The Prophets - Majors Only work-in-progress

I started this project in 2008.

It is a tribute to jesters and mad women; it is the story of the inner parts of the psyche that's fighting to break free from oppression of all things proper. It is for the ones who were and are both touched by madness, blessed with insanity..

Kissed by the gods or marked by the Devil, it matters not... madness is a portal to absolute freedom most people would never experience all their lives. This place serves such sweet Lilac Wine, it leaves me drunk.

I left this place when I found a way to tranquilize the wolf; I thought I found a way to lure it to sleep but it seems the wolf has awakened. Through dusty trails and twisted paths, the labyrinth to the house of The Prophets will throw the black dog off my scent for a while.

I have spoken about The Prophets once before. They are like outcasts that run a ship with a broken mast; steering dangerously close to jagged rocks, maelstroms and into the eye of the storm because they live so close to the edge, they have learned not to fear it.

I read about the Bone Woman yesterday, I read about the wild women who run with the wolves... have you ever read the book? I know now that I have been to places that exists but do not exist... I have been to Jahanam and I have been to the home of The Prophets.

These are the images I've etched of places wild and free; these places do not leave the taint of madness in our souls, rather it is when we acknowledge the madness running in our veins that we can find the way to these places. Noone is truly free from it and not all will claim to have stepped into a place that exists but does not exist.

Only the ones who seek the wild child inside that has been shackled and broken; the ones who seek to set the child free would journey into the eye of the storm, tip their boats too close to shards of jagged rocks or steer precariously close to the vortex of a swirling whirlpool because their survival in this world depends on it.

Need I give any warnings? No... come or stay, it is your choice.



***********Prophet of Motherhood - The Feminine aspect of III***************************

Been awhile since I walked these halls...

On the day of Woe, I returned to find the place abandoned; it was so quiet, I could hear the sound of the wind blowing through the marbled walls but I remember this place rang with laughter and constant bickering just months ago.

Even the Hermit, my favorite Rastafarian with his crazy mad locks and painted eyes, who resides in the lofty chamber #IX was not at home. So I went out to the woods looking for them.

Once a year, the prophets will gather by the Ageless tree.

She is the Prophet of Motherhood; the one who weeps over an empty nest; the one who waits by the roadside for the prodigal child to return. She has her limbs stretched far and wide to give shelter to wayward travellers who have lost their way home; she is the one who watches over the prophets at the darkest hour of the night.

She is the perhaps only reason the agoraphoebic Hermit will ever leave his room; with his lamp that will slowly burn the City of Glass into the ground, he will lead them to the tree where the mother lives and one by one, they will lay a rose at the feet of the nameless one..



Ash

I squealed so loud that my parents must think I'm insane. My only tarot wish for 2010 was to find out, for sure, if you were ever going to finish this project or not. I was going to PM you to ask, but I was too afraid. I don't even care that it will be a Majors-only; the Prophet of Conformity spoke to me the same way Redemption did, and I knew if this deck became reality I would have to own it too. I'm so thrilled!

hey... LotusSong

First to the scene.

Well, hop aboard my friend... Let's see where it takes us..


Ash

Nice!

I think I am too smiling with a grin spreading ear to ear here.

If you take a look at my profile you will see, the Prophets was the other deck on my wishlist.

Out of interest Ash, will it be a Prophets of the Rose or Prophets of the Thorn that comes to be? I seem to remember you had two different paths with the Prophets as the 'theme'.

Or will it be possibly an amalagamation of them both?

Now this Earth Mother is different for sure, but we can still see she oversees everything and has done for aeons (that tree is ancient). Nothing phazes her, or causes her to become unrooted - not even the wildest winds. I could see her as having an amazing calming influence, just by being round her. Yet at the same time, could that show she is rigid in her outlook? Perhaps 'unbending'?

Only a few thoughts here..... will come (as usual ) but have just woken up and still in hibernation mode

thanks for coming back Ash and sharing. I have followed the Prophets on another forum as you know, and this is kick starting me to go back and read them all again.

Davina

Nicole

I finally gave her a face; and hope she will leave me alone now for she was invading my dreams more often and more insistant since I last saw you.

Thank you for your insight as well as your advice; I am hoping she is pacified now that the deal has been struck.

Davina

I too, went into hibernation... until I heard the wolf stratching at my door again. It was time to seek the wild woman and bid her help; for I can find no rest when the tip of the pen lies drying by the lamp.

To answer your question, The Prophets started as "The Prophets of the Rose" which explores the Feminine; the silence within that contains all the secrets of the universe, the non-active, the listener. However, it became obvious to me that for the yin to be complete, the yang energy has to be present too; the Masculine aspect began to creep into my mind's eye and thus, The Prophets of the Thorns emerged; ... daring, dangerous, "Just-do-it" sort of characters that threaten to tip the balance yet it does not; it merely brings balance that is required.

I remember the first rogue who crashed the all-girls party; it was The Prophet of Intentions (Magician) and he swaggered in one night; bringing the mist and cold from outside into the Hall of Prophecy.

All eyes turned to him as he grinned devilishly before taking a bow. Quite the showman and entertainer!! He handed them each a single black rose and you could cut through the tension with a knife... Until the Prophet of Arts climbed on one of the roses and played her violin; hypnosis to calm the disturbed mind.... but the bad boys showed up one by one after that and there was no stoping them since. The Prophets series will contain the Roses and the Thorns; each side representing the Feminine and Masculine of one card.

In total, there will be 44 cards; 2 Majors only deck under one roof.

I am reading the book, "Women who run with the wolves" as I continue on this leg of the journey that was left abandoned. I especially love the concepts of Baba Yaga, the wild goddess and the bone woman because they are primordial. They are the forgotten parts of the psyche that were buried alongside imaginary friends and fantasy; they were replaced by doctrine deemed proper in order for us to fit into the culture/soceity we were raised in.

I realize now, for me personally, that process took me into adulthood where I learned to use my masks so effectively, I lose myself in the role I am expected to play. I've allowed the child within to be bound and broken; moulded and remoulded so that I am able to "fit-in" with the rest. I "sold-out" but the rebel child refuses to die; it refuses to comply and it broods silently inside... plotting its escape. Occassionally, it manages a scream, it rattles its cage and it trips me over just to get my attention; just to tell me it is there and it is unhappy because it was never meant to be a prisoner in its own home.

I went to visit the prophets who are completely insane. Like the Jahanamians, they follow no rules man-made but they adhere adsolutely to a set of laws unseen but instinctually felt. They listen to the universe and they read the signs that those with eyes that see not can never read.
The prophets are not always "there"; like I am not always "here". To them, we are sentient beings passing through a life that is fleeting. We are the candle burning away in the Page of Clubs.

Yes, the Prophet of Motherhood can be rigid because an acorn can never grow into an apple tree. However, knowing that already, the focus shifts to how we view rigidity; as a structure that is required to form a temporary shelter or one that remains unchanging even when it has out-lived its usefulness. Ideas and concepts are ever changing (imo) but the blueprint of the universe remains the same. Though it deviates to some degree; I have come to realize that every contingency plan has already been meticulously thought out and executed. Don't ask me how I know this, I just do Can't explain it, call it blind faith



Ash

well I am already having dancing through my mind the potential if both decks were combined. Being able to have either yin or yang available to focus on in a reading by combining the two would be very worth it.

There are not many spreads I have where I use just the majors only but one does come to mind where this will be a corker. I use 7 cards to undertake a personality profile. Being able to then fork into the masculine or feminine undertone will add such a useful dimension, as we all have both traits within us, regardless of our gender at birth. This isn't currently possible with just the usual 22 card major sets. And I can see myself using this as an opening reading before using the current Diary of a Broken Soul for the main reading. Understanding the personality of the querant better will be something to apply to the situation at hand.

Getting excited now....lol

Davina

bearing in mind my previous post Ash, (and this is not a pressure question or a hidden request to hurry up I promise )

how many cards do you currently have completed and what sort of time scale do you think you have in mind?

Good luck with the remaining cards. I will be watching with more than a little interest here

Davina

shadowdancer said:

bearing in mind my previous post Ash, (and this is not a pressure question or a hidden request to hurry up I promise )

how many cards do you currently have completed and what sort of time scale do you think you have in mind?

Good luck with the remaining cards. I will be watching with more than a little interest here

Davina

Click to expand...

Time scale.. now that IS a tricky one.

I've recently been offered an opportunity to illustrate a book that tells the story of Gautama Buddha's journey. The publication house is looking at 30 images plus the cover for the book and I am putting all my energy in it; simply because it is too good an opportunity to pass up.... And I figured I could use a light right about now... whose better to borrow than the Awakened One, eh?

The Prophet of Motherhood was something I drew while waiting for the answer; if they wanted me to work on the ilustrations for the book or not ....and they did!!! HAHA!!!! **Can you tell how excited I am?**

Knowing the ever erratic schedule I keep when creating a deck; I would say... I really don't know but out of the 44 cards; 16 cards already completed and they are scattered all over 3 different forums not including this one..

I know.. I'm a mess .... that's why Jeremy couldn't stand it anymore and put together the website for The Diary so all the images are neatly compiled in one place

Hugs.



**********Prophet of Arts - The Feminine aspect of XIV**************

I think I deleted the earlier prophets from elsewhere; one of earlier ones I drew is a personal favorite of mine.

The Prophet of Arts; the silver-tongued mediator / facilitator; she is the master musician who creates calm or discordance; incite or quell conflicts; call up long lost memories and more ... eeerrr.... depending on how "stable" she is at the time, of course... I used the color yellow to introduce her because I've seen golden notes float up like liquid light when she plays; casting the room in a warm luminious glow.

Anyways, here is an excerpt I found an article for your reading leisure. Click on the link and scroll down till you find "Non-motivated Functions of Art and Motivated Functions of Art"... yyyeeesssssssss, I AM being lazy



Ash

Hell NO!

But I wish it was so..

He is not one of The Prophets. No, this gentleman is in a league of his own and although this is a tarot creations forum, I wanted to share something of what I am working on right now.. its a commissioned piece for a project unrelated to tarot but I think I will re-do a version like this one for the Prophet of Hope (Masculine Aspect -XVII)

I kinda like the concept... very much in fact.

This is how I imagine it would be like;

When somehow we become one with ourselves,
When the world no longer holds us in its iron grip;
When love and hope takes us beyond the immediate struggle;
When we see ourselves as ONE with the universe;
When the color of our skin is no longer a sin;
When we abandon our fears and adopt compassion;
When we no longer look upon each other as enemies;
But kin born of the same seed, headed towards the same destination.


Ash