Tarot of the Heart People
These images are an as-yet unpublished deck of tarot cards. At the time I started painting the deck, I knew little about the cards, and decided to pick a card at random to begin my journey. I picked the Nine of Swords, one of the most difficult and anxious cards of all, so I found myself starting at the bottom of the emotional barrel and working my way up. I studied each card by looking at many, many different decks before I created an image that felt right for my deck. From the beginning, I knew I wanted each card to have an aspect of hope and healing to it, something that not all decks do. People usually approach the tarot during a period of great distress, and devastating predictions or excessive finger wagging are not needed at those times. On the other hand, clearly, some cards are more positive than others - may we all have our many days in The Sun! During the year it took to paint these images, every day that I spent with a card was a day like that card. When I read my cards, no matter how much shuffling or what deck I used, almost always the card that had been the present or future one day, was the card of the past in the next. Tarot cards are endlessly fascinating and ultimately mysterious and I continue my study of the cards and the artists who have painted them. All my card images are painted with oil paints on 7" x 5" masonite or board. I wrote the poems after all the images were painted, and I painted the Major Arcana last.
Here is the Major Arcana:
0. The Fool
The Fool has no plan, but plenty of heart
She has the soul
of a child
With a can-do approach to an unknown goal
We know her trip will be wild!
1. The Magician
The Magician is all that the Fool is not
He handles his audience well
Charisma, skill and art with panache
Few won't fall under his spell
2. The High Priestess
What is obvious to her is invisible
to most
She sees underneath all facades
To discern the meaning at the heart of things
She prays to Goddesses, not Gods
3. The Empress
The Empress takes heart from the roots of the earth
The soil, the rock,
the core
Nature is bountiful and so is she
With the Empress, there's abundance galore
4. The Emperor
The Emperor rules with far-reaching power, strength and strict control
His authority is based on wisdom and sense
Keeping order in life is his role
5. The Hierophant
With the Emperor's skill in the Magician's role, The Hierophant can confuse
When God's words are spoken through a mere man's lips
This power can be misused
6. The Lovers
There are all sorts of love but the lover must choose
Which type of love will be best?
After the choice and the first kiss seals all
How does one dismiss the rest?
7. The Chariot
It takes a lot of discipline, determination, drive
To harness forces at such speed
And spiritually survive
8. Strength
Strength is found in the little things
That grow bigger over time
From the power that comes from controlling the mind
From influences sublime
9. The Hermit
Some of us like
to be alone
When people around seem too much
The wisdom we gain from solitude
Gives us inner strength, not an outer crutch
10. The Wheel of Fortune
If you have done all that you can
But there's still more to the story
Sit back, relax, let the Wheel do its work
You are ready to enjoy karmic glory!
11. Justice
Justice is not a thing to be feared
If all of your actions
are fair
As long as you've followed the
golden rule -
Otherwise, say a prayer
12. The Hanged Man
It takes a change in perspective
To enhance one's point of view
Seeing things from another side
Can only be helpful
to you
13. Death
A necessary change has got to occur
For you to move on with your life
So out with the old so the new can begin
To hold on would only bring strife
14. Temperance
A little bit of this with the same
amount of that
Will yield a
balanced potion
What a gift to those who need
what they lack
Or need relief from too much emotion
15. The Devil
Masks can be pretty,
Masks can be sweet
What's under the mask gets forgotten
These masks can be so utterly grand
That the true face beneath becomes rotten
16. The Tower
When all about you falls apart
All's broken, looking around
Take some time to catch your breath
For a whole new life will be found
17. The Star
Creativity flows and wishes come true
This is a time to
think grand
Whatever you do will be felt by all
So use all of your best that's at hand
18. The Moon
All is not as it appears
In a mysterious moonlit park
Evolving into what you've wanted to be
Is a process that takes place in
the dark
19. The Sun
All is visible and
all is clear
There is no need
to hide
You can see the results of your work-
Optimism, prosperity and pride!
20. The Angel
All that you are and all that you aren't
Are now on
full display
Face the truths of the whole of yourself
Because you cannot run away
21. The World
You've come to the end of a
complex task
Of experience you are now lord
Achievement brings wealth of a
joyous sort
Creativity is its
own reward