World Spirit Study Group: The "Court" Cards (Seer, Seeker, Sibyl, Sage)

Seed Crystal

World Spirit Study Group: The "People" Cards (Seer, Seeker, Sibyl, Sage)

This thread is for discussion of the World Spirit "court" cards which are named and ordered by the authors as Seer, Seeker, Sibyl, and Sage.

:) Since I am starting the post - I will just come out immediately that I order them myself as Seeker, Seer, Sage, and Sibyl. This order makes sense to me, moving from the external seeker towards the internal seer, and what is known by the sage to what is unknowable or inexpressible yet held by the sibyl.
 

Bonnie

The World Spirit Tarot

Seed Crystal:

What a great thread! I would be happy to put in my two cents here. :)

Blessings,
Bonnie
 

the_surfacer

Hmm. That's really interesting reasoning, and a neat way to look at it.

Still, I prefer the given order, because to me, the Seer should go before the Seeker: message before movement, so to speak. I like your description of the Sibyl, but I guess I saw the Sage as someone who could create a synthesis of these two worlds' wisdom.
 

Seed Crystal

Order is deemphasized by the deck creators' Lauren O'Leary and Jessica Godino anyway: their LWB says

"...the Seer, Seeker, Sibyl, and Sage... are not meant to be hierarchical; rather they speak to different stages of development.
"The Seers are students, curious about the world around them. They are young and delicate, and need nurturance and protection.
"The Seekers interact more dynamically with the world, questing for answers and challenges, taking risks, and trying to get things done. As young adults they lack experience and maturity, but not enthusiasm.
"The Sibyls are the mature embodiment of their suit. They use their energies wisely and know how to govern their realms with ease.
"The Sages are accomplished in the world. They bring a broad perspective garnered by age and responsibility, and they possess great authority.
"In readings, the people cards usually represent an aspect of yourself or possibly your role in a situation. At the same time they may stand for another person in your life. Either way, it may be just one characteristic of their personalities that is speaking to you."
<end quote>

"Stages" still seems to encourage hierarchy to me; I myself think of "the people cards" (love that phrase) as much as possible as modes of being, none necessarily inconsistent for a person to be in or express, and none sufficient to define a person fully...

As a pagan and feminist, the WS modes of being and gender associations make sense to me, as all possible to coexist in one being in one instant from different perspectives. (Not that one has to be either pagan or feminist for this system to work; but it just seems congruent with my own background.)
 

pasara

this is very interesting to me, and i have just started working with the deck so bear with me. i like the idea that things are not so hierarchical in this deck.

the seer senses what is out there. s/he does not necessarily come to conclusion about it or integrate it, it just is the experience and brings forth the message.

the seeker is a more active card. they move and interact with the world. they are seeking out experiences.

the sibyl suggests a feminine wisdom that has come through reflection upon life experience as well as inner seeing. she possesses a huge amount of inner strength and clarity.

the sages wisdom comes from the experience gained from past action. it is like the wise elder or chief of a tribe who is also a great warrior when the time comes it to be necessary.

these are just my initial thoughts with little experience of the deck yet. I would love to hear what people's understanding and experience working with these over time has been.