Midnight Soul Cards & Discussion Area

[MidnightSoul]

Thank you Alta, I had to put myself inside each court card personages head, to visualize the cards. It is not easy as one would think, creating the court. I bought a new book that has helped alot though, called "Understanding The Tarot Court" by Mary K. Greer and Tom Little. It is excellent, and has opened my mind up to the possibilities.

I next hope to finish The Star, and repost my new Death card, since I think I fell down off the horse with my first effort. Yayyyy... new death card up sometime today I hope.

And then work on my Princesses... (pages), so much to do, so little time

 

[MidnightSoul]

Death is Natural Change

There is an interesting story to this card. I chose to do it originally on my birthday, which coincidentally happened to be the day my ex-husband also served me with divorce papers, the Bastard. Somehow it seemed the right time to tackle that card. From this I have learned to NEVER force a card without Seth's guiding inspiration, since the work was inferior to say the very least.

I had been putting off Death for a long time, seeking a way to express Natural Change, so as not to frighten those who may fear actual literal death if they see the card in a reading. That is always foremost in my mind in every card, how can I hold the darkness inherent in some cards, but do so in a way that does not frighten newcomers to Tarot.

Ironically, I chose to redo the card from the ground up on my ex-husbands birthday just a few days ago. Again, it seemed the time to do it. A new concept, as different as night and day from the old Death.

Comments, instructional messages, and self expression are always welcome.

Here we have Death ... A Natural Change of the Seasons. Spring, always overcomes Winter, and so it goes.

I hope you will approve it.

 

[MidnightSoul]

Strength and Temperance

I have put off doing Strength and Temperance for almost a year now, since the inspiration came to me as to what I needed to create. I felt my skills needed to advance for me to be able to quite pull it off. My student advisor at school tells me I am gifted, to just do it. But sometimes it is hard to believe in myself.

I have deviated far from the typical RWS path on both of these cards, in fact, renaming Temperance to Balance. It is my feeling that both cards now more correctly symbolize the true meaning of each card.

As with all my cards, the upright, and ill-dignified version are the same.... all incorporated into one image. That is because my world is not black and white, but shades of gray. Even the most carefully tended garden might harbor a few hidden weeds.... and so my cards though full of joy and light, are also slightly dark and macabre. It works for me. I hope you will approve it.

As always, helpful comments of all sorts, if spoken with politeness, are welcome.

Love, Light and Reason
Liz Birdsong - Midnight Soul

 

[MidnightSoul]

I have done my usual "pentimento" style of work, finishing out Temperance - Balance, after I had already thought I was done with it. I hope you all will enjoy the newer version, which is a much stronger image. I have replaced the old Temperance with the new in the post just above this one.

 

[HOLMES]

Lately I have been in deep seclusion whilst working on the royal court cards. Some have been done for a while, and others are in progress or just being visualized.

I finally finished all 4 Queens to my liking however, and so you can foresee what each "theme" of the Minor Arcana will hinge upon, I have decided to post them.

As always, questions, helpful commentary of an educational sort, opinions, and self expression are welcome.

Enter the Queens

hello there

at first i thought the queens were young to be queen,, til I remembered in the medevial days a queen was usually a queen for a long time since the day they married young to the day they passed on.
so i am all for young queens

for me it looks like a horn is on that bird in the queen of shields beside the sword, though after looking it a bit i can see it is a wing straightened out.
perhaps you can just move that bird a little backward. (i had to look at the other bird to see if it had a horn on the head).
i look forward to reading in the book what the rabbit means here.

 

[HOLMES]

.

Here we have Death ... A Natural Change of the Seasons. Spring, always overcomes Winter, and so it goes.

I hope you will approve it.

I think i would like it a little bit better if the white dancer eyes were closed like she was gentley asleep.
or even better , as it goes,, winter could be overcoming fall with spring and summer laying sleeping on the ground.
i dont' see really a death aspect here or a rebirth image here just a dance.
with that in mind,, good artwork as per usual.

 

[HOLMES]

I have put off doing Strength and Temperance for almost a year now, since the inspiration came to me as to what I needed to create. I felt my skills needed to advance for me to be able to quite pull it off. My student advisor at school tells me I am gifted, to just do it. But sometimes it is hard to believe in myself.

actually I like this strength card..
you have to be strong in body, mind and spirit and heart to be a ballerina dancer and dedicated.
i could look at this and see two woman in love, see a woman and her animals self, see two best friends practing for upcoming gig.
(which just remind me of that part in golden girls where rose and blanch do a dance and get caught by dorothy and her mom).

 

[HOLMES]

I have done my usual "pentimento" style of work, finishing out Temperance - Balance, after I had already thought I was done with it. I hope you all will enjoy the newer version, which is a much stronger image. I have replaced the old Temperance with the new in the post just above this one.

that is the primary theme of temperance for me in many readings is balance.
so i am perfectly ok with the title eheh.
divine invention eh ,, i would ok with the angel helping the person with the pits of hell below the person.

or perhaps the angel helping out a person who isnt' an angel but a rock climber getting to the top of mount everest though who ever said angels can't help out other angels i am sure they do it all the time.

 

[MidnightSoul]

Winter Full Moon Eclipse Solstice MA 5 Reverence

Merry Merry Christmas.

Attached is the product of my work from 10pm Full Moon Eclipse Winter Solstice on the 22nd of December, running straight through to about 11pm Dec 25th to finish it. I missed the Christmas Pageant Mass, but sometimes it is all about timing, and if I put off the vision, it forsakes me.

I have also attached the previous version which offended so many people as I accidentally turned the Pentagram upside down. The upside down Pentagram made the card reak of evil. It was not the time to do the card and I forced it, much to my dismay. It is one of three that I have chosen to do-over.I think you can see why. It disturbed me on an elemental level that is almost impossible to explain. Just EVIL.

The new card, Reverence pleases me very much, and I hope you will approve it.

The Major Arcana Card 5, Reverence, is a figure who reveals sacred things - she is a spiritual leader on earth. She has been described by Tarot Authority Paul Foster Case as "a bridge-maker who provides a connecting link between outer experience and inner illumination.

The Reverence card embodies the enduring bond of wisdom and mercy. The inspiration of the Spirit manifests in the Reverence and Faith of an Archangel, sharing with us enlightened intuition if we are willing to listen, In theory, divine authority owes it's inspirational message to the Tree of Life. However, with the passage of time, worldly religious traditions often sink into dogma and conventionality. The Reverence Card reminds us that this need not be so, and that true spiritual insight transcends earthbound authority.

I think it is a powerful card, begun on the night of Full Moon Winter Solstice, and completed just around 11 pm on Christmas. That has to mean something.

Let me know what you think. If I have it right this time

Love, Light and Reason,
Liz Birdsong - Midnight Soul

 

[truelighth]

I just caught up with this thread and I really like the new cards. But especially Death to be honest. I like the idea that you used, that Spring overcomes Winter. Very novel idea to me and very apt. Lovely!