CARD OF THE DAY: December 7, 2021

 

 II of Air (Two of Swords)

from The Tarot of the Orishas

by Zolrak with art by Durkon

 

December 7, 2021: The relationship I have with Tarot--and with Spirit, with the ancestors--has a good measure of humor. As I casually looked at a few cards from Zolrak and Durkon's Tarot of the Orishas before shuffling this deck, the II of Air (Two of Swords), in particular, caught my eye.

Something told me to be sure to shuffle the deck real well before drawing our Card of the Day, and I did. You can guess the rest, right?

II of Air. Wink!

If it's not enough that II of Air was the same card that drew my attention earlier, consider this: Two swans. What did I write, just yesterday, about a possible preference for animal imagery? Quite a jest from the orishas!

Although I am strongly interested in The Tarot of the Orishas from a cultural perspective, the quality of this deck's art design does not satisfy me. But the relationship a reader forges with a deck and its aesthetics is personal and, for some who share my interest in Afro-Atlantic traditions and practices, this deck might be exactly the one that works.

Here's another good sample, IV of Fire (Four of Wands). For Zolrak and Durkon, this represents family, community, unity, and could square with my usual interpretation of the Four of Wands, a symbol of collaboration and support:

 

IV of Fire (Four of Wands)

from The Tarot of the Orishas

by Zolrak with art by Durkon

Let's swing back to our II of Air swans, though. Durkon depicts them facing each other in a secluded, safe place. Zolrak notes how the trails of their movements--in time, in space, in life--have formed a heart in the water. Now that's a very striking difference--the deck creators' vision of harmony and loyalty--from the stark way we usually interpret the conflicting, clashing swords of Tarot's Two of Swords.

Let me take a moment to note that swans are way pretty but not to be messed with.

So, here's a prime example of a card that, due to these conflicting, clashing interpretations might give you something to chew (and possibly break your tooth) on.

I happen to adore both beauty and fierceness in birds. So, I'm going to go with...both!

And I'm going to counsel you to do the same and bring both your beauty and your fierceness into your day. How can they collaborate and support each other?

See what I did there? Sure! Feel free to take that IV of Fire as s bonus!