Gardener
I will open this thread with some paraphrased material from Rachel Pollack's companion book to the Major Aracna of the Haindl Tarot:
Distortions of perspective make it difficult for us to view this card serenely. Notice that the tree branch is placed in the background, yet its falling leaf crosses the front of the picture. The bird is large, apparently close, but the distant and tiny sickle somehow is held by a skeletal hand reaching across the bird's beak.
When we look at a single death we see hard reality, but viewing death as a whole poses a mystery.
The tree branch recalls the Hanged Man. The joyous surrender of the Hanged Man encourages us to accept death without fear. While one dead leaf falls from the tree, the tree is already preparing for new growth.
The sickle is an image continued from long tarot tradition. However, traditionally the skeleton, crowned, is cutting heads and limbs - a medieval morality tale that all - even kings - evenutally die. In contrast, Haindl emphasizes the traditional use of the sickle - reaping the harvest. We reap what we grow. The presence of death reminds us to make something of our lives, to sow a crop we will be pleased to harvest. People who survive serious illness or accident often think of the rest of their lives as a second chance for them to do the things they did not dare to do before.
The peacock dominates the card. Its conncetion with Justice reminds us of the eastern idea that we carry our unbalanced karma with us when we die, and that this karma propels us into a new life which will give us a chance to balance the scales.
The peacock's eye occupies the center of the card. Its form and colors recall the eye in the triangle above the Empress. It signifies looking at the truth in regard to death.
Early Christianity saw the peacock as a symbol of Christ's resurrection. People believed that the peacock does not decay when it dies, because when it molts, it loses it beautiful plumage only to have it grow back again, a sort of resurrection.
Many cultures have depicted the soul as a bird. The Egyptians described three spiritual aspects of a person, two of which were birds. The "ba" indicated the sould, that is, the essence of a person. The other bird, the "akh", symbolized the divine potential of a person. The term "akh means "shining, glorious" and when a person dies, she or he can become an "akhu" or "divine being."
Distortions of perspective make it difficult for us to view this card serenely. Notice that the tree branch is placed in the background, yet its falling leaf crosses the front of the picture. The bird is large, apparently close, but the distant and tiny sickle somehow is held by a skeletal hand reaching across the bird's beak.
When we look at a single death we see hard reality, but viewing death as a whole poses a mystery.
The tree branch recalls the Hanged Man. The joyous surrender of the Hanged Man encourages us to accept death without fear. While one dead leaf falls from the tree, the tree is already preparing for new growth.
The sickle is an image continued from long tarot tradition. However, traditionally the skeleton, crowned, is cutting heads and limbs - a medieval morality tale that all - even kings - evenutally die. In contrast, Haindl emphasizes the traditional use of the sickle - reaping the harvest. We reap what we grow. The presence of death reminds us to make something of our lives, to sow a crop we will be pleased to harvest. People who survive serious illness or accident often think of the rest of their lives as a second chance for them to do the things they did not dare to do before.
The peacock dominates the card. Its conncetion with Justice reminds us of the eastern idea that we carry our unbalanced karma with us when we die, and that this karma propels us into a new life which will give us a chance to balance the scales.
The peacock's eye occupies the center of the card. Its form and colors recall the eye in the triangle above the Empress. It signifies looking at the truth in regard to death.
Early Christianity saw the peacock as a symbol of Christ's resurrection. People believed that the peacock does not decay when it dies, because when it molts, it loses it beautiful plumage only to have it grow back again, a sort of resurrection.
Many cultures have depicted the soul as a bird. The Egyptians described three spiritual aspects of a person, two of which were birds. The "ba" indicated the sould, that is, the essence of a person. The other bird, the "akh", symbolized the divine potential of a person. The term "akh means "shining, glorious" and when a person dies, she or he can become an "akhu" or "divine being."
