Druidcraft study group: Princess of Wands

starsongs

WolfSpirit said:
Birch trees stand for new beginnings and vitality - so that would be fitting here.
I am not sure about the tree on the right - could it be a yew ? When yews are old - and this tree is old, look at the trunk - a new tree grows from inside the tree, and the old and new become one - maybe that is what is happening here.
The tree stands for rebirth, renewal of spiritual strength while building on old wisdom, a new soul sprung from ancient roots.
I could be wrong, but I like the idea behind the yew anyway.

Thanks, Wolf Spirit

The meaning of the birch tree definitely fits. Dunno about the yew, but like the idea behind it too..
:)
starsongs
 

starsongs

TygrEyes said:
Oh, Geez. Just realized the recording of the hand signals (if that's how it started) IS the Ogham! Doh!

TygrEyes,

The hand signals and ogham is realy interesting! I hadn't noticed the positioning 'til you mentioned it. Does anyone know the Ogham positions?

:)
starsongs
 

TygrEyes

..."However, their original use was a complex sign language, since the Druidic tradition was, for many centuries, strictly an oral knowledge passed down from one to another. In use, each Tree correlates to a letter and each letter had a particular position on the hand. Complete ‘secret’ conversations took place, the ‘real’ message in sign language, while the ‘normal’ spoken conversation about the weather, the family and village life occurred. This became so much of a problem that a royal edict was issued forbidding the use of this method of conversation.

There were two additional forms of sign language - nose and shin - very similar to the signals between a catcher and pitcher. (See? Confirmation that baseball is Magick, a Truth I’ve been maintaining for years now!)"...

I found the above at this link.
http://members.aol.com/discord23/druid1.htm

It's interesting, but it still doesn't help me figure out if I've seen something that's really there or not.
 

Moonbow

TygrEyes

I think this is worth baring in mind as we look at the other cards. I know I will make a point of looking at the hands more closely now.

I find the feet particularly interesting in this deck too. Some of the people have huge feet.... way out of proportion with the rest of the body... and I like this.

Another aspect of this deck which I think is just wonderful are the skys. But maybe that is for another thread....
 

WolfSpirit

Ogham used as a sign language seems to be rather complicated...
The Celtic Tree Oracle also mentions it and has a picture of a hand with the letter for every joint or part of the hand written on it. The text says "With Hand Ogham, communication could be effected by indicating the finger joints associated with each letter or by forming the shapes of the letters by crossing fingers." And it also says "Each Druid college probably developed its own version of the meanings..., very much like regional dialects".
I did a quick search on the OBOD site and I found a few threads on the written or carved Ogham symbols but nothing on sign language.
My guess is, if Will W. meant the hand to have a message, it will not be understood by many. Then, that could be just intentional...a little extra for the initiated maybe ?
I'll keep looking out for more info, if I find something more I will let you all know.
 

Majecot

I thought the size of the feet were a matter of perspective.. At first I thought how odd. but then it seems to me the angle at which we are looking at them.

I googled last night to see if I could find anything on the hand signals but came up empty on any diagrams. I was hoping *shrugs*

I will take a look later to see if the celtic designs on the hem of her dress are identifiable. ( need a magnifier for that one..hehe)

Great Ogham links
 

TygrEyes

I found these links last night:
http://ipc.paganearth.com/diaryarticles/bonus/ogham/ogham2.html
http://www.faeryshaman.org/arch/es52arc2.htm
Ogham
The Celtic ogham script was used in Ireland from the fourth century AD to the eighth century AD. The script consisting of stokes or notches where were cut into wood or along the edge of a standing stone. It was a clumsy method of marking, based on groups of one to five stokes for each letter, and was used only for short inscriptions, such as grave markers or memorials. It is speculated that the script is much older than it seems, and was originally based on a type of sign-language used by the druids, using the five fingers.
http://www.knowth.com/celts.htm

WolfSpirit said:
Ogham used as a sign language seems to be rather complicated...
...And it also says "Each Druid college probably developed its own version of the meanings..., very much like regional dialects".
I did a quick search on the OBOD site and I found a few threads on the written or carved Ogham symbols but nothing on sign language.
My guess is, if Will W. meant the hand to have a message, it will not be understood by many. Then, that could be just intentional...a little extra for the initiated maybe?
...
I read somewhere there were a 150 different ogham alphabets & the Druids were expected to know each. I read here there were 93 (fourth paragraph down). http://www.netowne.com/historical/european/ogham.htm I also saw mention of an animal ogham (along w/ some others, maybe a mineral ogham), but I can't find that site again. There was no explanation they just said there was an animal ogham.
This is from the interview w/ Phillip posted over on the OBOD board:
"Q. At the back of the book you have a Further Reading & Resources section. Can you say a little about this?
A. Of course there are masses of books about the Tarot, and hundreds, probably thousands of decks. So what we’ve done is chosen books that are particularly illuminating if you are approaching Tarot from a Pagan perspective or from the position of wanting to understand it not as a fortune-telling device but as a profound psychological and spiritual tool. With these ideas in mind we’re also working on an in-depth course using the Tarot, with fellow members of the Order, Jurre & Agnes Yntema in Holland, who have been working with the Tarot for years, and we’re hoping to include some DVD material with the course, since the visual faculty is so important in the Tarot."
So maybe there will be an explanation in there!

There's another possibility for the "reason" of her hand position. Maybe her pinkie on the staff hand is used as a "point" in sacred geometry which was incorporated in the cards like in the Druid Animal Oracle? I'm not sure how it would line up & what other points there are in that card. I know nothing of sacred geometry. The description of the deck on the order page said this in the second paragraph: "THE DRUIDCRAFT TAROT also draws upon the ancient concepts of Pythagorean numerology to enhance the meaning of the cards, and to provide the artist, Will Worthington, with inspiration from Pythagorean Sacred Geometry." Here's a link to the portion of Will's site where you can see the Sacred Geometry of the DAO. I think you used to be able to click & enlarge them so you could read the notes. You can see four of them here: (You have to click on "PRINTS" then on that page click "NEXT" & on that page at the bottom there's a link that says "Sacred Geometry".
http://www.crissiam.demon.co.uk/frameset.html
 

WolfSpirit

Those DAO prints in brown with Will Worthington's notes on it look really cool, I wouldn't mind having one of those on my wall ! I downloaded one, then opened it in Paint and zoomed in but the writing does not get clearer, it becomes littles squares. I can only read what he says for the eye: "The upper point of pentagram (representing spirit) would be the point of each creature's eye". But I think we can see a bit by the lines he drew on the painting what he meant.

I wonder how this works out in his paintings for a tarot deck, when one card has one person on it and another has five ? I wonder when this course will come out...and what it will cost.
The Dutch people Philip mentions, Jurre and Agnes Yntema, have a practice not far from where I live. So far they only have beginners' tarot courses and workshops with the Voyager Tarot. I guess it would not hurt mailing him and asking if he could give me more info. Hopefully he has time to reply !
 

CreativeFire

There is some wonderful observations and thoughts being shared here - I really enjoyed reading through the thread. :)

Some things I noticed when looking at this card, were that she is holding the wand / staff in her right hand and also has her right foot forward - the right side connecting to action and concsiousness. Consciously stepping out on the path she is on.

Another thing that I thought of when looking at her lovely gown was the way it was billowing out behind her, which fits also with her hair, in that she must be walking into the wind, which I connected with being committed and brave and walking into a head wind. I also thought that it could be that she is walking at such a swift pace that she could be generating her own draft that is causing her clothes and hair to flow out behind her.

Also looking at the other Princess cards, the Princess of Wands appears to be the only one 'moving' - particularly in a forward direction and also looking ahead of where she is going and not focussing on what she is holding in her hand eg. pentacles, swords and even cups.

The spirals also caught my attention - on the bodice of her dress and also in the tails of the salamanders on the skirt of her gown. Spirals representing growth, unfurling and moving outwards - a very old and universal symbol which has very similiar meanings throughout indigenous cultures on the different continents around the world.

I am really looking forward to working with the rest of the cards in this beautiful deck and joining in the other study group threads - what a great first thread! :)

CreativeFire
 

Emily

I too think that there is some strange hand positions in this deck - the Pentacle King for one seems to have his hands arranged in a certain position. Its strange I would never have thought of looking at the hands but now I'm checking them. :)