Arthurian Legend - the Four Pages

RedMaple

Lyones and Waleswoman,

I loved your readings of these Pages. There's a real richness to knowing the details of the animals' lives -- like the hare's eyes being open at birth, and the disintegration of the salmon. I like the way you've been able to move from the literal to the metaphorical to the mythic to the personal. All those levels! I'm liking these Pages more all the time. Thank you both.
 

Lyones

I'm liking these Pages more all the time.

:) me too Redmaple - I've learnt quite a lot from this exercise.

Or there are lots more fish where this one came from? LOL
Sometimes I take it literally, like a fish out of water...not quite sure what's going on and feeling out of my element.

This is great! I've always just accepted the explination for this card, now I feel as if I understand it a whole lot better.
 

WalesWoman

The Page of Shields came up for me today for "Where am I now?", the first question in my New Year's Spread. So I had to come back here and check out some of the meanings again.

I'd been thinking of tenacious, but also came up with another meaning as well, single mindedness to the point of obliviousness to what is going on around me...I also like the ego booster meanings from the book as well, respected, gaining recognition from dedication to efforts, reliable, honest, trying to help people out of the kindness in their hearts...
made me feel like I should give myself a pat on the back for what I've achieved, followed by a kick in the pants for not pay attention to others more as I've worked on it.
 

inanna_tarot

I just had to jump in saying your threads on this wonderful deck are really thought provoking.
I really do think that animals as Pages work out really well. Its obviously that a lot of love, care and perhaps hours of meditation have gone into this deck.
One thing i will say, is that these Pages resemble more than every the essense of the animal, the essense and complete characters of the Pages. The artist could have made the animals busy doing something, but rather left their raw energies to just jump out at you, let your mind work into seeing them in action, and how you personally react to each animal.
Pathworking with these Pages would be very interesting, and something I hope to do when i've got some time :)

I got this deck for christmas, so I'm loving every inch of it :)

Sezo
/|\
 

WalesWoman

Sezo,
Happy to hear you are loving the deck...and this thread too. It's helping me to see the pages in so many ways I'd have never come up with on my own.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them as well as any other cards that grab your attention.
 

mooncat2

:)
I'm in the progress of my first tentative reading with Legends. To me the cards are really telling a story although I don't know yet just how relevant it going to be.

I drew the Page Shields rx in the ' How x feels' position and found it gave a totally different perspective than the usual. Badger , strong and courageous upright but here not so - losing his power under a stronger influence and going to earth. Hiding, feeling helpless and powerless.
 

Lyones

Hi Sezo & Carol

It's great to have you both join in with the discussion

Originally posted by inanna_tarot
The artist could have made the animals busy doing something, but rather left their raw energies to just jump out at you, let your mind work into seeing them in action, and how you personally react to each animal ..... I got this deck for christmas, so I'm loving every inch of it

For those of us that are partial to animals and their quirks, it's been most interesting so far. What a lovely Christmas gift - I hope it brings you much joy. :)

Originally posted by Mooncat2
Badger , strong and courageous upright but here not so - losing his power under a stronger influence and going to earth. Hiding, feeling helpless and powerless.

Yes, do you think it's because most animals feel vulnerable when they are turned onto their backs - their neck and abdomen are exposed and they cannot run away if they are in danger? The Badger upright seems to be examining something in his paw - reversed it looks to me as if he is trying to protect his neck, or gone into foetal position. Perhaps he just can't see what is right in front of him - I think he looks as if he can't see his paw past his nose.
 

WalesWoman

We had badgers living in our ditch down the road from the farm when I was kid, we were scared to death of them. They were highly defensive and cranky, very sharp powerful claws, not just for digging either. Nothing you wanted a confrontation with.

Reversed could be still the qualities of the upright, but out of balance in some way, more of the negative personality perhaps or negative focus, learning things that aren't good for you? Or maybe being too scattered or distracted to focus on anything or not focusing on what you need to.

mooncat2 said:
I drew the Page Shields rx in the ' How x feels' position and found it gave a totally different perspective than the usual. Badger , strong and courageous upright but here not so - losing his power under a stronger influence and going to earth. Hiding, feeling helpless and powerless.

This could be, X just doesn't want to know or spend the time it takes to learn someone...wanting the easy way that comes with no effort, isn't into focusing on anything or just can't. Not putting effort or energy into anything. Maybe lazy, maybe defensive about it and guarding behavior. Maybe feeling overwhelmed by the subject, incapable, not participate and just watch, not get involved. I keep getting the feeling of the definition for ADD's. Attention Deficit Disorder...too much going on, too much imput to assimulate or so much going in that they can't finish anything without guidance, not staying on task. Not from a lack of intelligence, but the mind goes off in all directions or what is to be studied isn't capturing the interest as much as other more escapist daydreams and interests. Maybe a bad attitude.

Just some thoughts...
 

mooncat2

:)
Yes, do you think it's because most animals feel vulnerable when they are turned onto their backs - their neck and abdomen are exposed and they cannot run away if they are in danger? The Badger upright seems to be examining something in his paw - reversed it looks to me as if he is trying to protect his neck, or gone into foetal position. Perhaps he just can't see what is right in front of him - I think he looks as if he can't see his paw past his nose.
Lyones - The foetal position - that is perfect. Oh dear, I'm going to have to get this reading posted before I do all my interpreting here - lol. Mother - son - thats what I'm seeing.
.... maybe defensive about it and guarding behavior. Maybe feeling overwhelmed by the subject, incapable, not participate and just watch, not get involved.
Waleswoman, that is so right , too - I'm seeing the age old battle between two women battling for control - the young and the old and the poor young man caught in the middle.

What is amazing me is that I would never have seen all this from an ordinary Page Pentacles.