[tarotbear]

I like this image -A LOT! As the replacement for the Empress, the young man helping a little girl- possibly his daughter- down from a tree is quite convincing. When I first viewed it I thought that some people would have a mental problem with this image - a gay man with children - which is becoming more frequent than you may suspect. A lot of young men father children because of peer pressure to 'prove they are manly enough' or because they deny to themselves that they 'might' be gay. Unfortunately, paternity is not a certificate of heterosexuality. That aside - this card has to be differentiated from the inevitable Emperor which is next, so using an older man with children would get kind of confusing! It could be mistaken for the traditional ten of pentacles card!

LWB:"nurturing others is good practice for nurturing oneself." All too true! In this society where even modern gay youth are still brought up to loath themselves or their sexuality - this comment is refreshing.

[Lady Mary]

I think being a mother or a father (and having motherly and/or fatherly qualities) doesn't (always) have to do with the biological creation of a child.

[luna4tigre8]

I feel that she is in a moment for my, and am giving an anticipated opinion (specially because my writing at english is not very good and most of the users they are of the USA and UK) but for my it was a great surprise to see this letter.
At the moment in which I opened the box and I found this image I felt that it changed something within me. I take to something of time studying astrology, the tarot and the I-ching, and too in my indicated that with Venus in Scorpio, the empress the other way around in each distance of letters and with the lake on the mountain in each distance of the currencies, never it could find like integrating that aspect of the spiritual thing in my life; but when I contemplated the image of the Protector, he was incredible, nonsingle reflects what I hope to obtain like intention in this life, but that was a beautiful form to identify to me with that maternal - paternal instinct that I have felt since I have memory, but who in addition diametrically is opposed the innocuous image and distant of the Empress, who for me so influenced with the idea of the heterosexual archetype, along with the lovers gave one more an idea me more threatening than the one of the Devil. This nonsingle image was very encouraging, nonsingle by the possibility that as much I hope to have a daughter (if it is possible with a man who is my better companion), but because he gave sense him to everything what I had lived and the paper that always was exerted I with my mother, my grandmother, my cousins, my female-friends, my female-companions of school, my neighbors, and at the moment my women-friends-confidents. He was interesting that nonsingle was the first letter that I saw when opening the new package, but that is the one that coming out in the first layoout, when it asks to me what I must focus in my life:
The Protector/ The Sun / The Revelation / The Fool / The Magician

[Shuvano]

Wow, what a strong card!!!

I don't know who to give credit to, so I am going to give kudos to BOTH Lee and Antonella for the deeper meaning of this card.

To me, I saw the immediate RWS connection of this card to III - The Empress in terms of the nurturing and fertility aspect. A very parental card if I may.....but then I studied the card even deeper and was drawn to the dove on the branch!

Looking up the symbology of doves I discovered this:

( http://www.manizone.co.uk/dove-totem-a-41.html )

"....Doves, like many species of birds, breed and nest in pairs, they mate for life and build their nests, protect their territory and raise their young with their partners. The males as well as the females produce a milk like substance, called “crop milk” to feed their newborns with. Both parents take responsibility for the hatching and care of their offspring. The males will sit on the eggs during the day while the females take over the task at night......"

"....The Magnificent Dove Totem possesses the following virtues:
Love, gentleness, new ideas, purity, sexual energy, intimate relationships, creativity, peace, family values, centered calmness, tranquility, support, assistance, new relationships, peaceful transition from difficulty, powers of the feminine, friendship....." (VERY APPROPRIATE MEANING FOR THE EMPRESS CARD, DON'T YOU THINK?!?!)

The website also says that doves were connected to Aphrodite (Venus) and the planet that is associated with this card? VENUS!!!

Brilliant, simply brilliant!

[Lee]

Thank you, Shuvano!

Thanks for the info on doves, very interesting. Antonella did add several excellent details to the deck, but I just checked my original card script and I did indeed specifiy the dove (whew!).

[Jaydoggy]

I believe this man and child show up again in the three of cups eating ice cream together - the general impression I get is that he is either her father or older brother, perhaps even an uncle. In any case since it replaces The Empress, instead of motherhood I think of fatherhood, so I think whoever this man is, he is in some way shape or form her guardian.

It could represent the factors that one may typically associate with fatherhood - though in modern society gender roles have (finally) stopped being so concrete, but I still see it as a father figure, a protector, provider, care-giver, and the negative aspects could be an aggressor.

I still haven't taken a super detailed look at all the cards, but to my knowledge, I don't think there's a partner with this man for his child. You never know if he's a single gay parent. But in the end, I don't know if that would matter in the interpretation. After all, the love in his eyes shows all you need to know about who he is and what his effect is on you - or perhaps your effect on others depending on the position.

[iceclone]

Hi Jaydoggy! It's interesting how you mentioned this card looking almost the same as the 3 of cups. The guy in the three of cups is also wearing his hat backwards and the girl with her also has those curls. I'm assuming it's the same family.

I noticed this because I pulled the 3 of cups yesterday. And now, the protector.

Thanks for clarifying the connection with the dove. I was wondering about that too...

[Terrydonaldson]

sorry to seem so dim, but where can I actually see these images ?

[Sulis]

Hi Terrydonaldson,

Welcome to Aeclectic .

The people discussing the deck here own it and are studying it. We don't allow scans of complete decks here due to copyright laws. Here are the images that Aeclectic has of 6 cards from The Gay Tarot: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/gay/

[GrailKing]

Hi everyone, as a new user of the Gay Tarot deck, I am trying to get a handle on the possible meanings of The Protector card. It came up in a compatibility reading I recently did in the "Heart" position to describe the qualities of a potentially compatible new love/partner (male). If I was using The Empress card, I would associate this with nurturing and creativity (i.e. artistic expression in a tangible form like an artist) or possibility even as representing a man with a child or children.

In this deck, the card seems to also lend the possibility of representing the nurtuing side of fatherhood or the celebration of bringing of new life and/or creations into physical form. In viewing this card as representing heart compatibility, could it represent a flexing or strengthening of the heart "muscle" through consciously working to nurture emotional connection?

Thoughts, anyone?