"Life Is A Dream"

"Life is a dream from which only death awakens us".

In searching for why The Hermit in the Visconti may be considered Saturn in Aquarius or Prudence; I first tried to understand Saturn- thence in Aquarius.

Considering the malefic personality of Saturn there are several early stories about astrologer Kings and the bad relationships between fathers and sons like the myths and legends like the Cronus/Zeus conflict. Even in Children of the Planets discussion of Saturn- 'tis a sad life. It is said that that the Goddess of Justice lived on earth until all this discord drove her to live in the Skies(as Virgo), until a Golden Age came. The central theme is the conflict between free will and fate and how we behave.
One story that seems to give some understanding to the Saturn like Hermit is
a popular Medieval story called Barlaam and Josaphat. It was so popular that it appeared in the first printing of the press called the Golden Legend. It gained various forms but basically it is a story of a King whom the astrologers had foretold that his son Josaphat would one day become a Christian. So The King imprisoned his son. As like Saturn/Cronus who ate his children.
So is the Hermit as Saturn in Aquarius the idea that the time has come for a new King who is powerful and just and the beneficial side of Saturn?

By the way- it is thought these legends as stories is a Christianized version of the life of Buddha- but I am not interested in that- just the Hermit as Saturn- which in all the early cards is not visually cruel and despotic.

~Rosanne

The reason this thread is called "life is a Dream" is because the The King as Malefic Saturn tries to see if his son would not betray him lets him free. The son acts very badly and the King puts him back in prison, tells him that yesterday was a dream. The Son reflects on this and decides it would be better to behave well regardless of whether life is a dream or not. So he becomes in Time- Prudent.
~Rosanne

So is the Hermit as Saturn in Aquarius the idea that the time has come for a new King who is powerful and just and the beneficial side of Saturn?

Click to expand...

I'm not certain exactly when it was that this card was designated as Saturn in Aquarius. Thought it was far more recently. But if it was at that time, does anybody know what the influence of Aquarius was considered to be at the time of the printing of the Golden Legend?

As you say, the Hermit isn't shown as a despotic (child-eating ) person. He's usually thought of as 'time'......

The reason this thread is called "life is a Dream" is because the The King as Malefic Saturn tries to see if his son would not betray him lets him free. The son acts very badly and the King puts him back in prison, tells him that yesterday was a dream. The Son reflects on this and decides it would be better to behave well regardless of whether life is a dream or not. So he becomes in Time- Prudent.
~Rosanne

Click to expand...

I like this last = ...So he becomes in Time- Prudent.


Bee

In 1985 John Shepherds book The Tarot Trumps- Cosmos in Miniature
was published. Apart from some glaring misdirections* it is an enjoyable read.
It purports to be the first book to look at the early decks in the light of themes of Mythology, Philosophy and Astrology.

With the wide interest interest in Astrology in 15th Century Italy and it's use a an underlying theme in Art, it seemed not unlikely, it seemed that the three sets of seven cards were based on the seven planets- a kind of elaborated Children of the Planets. This may be tested by showing do in fact fit into a framework of this kind so smoothly as would be unlikely by pure chance.

Click to expand...

The author then goes on to explain his preference for the order based on Essential Dignities of the planets, which express interrelationships between the planets and signs of the Zodiac. he talks only about two types of dignity- rulerships and exaltations.
The diagram is very clear- I will scan it.

Altogether, the trumps seem to fit into planetary framework so well that this could hardly be accidental. An Astrological basis for them looks certain......(words of John Shepherd)

The exception seems to be the Hermit- who has a foot in both worlds of both the Realm of Man and the Realm of the Soul.
It also seems to explain the missing two cards of Mercury in Virgo and Mars in Capricorn.

*On the cover It shows two Visconti Cards The Fool and the Tower and states on the fly the cards from the mid fifteenth-century Visconti-Sforza tarot deck. There has not been found a Visconti Tower (or Devil) and the picture on the jacket is that of a 1975 designed replacement/addition of unstated artist. It is a very good replacement- but is not aprox 560 years old

Next post hopefully the scans......

Here.....

and here....(very neat)

Ah Rosanne, these are impossible to read except for perhaps the very young of which I am not one

But I just got that book! It's on the bedside table, next in line to be read.

Oh Poo Bah Debra I cannot link with increased pixels.
Thank you for recommendation of book though!

I have some difficulty with the triple Goddess concept because in the Visconti Moon she is Diana as she wears an apple on her waist cord which therefore does not make her Temperance or Diana on Earth, or Luna in Heaven
It makes her Diana in Heaven...........(I would think) Just a little Trivia pun here. :

Back to the Hermit- so he walks in two worlds- that of Man and that of Soul- so he might be shown with a split personality eh? How might that be shown?
Any Ideas? This according to me would be the only schizophrenic personality in the whole deck.

~Rosanne

Rosanne said:

"Life is a dream from which only death awakens us".


~Rosanne

Click to expand...

Now that's what I call one "rude awakening"!

How does that fit in with the old adage, "waking up on the wrong side of the bed"? It's like you go to bed one night, and when you wake up in the morning Satan is standing over you with a clipboard...

"Are you Mel?"

"Dad, how could you nor recognize your own son?"

Okay. I'm not that naughty. Just high spirited.

Regardless of when or who determined "the hermit" was Saturn in Aquarius, the figure is certainly Saturnine. Both Time and Death are Saturn's rule.

My ascendent is Aquarius with Saturn there in, so anything bad said about it will be taken personally!

Oh NOW I know why you are in to timing.

Perhaps you can tell what the personality of Saturn in Aquarius is?

The important thing is that your Mother recognises you, not your Dad.
So relax, she would love your high spirits.

.....and whilst I am at it, what is a body who is in the realm of Man and also the realm of the Soul like? a Soulful Man or just confused?

~Rosanne