Five Element Tarot

With the advent of this new series I just wanted to take a moment and explain the "Five Element Tarot" where it came from and a few words about my inspiration. I have pondered creating a series of paintings featuring the Tarot for years. I find the iconography and the history within the card images intriguing. To study the images and their traditional messages is like looking into the global conscientious of the human condition. My previous work with the figure as can be seen in my "Feminine Desert" series combined with my more current work with the "Kansas Wildflowers" series seemed to be preparing me for this very project.

My husband introduced me to Piers Anthony’s “God of Tarot” upon finishing the wonderful novel I was hit with an epiphany. It wasn’t necessarily the story itself but the index where a conceptual 100 card tarot is described and listed as noted and use by the story’s main character and the “Holy Order of Vision”. The set defined by the author uses 5 elemental suits with the conventional 14 cards, and 30 triumphs or Major Arcana cards, creating 100 cards for the deck instead of the traditional 78 cards.

My imagination was captured and I was awed by the simple promise of possibilities with the additional cards. The table of cards and their meaning presented by Piers Anthony created was just the beginning of my inspiration. While studying the potential presented I found that I disagreed with some of his definitions and so have made the concept my own with a few changes in the original schema. This is in no way is intended to discredit the author. I was simply uncomfortable with his a few of his cards for my on needs. I will get to my interpretations and discoveries as I paint them.

I know that there is complex symbolism that connects the traditional set of 78 cards such as The Major Arcana and the Tree of Life via the Kabala. I will argue that that concept is maintained through the pip cards. But I am not really here for argument what is important to me is the Fool’s journey and the trials and tribulations we all face universally and traveling with him through my art and see if there was anything I could glean from this mission. So, if you are a hard core traditionalist this deck and voyage may not be for you. But for the adventurous spirit please join me; let’s begin by jumping off a cliff!

Here is a brief overview of the differences between the traditional tarot deck and my newly inspired deck.

Five elements: ♦-Earth; ♠-Air; ♣-Fire; ♥-Water and -Spirit (I chose a 5 petal flower for this new suit) This envelopes the 5 suits each with the traditional 14 cards 1-10, Page (Maiden), Knight, Queen, King.

My Major Arcana set will include each of these 5 elements within the painting.

The 30 Major Arcana Cards

0 Folly-Fool
1 Skill -Magician
2 Intuition -High Priestess
3 Action -Empress
4 Power-Emperor
5 Memory -Hierophant
6 Choice -Lovers
7 Precession - Chariot
8 Emotion - Desire
9 Discipline - Strength
10 Nature - Family
11 Chance - Wheel of Fortune
12 Time - Sphinx
13 Reflection - Past
14 Will - Future
15 Honor - Justice
16 Sacrifice -Hanged Man
17 Change - Death
18 Vision -Imagination
19 Transfer -Temperance
20 Deception -Devil
21 Revelation -Lightning Struck Tower
22 Hope/Fear -Star
23 Lunacy -Moon
24 Triumph -Sun
25 Reason -Thought
26 Decision -Judgment
27 Wisdom - Savant
28 Completion -Universe
∞ Unknown - Ghost

You will notice that there are some slight changes in order from the traditional cards and numbers. None of these are set in stone until I paint them, well ok set in canvas. I would be pleased if you felt strongly that I was off on any of these to please comment. This is all part of the journey.

I anticipate that this project will take at least a year to complete. So I invite you to join me in this exploration. Come let's jump off the cliff together!