Templar Tarot Study Group - Wings in this deck

Why do most of the people have wings? Why are some full-feathered, others spindly (the Priest, for instance) and others are made of something other than feathers in a winglike shape (the High Priestess seems to have wings made of nets or cobwebs).

Some of my observations:

Does anyone feel this Sun is a positive card? It looks to me like the person's wings have been scorched off -- like Icarus with a somewhat happier ending. I have always thought of the Sun as a card of joy and glory and triumph, but this makes me wonder.

In the 10 of Cups, only one figure has wings. Same situation in the 3 of Swords.

In the 2 of Cups, two people share one pair of wings.

The King of Cups has one wing on his right side only. So does the figure in the Wheel of Fortune, with a branch echoing the shape of a left wing.

The Empress's wings are pierced with nails, probably in reference to the Crucifixion scene behind her.

The Queen of Staves has one wing on her left side only.

The Moon's wings are skeletal.

In the 5 of Staves, feathers litter the background, but the figure is wingless.

And what about all those without wings?

I said on another thread that those with wings seemed like mortals with their spirits showing rather than angels, yet there seems to be a guardian-angel relationship between figures on some cards. Any ideas?

And should we split this thread into several, since I come up with more wing-related questions by the minute?

-- Kyrielle

Answering my own question

As far as the two of cups, I think this is an excellent way of showing the theme of union through deep friendship and love. It's like those Best Friends necklaces where you get a set of two, keep one, and give the other to your friend. Alone they'd each have one wing, while together they can both fly.

If you put the Queen of Staves with the King of Cups, you'd get a pair like this -- seperate people with one full set of wings between them.

-- Kyrielle

A few impressions that sprang to mind....
I'm thinking the wings are an indication of spiritual level or progress.

The priests' wings are not really wings at all, but merely feathers tacked here and there that give the appearance of wings. As though he's too rigid in his beliefs to really be truly spiritual.

The Devil's wings are blood red, and for all that they are large, they aren't feathers at all, but something negative, almost slimy-looking.

The wings on the figure in the moon card are golden, and look like they are either just forming, or dissolving (I can't decide which).

I'm not sure about the Sun being so positive here. It almost seems like the youth is too busy reading to notice that the wings are being burned.