ICONS, RUNES, and YOGA--how body poses affect the characters of your cards

[Curtis Penfold]

This thread was made for Tarot users and creators to discuss how the power of ancient body poses can affect the characters of the cards.

For example, a very famous pose is of the Hanged Man, who has his legs in a cross, a symbol of self-sacrifice.

Are there any other symbolic body poses important to Tarot cards?

Does anybody know a website that shows magical poses for the more experimental creators here? A site that shows body poses from a variety of spiritual cultures? (As in body poses from icons, runes, or yoga?)

I am creating a deck, and have become very interested in getting my body poses for my cards from other sources than Tarot.

 

[thorhammer]

The companion book to the MerryDay Tarot has a section with just this in it. Sadly, I have no way of reproducing it for you, and that would breach copyright anyway.

I don't suppose you've got the book? *she asked hopefully*

\m/ Kat

 

[cardlady22]

http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/stadha.html has the rune postures.

 

[Curtis Penfold]

Thanks a lot, guys

Thorhammer, I looked up the MerryDay tarot and found the body poses very powerful.

And carlady, I really appreciate you sharing that site with me. I'm definitelly going to refer to it as I work on my deck.

I've been trying to study yoga positions as well as Christian and Hindu Icons, and I've only recently began learning about rune body positions, so this will be most helpful. Thank you

 

[Emily]

Thanks for posting that cardlady22, I had no idea that the Runes had poses - I'm just starting out studying the Runes again after a very long absence.

 

[Pagan X]

The Runes don't really have poses.
"Rune Yoga" was invented by German Nationalists at the end of the 19th century. They were "rediscovering" the magical and mystical practices of the Aryan Race.
If that is the magical current into you which to tap, you can; I just think people should be aware of its origin and associations.

 

[Curtis Penfold]

The Runes don't really have poses.
"Rune Yoga" was invented by German Nationalists at the end of the 19th century. They were "rediscovering" the magical and mystical practices of the Aryan Race.
If that is the magical current into you which to tap, you can; I just think people should be aware of its origin and associations.

Yes, I did read that on the website.

Does anybody know of any other place to find human postures and gestures with symbolic significance?

 

[Curtis Penfold]

So I found this neat little website explaining the ancient meanings of the sun salutations in yoga:

http://www.sadhanayogahudson.com/surya.html

It's very interesting. Talks about how we each have an inner sun. I've also read that there's supposed to be a posture for every animal that exists. If this is the case, I could see a posture symbolizing not just the animal but what the animal represents. This is just a possibility.

Does anybody know more about yoga that could add to the significance of different poses?

 

[rif]

My yoga classes didn't teach yoga in quite the way I think you're looking for. The effects of asanas on the body perhaps.

Maybe you could take a Hatha yoga class? Get a feel for it yourself? That's probably more authentic anyway.

LS recently produced a yoga tarot. It supposedly links a posture to each card. I wasn't interested in the mix of the two so I'm not familiar with that deck beyond its existence. You might look up reviews to see if it gives you ideas.

 

[Curtis Penfold]

Oh, and here's a cool simplification of the Chakras:
http://www.yoga-training-you.com/chakra-chart.html


Here's something about Christian icon colors (starts at purple):

http://www.troparia.com/icons.htm