21 Ways - Step Twenty Fantastic Meangerie
STEP 20: DECK COMPARISON
DECK: FANTASTIC MENAGERIE
CARD: STAR
Activity 20:1 – Decks used in comparison: Fantastic Menagerie, Cosmic Tribe, Fey Tarot, Victorian Romantic
FANTASTIC MENAGERIE STAR: The central character in the card has a woman’s body and the neck and head of an ibis. She has a very long and delicate beak that arches downward. Her face has a red mask of feathers, with the red extending down the top of her beak. She is very very white and is only dressed and adorned with vines and flowers that cover her private parts. They are all alive. She has two plant bracelets, and one plant anklet. Tow flowers are tucked to the left side of her head, one over her right breast, and one over her naval. She stands with one foot in water and the other is in the vegetation she is walking through. In each hand she holds plant life; one plucked, one still growing. Her body faces forward, her head is turned to the right. She appears to be emerging from the plants and undergrowth towards the water.
To her right there are two fish in the water, to her left one fish, with their bodies about ½ way out of the water looking at her with open mouths. There is a large dragonfly resting on her right shoulder. There are nine start in the sky, the stars are of different shapes and sizes.
COSMIC TRIBE STAR: The background of the card is a night sky, with the constellations imprinted in the sky. There are 8 main stars, all 8 pointed, but within the largest star there are two more in mandala form (also 8 pointed).
The center of the largest star in the night sky emanates a beam which connects to the center of a burgundy and light yellow, rather large flower. The center of the flower has a center of its own and 3 spokes. The flower appears to glow.
The land is flat and the grass is green with clusters of small flowers. To the right, if facing the card, of the flower a nude thin woman in what appears to be dance pose. Her hands give the impression of holding the largest star, her right arm is behind the beam of light. The woman has short black hair and a peaceful yet enraptured expression on her face. Her body has the play of light and shadows from the beam coming from the large star.
THE FEY STAR: A young female faerie is out on her balcony breathing in the night. The city lies beneath her. 23 stars of varying sizes descend from the sky to swirl around her, envelop her. Her arms are extended and flexed behind her as are her transparent wings, which are delicate, and attach at about her shoulder blades. Her hair is short and stylishly messy (people pay big bucks for hair like that!) and she wears two squiggly earrings on her left ear. Her chin is tilted upward, her eyes are closed and her lips held closed with a hint of a smile. Her purple skirt and the purple ribbon at her waist dance in the evening breeze. Her upper body is nude, with breasts reacting to the cool breeze.
VICTORIAN ROMANTIC STAR: A nude maiden stands, modestly covering her breasts, thigh deep in a pond full of water lilies. She wears a blue water lily in her very long brown hair, which almost touches the water. She has a part of her white dress still on her left arm, and drapes to cover her left thigh and genitalia. If looking directly at the card, there is a tipped over jar pouring water into the body of water where the maiden stands. The maiden has a very serene, peaceful, yet sensual look on her face, which is in profile. Her skin and hair seem to glow in the star light.
In the far background a wave appears to be breaking. There are 10 stars in the night sky. All small so the shape is hard to make out. The body of water the maiden stands in appears to pour into something else if you look at the left hand corner at the bottom of the card, possibly another body of water.
HOW ARE THE CARDS SIMILAR:
They all have stars
Central figures are all female
There is nudity of the central figure
None are directly pouring water
All but the Ibis-Woman have their eyes closed
They all have a quiet peacefulness and serenity about them
They are all sensual
HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT:
The settings/environments
Different times of the evening/night
Types and number of stars
Modesty of central figure
Length and color of their hair
Use of water element (2 don’t have water in them – Cosmic Tribe and Fey)
NEW MEANINGS AND PERPECTIVES IN ALTERNATE CARDS:
Cosmic Tribe – empowerment, inner strength
Fey – sensuality, pleasure, freedom
Victorian Romantic – serenity, quiet modesty
When interacting with the Cosmic Tribe Star there is a very spiritual and empowering feeling. A rejuvenating strength that comes over me.
When interacting with the Fey Star a sense of liberation and freedom comes over me. It is sensual and invigorating.
When interacting with the Victorian Romantic Star a sense of sensuality and modesty both come to the surface. It is innocent sensuality. Being at peace and in acceptance of ones own skin. Feeling alive and knowing that with life anything is possible. Treasuring the self.
KEY WORDS IN VIEWING THE STAR ACROSS ALL THESE DECKS: empowerment, freedom, healing, hope, rejuvenation, self love, happy place, spiritual connection, acceptance, empathy.
The key words I listed are not all that different from my original key words (integration, regeneration, understanding), it is more of an expansion to that same list as the original key words still apply.
The Fey Star card best expresses the advice I would like to give myself. It suggests letting go of past assumptions and that I inhale my here and now and revel in it.
MY STAR CARD DESIGN: a night sky with an air balloon in the center. On the balloon there is an 8 pointed star. The balloon is flying towards the card viewer. There are 7 stars of varying sizes and shapes, and motion patterns in the night sky (8 in the painting I am doing). A somewhat large corner of the moon can be seen in the left hand upper corner. The balloon is traveling over the calm ocean, and towards the viewer just about to cross over two palm tree tops. The basket of the balloon is empty, as it is there for whomever sees the card to place themselves within it.
COMMENTS ABOUT CARD DESIGN: The ocean and the night sky is what has always brought me peace, so in design this card is my happy place. A place where I can meditate, think, and be 100% honest with myself without recrimination. It is a place of solace, healing and where hope is always restored, and strength returned to tackle the challenges to come.
In a nutshell, the design incorporates a small hint of Qabalah in that the Star is on a path of the tree of life between two sephiroth. The balloon is in the middle between the two and the moon in the upper corner represents that sephira. Having 8 stars indicates the sum of the number 17 = 1 + 7 = 8 and alludes to strength. The 4 pointed star in the picture is about the rest that comes with the fours, a chance to regroup – the painting has two of these which again add up to 8. There are five 5 pointed stars, each in itself represents the 4 elements and spirit being the upper point, 5 X 5 = 25, which 2 + 5 = 7 which represents the challenges of the Sevens. There is one 6 pointed star to represent victory and success in reaching the Star. The star on the balloon is 8 pointed and it represents inner strength. The palm tress are just neat, and have a cool shape and I like them *LOL*. The ocean below is the cards association with the element of water and all of its healing qualities and beauty.
I will post the original drawing when I get it dark enough to scan properly. I will also share the painting once I am finished. It has an extra star (spacial aesthetic reason).