like about the vibe between these two is that neither seems to be controlling the other. The lady isn't trying to turn a wild animal into a tame, harmless pet; nor is the wolf attacking her or viewing her with caution. The trust between them symbolises the woman's courage and trust in her own abilities, as well as her willingness to embrace even the wild, unknown waters of her mind which others might block out or fight against.
The butterfly seems to be a recurring image in this deck. In this card, it's flitting about at night-time when butterflies should be fast asleep. Just like the woman, the butterfly has dared to venture out of its comfort zone and explore the darkness rather than hide away from it.
I'm still deciding what to make of the snake... I thought that since it is coiled tightly around the lady's leg, it could represent temptations that will always be present in our lives, and that we must learn to resist and live with. Any thoughts? How about the flower she's holding in her hand? (It looks like some kind of chrysanthemum-like blossom to me.) I'd love to read other people's opinions and insights into this card. Any input, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.
I'll upload the card image so people without the deck can see the picture I'm talking about.
Topsy x