Mary El Tarot - Three of Disks

Bat Chicken

http://www.mary-el.com/disks1.html

The father, mother and child of the three of Disks seem wrapped in a single cloth that reminds me of the texture of the style of tree roots in some of the other cards.

The father wears the marks of the Sun on his forehead and the Omega and Vau (Nail – Saturn?) on his hands. The mother’s facial tattoos look like water and the marks on her hands are obscured.

The gesture of her lower hand reminds me of images of Christ and some Hindu Gods. The fingers of the hand represent the five elements. The fingers the woman holds together are fire, water and earth. Similar, but not exact is the yogic mudra for earth:
Mudra of Earth (Prithvi Mudra) http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/tag/25-mudras-in-hatha-yoga/]

Touch the tip of the thumb and the tip of the ring finger together, keeping the other three fingers straight. Since this Mudra is an association of the earth element with the powerful Sun, it brings solidity to the body.

This particular mudra can be found on some Christian icons of Christ.

The child wears the five pointed star, a symbol of creation, all five elements combined and focused.

I am inclined to see the parents as the pillars and the child has passed through them, through the center. Interestingly, the sparks also found around the trees in the two of wands have returned here and this card reminds me, or perhaps echoes, that card. Can’t think of a good reason for it within the structure of Tarot, but there it is….

Thoughts?
 

Debra

Thanks for doing all the set up work :heart: even if it takes us a while to chime in, it's great to have so much to work with.

I'm noticing that the father's lower hand is also in some maybe symbolic gesture, as it's very difficult and unnatural to hold your hand like this.
 

Bat Chicken

Thanks for saying so - I am having a wonderful time doing this and I am glad that anyone would be bothered to read it! :)

I didn't find anything definitive. Similar mundras suggested compassion, receptiveness, a gift. But the positions were somewhat different or for a different hand. So I am not sure if the intent was more than to reveal the symbols?
 

Feisty Kat

this card makes me smile...it is a card of creation, of caring for that creation yet with the knowledge that you will eventually have to let it go...for your creation it is only the beginning...

UZU--Feisty Kat aka Melia
 

cSpaceDiva

I had the 3 of Disks appear in a reading in the same row as Justice. I immediately noticed the similarity in the hand positions--crossed over the heart and in front of the baby. I was curious about the positions of the other hands, and started searching for information on mudras. Mudras can be used to actualize inner states of consciousness. I think that is an appropriate representation for the suit of Disks overall and the 3 of Disks as the "journey of the soul into flesh". (Companion book, p. 89)

There seem to be many variations and interpretations, but I believe the hands crossed over the chest is Vajra pradama mudra, which represents inner strength or confidence of the Heart Self. It is difficult to tell if all the fingers are in the same plane as the palm, but the man's open palm below could be either Varada mudra (compassion, granting wishes) or Hamsapaksha (swan feather-patron deity is god of love). The woman's left hand appears to be Pran mudra (life and stability). According to yogic tradition, prana is the mysterious energetic life force that animates living beings. Pran Mudra is said to generate and redirect this life force. (Short research paper with references cited, Manifestation: Mudras within Iconography)

The marks on the faces I saw as Sun/fire for the father, water/Moon for the mother and Star/sky/air for the baby. (Marie White says it is air/heir). According to the book (p. 146), "Disks explores the idea of love...seen often as harmony between the other three elements in your life." I interpret this earthy family as the embodiment of the other 3 elements.