The Gothic Tarot by Vargo - Seven Of Cups

WolfyJames

Vargo's cards were based on earlier works, you can see some of them on his website. This card is called Pandora's box.

Pandora is a woman created by the gods, under the order of Zeus, to punish humanity, because Prometheus, one of the gods, brought them fire (knowledge). She was given as a wife to Epimetheus, Prometheus's not as bright brother. She was given a box and was told to never open it. After a period of self-control, she gave in to her curiosity and opened the box. All the sins of the world came out of the box and ran free.

A woman is sitting on a bench with an opened box in front of her. She wears a tiara and bracelets. Behind her is an arche and in front of her stands seven cups. Three demons came out of the box and haunt the woman behind her.

The woman doesn't seem to be aware of the demons behind her. She is languishingly looking at the box, thinking about all the possibilities there could be in it, while the demons taunt her behind her back.
 

Umbrae

Well said - there's nothing to add...
 

Alissa

Possibilities may still be presenting themselves to the querent (I'm thinking of the traditional RWS image and comparing it here). However, in Vargo's deck, we don't see anything positive that's coming from this reflection ... only a grave mistake that's been made, if we assume our Pandora shouldn't have opened the box, of course.

But...

Having *all* options before you includes the choice of negative responses, our symbolic demons. Here, she has little but demons to work with - are the querent's current options viewed as sinful, morally wrong? Are they plaguing her? If not, my guess is they will ... it's only a matter of time before they catch up with her, and she's not even paying attention.

In fact, Pandora doesn't look "plagued". But, I don't think she foresaw the demons - we only perceive the positives of a situation, that which we believe we may *gain.* We often fail to consider that which we may lose.

The card could therefore indicate actions we have taken whose results may be radically different than we imagined or intended.
 

mercenary30

I have to admit that I had a hard time getting past this vamps outfit long enough to check out the rest of the card.

The Seven of Cups is about daydreams and fantasies. It is about bad choices or constant whimsy.

Based on the assumption that there are not any normal people in these cards, they are all vampires, or ghosts, or at the very least macabre.

To me she looks like she just opened Pandora’s Box on purpose, and she is enjoying it. All sorts of ghosts and goblins, spirits and demons are being released in the world. To wreak havoc and cause distraction to those they so choose to haunt. And in turn she gets to enjoy watching the show, causing her own distraction as well.
 

silk_selen

perhaps...

the demons behind her are hiding behind her from what's inside the box. That's how I saw it.
 

mj07

what do we make of the cups on the ground? do we assume they were drawn there after the fact by the artist? or, can we use them in our interpretation some how?
 

Alissa

This is totally random, but I drew the card to refresh my memory of where the cups were placed, and as I peered in closer at the card, first I noticed they seem to be in an almost-ascending pattern.

And then, my vision saw notes, like sheet music. Each cup looks like a note in a finger exercise (yes, I was reading piano fingering sheet music a few hours ago).

And then I began to hear the cups in my head.

One - Three - Two - Four - One - Three - Two

In the key of C major, for happy music, or C minor, for "intriguing" sounding :

C - E - D - F - C - E - D

A haunting little refrain, like a music box song that's been left unfinished. Really...!
 

September Pixie

if you look closely at this card, there are in fact 6 demons pouring out from the box, 3 in actual form and 3 still in the vapor, so again we have the number 3 being a factor, on my card there are 12 stars in the sky (a number also divisible by 3).. the notes arranged in this card do make an eerie sounding melody, I chose harp and made a small clip for anyone wishing to download.. its about 250kb and playable in any mp3 player. I play mine on repeat so it loops :)

http://www.everfall.com/pixie/harp.mp3

its quite lovely really to hear it being played while looking at this card.. I feel there is much about this box that she is intrigued by, the beautiful music it plays, the way it looks, and the beautiful mist that's pouring out.. I don't see her as having no eyes but rather that she is looking down at the box... I feel that the demons she has unleashed are also captivated by her rather than wishing her harm..

Perhaps there is MUCH more here than meets the eye!
 

Alissa

Yes Pixie~! How clever of you to include that link...

On the piano, I played it an octave higher, and with stacatto notes... more music boxy.... Take it an octave above Middle C, and it really sounds like a music box tune.

Have you tried the song in a minor key as well??? Try that... even more haunting~
 

September Pixie

You know Alissa, it makes me wonder how many more notes are in the cards.. perhaps even an entire melody! I haven't had a chance to go through them but isn't that amazing?!