Deviant Moon -- Major Trump Borders

Onyx

When I look at the color of the borders of the Major Trumps. I am excited at the variety of them. Looking back at the interview that Dan “Umbre” Pelletier did with Patrick I am intrigued at the color theory that went into the majors.

Here is the quote from Dan’s review:

“The mixed colors come from the cards I created when I was 15. Truthfully, the colors on the majors just looked good with the color compositions of the individual cards at the time, so I just carried that over when I re-began the deck in 2004. However, the minors were different... these colors relate to the citizens of each realm. The borders on the suit of Swords are Red for their strife and pain of the heart. Cups have Blue for the calm purity of the sea. In Wands I used Green for the earth and the natural world. And with Pentacles, Black for the materialistic void they have in their souls.”

Here is the link to the review: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/deviant-moon/review.shtml

Breaking this down again:
Green is for the earth and natural world.
Blue is for calm purity of the sea.
Red is for the strife and pain of the heart.
Black is for the materialistic void in the soul.

The Major Trumps sorted by the color of their border.

Greens: The Fool, The Hierophant, The Hanged Man and the World

Blues (Violets): The Magician, the Empress, The Emperor, The Chariot, The Hermit, Temperance, and The Star.

Reds: The Lovers, Strength, Justice, and The Sun

Blacks: The High Priestess, The Wheel of Fortune, Number 13, The Devil, The Tower, The Moon, and Judgement.

Looking over these cards and setting aside the traditional elemental associations and their traditional colorings, I see some insight with these groupings and yet some questions as well.

The Greens seem to me to be an alright group. The Fool is based in his earthly, natural voyage and he is in the moment. The Hierophant also fits with me in the earthly realm. The World is clearly well suited with this border. The Hanged Man is interesting but I have thought that the inverted state would mix the humors in the body in a natural alchemical way that would shift and bring revelation.

The Blues (Violets): Cards in this group that I believe are peaceful: The Magician, Empress, Emperor, Temperance, and The Star. Cards I am not sure fit are The Chariot and The Hermit -- Normally I would fit the Hermit in this group but in this deck there isn’t quite the calm spiritual reflection and insight that other decks have. The Chariot is traditionally a water card and that is linked with the color blue. I think that this card can show the coming and going of the tides of the sea. Also the Seas is in a sense its own master and the Chariot can communicate that sense of self-control and determination.

The Reds: I see the strife and the pain of life that can be associated with the cards, I even am willing to see the sun as a strife in the sense that we are in a struggle with how much sun we need for our food protection, and our mental health, but too much and we have draught and sunburns (ouch!)

The Blacks: With the possible exception of the High Priestess, I completely buy these as Black cards. Each of these cards has a mystery and a fear that is naturally present in our psyches when we encounter them. None of these cards can be taken lightly and one must always be on guard with each of these because there is an inherent danger.

Well I think that this is a good jumping off place. I will need to look a little more to see if there is anything I missed.

Onyx.
 

Cosmic Ray

I did some painting in my life, so I can see why some of the colors might have just fit the cards he was creating at the time, but I think there is definatky more to it. Sometimes we create art for reasons known only to our subconcious mind.

I see the cards with green borders have images with alot of red...fool/hierophant/hanged man..ect

I see the cards with blue/purples have images with alot of blue or purple themselves....interesting

Reds have dark figures...stength/justice/the sun

while blacks have images with dark backgrounds, almost fire like....death/tower/moon/judgement

Just trying to team them up, and thats where I see the relationship, so I think there is a deeper reason for the color choice
 

Cosmic Ray

forgot to add, the selection of color groups for the minors work perfectly with their given theme!
 

Onyx

Cosmic Ray said:
I did some painting in my life, so I can see why some of the colors might have just fit the cards he was creating at the time, but I think there is definatky more to it. Sometimes we create art for reasons known only to our subconcious mind.

I see the cards with green borders have images with alot of red...fool/hierophant/hanged man..ect

I see the cards with blue/purples have images with alot of blue or purple themselves....interesting

Reds have dark figures...stength/justice/the sun

while blacks have images with dark backgrounds, almost fire like....death/tower/moon/judgement

Just trying to team them up, and thats where I see the relationship, so I think there is a deeper reason for the color choice

You are right! I have often thought that if I am going to study tarot it is important for me to study art theory.

After I read your post, I went back through the cards. I saw what you were talking about how the colors on the borders complemented and/or reinforced the colors in the cards. I had completely missed the violet glow about the figure in The Star card.

As far as the red borders on the darker figures I didn’t notice how dark the Justice card was. I love the texture on the robe. (Is he holding that fish with his foot?)

It is good to have someone with an eye for the art to contribute help me see those aspects.

Onyx.
 

Nydia

I seem to be using the borders to help me find certain cards. I move the cards just enough to see the colored border, and then look at the card more if the border is the right one. The majors make it harder to do that, though. It would be a little easier for me to find cards, if the majors all had one color which was different from the minors. However, it seems to make sense that the majors are a mix of the four suits, even if they were created without the minors in mind.
 

RYANtheBassMan

Violet borders

One thing I haven't been able to figure out is why the Magician, the Empress, and Temperance all have violet borders. To me, violet represents the fifth element, or spirit, which would make much sense since the rest of the borders correspond to the other four elements. But I would like to know why these three.

One of my ideas is these are the three attributes needed to be "one" with the spirit. Another is that they all have to do with creation (Magician - creativity/talent/skill, Empress - Fertility/maternal, Temperance - patience/channeling energy).

Any other thoughts? I haven't been able to find this one out on the internet....
 

Surja76

RYANtheBassMan said:
One thing I haven't been able to figure out is why the Magician, the Empress, and Temperance all have violet borders. To me, violet represents the fifth element, or spirit, which would make much sense since the rest of the borders correspond to the other four elements. But I would like to know why these three.

One of my ideas is these are the three attributes needed to be "one" with the spirit. Another is that they all have to do with creation (Magician - creativity/talent/skill, Empress - Fertility/maternal, Temperance - patience/channeling energy).

Any other thoughts? I haven't been able to find this one out on the internet....

You replied to your question yourself. Violet - like fifth element, correspond to the other four elements. Violet - the typical color harmoniously developed people.
Violet is heightened emotionality, which brings awareness to a state of high spirituality and sensitivity. If purple is the negative association in humans, it testifies to the sense of duty, desire to live only the present, not thinking about the past and the future.

Such cards like Magician, Empress and Temperance - are ones that represent emotional attachment to someone or something. Attachment - usually used to denote a moderate form of love.

The Magician - emotional connection established between the child and one or more adults, so that the baby: seek for them, especially in nasty, disastrous situations, is not afraid of them, especially at the stage when the extraneous matter of concern; highly susceptible to the care shown by them and showing concern for separation from them.

The Empress - emotional connection between people in socium and family. Usually means that this kind of emotional connection between cause dependence, people expect from each other emotional satisfaction.

The Temperance - certain pattern of behavior between people, which allows to achieve this emotional harmony and to keep it on the same level. Ballance of material and spiritual needs in order not to overcome edges, frames of this attachment.
Sometimes lack of attachment leads to the break of the harmony in relationship. And in vice versa, overabundance of attention and excessive attachment, can lead to supersaturation relations. When the mother is afraid of losing a child and badly looked after, her child in this case, trying to avoid the maternal care.