Symbolism & Meaning
The "Swords" used here are Icicles. I wanted to use them to convey the potential ruin of the card's meaning, but brought about by more natural circumstances rather than the man-made weaponry depicted in its RW equivalent. You will also notice that this interpretation shows the subject face up. The clip art I chose conveyed the subject as one who may or may not have any life left in his body. I wanted to avoid the downright corpse/stuffed doll feel of the facedown RW version. (Besides, icicles were easier for me to draw. Really, drawing hilts is a bugger for me to get right.)
The scenery gives the feeling of a cave environment in frozen tundra. Our subject may either be a prince or a pauper, given his unprepared dress for the weather. He either suffered as a result of circumstances that he had no control over, or he may have somehow caused his own downfall with his involvement. No matter. The outcome is the same. So it looks like all is lost with our subject, or at least very, very desperate.
There is a gem lying in his outstretched hand, glowing with a light (or seeming life) of its own. Why is it not secured in a pouch instead? What the gem meant to him could be a key to what led him to his ruinous outcome, or what may yet save him from it- if he manages to get through this. (Now there's a cliffhanger for you!).
Artistic Media
Our hero originally came from a clip art source via Dover (copyright free). The rest of the image is digital color, digital drawing, and lots of digital effects from my Painter program to keep it tidy.
Artist's Bio
Violet Gargoyle is a Folklorist who is fascinated by Tarot interpretation. She hopes to next take on the project of working on a Yule Theme Tarot, laden with folklore references from many cultures.
Go back to the project index, read the traditional card meaning, or get a free automated reading.
|
