Salamanders, butterflies, etc

Armadillo or Badger?

Frejya, I thought it looked like an armadillo too, but from what I have read, armadillos are a 'new world species' and not found in England. However, badgers are so common there that they are currently trying to cull them. There were protests about it when I was there earlier this year.

Someone once swore to me it was Crowley's head the King of Pents was stepping on, but I think he was just being a smart aleck

I believe it is a bull's head that the King of Pentacles is stepping on. Although it could be a gnome's head - which is appropriate for the role of the King in keeping these forces subservient.
https://marygreer.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/gnomes-head2.jpg

Some of the images in the cards come from the so-called "Westcott Court Cards" - found among his papers, although they may have been drawn by Moina Mathers. On the back of each drawing was found a written description that included an "ornament" for each card's symbols that were to appear in the illustrations. [I haven't included the details of the sceptres.]

http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Dawn-Court-Cards-Studies/dp/1558183361

I highly recommend Darcy's book. Unfortunately I don't have permission to reproduce any of the cards, but I will list the "ornaments" - some of which appear around the neck of the RWS Court Card figures, although without the wings, and elemental symbols that were to appear on other parts of the card. The Thoth deck is more true to the descriptions.

Wands - Fire - Fixed Fire = Leo/lion

King of Wands - winged lion's head
Queen of Wands - winged leopard's head
Knight of Wands - winged black horse's head
Knave of Wands - tiger's head

Cups - Water - Fixed Water = Scorpio/eagle

King of Cups - eagle open wings - lotus, serpent (RWS-fish around his neck)
Queen of Cups - ibis open wings - crayfish (RWS-winged bird on side of chalice)
Knight of Cups - peacock open wings - white horse, crab
Knave of Cups - swan open wings - dophin, turtle

Swords - Air - Fixed Air = Aquarius/human head

King of Swords - winged angel's head - arch-fairies
Queen of Swords - winged child's head - decapitated man's head, cumulous clouds below
Knight of Swords - winged hexagram - brown horse, driving clouds
Knave of Swords - Medusa's head - grey smoke from silver altar, cirrus clouds

Pentacles - Earth - Fixed Earth = Taurus/bull

King of Pentacles - winged bull's head - bull
Queen of Pentacles - winged goat's head - goat, barren land (not so in RWS*)
Knight of Pentacles - winged stag's head - light brown horse, corn field
Knave of Pentacles - winged ram's head - grass, flowers, grove of trees

*Waite and/or Smith obviously felt that the Queen of Pentacles should be in a very fruitful environment rather than a barren one!

Also, notice that the color of the RWS horses seems most appropriate to the elements.

I really appreciate the great info, Teheuti. Now, how do I unsee the badger?

Abheda said:

I really appreciate the great info, Teheuti. Now, how do I unsee the badger?

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I don't see why the King of Pentacles would be stepping on a bull 's head, since his throne is decorated with Bull's heads, and anyhow he is the designated ruler of Taurus (or at least two thirds thereof). It certainly isn't appropriate for a good ruler to show disrespect for his kingdom.

Yelell said:

Someone once swore to me it was Crowley's head the King of Pents was stepping on, but I think he was just being a smart aleck

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That's funny. Thanks for the laugh.
I now think Teuhiti is right. I have the Giant RWS and for a while now ,I really did think it was an armadillo. But I went to look to see what Vivien Ní Dhuin said at her website teachmetarot.com (her description are the most in depth) and in her description she too said it was a bulls head,but a skull. So then I looked for an image of the K of P on the internet and found a really good one, and IT DOES look like a bulls head (minus the horns). Although, I'm not sure about it being a skull. And...it doesn't look anything like an armadillo, or a badger. This is where I found the image I mentioned. You can go and look for yourself. http://tarotofcolor.com/card-77/

FYI: Completely off topic, but interesting.
I was really surprised when Abheda said that is was an 'new world species' because I could swear I read a story a few years ago about a fossil of an armadillo 90 millions years old being found. So I looked it up and it was a armadillo-like crocodile fossil But, I did find at the San Franciso University website that they have been around for 10,000 years in South America and the first ones were recorded in Mexico in the 4th Cent. So they def not in England But sure enough on Wikipedia, it said that it was new world but it's doesn't seem like that is true. For some reason Wiki is right sometimes and completely wrong other times. I don't trust it. Here's the link to SFSU: http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall99Projects/armadillo.htm

Teheuti said:

I believe it is a bull's head that the King of Pentacles is stepping on. Although it could be a gnome's head - which is appropriate for the role of the King in keeping these forces subservient.
https://marygreer.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/gnomes-head2.jpg

Some of the images in the cards come from the so-called "Westcott Court Cards" - found among his papers, although they may have been drawn by Moina Mathers. On the back of each drawing was found a written description that included an "ornament" for each card's symbols that were to appear in the illustrations. [I haven't included the details of the sceptres.]

http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Dawn-Court-Cards-Studies/dp/1558183361

I highly recommend Darcy's book. Unfortunately I don't have permission to reproduce any of the cards, but I will list the "ornaments" - some of which appear around the neck of the RWS Court Card figures, although without the wings, and elemental symbols that were to appear on other parts of the card. The Thoth deck is more true to the descriptions. .....

Click to expand...

Thank you for that information. It's interesting to see some of the ways the RWS does and doesn't match up - has me anxious to pull out my giant deck when I get home.

LRichard said:

I don't see why the King of Pentacles would be stepping on a bull 's head, since his throne is decorated with Bull's heads, and anyhow he is the designated ruler of Taurus (or at least two thirds thereof). It certainly isn't appropriate for a good ruler to show disrespect for his kingdom.

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Another site claimed it was the baboon headed Thoth god. Who knows, it sorta looks like the little guy...

Yelell said:

Another site claimed it was the baboon headed Thoth god. Who knows, it sorta looks like the little guy...

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It does look most like a baboon head, but I don't see any sense to it, whereas a bull or gnome makes total sense.

Regarding stepping on the bull's head - shades of Mithraism.

Teheuti said:

I believe it is a bull's head that the King of Pentacles is stepping on. Although it could be a gnome's head - which is appropriate for the role of the King in keeping these forces subservient.
https://marygreer.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/gnomes-head2.jpg

Some of the images in the cards come from the so-called "Westcott Court Cards" - found among his papers, although they may have been drawn by Moina Mathers. On the back of each drawing was found a written description that included an "ornament" for each card's symbols that were to appear in the illustrations. [I haven't included the details of the sceptres.]

http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Dawn-Court-Cards-Studies/dp/1558183361

I highly recommend Darcy's book. Unfortunately I don't have permission to reproduce any of the cards, but I will list the "ornaments" - some of which appear around the neck of the RWS Court Card figures, although without the wings, and elemental symbols that were to appear on other parts of the card. The Thoth deck is more true to the descriptions.

Click to expand...

This all sounds so interesting. I found this link:

https://goldendawntrust.academia.edu/DarcyKuntz

where you can request to download the pdf from him (as well as many others from him). I signed in with my google acct and still waiting, so I haven't seen it yet. But I wanted to let you know another way to maybe get the book.

I am really into the symbolism within the images. I'm still pretty new and I have done a lot of my own research about the symbols' traditional meanings and it has been surprising.

I'll never forget when I first learned all the signs in the Wheel of Fortune. I hadn't gotten the Pictorial Key yet, so on my own I discovered the 4 corners were the 4 Evangelists and 4 Zodiac signs, TORA, TARO, ROTA, ect... and I was blown away. It is so very interesting. I find it even more interesting to have found so many Christian/Hebrew signs were used.

Thanks, can't wait to read it! I also didn't properly thank you for pointing out that the object under the King's foot is in a bull's head or like you said, maybe a gnome.

Abheda said:

Frejya, I thought it looked like an armadillo too, but from what I have read, armadillos are a 'new world species' and not found in England. However, badgers are so common there that they are currently trying to cull them. There were protests about it when I was there earlier this year.

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I feel so stupid.
I know that new world refers to the Americas that were found after Columbus (that's is why I said not England) , But, I also thought is meant how long these animals were known to exist. In Wikipedia, under Armadillo it has a date of 1861 (I think) and that was really what I was refering to. So, you are right. I wasn't trying to say you were wrong, only to point out that they have been around for longer than Wiki said.

But like I said now...I really think it looks like a bull's head. In the orginal RWS it's so hard to tell but in the image I gave a link to, it's much easier to tell. But what it really comes down to, it really can be whatever we want it to be if it help with our readings.

Sorry, Freyja