Llewellyn Tarot - The Horned One

Leo62

Helvetica said:
He is at a stage of proto-ethics, if you like, before reasoning has taken hold of what is happening and built a moral and social structure, but he already acts morally, without reasoning - instinctively. That's how I understand "pre-civilisation".
Very interesting point, Helvetica, but I would go beyond even that. My reaction to this card is that this is someone much more evolved than that. To me, he represents the very process of how we attempt to deal with our desires, our shadow sides. He is the process of being authentically human, rather than just a collection of desire, emotions and urges. I think he represents a balance of both instinct and reason - and the path to that precious balance is through madness. He has been swallowed by The Beast and emerged the other side...at least that's how I see him!
I may be pushing the mythological boundaries here, but that's truly what I see when I look at this card :)
 

LixiPixi

Leo62 said:
Very interesting point, Helvetica, but I would go beyond even that. My reaction to this card is that this is someone much more evolved than that. To me, he represents the very process of how we attempt to deal with our desires, our shadow sides. He is the process of being authentically human, rather than just a collection of desire, emotions and urges. I think he represents a balance of both instinct and reason - and the path to that precious balance is through madness. He has been swallowed by The Beast and emerged the other side...at least that's how I see him!
I may be pushing the mythological boundaries here, but that's truly what I see when I look at this card :)

The madness in this card seems very prominent to me. I have to agree with Leo. I look at the Horned One sitting there with a shawl over himself, alone in the depths of the woods. You know if he uncovered himself, he would NOT be an attractive man.

I see him as someone who has been swallowed by the beast or cursed by the wicked witch so to speak. He's alone in the woods because everyone else in society fears him. His only friends now are the animals. They don't care what he looks like. Being part man and animal, he has the intelligence to be a leader. The animals follow and protect him, and in turn, he leads and protects them. I see it as a relationship of circumstance and he's making the best of it. I'll bet he's a very sad character - missing terribly the touch of another human being, the love and acceptance from society, and the companionship of a mate.

For me - it's a very sad card, really.
 

Leo62

LixiPixi said:
He's alone in the woods because everyone else in society fears him. His only friends now are the animals. They don't care what he looks like. Being part man and animal, he has the intelligence to be a leader. The animals follow and protect him, and in turn, he leads and protects them. I see it as a relationship of circumstance and he's making the best of it. I'll bet he's a very sad character - missing terribly the touch of another human being, the love and acceptance from society, and the companionship of a mate.
Yes - that's it! He's an outsider figure - that's certainly how I feel about him. People fear him because of where he's been and what he knows - but he is a visionary. In a way, he's the archetypal shaman - living on the fringes, dicing with madness. Yes, it's lonely and sad, but it's also his calling. Funny, I'd never really thought of him as being sad, but the card does have a melancholic air. I like what you say about the animals seeing beyond the appearance and sensing what he truly is...and acting as his helpers and guides - another hallmark of the shaman.
 

Le Chat

The Horned One

I see The Horned One as nature in its purist form. Many parts and forms of nature are seen as, or we've been taught to believe is ugly. He hides his worldly ugliness, but is far more beautiful than any of us. Someone long ago thought his shape ugly, and we still believe it is. (The Devil, perhaps?). I believe this card is indicative of the statement "Walk in beauty," take the time to really look at something natural. Today, we have addictions to prevent us from walking in beauty. We are so searching for something that is totally "awesome." We've lost the ability to find it in nature. I believe The Horned One has found all he will ever need in this forest. Take a walk in his forest and remove the necessity of excess.
 

WaterSong

Helvetica said:
The reason why such a creature would appear evil to a religion (Christianity) that puts such a high value on morals, is because he has not built a formal moral structure, and so his emotions very evidently rule him. More "evolved" human beings have fooled themselves that their ethics are based on reason, not on emotion...we know better now! The Wild Herdsman is our moral foundation and without him, we have no ethics and cannot make any moral choice. He is our shadow in as much as we fear the power of our emotions. Those who resist emotions are perhaps those who are truly bound and obsessed, in the sense the Devil card has in other decks. But those who accept the role of emotion and work with their emotions, and with the feelings these evoke, are more likely to make moral choices that are loving and useful - in fact, are truly ethical.

The Horned One is removed from the society of men and is often rejected by them, though he also fascinates - as though to show how we often reject and repress our emotions.

beautifully said Helvetica....when I look at this card I see a being that is in touch with his instinct, free of social pressure or conditioning of any kind...he is a human that lives beyond and before any structure or beleif system has had the chance to reach, control, change him.
He is full of natural magnetism.

I actually love this card, and I am glad it stepped away from the traditional Devil one...never felt comfortable with that interpretation.

I see this Horned One as powerful, instinctual, hearthy, creative energy....just seething in that apparently passive sitting position.
You never know when your instinct will strike....and show you what is really going on inside of you, under of the layers of rules and adquired beleives.

xoxoox
magenta
 

Lleminawc

LixiPixi said:
The madness in this card seems very prominent to me. I have to agree with Leo. I look at the Horned One sitting there with a shawl over himself, alone in the depths of the woods. You know if he uncovered himself, he would NOT be an attractive man.

If you want to see how he might look uncovered, check the equivalent card in Anna-Marie's Legend Arthurian deck. He appears as a cloven-footed Pan-like figure - or Devil-like according to Christian iconongraphy. The description of the card in her companion book A Keeper of Words connects the "primordial" essence of the image with some of the traditional themes of the Devil Card - "violence, controlling relationships, promiscuity, drug abuse".

One point where I might disagree with LixiPixi is that he's not shown as being entirely alone - the animals are his companions.

I must admit, when I saw this card my first thought was of Herne the Hunter in the old TV series Robin of Sherwood - anyone remember that?
 

Lleminawc

Baroli52 said:
Ihave this deck, and he reminds me of "the green Man" that keeps appearing in my dreams, sans the rack on his head.
Baroli

That's an interesting connection: in the Matthews' Arthurian deck this card has the Green Knight from the medieval epic Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I'm starting to think it would be nice to have a comparative Celtic/Arthurian study group, though the logistics might be somewhat challenging.
 

Rosanne

I am awaiting this deck so was grateful for the scan- thank you.
Looking at the Horned One- do you not think he is waiting? maybe it is May and he awaits his love who is called the Goddess of Change. Maybe the sadness you feel when you look at this card- is the Horned God is sad- another whole year will pass before he shares love again. Maybe he echos that Pagan theme 'Love and do what thou will'. I believe he is also called the Lord of the Wild. That makes me think of excitement, power and storms; so there is both Joy and Pain here- much like lusty Satan. He also reminds me of Robin the Hood. Robin and his band could disappear with camoflage into the forest. Perhaps the Horned One warns us only to leave footprints and not be seen- We do not seem to hide ourselves well in the Natural World with our Rubbish and abuse. I think he also looks tired- we do not seem to learn much. Most of all I think he looks ancient- that shawl depicts this.~Rosanne
 

Ambrosia

I think this card is very apt, as he represents our instinctual, animal nature. I think we get very caught up with the idea that "the devil" is all about lust and evil and bondage. I for one dont even look at RWS type devil cards in that way. They are very christian and portray the devil as evil which I dont agree with anyway. To me, the horned one is a bit like the green man, or pan. There is nothing inherantly wrong or evil about this image. It is the christian church which has portrayed this image in that way and therefore a lot of images are coloured with that type of thinking. I think the artist has attempted to get back to the grass roots of this idea, and has done a wonderful job. We fear that which we dont understand and I feel this card portrays man stripped back to our most animal nature and I see nothing wrong with that. Like any card, this can be seen as negative or positive, as we must live in society, sometimes we must behave in a civilised fashion which would definately be related to the devil reversed. However there is nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of life either.
 

Firewind17

my favorite card

I got this deck several months ago and immediately loved this card. I kind of wanted to make homemade ones and switch all my devil cards in all my other decks.

Usually I read the devil card as something we are in bondage to, addiction takes many forms. My drug of choice is studying. Like drinking or pot, something done in moderation doesn't cause you harm normally. But for me it seems that addiction is about trying to escape the reality of life for whatever reason. For many that is drinking or drugging and for many it is keeping their head in a book or zoning out with television.

I've always hated the pictures of the devil card so when I read about the Horned One (months ago so I don't exactly remember what it said) the thing that stood out to me was that he watched over, took care of Nature.

My own immediate response to the card was to read it as being in touch with balance within and going with my Nature-al flow.

As a female and a feminist, I had absolutely no problems and was very happy to have a new male image in my tarot that was positive, strong, taking care of the world around him in a caring and responsible way. It seems to me that this guy is about maintaining the Nature-al balance of the natural world so to extend that when he shows up to " am I taking good care of my body? Is my entire biosystem working in a naturally smooth way?" I sort of
become him, responsible for protecting and maintaining my Nature-al flow and force and energy.

Anyway, just wanted to throw in my take on my favorite card of this deck.