6 of Wands: A Fake Horse?

Abrac

I believe it is easy to miss the forest for the trees. PCS painted the RWS tarot in the Expressionistic style which strives to represent subjective, emotional states as opposed to objective reality. To achieve this, the subject is frequently caricatured, exaggerated, distorted, or otherwise altered in order to stress the subjective experience in its most intense and concentrated form.

-fof
 

baba-prague

It's interesting too, to consider the fact that Colman Smith worked as a theatrical designer. I'm reading Robert Place's new book at the moment and I very much like the way he points out that quite a lot of the RWS cards seem to be drawn as though they're taking place on a stage. It's something that's obvious enough when you look, but rarely considered. So maybe this is indeed a stage horse? Or that is, a horse-back procession as it might be presented on a stage? I'm not putting this forward as the ultimate "truth" about the card (there are many ways of seeing most of these cards), but it's very interesting to consider it in that light.
 

Rosanne

Sorry for the departure from the original intent of the thread- but I would like to talk about the 'stage' cards for a moment. About twenty years ago I realised about the stage cards in RWS. I could not figure their importance. They seem to me to be more complex than the non-stage cards. Then I realised they were somewhat numerical.All the twos for example. They seem to show what TO do, or NOT do, to improve your life.
Swords 2- get some balance or resolve conflict
or you will get Swords 3(non stage) seperation and unhappiness and pain.
I have told as many people as I remember to. It has added immeasurably to my reading once I worked out the possible code of the stage cards. They seem to be an definite 'action is required' cards!
Now back to horses lol. ~Rosanne
 

Elven

fof said:
I believe it is easy to miss the forest for the trees. PCS painted the RWS tarot in the Expressionistic style which strives to represent subjective, emotional states as opposed to objective reality. To achieve this, the subject is frequently caricatured, exaggerated, distorted, or otherwise altered in order to stress the subjective experience in its most intense and concentrated form.

Hi FoF,
I think that PCS actually painted proportion well - but, I am saying that the lines on these horses are so close its important to consider that there is the posibility that keeping the horses uniform, was needed so that the cards kept an overall visual proportion as a deck. I cant be sure - mainly because I have a tendency to see the woods in everything, and I am no historian - a speculating spectator if anything :) But it has helped me discover things I never considered, and that keeps me keen as punch about Tarot :p

baba said:
It's interesting too, to consider the fact that Colman Smith worked as a theatrical designer. I'm reading Robert Place's new book at the moment and I very much like the way he points out that quite a lot of the RWS cards seem to be drawn as though they're taking place on a stage.

This is interesting baba - I didnt know this, yet it is serendipity - I was looking at the two of cups yesterday and noticed something which I interpreted as the couple being on a very level road with guttering - LOL!! (A well paved level, straight 'foundation') as compared to the card next to it which was the rougher ground of the 4 of cups.
Looking at the rest of the cards, the double line (which is found on the 2 of cups) which could give a 'stage ' impression, is found (in the same proportions - line width & height) on the 2 cups, 4 Wands, 9 wands, 10 wands, 4 pentacles, 8 pentacles, 7 swords, 4 swords, 10 swords.
Thick stage lines on the 5 cups, 10 cups, 8 cups.
A higher double line is found on 3 cards -5 swords, 2 swords, 6 pentacles.
What looks to be hand drawn 'stage' double lines are found on 2 pentacles & page of cups.
Im sorry to move away from the horse - but I can see that their are lines on the cards which are the same in proportion on a few cards - the stage lines and the horse belly lines.

Blessings
Elven x
 

lark

And I've noticed that if you look at the back grounds the same buildings, trees, roads, paths, bridges keep appearing....like a set of stage back drops.

I've often stared at that card and it seems like it is a fake horse and the riders feet are actually the horses legs.... kind of like a more elaborate hobby horse we used to play with as kids.
 

sliderkta

Elven said:
LOL!!! I am looking at 'horsie' right now :p

I think the bump at the rear, in proportion to the horse, is the tail. Arab breed horses have this physical attribute that when they step out in thier gaite - they raise their tail - Tenessee Walking horses do it - Welsh Mountain Ponies - many pure breds do - they also have a tendancie to arch their kneck, which then drops their head, or tucks it to their risen chest.
The front leg is in stride, and I get the impression of crowd noise around this card - (lol!! audio cards) but there is movement too - as the horse gathers in its stride. I dont see it as galloping but maybe a collected canter, ot trot.

I like the interpretaion that you give though - something has pointed this out and I can see what you mean also.

Thanks for the heads up on this one :)

Blessings
Elven x

You're welcomed! ^_^

Just thought I should add one more thing --> Okay, let's say the horse is real. How come the legs (esp. the left foreleg) and tail are covered? It doesn't make sense to cover up the horse like that and have it trot through a crowd with a rider on its back. It's dangerous because the legs could get tangled in the sheet and the animal could fall down and injure itself. Plus, the rider could also be seriously wounded from such a fall. If the animal is real, it could be the rider is taking a big safety risk as he parades around on the horse. Hmm...
 

sliderkta

kilts_knave said:
I hadn't noticed before, but now that you mention it, the horse's face is in a "military parade right" position --that is, she is facing the crowd (us). Therefore the left leg out in the front and that tail fanned out the back makes sense. And, this is supposed to be a victory parade, is it not?

K:spade:K

Yes, of course! ^_^ But I'm also thinking, the horse could also indicate what kind of victory we're dealing with. Is it short-term? long-term? Is it a cardboard-cut-out, Hollywood style victory? Is it a hollow victory? It's the kind of victory that I'm curious about. ^_^
 

sliderkta

Rosanne said:
Elven, I have looked at my Enigma. You are right. So the Victor is not sitting on his mount properly if you uncover the Horse in your minds eye- he is going to fall off!
I have attached one of Pamela's models for horses I think.Her friend and Painter Jack Yeats.~Rosanne


You're right, Mr. Man-of-the-hour doesn't look like he's stable on that horse. He seems to lack riding experience.
 

sliderkta

Rosanne said:
Sorry for the departure from the original intent of the thread- but I would like to talk about the 'stage' cards for a moment. About twenty years ago I realised about the stage cards in RWS. I could not figure their importance. They seem to me to be more complex than the non-stage cards. Then I realised they were somewhat numerical.All the twos for example. They seem to show what TO do, or NOT do, to improve your life.
Swords 2- get some balance or resolve conflict
or you will get Swords 3(non stage) seperation and unhappiness and pain.
I have told as many people as I remember to. It has added immeasurably to my reading once I worked out the possible code of the stage cards. They seem to be an definite 'action is required' cards!
Now back to horses lol. ~Rosanne

Your comment doesn't detract at all from the subject. It does look as if the victory procession is on a stage. If this is a stage card, I feel sorry for the guys under the horse's bard. LOL.
 

caridwen

It's always struck me how similar this horse is to the Knight of Cups' - my apologies if this has already been mentioned. They look almost identical to me in size and posture.