Symbolism & Meaning
Like her counterpart in the Rider-Waite-Smith image, this seeker's face is hidden from the viewer. Her long black hair is reminiscent of the hood of the ferryman. The seeker in this card both rides in and controls her own boat. She wears violet to symbolize her spirituality.
The boat has the figurehead of a phoenix and is decorated with spirals, symbolizing a journey ultimately leading to rebirth. The sail is the green of the new shoots of spring. Atop the mast is a flame-colored flag of passion. Although the seeker may be outwardly distracted by the scenery, the phoenix on the boat always stares straight ahead. Inwardly, she is steady on her course.
Right now, the solar wind is strong enough to take the seeker and her boat upwards through the receding colors of twilight, toward a muddy blackness. Six swords lie ready to be used trireme-style along the boat. The seeker's hand rests lightly on the handle of one sword. She is prepared for action of her own should the natural force of the wind fail.
Seven-pointed stars guide the seeker on her course. She heads for a hard-to-see golden Pole Star shining from the darkest part of the picture. Its light is faint but visible. Will the glow of the Pole Star grow brighter as the boat flies nearer? Or will the dark mist continue to obscure it, making it always seem the same distance away no matter how close the seeker gets?
The safety of a daylit path is behind the seeker. There is no turning back. But will she find in the outer (inner?) universe what she most desires or needs? Or will she find something completely unexpected?
Artistic Media
The artwork was created in Prismacolor pencil on the reverse of an index card.
Artist's Bio
Kyrielle is an artist and Tarotholic living in the American Midwest, sharing a house with family and more than eighty tarot and oracle decks.
Go back to the project index, read the traditional card meaning, or get a free automated reading.
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