Tabula Mundi Tarot: formerly Tarot "M"

sapienza

huh! I had taken them to be musical notes, but I guess they aren't now I see your comments.
I saw them as musical notes too but was intrigues as to the diamond shape.
 

Babalon Jones

I think Mallah was referring to the shading on the areas of ice around the musical notes when he referred to Morse code, as indeed it is a series of dots and dashes and I was thinking of Morse code while doing it. Any messages embedded therein though would not be of my conscious addition. Not to say it isn't possible, lots of odd stuff comes through in art, though it could probably say something like "eat more kale" or "injun joe is ticklish" for all I know.

(No disrespect intended to Native Americans re "Injun Joe is ticklish", I am part Native American myself; that line refers to an old Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes cartoon in which it is revealed at the end that that is the great secret that Sloppy Moe hints at and won't tell Porky, singing, "I know something I won't tell, I won't tell, I won't tell" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagon_Heels. No I'm not that old, this is a way old cartoon but they played reruns of these old non-PC cartoons back when I was a kid and even though I haven't watched TV in over a decade they are still firmly embedded in the ol' subconscious. Which is why I avoid TV now, I have enough cartoons and commercials stuck in there already to last a lifetime.)

The notes are musical notes but their shape is because it is a form of notation from the Middle Ages, like for writing out Gregorian chant and other forms of medieval music.

Thank you for your questions and comments!
 

Babalon Jones

the Hermit

Finally, I have put up the Hermit for Tarot M. You can see him on the blog and read a (very short) intro here: http://blog.rosettatarot.com/.

I also have a question about The Magus (you can see all of the cards posted here:
http://www.rosettatarot.com/Tarot_M_-_in_progress.html)

Basically, someone emailed me and pretty much told me that they hated it and thought it looked like a Tom Swift cartoon, but that they loved the other cards. Now I know that you can't please everyone, and that one person's least favorite card is bound to be someone else's favorite, I see that all the time and experience that a lot as an artist and have learned not to take it too personally. And I like The Magus as portrayed this way; it was a spontaneous transmission or felt like it. But, just wanted to ask others. Do I need to offer another Magus? (or three, haha) Of course I am hoping the answer is no, lol.

Anyway, hope you like the Hermit!

I have been doing some work on the Minors too and hope to show them here soon.
 

Alta

I like your Hermit! It has been a long time since I saw your skating Adjustment. :)

As to the Magus, I cannot see why that one was singled out. To me it fits very well, and the symbolism seems appropriate to the card.
 

Cassandra022

You can't please everyone is quite right. For me the Magus is possibly my favorite card of what you've done so far with this, so I totally would say keep it.

I like the Hermit too. Familiar yet quite different.
 

Thoughtful

I like the Magus very much, do keep it, to me it symbolises what the card stands for.
 

rwcarter

I LOVE the DJ Magus!!!!! And looking at it again, I only just saw the third hand holding the sword coming out of the cup!

Now if you want to make extra Magus cards, be my guest. But don't tamper with/get rid of this one!
 

sapienza

I absolutely love the Hermit, he's my favourite card so far. I really love the look of this deck and while The Magus isn't my favourite card in the deck I do really like him and don't think you should change it at all. I mean, how many of us have decks where we love 100% of the images, I don't think it's even realistic to expect or seek that. He fits well with the rest of the images and, more importantly, he was created by you as the artist and therefore carries with him your energy and passion for tarot. These are the things that make a deck worth investing time in. I really love what you are doing with this deck and can't wait to see some of the minors too.
 

Babalon Jones

Thank you all for your feedback! :)
 

Babalon Jones

I thought since it is Imbolc eve and all, and I am feeling happier than in a while, I'd share something I am currently working on.

http://blog.rosettatarot.com/2013/01/31/jupiter-goes-direct-and-the-wheel-turns.aspx

It is only the black and white version of the card (Fortune). Hopefully will have the colored version done soon.

I've been copying the black and white versions as I go before painting them, as I kind of like them that way almost as much as the colored ones.

This has been, or seemed to me so far anyway, a really long winter, and for a while I was sort of floundering. But something has really shifted, and damn it feels better! That's not just the single-malt talking either, as I've only had a few sips. But it helps. ;)

The synchronicity of the timing of these cards to certain cycles continues to interest me. But I'm sort of an astro-dork at times :party:


(edited to add a link to previously done cards for those who have not seen them:
http://www.rosettatarot.com/Tarot_M_-_in_progress.html It does not include the current version of Fortune, since that one is not done it is only on the Blog)

Still wondering about the name, and if it will change...