Favorite or Most Resonant Card?

Madrigal

I find this all pretty interesting, which cards resonate most for folks and why.

Barleywine said:
For me it's also the Strength card, but not for the most obvious of reasons. When I studied under the Builders of the Adytum curriculum back in the 1970s, I was struck by Paul Foster Case's distinction that the Woman (human subconscious) taming the Lion (animal nature) is shown opening the jaws of the Lion in the BOTA deck (and "in all older versions," to quote Case) rather then forcing them closed as in the RWS, thereby enabling the fullest controlled articulation of its energy. (A quick look at my Marseilles decks shows him to be correct.) More modern renderings often show the Woman coexisting peacefully with the Lion, having already achieved mastery, a more subtle but still appropriate show of Strength. Although I don't own the Anna K deck, I've always liked the fact that the Woman and the Lion seem to have a mutually respectful rapport - the Lion has been subdued through force of Will, not through application of brute physical strength. It's a fine point, but one that makes a difference for me.
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Yes, this resonates for me. Though the dance between the Lion's submission and the Lady's power is such a fine line and not static. That's what I like to see depicted, that it's a mutual dance inspired by love. And having the lemniscate above them emphasizes the delicate balance that it is.

Tarot1 said:
I like this interpretation, and I've seen other interpretations of the woman as the 'Enchantress'. This also resonates with me as a form of 'feminine' Strength and is tied to archtypical female traits such as intuition, beauty, and seduction; it is the raging beast that finally 'yields'. :)
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Yields is the key here for me as yielding suggests autonomy on the part of the one yielding, a kind of receptivity to what is being asked of it.

There's a lovely Sufi quote that I feel illustrates this card...'Power forces surrender, beauty inspires it.'
 

Owl Song

I always look at the Queen of Swords. I prefer depictions of her that manage to show both her clear cut directness and the playful side of her wit . Why does an intelligent, incisive woman have to be depicted as a repressed shrew? Who says smart can't be sensual, too? I see better and better takes on this card in recent years and hope the trend continues.

High Priestess and Hierophant are also important cards for me and I like to see some comparison or relationship drawn between them.
 

MoonGypsy

The Star. High Priestess and Hermit.

From the Minor Arcana--The Queen of Wands.
 

Madrigal

Owl Song said:
I always look at the Queen of Swords. I prefer depictions of her that manage to show both her clear cut directness and the playful side of her wit . Why does an intelligent, incisive woman have to be depicted as a repressed shrew? Who says smart can't be sensual, too? I see better and better takes on this card in recent years and hope the trend continues.

High Priestess and Hierophant are also important cards for me and I like to see some comparison or relationship drawn between them.
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Oh, I like this.

MoonGypsy said:
The Star. High Priestess and Hermit.

From the Minor Arcana--The Queen of Wands.
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Yes, Minor Arcana cards, too I have certain requirements of. For me the Six of Swords is the one I am most selective about.
 

Lareia

Owl Song said:
I always look at the Queen of Swords. I prefer depictions of her that manage to show both her clear cut directness and the playful side of her wit . Why does an intelligent, incisive woman have to be depicted as a repressed shrew? Who says smart can't be sensual, too? I see better and better takes on this card in recent years and hope the trend continues.

High Priestess and Hierophant are also important cards for me and I like to see some comparison or relationship drawn between them.
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Interesting, I actually attempted to write down a comparison between them the other day. (Although the Shadowscapes tarot doesn't really capitalise on it.) I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels there is one.

As for my most resonant card, I haven't been doing this for long enough to have actual dealbreakers/makers yet, but the Magician resonates with me quite a bit.
 

Madrigal

Owl Song said:
High Priestess and Hierophant are also important cards for me and I like to see some comparison or relationship drawn between them.
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Okay, I've been thinking about this a little more. Looking for a relationship between the two I think the context I'd use would be High Priestess as Oracle and the Hierophant as Interpreter of the Oracle. Or put another way, High Priestess as Sophia and Hierophant as Logos, the two branches of wisdom and the interplay between them.

I'll need to sit with this a while but I like the feeling of symmetry it brings up when I think of the two of them in relationship to each other.

ETA Looking at the Thoth deck you see very clearly the relationship between the two.
 

feynrir

I have a number of them.

Trumps: Emperor, Death, The Devil, and of course The Star. I also love a wonderful Judgment card.

Court cards: King of Cups, Queen of Swords, and the Page and Knight of Disks.

Minor arcana cards are less important to me in that there's just about always one that's a little screwed up ;) Haha.
 

dead_moon_night_

The Empress, because I identify with that card as a mother. I was drawn to Mary El for her dress full of apples...

I also check the ten of swords, it's a good indication of how bloody a deck will be (which is not always a deterrent).
 

PAMUYA

I do not have many decks, but in the majors I like to check out the HP, Moon and Judgement cards, in the minors all four 10 cards. If these catch my interest I will check out the rest of the deck.
 
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