The Tarot of Vampyres - Seven of Grails

WolfyJames

Under the apple tree of temptation there is a passage that leads to the underworld of our darkest emotions. The vampire medusa in the front is the guardian of this entrance and like the underworld we cannot face her and live. I'm thinking of course about scorpio having pluto as one of its rulers and pluto being the underworld and death. For now she is playing with her snake companion. That snake has bitten her many times. While she cannot die from the poison she is nonetheless intoxicated by it and we caught her while she is in the rapture she feels by the poison. She is addicted to it. She is so high she does not notice the snake's poison has tainted the cauldron of blood she is been guarding.

The venus symbol is the pendant on her bra and the scorpio on one of the pillars on the right. I mention this because 7 of cups is venus in scorpio.

I want to point that since the deck is heavily inspired by the Thoth, the keyword for this card is DEBAUCH.
 

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MaineGirl117

I love, love, love that the deck creator made this card with the likeness of Medusa on it. I was unaware of Medusa's connection to Scorpio, until I stumbled upon this article.

The story goes that Medusa was the most beautiful of the three Gorgon sisters, and made love with Poseidon within the temple of Athena. Because Athena is a chaste virgin, she was enraged by this insult and turned the three sisters into ugly, snake headed hags. Should any man ever look upon their faces (while they are awake) they would be turned to stone.

Perseus, for one reason or another, promised the head of Medusa (the only mortal sister of the three) to a King, and was gifted by Athena and Hermes the golden shield and sword to slay Medusa.

etc etc etc...

After slaying Medusa, severing her head from her body, the Pegasus was born from her head (she was impregnated by Poseidon) which Perseus rode to flee from the two remaining sisters.

What's the moral of the story? The author of the website says it best:

Thus, learning lessons of mental detachment are often quite crucial in the continued growth and lives journeys of those strong in Scorpionic/Plutonic energies.

The Medusa symbolizes the curse of Scorpio, but Pegasus is the final redemption and rebirth of Scorpio set free!

Now, pull out your Lord of Grails card. Please note the Knight on the charging horse with the Medusa head held aloft. In the traditional Thoth Knight of Cups card, the Knight rides a Pegasus.
The Pegasus is a symbol of emotional regard and spiritual upliftment. But what about Medusa? What does she represent?

Looks can kill, be careful of staring at that which fascinates you?
Even something ugly on the surface can hold great beauty and promise?
The ego at it's worst? It's most dellusional? It's most illusionary?
If you caught a glimpse of your face in the mirror right now, would you stop yourself dead in your tracks?
Do you find yourself sensual, seductive, erotic, attractive?
Are you having inappropriate relationships that could get you cursed? or worse?

With every curse also comes gifts. What were Medusa's gifts? This is a GREAT article about Medusa and her dethrowning as a Mother/Earth Goddess (death/rebirth = snake) symbol. NICE.***Hemera - once again we've landed in Hecate territory! :)

I have read that Venus in Scorpio has many talents, including precognitive and psychic abilities. You know who is on the phone before you pick it up. You know someone is at the door. You know when a friend is in need, and when you call them they tell you "I was just thinking about you". You can see visions, and images that you cannot explain. Are these part of the illusion, the affects of to much wine/blood, or are they real - telling you something that you need to know?
 

WolfyJames

Thank you about the article linking scorpio and medusa, it was quite interesting. My brother is a scorpio so I think the decriptions of the scorpio comes very close to him.

This cards kind of reminds of the Moon, which is the dark side of the Moon. This is the dark side the card: temptations, unability to face reality, unabillity to see our true self and others, lost in entrancing emotions and illusions... And like with Medusa, we cannot face them and stare at them directly, for we fear we might not survive it.

Medusa is our shadow, the part of us that isn't pretty and that we don't want the others to see. Medusa needs to be recognized and loved.

I find the card beautiful.
 

Hemera

Medusa is our shadow, the part of us that isn't pretty and that we don't want the others to see. Medusa needs to be recognized and loved.
Yes! Is just read about this. Christine Downing says (in "The Goddess -Mythological Images of the Feminine", Continuum, New York 1996) that with Medusa we are in the realm of reversal because Medusa is the dark side of Athene. The Dark is what redeems us. She points out that the blood caught from the dripping head of Medusa is used by Athene and Asclepios to kill and to heal. Asclepios even uses it to raise the dead. And of course the winged horse is a symbol of poetry. Downing thinks it was because of Athene´s envy of her beauty that Medusa was killed. (Just like Snow White was (almost) killed because of her beauty by the envious stepmother!)


Downing quotes a poem by May Sarton:

I saw you once, Medusa; we were alone.
I looked you straight in the cold eye, cold.
I was not punished, was not turned to stone.
How to believe the legends I am told?..

I turned your face around! It is my face.
That frozen rage is what I must explore -
Oh secret, self-enclosed and ravaged place!
That is the gift I thank Medusa for.
 

Hemera

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With every curse also comes gifts. What were Medusa's gifts? This is a GREAT article about Medusa and her dethrowning as a Mother/Earth Goddess (death/rebirth = snake) symbol. NICE.***Hemera - once again we've landed in Hecate territory! :)
Oh yes! I only had time to read this now. Great article! Thank you for the link and for your post,too. Lots of food for thought there.
I just noticed the strange apple tree in the card above that gate. Lots of red apples but looks like there are no leaves. Poisoned apples perhaps? (Maybe this is where Snow White´s evil stepmother Queen came to get them?)

This is also a Gate Card; there is a path that can lead you away from the card to another time and place perhaps?
This deck has got many such Gate Cards. I counted nearly 10 where you have a door, a gate, a passage or something similar in the card. I think I have read tarot authors (I´m forgetting who they were) say that such cards are especially powerful.
 

MaineGirl117

I just had the most interesting experience in relating this card to real life. When you say this card is our shadow personality and the need to accept that into ourselves, it's very hard to get a grasp on that idea.

This is how I've connected it to real life:

This is a woman (or man) who puts great stock in her appearance out in the real world. She never lets people on the "outside" see her in a dishelved state. She is dressed to go out, hair perfectly in place, accessories matching, strong, confident. She's got her "armor" on (if you connect this card to the Chariot card).

But what if you were to show up at her house unexpectedly? Would you find this woman with her hair standing on end, a complete mess? No make-up, bags under her eyes, in her pj's, the toilet stopping up and she's at her wits end? She forgot to put deoderant on and OMG she's got morning breath!! Would the woman fear how people would perceive her in such a state? But this is her true face, her armor is stripped bare and she's vulnerable, no longer Eve in Eden's garden (dressed to impress - "other-worldly"), but baring her true nature. Could you love this woman then? The good, the bad, and the ugly? She's been stripped of her illusion.

The dead apple tree is an interesting correlation. Eden has fallen - this is the real world. The connection of Venus in Scorpio card is something to consider. Scorpio or the Death card is the Alchemical stage of Putrification - rotting, emulsifying, going back to the earth. Venus loves beauty, beautiful things, dressing for the occassion - and so there would be this "conflict of interest" or struggle to love that dirty, dishelved side of a woman who didn't want to shower the day before and now has company and she's seen at her worst. Will she invite them in anyways, or send them away with the explanation "this just isn't a good time for a visit"?

This card as a Gate card is interesting. I'll have to go and look at the other 7's in the deck to see if there's a gate there too. 7's are usually part of the "riddle" aspect of the Chariot card, and of course it's connection to the Tower it would seem relevent as with the Tower you "pass beyond the veil" which is the land of the Moon, guarded by the High Priestess. Again the connection with Beauty and Illusion, your Wild Self with your domesticated Self, your Dark with your Light.
 

MaineGirl117

Last thought of the day...

What is it about this card and peripheral vision? What is the psychological and spiritual significance of looking out of the corner of your eye?

In our myth here, Perseus could not look at Medusa straight on to slay her. He had to keep tabs on her whereabouts through his peripheral vision, and look through the reflection of his shield.

If I were to guess, I think it'll have something to do with looking into the past. I know some people claim to see spirits out of the corner of their eye and reflected in mirrors. Since I don't have time to dig into this topic before I head to work, I thought to at least pose the question here and see if you all have any thoughts on this. Will revisit the topic soon.

Scorpio, Cancer (Chariot or the 7's) and Pisces (Moon, Water) all have strong connections to the past.
 

Hemera

This is a brilliant idea. Of course! To look at something from the corner of one's eye, via the reflection. Straight to my notebook!
I also see the old tree with apples as wisdom of old age. The tree is almost dead but gives us all those beautiful fruit as its last deed.
 

Valentine_99

I just had the most interesting experience in relating this card to real life. When you say this card is our shadow personality and the need to accept that into ourselves, it's very hard to get a grasp on that idea.

This is how I've connected it to real life:

This is a woman (or man) who puts great stock in her appearance out in the real world. She never lets people on the "outside" see her in a dishelved state. She is dressed to go out, hair perfectly in place, accessories matching, strong, confident. She's got her "armor" on (if you connect this card to the Chariot card).

But what if you were to show up at her house unexpectedly? Would you find this woman with her hair standing on end, a complete mess? No make-up, bags under her eyes, in her pj's, the toilet stopping up and she's at her wits end? She forgot to put deoderant on and OMG she's got morning breath!! Would the woman fear how people would perceive her in such a state? But this is her true face, her armor is stripped bare and she's vulnerable, no longer
Eve in Eden's garden (dressed to impress - "other-worldly"), but baring her true nature. Could you love this woman then? The good, the bad, and the ugly? She's been stripped of her illusion.

The dead apple tree is an interesting correlation. Eden has fallen - this is the real world. The connection of Venus in Scorpio card is something to consider. Scorpio or the Death card is the Alchemical stage of Putrification - rotting, emulsifying, going back to the earth. Venus loves beauty, beautiful things, dressing for the occassion - and so there would be this "conflict of interest" or struggle to love that dirty, dishelved side of a woman who didn't want to shower the day before and now has company and she's seen at her worst. Will she invite them in anyways, or send them away with the explanation "this just isn't a good time for a visit"?

This card as a Gate card is interesting. I'll have to go and look at the other 7's in the deck to see if there's a gate there too. 7's are usually part of the "riddle" aspect of the Chariot card, and of course it's connection to the Tower it would seem relevent as with the Tower you "pass beyond the veil" which is the land of the Moon, guarded by the High Priestess. Again the connection with Beauty and Illusion, your Wild Self with your domesticated Self, your Dark with your Light.

Your analysis is very creative! I liked it! :)