#it was originally the popess

[pandamito]

PANDAMITO 300 SUBS DTIYS!!

ft. my ocs Carmela, Lucilla & Serafino I noticed that I reached ∼300 on almost every social I have so I'm doing a joint dtiys on tg, fb, ig, twtx & tiktok! You can check the other socials (& portfolio for the prize samples) on my bio

RULES

you must be a follower to join

must include #mitodtiys when you post your art and tag me

pose and composition is totally free and up to you!! you can draw just one character or all of them

can be suggestive but must be sfw

outfits can be changed but try to fit their aesthetic and Lucilla must always be fully covered

prize: there will be one (1) winner and the prize is one full illustration deadline: 28th August 2024, cuz it's my bday

(these characters are also on my artfight if you wanna do a combo and do something for july ;3)

[cadere-art]

Cevein Þete (pronounced Cheh-vayn Theh-teh) is a character in my (WIP) story, Empire's Wake. She is a Namite citizen of Ranai. As a child, she immigrated from the Namitan Empire to the Protectorate of Ranai, a vassal state to the Empire. Cevein is opalescent, meaning she's a follower of the Empire's religion. She's devout, yet heretical.

More about Opalescentism, Ranai, Cevein, and text from the image under the cut.

Cevein

Age: 52

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: Namite

Cevein is Head Archivist of Ranai's Port district. She was born in the Namitan Empire and immigrated to the Protectorate of Ranai as a child. She grew up between both cultures, embracing her family's religion even as she climbed towards one of the most important clerical positions in Ranai's culture.

Ranai's religion, in which Archivists are core members, focusses foremost on orthopraxy and cares little for orthodoxy, allowing both atheism and belief in other gods. Nonetheless, Cevein's position as an Archivist and devout Namite requires some highly heretical interpretations of her own religion's preachings.

Cevein position as Head Archivist in the Port District makes her the third highest ranking Archivist in Ranai.

Cevein wears her syncretic beliefs, combining the black clothes, dyed feathers, and tatooed gums of an Archivist and the veil of a devout Namite. She is never seen barefaced or wearing another color. Cevein's clothing generally features the symbol of the Archives, a vertical black line on a white field, representing /i/, the Ink God.

On Opalescentism, Ranai, and Ji

Opalescentism teaches that God wove the world out of light. Faith in the Weaver and the pursuit of beauty are paramount in Opalescence. Contrarily to most of Uanlikri's religions, Opalescentism is monotheistic, proselytizing, and focused on orthodoxy (proper thought) over orthopraxy (proper practice). Opalescentism was born in the north, but has spread and schismed into various branches, several of which have their own God-Emperors and popes or popesses. The practice of veiling one's face originates in the scriptural injunction to "always show the Weaver one's most beautiful face", interpreted as meaning "a face ornamented, augmented, or covered with one's most beautiful work". This interpretation is still dominant in many of the northern regions where Opalescentism is practised.

Namitan Opalescence, the branch in which Cevein was born, has shifted over time as social inequalities in the Empire deepened and the nobility and clergy gained more and more riches and power. Namitan Opalescence emphasizes good birth and noble blood as inherent sources of beauty. It stipulates that only those with the divine blood of the Emperor may wear their faces bare, so that the light of their imperial ascendance may shine upon the world. Others must be veiled and dressed - for nobles, these coverings are minimal, but for commoners, they are understood to shield the Weaver's view from the impurity of their common blood.

Cevein immigrated to Ranai at the age of 8. The Protectorate of Ranai, an archipelago under the control of the City-State of Ranai and a vassal state of the Namitan Empire, has mostly not converted to Opalescentism. The dominant religion in Ranai is Ji. Ji shares some characteristics with Opalescentism: it is a state religion, and it is proselytizing. In scripture, Ji is a polytheistic religion in which the pantheon is composed of the letters of the Tahen Alphabet. In practice, Ji is a religion focused on orthopraxy and cares little about orthodoxy; in Ranai, the Letter-Gods are alternatively interpreted as abstract gods, personified gods and domains of the spiritual world. The core tenet of Ji is literacy; reading and writing are considered sacred acts akin to prayer, and the transmission and recording of knowledge are paramount. One is a jihist because one is literate and participates in the sharing of knowledge, not because one believes that letters are gods.

The most sacred professions under Ji are that of Archivist, Librarian, and Teacher. The institution of the Archives maintains legal records of all sorts: it writes the pulse of the city. Cevein's decision to train as an Archivist put her in the peculiar position of being both a devout jihist and a devout Opalescent, which she reconciles by interpreting the tenets of Ji as coherent with the tenets of Opalescentism. After all, what could be more beautiful than an orderly city, clear records, and accessible knowledge?

More Trivia

Cevein's personnal brand of heresy was greatly informed by diasporas in Ranai. The syncretic beliefs of jihist converts to Opalescentism from the southern regions of the Namitan Empire helped her reconcile her desire to become an Archivist with her faith in the Weaver.

Cevein wears her veil as a marker of her faith, but also in the spirit of the more celebratory practices of wearing beauty that she's seen among members of the Ashitin and Northern Ðejr diasporas in Ranai.

Cevein lives in a small, but well appointed apartment near the Port's Archives.

Cevein has a husband, two children, and five grandchildren. Her husband, her father, and half her grandchildren reside together in a small house in the Port District. In the Ranaite tradition where children are raised by their grandparents, her grandchildren are being raised by her husband with the help of her father. Cevein herself is much less involved, but rather doting when she visits.

Cevein's post as Head Archivist in the Port District makes her de facto the third most important Archivist in Ranai, after the Head Archivists at the Great Library and at the Monastery. Technically, the Head Archivists of all districts are equal, but the size and importance of the Port District gives extra weight to Cevein's position.

Among Archivists, Cevein is considered stalwart and relentlessly competent.

In her free time, Cevein is very involved in the local Opalescent church.

[uyuforu]

BTS Tarot: Does Jungkook know who is his Future Spouse?

-> I had a lot of ask about this one, like does JK knows who she is, seems he seemed to already have seen details about her in psychic, dreams, etc. So I'm curious too! Let's ask the cards to see :)

Cards pulled per decks

Ekta Oracle: The deer; The books; The paper plane + The kite

Celeste Astrokiff Oracle: Capricorn; Changment; Sky + The positive choc

Original Tarot de Marseille: 10 of pentacles; Ace of swords; The chariot reversed; Jack of pentacles; The popess reversed; King of pentacles + King of cups

Botticelli Tarot de Marseille: 7 of pentacles; 10 of cups; 3 of cups; The sun; King of pentacles, The wheel of fortune reversed + The strength

Lenormand: The bear; The key; The tree; The bridge; Death; The fish; The book; The birds + The storks

-> Please don’t forget this is for ALLEGEDLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.

-> It seems like he has an idea, yes. He knows who she is. He doesn't know her yet, he didn't met her yet. But he knows about her. It's mostly intuition, or inner knowing. He could have seen her in a dream for example. He also knows because he searched for answers. So it means psychic, astrologers, tarot readers, etc. He is part of our team lol! He may have gone deep into wanting to know about her. I wouldn't be shocked if he actually tried all known technique to know about your future spouse. He was very studious about it, and very hard working into his researches. But he could have learned something that hurt him or someone? I'm gonna spoil you there but it seems like JK's FS being a foreigner will not please his parents, mostly his mom at 100%. I saw some astrological aspects of it and I'll explain in another post. I'm not saying his mom will not like his FS but she will be like "... for real? Why not a Korean?" something like that. Now, don't be too serious about this because I'm not 100% sure about this. It's more difficult for older generations to understand this. But it seems like JK doesn't care much lol he already loves her a lot.

-> The tarots are what actually made me understand he knows already a lot about her lmao. He achieve this knowledge already. He may have a good opinion of her or feel like "I can't wait to meet her and be with her" kind of thing. It seems like he knows they are not meeting now, so he can't do anything. To be honest, it seems like it will happen naturally, JK can't do anything but to wait for it to happen. So he is waiting but he feels very excited. He is very serious about that. He feels like he can give the world to her. But it seems like other details about her have been hidden from him. It is meant to be this way in order for JK to literally not pick her up at her house lmao. He could totally do it. He feels impatient, so he shouldn't know too much until it's the right time to meet.

-> It feels like the details he knows about her made him love her more. He loves her so much already. He thinks she is wonderful. He is very happy to know he will marry someone like her. He is over happy at this point. So much love here. He is trusting the universe a lot. He may be scared at time that it won't happened, but he knows he has to trust. He has to keep going.

Thank you for reading! Requests are open but make sure to read the rules first!

back to index ; ask ; requests ; schedule ; rules

[sy666th]

The High Priestess is the second card of the major arcana of the tarot; she is also known as The Priestess, The Priestess of Isis, The Divine Bride, Juno. French: La Papesse. English: The High Priestess, The Female Pope, The Popess, Junon. The High Priestess is generally depicted as a priestess or nun wearing a headdress, robe and cloak. A cross-like symbol may appear on her headdress or dress; The headdress is generally a triple crown (tiara). In her hand she holds a book resting on her lap, which can be open or closed; even when the book is open, the woman does not read it, but she looks straight ahead with a proud look. The woman sits on a throne, and in some depictions of her her feet are resting on a cushion. Behind the woman there is a cloth with decorations. In the most recent decks the throne is flanked by two columns. The headdress sometimes has the shape of three phases of the moon (waxing, full moon and last quarter). On the cloth, in some tarot cards, flowers and fruits (pomegranates) are painted, and on the scroll that she holds in her hand, in some, the letters "TORA" are engraved, in others, the Yin and Yang symbols. At the woman's feet is a crescent moon. Since its origins, the Popess has symbolized faith, one of the three theological virtues of Christianity. The cloak that partially covers her dress symbolizes knowledge; the High Priestess is She who knows, but she reveals only part of her knowledge. The book, for some, represents the Torah, which is Jewish law. The High Priestess does not need to read because she already has the knowledge, and this gives her the opportunity to hold her head high and look proudly towards the future. The two columns and the number 2 with which the card is indicated represent duality (life and death, good and evil and so on); this duality can also be underlined by other symbols, such as two rows of stones in the crown or two keys. The tiara or headdress with the phases of the moon represents the feminine essence and its three phases (girl, mother, old woman). The crescent moon, where it is present, is both a female symbol and a religious symbol; depending on the tradition it symbolizes the Madonna, the Great Mother or the goddess Isis, therefore clairvoyance, intuition and perception of the subtle worlds. The pomegranates depicted in her veil symbolize the purity of spiritual knowledge. The High Priestess represents secret knowledge in all its forms, such as law, science, the past, the present and the future. The duality of this card represents the material universe and the spiritual universe. In astrology this card is linked to the Moon and the influence of her energy on the Earth, such as the tides. It has a kabbalistic correspondence with the letter bet of the Hebrew alphabet; in the Tree of Life it represents the thirteenth path, from the Crown to Beauty. In alchemy it is attraction. In the I Ching it is analogous to the sign V, Waiting and the sign XLIV, Meeting. In magic it is the knowledge to work well.

[cc-zerozero-ff]

Enigma Infanta

Enigma Infanta is one of the two major projects that I have in the works. It's conceptualized as either a comic or some kind of multimedia project ala Homestuck, but we'll see what I actually come up with as I continue to develop it.

Years and years and years ago, a very good friend of mine wrote out some character prompts based on a bunch of people who were members of my sister's website. They were all about two or three sentences long, written from the perspective of an unnamed stranger who was familiar with the character, and the character's name. He originally planned to write these guys into a story, but it fell to the wayside before it ever got developed beyond a short little prologue introducing the main character (who wasn't based on any of us).

But these prompts really stuck with me, to the point where I finally asked my friend if he ever planned on working with them again or if he'd be willing to let me use the names and the prompts for a project of my own. He did not remember ever creating them in the first place and gave me the go-ahead, so I took the ones that had stood out to me the most and have since spun a pretty solid storyline out of them all that I'm really looking forward to bringing to life.

If anyone's curious, this is what he originally wrote for the two I've already posted:

-

"The Flame Popess

'It was not always like this, you see. The world used to be, well, green. But the Popess had a vision from the Last Bonfire. She commanded that the world be turned to beautiful ash. We are her Sergeants, that is why we burn.'"

"The Underking

'Please, keep your voice down. I don't want the children to hear. We tell the children that if they are bad the Underking will get him and take them underground to his kingdom. They take it as a bogeyman, a character made up to scare them into being good. Except...my husband, the night after we buried him...something...dug him up.'"

-

My vibe for the story's world is a liiiiittle different from the picture those paint, but they still served as the jumping-off point for me.

As they exist now, the characters bear very little resemblance to the people the prompts were originally inspired by, but I do have a few references to the people I loved even though most of us have parted ways. I don't know what he originally envisioned these characters to be like in the long run, or what they would have looked like or acted like, so beyond the names and some elements from the prompts, they're entirely my own creations. And he and I have some pretty different design impulses. Based on what he used to write (and how those prompts read) I suspect his would have been a lot darker and probably more gothic in nature, while mine has kind of a Zelda-esque fantasy vibe going. But that's just how I am!

Hopefully y'all look forward to seeing more from me about them as they come to be. They're really special to me.

[wanderingandfound]

Me: Gets mildly interested in something.

Me: Okay what's the most versatile tool that's also going to be coincidentally the most niche and expensive? And how could I get it?

[samartworksblog]

~ ASOIAF TAROTS SERIES

Card 2, THE POPESS - Melisandre of Asshai

Click here for my original post on Instagram with more about the card ✨

[infjtarot]

Empress ~ Anna Maria d'Onofrioh Tarot

  The heraldic eagle is a common symbol of royal European families.  A scepter with a cross over a sphere combines elements that are also linked to traditional royalty. These elements appear in The Emperor card as well, indicating that the two figures belong to the same family and are possibly married. As an hereditary emblem, the eagle shield can represent legitimacy, tradition and family heritage. The scepter can stand for power and authority. While the Emperor holds both at a distance, the Empress embraces them. This difference could indicate that the Emperor relies on external means of control and domination, while the Empress’ activity flows from her own personal being and gut feeling. The Empress promotes fertility and growth. If The Popess is the goddess of wisdom and spiritual mystery, The Empress can represent another traditional female divinity: the goddess of earth and fertility. This figure of “mother earth” goes back to the Paleolithic era, and can be found in various cultures around the world. Many Tarot authors have linked the card with this idea of feminine nature, discussing it as symbolizing matter made alive through sensuality and passions. We can see suggestions of sensuous fertility in the wide and rounded lower part of the body, in the secure sitting position and in the large scepter coming out from the pelvis. The little white form on the belly can be a symbol of feminine sexuality, or a seed in the womb. The number 3 also suggests fertility, creativity and growth. It is emphasized by the triangular composition, with an apex in the chest decoration and two sides marked by the slanting green shapes at the card edges.  In this aspect, The Empress card can represent a process bearing fruits through natural evolution. In practical matters it expresses advancement, positive developments or a feeling of abundance and plenty. The card can also be used as a focusing tool for the success of projects which are still in a developing stage. The Empress is an earthly mother The link to the mother goddess and the suggestions of female fertility can also give the card a literal meaning of motherhood. The eagle coat-of-arms stands for the imperial family, and the empressempress is holding it close to her heart. We can also see the image of the bird as a young sibling, symbolizing a child that the empress is nurturing. The touch of her fingers on his body indicates a close relationship with much warmth and emotion. Yet we can also see it as indicating an excessive and even annoying involvement on the part of the mother in her offspring’s life.  In this aspect, the card can refer to a warm and protective mother figure. This can be either the querent’s original mother, or a strong and dominant female figure in his life. It can also refer to a female querent who is a mother herself. The card may also express maternal impulses or a desire for a child. The Empress combines natural and artificial The lines and shapes of The Empress card appear more natural and flowing than those of The Emperor. Also, her hold on the shield and scepter is softer and more relaxed compared to the rigid grip of the Emperor’s hand. Even the back of her seat seems soft and unfinished, perhaps resembling some primitive wings. Still, The Empress is not all nature. Her clothes combine rounded and flowing lines with sharp stripes and angles which look worked and artificial. At the bottom left side of the card we see soft and flowing earth marks, and at the top left the back of the throne is drawn in a live and organic line. Yet on the right side, the floor shapes and the external line of the throne are straight and upright.  Thus, the card illustration combines both natural and artificial qualities. The empress expresses organic forces of nature and fertility, but does so within an artificial framework of society and government.  The card can symbolize a touch of softness and natural warmth within a system or an institution which functions according to fixed laws. For example, it can be an emotional or human touch in the cold, calculated setting of a commercial company. It may also signify a “back to nature” trend set against a modern way of life. The Empress acts with passion The large scepter leaning on the bosom and slanting to the right hints to the suit of wands and the domain of desires and creativity. It can signify an action “from the guts,” motivated by a passionate drive and not by calculated reason. But we can also interpret the eagle as a symbol of the intellect, as it appears in The World card. The eagle appears about the middle of the body, indicating that in this card rationality is not the dominant factor but rather it is integrated with feelings and passions. The eagle’s gaze is directed towards the scepter base, as if the intellect serves to control and to direct the expression of desires. The Empress expresses female power A natural interpretation of the card is to see it as the figure of an empress, that is a woman in a strong and dominant position. The card may reflect her social position, such as a manager or a commander, or it may indicate a strong, self-assured personality. In contrast to the Popess, who conceals her femininity, the Empress displays it openly as a source of power. Still, there are also some masculine traits in The Empress. On her neck appears a trace of an Adam’s apple, and the large scepter growing from her abdomen can be seen as a phallic symbol. We can see in these traits a further manifestation of self-confidence. The empress is not afraid to appear “non-feminine” when making her voice heard in a commanding manner, or when she employs power and authority to impose her will. Yoav Ben Dov

[finalvortex]

So I accidentally posted this early and then panic-deleted it, so I lost the original post I was responding to, but here are my thoughts on an Amphibia tarot deck.

I'm going to be assigning these based on of both the visuals of the cards and their interpretations. On that note, I've decided to use the Marseilles deck, because I think in the places where it diverges, the imagery matches better.

Oh, and like, this is how I interpret the meaning of each card, which might not necessarily line up with the way other people do, so be aware of that.

Fool - Sprig. New beginnings, opportunity, spontaneity, innocence.

I Magician - Maddie. Manifestation, creation, turning dreams into reality.

II Popess - Valeriana. Mystery, wisdom, spirituality.

III Empress - Lady Olivia. Femininity, motherhood, stability.

IV Emperor - Grime. Fatherhood, authority, law and order, leadership.

V Pope - Hop Pop. Tradition, education, wisdom, family values.

VI Lovers - Sasha, Anne, and Marcy. While the Lovers can be about romance, it's also the card that represents all kinds of relationships. It also symbolizes a crossroads, an important choice that needs to be made.

VII Chariot - Polly. Confidence, willpower, determination. Overcoming conflicts and pushing onward.

VIII Justice - Yunan. Justice, fairness, balance, responsibility.

IX Hermit - Wally. Introspection, self-reflection, solitude.

X Wheel of Fortune - The Calamity Box. Luck, destiny, chance, ups and downs.

XI Fortitude - Mrs Croaker. Inner strength, courage, perseverance, patience.

XII Hanged Man - Marcy. Sacrifice, suspension, metamorphosis.

XIII (Death) - Anne. The end of one phase and the beginning of another. This isn't just about death and endings, but it's also a card of transformation and change, letting go of the things that are holding you back.

XIV Temperance - Felicia. Balance, harmony, moderation.

XV Devil - The Night. Enslavement, temptation, fear, being trapped.

XVI Tower - Sasha's fall from Toad Tower perfectly encapsulates this, both visually and symbolically. It's catastrophe, destruction, an unexpected and dramatic change.

XVII Star - Bessie. Inspiration, hope, renewed power and strength.

XVIII Moon - Andrias. Deception, manipulation, illusion.

XIX Sun - Ivy. Happiness, optimism, joy, success.

XX Judgement - Calamity Anne. Judgement, rebirth, reflection, reckoning.

XXI World - To match the card, I'd probably just make this one the world of Amphibia. Conclusion, fulfillment, achievement, harmony. Enlightenment.

[dreams-of-a-snow-sister]

what’s your social link ? to  find  your  secondary  &  third  tarot  cards,  scroll  down  your  result  page  to  your  answers &  result  totals.

primary : The Empress

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Celebrate life's grandeur...its brilliance...its magnificence..."

The Empress represents motherly, prosperity, creativity, sexuality, abundance, fertility and comfort which most often observed in maintaining peace.

The Empress Arcana often belongs to women of authority or wise and motherly figures. People under this Arcana may also be cold-hearted in personality, but still present a high degree of care and concern towards others. And like queens, they are also very elegant in character.

secondary : The Priestess

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... The silent voice within one's heart whispers the most profound wisdom."

Originally named the Popess, portrayed as an old woman with an open book, the Priestess Arcana is a symbol of hidden knowledge or other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery and patience when it appears in tarot readings.

Individuals associated with the Priestess Arcana are usually quiet, reserved, hardworking and very intelligent. They are often modest and shy, and won't open up to others until much later in their relationship.

tertiary : The Fortune

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Alongside time exists fate, the bearer of cruelty."

The Fortune Arcana is portrayed by the Wheel of Fortune and symbolizes fate, luck, fortune and opportunity.

Those of the Fortune Arcana are usually individuals who attempt to seize their own destiny in spite of fate and are typically involved with making important choices and decisions in response to what life throws at them.

tagged by. @bloodofmysword​

tagging. @voidxred , @ragnaofazure​ , @theaterofmisfits​ , @speedstarlinne​ , person presently reading this

[queerasfact]

God forbid that we wish to believe what public opinion does not hesitate to claim has happened to the Church of Constantinople; namely that in promoting eunuchs indiscriminately ... it once raised a woman on to the seat of its pontiff.

11th-century pope Leo IX quoted in Craig M. Rustici’s The Afterlife of Pope Joan: Deploying the Popess Legend in Early Modern England p.9

A little bit of a look into medieval thinking about sex, gender, and the pope. Leo IX’s accusation is a possible origin for the story of Pope Joan, the woman who disguised herself as a man in order to attain the papacy. Check out our podcast to learn more!

[fallynleaf]

The older I get, the more fascinated I am by tarot history. Here’s a (nonexhaustive) list of tarot history things I’ve learned over the past ten years that have completely blown my mind:

Tarot decks actually predate our standard playing card deck, not the other way around. But what’s especially fascinating to me is that the history of the development of tarot actually closely parallels the history of papermaking. Tarot was probably based on playing card decks that were popular in China, which is, of course, where paper was originally invented. These playing cards, like the technology of paper, eventually made their way to Europe by way of the Islamic world. Tarot really took off in Europe around the 15th century. This, not coincidentally, just so happens to be around the time that the Gutenberg press was invented, which not only introduced printing technology into Europe, but also created a much greater demand for paper. Both of those factors almost certainly greatly contributed to tarot becoming more available and accessible to the general public.

Even though tarot was not really used for divination in the first couple hundred years of its history, it wasn’t exactly highly regarded in society, and enjoyed heavy use as a gambling tool. It likely evolved, then, in marginal and half-legitimate popular circles, and not in secret mystical societies. No one really knows exactly where the major arcana originated from, as they don’t really have any equivalent in the Chinese playing cards that inspired tarot, but many of the standard images and characters depicted in the major arcana are surprisingly blasphemous. The female “popess,” for example, and some of the depictions of nudity, and images like the one depicted in the “Wheel of Fortune” which traditionally represents revolutions and the casting down of rulers.

In the early years of tarot’s use as a divination tool, people claimed that it was a practice that dated back to the ancient Egyptians. There is no historical evidence of this, but the myth was so prominent, tarot still remains partially associated with Egypt. My personal theory is that the anime/manga series Yu-Gi-Oh was at least partially inspired by this, whether subconsciously or intentionally, since a central part of the series’ lore revolves around a magical card game that was invented by the ancient Egyptians, but I haven’t seen anything from the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh that confirms or denies this theory (although there are Yu-Gi-Oh cards that are directly based on tarot cards), so this is pure speculation on my part.

Arthur Waite (of Rider-Waite-Smith deck fame) only really cared about the major arcana. He also likely did not pay Pamela Colman Smith much for her work on illustrating the deck. Pamela basically invented the standard illustrated minor arcana, largely basing the symbolism in the images on her own experiences with theater and Shakespeare. The RWS deck is probably the single most popular model of tarot decks today, and the illustrations for the minor arcana in many, many modern decks are directly based on Pamela’s original illustrations. Also, Pamela was very likely not straight. She never married, and she lived very closely with women her entire life.

The Sola Busca deck was a deck that was created in 1491. It was completely different from the standard tarot traditions of its time, and spent most of its life locked away in a private collection, yet it ended up indirectly influencing almost every modern deck. The Sola Busca deck is the earliest complete tarot deck known, and was possibly the first deck to have fully illustrated minor arcana cards. Photographs of the deck just so happened to be exhibited in the British Museum in 1907, which was during the brief period of time that Pamela was working on the RWS deck, and it’s extremely likely that she saw it in the exhibit, and used it as a model for some of her illustrations for the minor arcana.

Sources:

Tarot Fundamentals published by Lo Scarabeo

Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin

The Marseille Tarot Revealed by Yoav Ben-Dov

The papermaking connection is my own extrapolation, and is based on knowledge I’ve gained during my book arts studies, but I can easily dig up sources on the paper history side of things if people are interested!

[queenofcandynsoda]

Final Fantasy VII OC: Mauve the Eminence

TW: Mentions of grooming

Mauve

Other Names: Real name unknown, Mauve the Eminence (モーヴ・の・エミネンス Mōvu no Eminensu), Mauve Eveque, Purple-0036, Popess

Age: 19

Affiliation: Deepground; Shinra Electric Power Company

Occupation: Member of the Tsviets (Lower Colors)

Appearance: Mauve has long wavy blond-purple ombre hair and mauve eyes. She wears the female Deepground soldier uniform with several mauve attachments. They are shoulders puff sleeves, a frilly skirt, a pair of ballet flats, and evening gloves. 

Weapon: Rapier (infused with mako, giving it a mauve glow)

Abilities: Mauve has an enhanced body due to mako, resulting in superhuman speed, strength, reflexes, stamina, and durability. She is very talented with fencing as she wields a mako-infused rapier. She primarily uses ice materia to fight. The way she moves while fighting resembles ballet.

Personality: Mauve is a self-centered, hedonistic sadomasochist. She wants to indulge in every pleasure in the outside world. Her sadism has been shown when she tortures low-ranking Deepground soldiers. Like her younger brother, Orel, she believes that those who live in sin should have successful lives and those who live in virtue should be miserable. Despite her cruelty, she deeply cares about Orel and is protective of him despite her teasing. From Sonon’s experience, Mauve is an elegant maniac who enjoys luxury.

Origins: Mauve is a member of the Lower Colored Tsviets and the older sister of Orel. She, along with Orel, was raised in Sector 4, Midgar by their mother. When she was three and Orel was a few months old, both of them were taken to Deepground when their mother died, along with losing their names. It remains unknown as to why they were taken to there. This is where they were experimented on and was forced into brutal and rigorous training. During this time, both of the siblings were being groomed by a scientist, who taught them about “libertinism” in order to get them to be more accepting of the moral depravity of Deepground and to take advantage of them when they are older. As they grow and gotten better, they are promoted to be apart of the Tsviets. This is where Mauve got her current name and was able to act out their brutality on the soldiers. She had tortured many of them in various ways. She even enjoys harming herself, like self-flagellation and proving others to cane her. She has no issue in performing sexual acts on her brother. Mauve is bored and disgusted with Yuffie’s “warrior savior’ mindset and Sonon’s kindness and protectiveness over the princess. So she suggested Weiss to be a bit “rougher” on her to ensure pregnancy and to spank her if she misbehaves. Like the other Lower Colored Tsviets, Mauve would be locked in a cell whenever she’s not in training.

[geekmystic]

The Fool’s Journey in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy - Part 2

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5

Summary: The Empress // Emperor // The Hierophant

The Empress

The Empress represents Mother Nature.  I chose the interrogation scene for this.  It is during the interrogation scene that we learn that Rey dreams of the island that is Luke’s home.  The island that is the home of the Force that binds all living things.  The Force that has been calling her since she was a child.  We later learn that the island is related to all sorts of mating going on.  Luke has a dream in which he is married.  The Porgs multiply like crazy.  And I wonder if over-breeding is why the caretaker’s men stay away so long.  But then have a whole festival surrounding their mating.  There is also symbolic sexual imagery on the island.  The wetness of the island, the opening of the tree, and the dark side cave.

With some of the other meta I have read, I really believe Rey encompasses The Empress in her character.  There’s no one image that I can pull that fully represents her.  She is all about family, belonging.  I believe in Episode IX, she will build a family (either with Ben Solo, through a new generation of force sensitives, or both).  It can also be seen from the interrogation scene that Rey reflects whatever Ben Solo throws at her.  He reaches into her mind and she walks right through that door.  She later echoes his fighting style.  This is a very feminine characteristic.  Taking from the masculine and mirroring and multiplying it.  In that way also, she is stewarding everything that rightfully belongs to him for when he joins her.  She has his legacy saber and his father’s ship and is ready to share them with him when he turns.

The Emperor

If Rey is the Empress, then Ben Solo is the Emperor.  It is probably why he so easily sees himself as Supreme Leader after killing Snoke.  Like Rey says to herself in The Last Jedi novel that, while Luke’s mistake was thinking Ben’s choice was made, his choice is also not a simple one.  The ideals of the First Order would attract any Emperor archetype such as Ben.  The Emperor is about order and structure where the Empress is about fluidity and flexibility.

When we first meet Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, he is enshrouded in a cowl and tunic.  His lightsaber has a crossguard and thus somewhat resembles the ankh pictured on the card.  Instead of a crown, Ben wears a mask.  While Ben is not old, he is described as having an old soul.  From the released excerpt of Daniel Jose Older’s book, Last Shot, “Han had no idea how a two-year-old could have such ancient eyes. It was as if Ben had been waiting around for a millennium to show up at just this moment in history.”

We also know that Ben Solo is a bit of an intellectual.  He had a calligraphy set.  His lightsaber is of an ancient design (also related to the ankh symbolism).  He write detailed post-flight reports on his TIE Silencer.  (Both his shuttle and fighter evoke the ram’s head/God of War symbolism.)  When the Force connects him to Rey, he is more curious about the nature of the connection than who he is connected to.

Together, the Empress and Emperor form the anima and animus.  There is so much meta on that already that I’ll move on.

The Hierophant

Ok, so this one made me laugh.  And maybe I’m stretching the meaning of this card by equating Han Solo to some celibate religious figure.  But hear me out.  The Hierophant (or Pope) is a figure that stands between law and liberty, obedience and disobedience.  The keys are the keys to the car/city/galaxy/Heaven.  Saint Peter is widely regarded as the first Pope.  Saint Peter himself sometimes suffered from foot-in-mouth disease.  He is emotional and impulsive.  He cut off a centurion’s ear when they came to arrest Jesus.  Jesus facepalms and puts it back on to the guy’s head.  Now what happened when Han and Leia met Vader in Cloud City?  Oh right, Han shot at him.  Han and Saint Peter would be fast friends.

Going back to the original trilogy, Han is the one who gets Luke and Obi-Wan off of Tattooine and away from the Empire.  Those keys pictured in the cards are keys to Heaven.  Jesus promised Saint Peter the keys to the Kingdom.  Keys control access.  What does Han do?  He’s a smuggler.  He knows how to get around.  He can get you off a planet and onto a clean ship in no time.  He can even get you through Starkiller’s shields.

In the beginning of The Force Awakens, Rey and Finn make their escape on the Millenium Falcon where they are found by Han Solo who is the rightful owner of the ship.  Our Empress is doing her job in bringing things home.  Our Pope and Empress call on the High Priestess for help.  Our High Priestess offers her secret knowledge, not only to Rey and Finn, but to Han as well.

The two figures at the bottom can either be Luke and Obi-Wan or Rey and Finn.  Both pairs are seeking passage through the Heavens.  Both times, he is taken to see Leia.  While Han does not carry keys to the Falcon, he does carry a pair of golden dice.  At the end of The Last Jedi, they are a symbol of home for Ben Solo.  And, as of the novelization, we know Ben treasured those dice as he had dreams of being a pilot like his daddy.

Finally, another name for the High Priestess card is Popess.  Yes, the Pope and Popess are married.

Previous // Next

[devoradraws]

The High Priestess

This is the second tarot card in the Major Acarna. It represents the feminine divine archetype, such as goddesses and higher power. The card was originally called The Popess, which also represents female spirituality. 

The horned crown she is often portrayed wearing is similar to one worn by Hathor, an Egyptian sky deity.  She sits between two pillars that symbolise duality, masculine and feminine, good and evil. The veil of pomegranates in the background symbolizes abundance, fertility, and the divine feminine. It also is a reference to the myth of Persephone eating the fruit of the Underworld, allowing her to move between the living and dead. 

 The meaning of the reading of the card  is about listening to your inner voice and to following your instincts.

Rider Waite Smith

Matt Kollings

[infjtarot]

Hierophant ~ Deck of the Bastard Tarot

Le Pape in French refers to the Catholic pope whose attributes appear in the illustration. The right hand with its two straight fingers forms “the Latin gesture of benediction” used by Catholic priests. The small crosses on the hands suggest the gloves which are usually worn by popes. Three crowns symbolizing the Church’s dominion on earth appear on the papal tiara since the middle of the 14th century. An earlier version had only two, as in The Popess card which could thus be understood as “an old story.” Until the 14th century, popes also had a beard. Another traditional attribute of the pope is the triple-barred cross, usually linked with the holy trinity. The Pope gives counsel and advice The unclear shapes in lower part of the card look like two small figures with their backs to us. Their heads are shaved in the tonsure form designating members or aspirants of the Catholic clergy. The Pope seems to be teaching and guiding them, and they may be his students or disciples. The yellow circle on the left may be a hat taken off in respect. The uncovered heads can also symbolize willingness to learn and receive advice. The Pope card may represent a figure of authority offering guidance and advice to the querent. If the card is straight, it may indicate good advice which should be listened to. The card can refer to someone already influencing the querent, or indicate that advice is needed. As with The Popess, The Pope can also refer to the reading itself. The difference is that The Popess represents the mysterious and intuitive aspect of the reading, while The Pope represents the elements of guidance and therapy. The Pope imparts knowledge As head of the Church, the Pope represents a system of knowledge and values with a long tradition and well established institutions. The card may refer to any such kind of institutional knowledge. For example, The Pope card can symbolize a school, a university, a hospital or a court. It can refer to learning or teaching in such an institute, or a procedure which takes place in it. The card can also indicate advice from a professional expert such as a medical doctor, a therapist, a lawyer, a coach, or any other kind of certified advisor. In legal matters it may refer to the court as a mediator, rather than to a sharp act of judgment that we can see in the Justice card. In matters of therapy and healing, it indicates conventional and institutional methods rather than alternative approaches based on intuition. In a couple’s relationship, The Pope card may represent an official procedure of status recognition. However, it can be either marriage or divorce. If it is an existing couple in difficulty, the card can also represent them seeking help from a marriage consultant. The Pope is a spiritual father The origin of the word Pape is “father” which is the common mode of address for a priest. In symbolizing the figure of a father and a teacher, the card may refer to a person who has had a meaningful role in the education or the personal evolution of the querent. It can also indicate a religious leader, a spiritual guide or a guru. In other cases the card may refer to the actual father, and describe him as a person of high ideals, a moral role model, or a cerebral and distant parent. The card can also represent a part of our own personality, expressing our moral conscience, the education we received and the values that we absorbed in our childhood. The Protestant members of the order of the Golden Dawn, who wanted to eliminate the Catholic reference, called the card “The Hierophant.” Hierophant is a combination of Greek words meaning “showing sacred things.” In ancient Greece, it was the title of the high priest in secret rituals known as the Eleusinian mysteries. There are also some new decks in which the card is named “The High Priest,” but its basic meaning remains the same. The Pope points to heaven The Pope’s right hand points upwards in a benediction gesture, marking a diagonal line of progress and ascent. Yet the line passes through the staff with the cross which symbolizes institutionalized religion. It is as if the Pope indicates that the road to salvation passes through the church that he represents. Still, unlike later cards of the suit, what we see here is not the heavenly sphere itself but only a man pointing to heaven. The Pope’s guidance can be an enlightened one, and the card can represent an inspired counsel. But it can also represent someone who expresses his own prejudices and limitations, pretending that they represent heaven’s decree or an objective reality. For example, the card can symbolize unfounded claims made in the name of religion, or purporting to be based on objective science. The Pope identifies with the system The flesh coloured gloves which the Pope wears indicate that it is difficult to separate the person and personality of the Pope from the institution that he represents. From this point of view the card may symbolize a person who identifies with the values and the norms of the system of which he is a part. One can see here a positive image of a person who sincerely applies what he preaches. But it can also be a bureaucrat or someone who blindly serves the interests of an established system – for example, a public institution, or a commercial firm. The card can also represent a person who upholds conservative, traditional and conformist values. The Pope shows preferences The two disciples in the card don’t receive equal treatment from the Pope. He turns his attention towards the disciple on the right, and seems to ignore the one on the left. Accordingly, the disciple on the right raises his hand and the one on the left points downward. The card may represent the act of preferring someone for a justified reason, but it can also express inequality, discrimination and prejudice. For example, it may be an institution preferring those who conform with the norms, and rejecting the ones who are different and dissenting. The card can also indicate a preference for one child over the others in a family. The light-blue shape under the raised hand of the disciple on the right might be a hidden knife, which hints at betrayal by the one who was preferred. Yoav Ben-Dov. Tarot - The Open Reading