Aquarian Tarot: stylistic motifs in deck

I'd like to talk about not just one card, but the use of stylistic motifs throughout the deck.

Take the Rods. They have a flower on the end to symbolize creativity. You see very similar flowers on other cards in the major arcana: The Fool's stick, the Magician (not just the rod on the table), the Lovers, Justice, & the Hanged Man. The Emperor has slightly different flowers, it looks like they're from the lily family.

The 7 of Cups has a red flower similar in shape to those of the Rods, which are purple with red centers.

While we're on flowers, the Fool carries a white rose. You see another, darker, rose on Death's banner; more roses on the Ace of Swords, the Queen of Swords, the 2 & 4 of Rods, & the 6, 7, 10, & Queen of Cups. Curiously, the Pentacles don't have any flowers.

The Cups (Ace, 3 & 6) also have a motif of lotus blossoms, which goes well with the suit's theme of water. It looks like the tree in the 4 of Cups is an Oak, which ties in with the oak leaves on the High Priestess.

I wonder how many of these have a deeper meaning that is meant to resonate throughout the deck, and how many are just there for generic decoration.

Hi karenquilter, sorry I've been away for so long (I've been distracted by the Trade Train ) I have a few threads in mind, hopefully I will post them soon.

I have to do more research on flower symbolism (specificaly which rose colors mean what, although I can tell you that red roses are love and passion, yellow is friendship, and I'm pretty sure that black roses mean death (a la the black rose on the Death card) as well as not occuring in Nature).

The lillies on the Rods look kind of like calla lilies, which are usually white but also come in a magenta-ish color.

My book says that waterlilies represent perfect beauty, as well as truth and purity in Asia.

I'll have more eventually, once I do some homework.

kind of almost off topic.

I've always wondered about the backgrounds. Swords and Pents have clouds, wands and cups have a stark sky.

Why

Dave Palladini was commissioned to make this deck while he was in school, and it took him 2 years. I'm going to guess that he made the suits with colored skies later than the ones with blank skies, as his artistic skills increased.

I doubt that there's any deeper meaning to it. But your question was most definitely "on topic."

More motifs that I've noticed: Triangles & overlapping circles. I think that they are purely for decoration, as you see both throughout the deck. It's a nice way of breaking up uninteristing areas & adding textural contrast.

Most don't seem to have a great deal of meaning, but the red triangles in the Devil probably stand for flames.

karenquilter said:

More motifs that I've noticed: Triangles & overlapping circles. I think that they are purely for decoration, as you see both throughout the deck. It's a nice way of breaking up uninteristing areas & adding textural contrast.

Most don't seem to have a great deal of meaning, but the red triangles in the Devil probably stand for flames.

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I agree that there are triangles placed in some areas on the card for pure aesthetic value, but there also seem to be triangles placed in strategic places that may hold some kind of meaning (ie, the triangles above the Magician). If you about other decks (RWS for example) that have a triangle on the chest area of Temperance. That's always "felt" like it meant something, just don't know what. I think to religious symblology like the star of David. There's meaning in those triangles, so it makes me wonder if there's any connection. What also comes to mind arethe pyramids, and Egypt. Triangles are prominent symbols in Egyptian motif as well.

MariposAzl said:

...but there also seem to be triangles placed in strategic places that may hold some kind of meaning (ie, the triangles above the Magician).

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My first wife (many years ago) gave me a decoupage of the Magician (of Palladini’s Aquarian) which I had for many years…before it vanished. Any ways…I’m rambling already…

I always saw those triangle thingies in the upper left of the picture as kind of a fung shui thing.

That’s a lie.

I always saw them as wind chimes. They always made a sound (in my head). But I also saw them as a balance…and as a fung shui kind of thing (okay it’s not a lie)…

Umbrae said:

I always saw them as wind chimes. They always made a sound (in my head).

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LOL! Me too, but i wasn't gonna say that out loud

But to me those wind chimes are saying something. What, I haven't figured out yet...

At first this deck wasn't speaking to me. As I'm learning more about it, I'm appreciating it more and more. I know, a total latecomer to this conversation but better late than never! :0)

According to "Spiritual Tarot" by Echols, Mueller, Thomson the triangles, circles, and V-shape lines do have significance. They've stated that these refer to connection with the divine/sacred.

The other triangular motifs which seem just decorative (and ones to which I did not initially attribute any meaning) representing the masculine aspect, as well as many references to distinctive shapes and head gear located at the ajna (third eye).

The liberal use of orange and browns in the deck points to wisdom and connection to the earth, respectively.

white roses mean purity and innocence.