Tarot of Vampyres: The Sun

Owl Song

As much as I like this card, it also puzzles me. I like the the close-up viewpoint of the image. It draws you in, like the warm radiance of the sun on a clear day. The sun is quite large, taking up a very big portion of the background. When I first looked at this card, it reminded me of the Thoth Sun and then I realized that it wasn't the Thoth Sun I was thinking of--but rather the Lovers, with the marriage of light and dark.

So what would the Sun have in common with the Lovers? Both can embody a feeling of expansiveness, passion, vitality, and radiant joy. There is a misty image of a skull superimposed over the sun, a reminder of impermanence and mortality. Wouldn't the sun represent the end of life for these vampyres? (Somehow I do not think they are the sparkling "Twilight" vampires--at least I hope not!) The sun as center of the solar system, as pure sustenance, nourishment, and life force doesn't seem to fit here as for our vampyres--it would bring about their demise. Within a few moments, wouldn't they crumble and dissipate into ash?

Perhaps they will. Maybe this is there last and final embrace. Perhaps these two have chosen to end their vampyric existence in a final blaze of glory--one last passionate kiss. Life tends to be sweeter and more deeply vivid when we realize our own morality. The life of a vampyre is not one typically chosen.
But perhaps the two figures on the card have chosen to take control by NOT embracing an existence where they are driven by blood lust and forced to shun the light of day.

Any other thoughts on this card?
 

HighPriestess

I LOVE the Sun card!

The title of the piece is "Black Witch" so the characters may not have originally been intended to be vampires. The male figure in particular seems more demonic (like the figure in the Devil) than vampiric.

Then again, some vampire stories (Anne Rice, for example) say that older vampires are more resistant/immune to the effects of sunlight.

I personally see a couple embracing before a 'Great Rite' type ritual on Beltane (or even Midsummer/Litha). It's a very, um..."passionate"...kind of joy. (That is what the Sun is about, right? Joy, happiness...) Well, and they're surrounded by roses in full bloom...

I just thought of a darker meaning for the card. Perhaps the male figure is the quintessential "demon lover" who has seduced the vampyre woman and is merely stalling for time until the sun fries her to a crisp! Muahahahahaha! Okay, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but I find this deck encourages storytelling.
 

Owl Song

HighPriestess said:
I LOVE the Sun card!

I just thought of a darker meaning for the card. Perhaps the male figure is the quintessential "demon lover" who has seduced the vampyre woman and is merely stalling for time until the sun fries her to a crisp! Muahahahahaha! Okay, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but I find this deck encourages storytelling.

What an interesting idea! I like this. I agree that the deck is wonderful for storytelling and you definitely do not have to settle on one way of looking at the card.

I also like your idea about the pair perhaps being resistant to the sun's effects--that could be even more so since there appears to have been a recent exchange of blood.

This is actually one of my favorite cards in the deck just because there are so many layers to think about, especially from a narrative viewpoint.
 

WolfyJames

I'm just adding a scan of the card.
 

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