Leisa
A fish in water bears on its back a glass vessel containing a heart, from which grows a grape vine. The vessel is the fundamental symbol of femininity. It also represents the alchemist's retort. Here the retort is surrounded by water, the element symbolized by this suit, the symbol of emotions and the unconscious. The fish, a messenger from the unconscious, is a dweller in water. The heart (a vessel itself) represents a potential philosopher's stone. This transformation can be brought about through love.
The Ace of Vessels shows that blood (from the heart) is the water of life. The heart bears fruit in its expression of love, shown as wine grapes. Wine is a universal symbol for blood. It is the blood of the vegetable kingdom, the downward pull on the human soul that connects us to our earthly roots. Wine is the blood of Christ in the mystery rite of the Eucharist, a symbol of spiritual rebirth. It is the symbol of the classical vegetation god Dionysus, who expresses the joy and ecstasy of nature. In alchemy, the "juice of grapes" refers to Mercury, who, in his role as Good Shepherd, provided a model for the earliest images of Christ.
Tarot wisdom: You are at a new beginning concerning your emotions, the unconscious or the soul. The card points out that both the goal and the source of emotions, represented by the heart in the vessel, is the need to give and receive love. Love is the very source of life, and the goal of love is to be fruitful. Rejoice and release an out-flowing of love, and allow its returning bounty into your soul, for then the alchemical vessel of the heart shall sustain new life. If the message relates to an existing situation rather than a new one, it points to a renewal, a fresh outlook, a "beginner's mind."
The Ace of Vessels shows that blood (from the heart) is the water of life. The heart bears fruit in its expression of love, shown as wine grapes. Wine is a universal symbol for blood. It is the blood of the vegetable kingdom, the downward pull on the human soul that connects us to our earthly roots. Wine is the blood of Christ in the mystery rite of the Eucharist, a symbol of spiritual rebirth. It is the symbol of the classical vegetation god Dionysus, who expresses the joy and ecstasy of nature. In alchemy, the "juice of grapes" refers to Mercury, who, in his role as Good Shepherd, provided a model for the earliest images of Christ.
Tarot wisdom: You are at a new beginning concerning your emotions, the unconscious or the soul. The card points out that both the goal and the source of emotions, represented by the heart in the vessel, is the need to give and receive love. Love is the very source of life, and the goal of love is to be fruitful. Rejoice and release an out-flowing of love, and allow its returning bounty into your soul, for then the alchemical vessel of the heart shall sustain new life. If the message relates to an existing situation rather than a new one, it points to a renewal, a fresh outlook, a "beginner's mind."