The Major Arcana

The major arcana serves as the perfect model for the archetypal life journey. It is a reflection of who we are and symbolizes the many challenges that every human must encounter on the road to self-growth and expansion. Life is full of pain, sad­ness, joy, and aU manner of emotional qualities. Sometimes it may seem overwhelming to ponder difficult questions about ourselves, but with the assistance of our animal guides we may feel more comfortable confronting areas of our life that we may have been avoiding, or the animals may help us identify issues in our life that we were not even aware existed.

The coyote (0, the Fool) seems like the perfect way to start this journey. Coyote is often portrayed as a trickster in folktales. He is personified as a creature with humor and intelligence, yet his own folly often places him in compromising situations. He continues to plug along despite his many setbacks. By putting ourselves in the coyote's position, we can open our eyes to new possibilities with the mindset that the journey may not be easy. We will hit a cross­roads and we will feel disappointments along the way. But by set­ting out with a coyote's determined, happy-go-lucky mindset, we can learn to work through our disappointments for a positive out­come.

Each card showcases a different myth connected to the animal and god or goddess. The art serves to elicit certain feelings or functions. Animals can help us to connect with our own psycho­logical and emotional exploration. Their presence in a tarot deck can help to enhance our ability to connect with the journey on a deeper, more encompassing level.

THE FOOL

Coyote: Native American

Meaning

setting upon a journey, adventurer, inexperience

Symbols

The coyote's journey takes him on a rocky path cov­ered with entwined roots. The roots represent the obstacles that the unwary traveler will most likely encounter. The rocks contrast the roots with their stabilizing properties—but one must be care­ful not to trip on these earthly protrusions. The six birds flying overhead represent changes and impermanence. The raven in the foreground is beckoning the coyote to continue. The coyote must pass by the bones, symbolic of stagnation, in order to explore new opportunities of self-awareness. The dead trees are reminders that all things must pass and new paths should be made in order to promote new growth. The spirals on the rocks are reminders that life is a continual journey to be explored. The dragonfly represents our goals and dreams and the penetration of veils of deception. The necklace of feathers and beads represents flight and the con­tinuous pursuit of truth. The subtle winding snake is ever changing and merging with the tree roots, a reminder that we have to acti­vate all of our senses while traveling on the path.

Description

In Native American traditions Coyote is the fool, the teacher, the traveler, the transformer, and the trickster. Stories about Coyote are varied and sometimes complex. But the essence of his character as culture hero can be found throughout the Native American cultures. He often travels with other animal companions and engages in all manner of wily behavior. His curi­ous nature exemplifies his tendency to be adventurous and even careless. In one Navaho story he used his trickery to defeat a child-eating monster. In this story his brazen self-confidence has a positive outcome. But in another story his impetuous behavior causes death to come to the world. Coyote argued over Wolf's decision to allow people to be rejuvenated after they died. Coyote convinced Wolf that this would lead to overpopulation. Wolf agreed but caused Coyote's son to be the first to die. The grieving Coyote realized his foolishness and learned to accept the conse­quences of his actions.

Coyote represents a zest for life. He is both the lighthearted traveler imbued with optimism and the dark shadow of the psyche that may pose conflict as we proceed down the path. Before we embark on our journeys, it is important to remain optimistic and adventurous, but it is equally important to be aware of the possible dark forces that may arise along the way. These shadows of the psy­che will provide important ingredients toward the attainment of wholeness. The coyote as a fool is also a teacher. With his guidance we can learn to adapt, change, and grow as new situations present themselves to us.

THE MAGICIAN

Cerridwen: Celtic

Meaning

creativity, learning magic, directing energies

Symbols

The magician uses a crystal-topped wand to direct energies. Crystals represent clarity and strength and enable the user to channel internal resources in a productive manner. The magi­cian carries a bag containing wisdom yet to be uncovered. She wears a band with designs on her forehead, representing fortifica­tion of strength. The designs echo the eye motif and provide win­dows to enlightenment. Animals surround the magician: the fox representing cunning, the deer symbolic of rejuvenation, and the boar representing fertility, strength, and magic. The boar drinks from the fertile water of unconscious knowledge thus bridging the upper and lower worlds. The dove represents quiet reflection con­cerning higher matters. The tree roots represent consciousness. Ivy crawls up the tree and the magician's robe, reminding us that we have the ability to connect with other planes of consciousness. The magician soaks up the energy afforded to her by connecting with nature.

Description

Cerridwen was an ancient fertility goddess associated with creative inspiration and knowledge. She had two children: a daughter who was deemed a beautiful child and a son who was considered the ugliest boy around. In order to compensate for her son's ill fortune, Cerridwen concocted a brew of knowledge com­prised of six plants. It was necessary to allow the brew to be pre­pared for a year and a day. Cerridwen employed Gwion Bach to stir the formula but, when drops of it splashed on him, he sucked the hot liquid off his finger and was instantly endowed with knowledge. Upon realizing the worth of the brew, Gwion ran off, with Cerridwen pursuing him close behind. In order to escape the angered goddess he attempted to change into a hare, but Cerridwen changed into a greyhound and continued to make haste. Then he transformed into a fish but she became an otter. Then he became a bird in an attempt to fly away and she became a hawk. Finally he metamorphosed into a kernel of corn and Cerridwen shape shifted into a hen and swallowed him up. Upon consuming Gwion in the form of corn, she became pregnant. Nine months later she gave birth to Taliesin, who became a well-known bard.

The drinking of knowledge can have both positive and nega­tive effects. It is important to allow knowledge to gestate before becoming overzealous with it. But it is also important to remem­ber that change and periods of darkness can lead to the birth of new ideas. Like the cauldron containing the liquid of knowledge, the unconscious waters contained in our psyches can offer a vast pool of collective material. Tapping into this aspect of the psyche can offer a tremendous conduit for creative exploration.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16