The Fool is a soul in search of experience said Arthur
Edward Waite, an occult writer from the 1880s and co-creator of the
Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck. The Fool
represents the protagonist and he is on a journey very similar to the Hero’s
journey.
So, my reasoning for choosing the Fool as my first card to
design was that he stands for the protagonist and symbolizes the beginning and
the end. It’s funny, but in my story, Dragon’s Gate there is a clue that is
given to the main character and part of it said the ‘beginning must go to the
end.’ Okay, it’s out of context, but for
me it was time to cue the Twilight Zone theme music. You know the one.
I was going to walk you through my steps on how I did this
card, but I got so involved I forgot to document it. Ooops.
But, I used acrylics for paint and covered the surface with Mod Podge so
the liquid wouldn’t soak into the mat board.
Cut the card to the size of 5 x 7 to have a larger work area.
My story takes place on a mythical Chinese island, P’eng-lai,
the isle of the Immortals of Chinese mythology.
I mixed the Tarot with the I Ching, since obviously Tarot cards are a
western tradition.
The Chinese calligraphy means balance, but it’s not specific
what kind of balance. The character is
walking on a bamboo pole across an abyss.
In Chinese culture the bamboo symbolizes moral integrity, resistance,
modesty and loyalty, all things needed when on a Hero’s journey. On the journey, the protagonist might feel loneliness
because he is leaving behind what he has known and venturing into the unknown,
which is another thing bamboo represents.
There is a fan, which is meant to ward off evil spirits, the
color red, represents good luck, and of course, the fan can be used to cool oneself
off. The peacock feather also represents
warding off evil doers.
On the pants leg is the I Ching hexagram meaning The
Wanderer. It calls for the necessary
attitude for undertaking a journey. Such
as to be sincere, flexible and understanding of the new surroundings.
The overall color of the card alludes to the idea of a world
slowly dying. The burnt red color of the fan and the turquoise green of the
feather represent the hope that my main character represents.
What do you think?
Any suggestions? Would you like
to know more about my process for developing my Tarot deck?
Till next time,
Elizabeth
