The Gothic Tarot by Vargo - Knave Of Cups

WolfyJames

Vargo's cards were based on earlier works, you can see some of them on his website. This card is called Overseer.

Some gargoyle is on the side of a building. He's barely holding with his left hand and his two feet. he's looking down below, a raven with red eyes on his left shoulder. A face is engraved on the side of the building. A cup is standing next to the gargoyle, to his left.

The gargoyle looks quite gracious, agile, and he holds his dangerous position effortlessly. His horns on his head makes him looks like he wears a crown, giving him a noble look. It feels like he's daydreaming and that he's not really there, holding on between two realms: above and below. He can feel the currents in the sky and the wind. He listens to his intuition: the raven.
 

Umbrae

Yeah – he hangs effortlessly.

Look real close at his smile – it’s a rictus grin, deathlike…now pull back your focus, look at that right arm of his, graceful and delicate. And is that Huginn, or Muninn (thought or memory) speaking to him?

The statue is lifeless? But in lifelessness there is life – life from entropy.
 

Alissa

Something about this card, the gargoyle's posture, reminds me of longing. To me, he looks as if he sees beneath him that which he wants, and his claw reaches towards it, only to be met with mist.

The cup could be a gift that the immobile one wishes to offer, but is currently either unable or unwilling to act.

The cawing raven speaks to matters of "listening." Certainly, inner listening, such as intuitive guidance in the matter at hand, may be coming forward to guide the querent.
 

Annwyn

The gargoyle is naked, he bares his soul. He is perched upon a ledge looking below him. Their is also wind forming. Could the wind easily blow him off? He is high up. Does he like to take risks? A risk taker, putting himself in precarious situations.

I agree the raven is whispering words of wisdom to him. I also agree the hand hanging over the ledge does appear to be slightly grasping at something below him. Something just out of his reach?

I see that how his fingers grasp at the ledge do appear to me that he could easily slip but he doesnt seem bothered. He does indeed appear to be "reflecting" and listening to what the raven has to say.
 

mercenary30

Knave of Cups

An impish looking gargoyle is leaning over the side edge of a tall edifice. He clings to an upper ledge with his left hand, while looking out and down from his high roost. On his left shoulder a raven squawks and flutters its wings. Behind the automaton on the wall is a gargoyle in the traditional sense. It resembles the face of the Green Man. The open mouth is the exit point of a drainage system that has been build into this structure. Below the open mouth of the Green Man is a chalice. It is the same design as is usually depicted in these cards. A thin wispy fog can be seen below the ledge holding the gargoyle, and you can just barely make out the heavy cloud cover up in the sky.

The raven is a messenger sent by the master. He has a given the gargoyle a message and now he is about to do his masters bidding. The raven is quite agitated and this behavior is influencing this stone knave, driving him into a frenzy. The bird will stick around long enough to report back to the master. This is a lot more exciting than just standing around on sentry duty and running in the chalice when it has become full.
 

annik

This knave seems very romantic to me. The raven seems to be his mentor or his conscience or a great friend.
 

seneris

I didn't get the Huginn/ Muninn reference and I did a little research. Thanks to my reliable friend pantheon.org (great mythology site!) I found out that it were the raven of Odin. They were sent out each morning to fly over the earth, and by night they would return and tell Odin what they had seen or heard on their flight.

I can almost hear this raven deliver his message to the master.