Description
Cupid and his concept are as old as the Gods of Olympus are themselves. We see Cupid, a crouched figure, contemplating a pomegranate. For in Hesiod's Theogany and Homer's Hymn to Demeter, Love started it all. The imagery conveys a sense of timelessness and truth about the nature of Love, which is what the extant decks of the 15th Century called this card, not the more modern Lovers.
Symbolism
According to Myth, Aphrodite was concerned that all the Goddesses would remain childless and so she despatched Cupid to find a mate for the virgin Persephone, and he took out his sharpest arrow and fired it into the dark heart of Hades. Hades was immediately overtaken with desire for the maiden and so he rose from his underworld kingdom and abducted her to be his wife. This was not a love match, but a one sided affair, and when Demeter finally secured her daughter's release it was on the condition that Persephone returned - duty bound - to Hades for part of each year because she had eaten from the Pomegranate fruit whilst in the underworld. Pomegranates have a strong place in both the Qu'ran and in Christianity and in Islam it is said that the Pomegranate is the fruit of the Garden of Paradise.
Card Meaning
Like one of Cupid's arrows, love can just hit you ... especially when you are not expecting it. But you are left in no doubt that this is 'it'! Now this can be a very wonderful thing, or not, depending if you are already in a relationship. Therefore it is very important to ask yourself whether this is Lust or Love. Love can also be 'arranged' by families, in which case love grows from duty, as in the case of Persephone. But this card signifies the Divine action of LOVE in your life, and Cupid invites you to enter all the chambers of heart, from the brightest to the darkest, the sweetest to the most bitter and to fully experience each one.
Artistic Media
I painted the background in Acrylics. I used my Fuji FinePix 6900zoom digital camera and fused them all and generally mucked around in PhotoShop 7. The model is my son who was most irritated about posing nude in a pair of angel wings with an old pomegranate :O) The font used is called Morpheus.
Artist's Bio
I graduated from Northbrook College of Art and Design in 2002 with an HNC completed in one year instead of three, and an HND completed in one year instead of two. An HND representing to the industry technical knowledge, whereas a Degree represents personal development, but I'm as well developed as I need to be :O) I have been reading tarot cards for many years now, but since coming to Aeclectic my eyes have been opened to a whole new facet of Tarot, and my readings have been endowed with a whole new dimension also.
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