Out of all the cards I have done so far in this deck it is the 4 aces that I am most proud of. As ones they are the united embodiment of each of the 4 elements. They are not just the first cause of the element; however, they are the completed element from the last cycle giving birth to the new cycle. As I created them I asked myself, “What would a pure creature of Fire (Water, Air, Earth) look and act like?” There are similarities between them all, such as they all have wings and they are all hermaphrodite like elemental angels. I see wings as connections, appendages, growing out of the back of the heart chakra and spreading out over a huge web of connectedness we all share. The animals chosen to represent them are obviously the four animals from Ezekiel’s vision but whose association with their elements can be individually traced back quite far into history, for example the lions association with Fire or the Sun. In tarot decks it is common to find these 4 animals arranged in the corners around the dancing woman in the World card.

The Ace of Wands

The body of the Lion is very athletic, tense and in motion. He has hawk wings, another animal commonly associated with Fire or the Sun. When I look at him, I swear I can hear him rattling his feathers! I also have to tell the odd story of color mixing that happened while I was painting him/her. I had originally planned on this painting being made of reds and its contrasting color green for growing life. As I mixed the colors for the hills in the background I intended to begin with the reddish color in the closest hills and then add blues and green the farther away they got for an atmospheric look. Every time I added any blue or green the color did not get cooler, NO! It got redder! I did this many times, amazed. As you see from the final painting the hills get redder the father away they get. It is a strange coloration but I think it looks pretty good. This is one of several times a painting for this deck has been so physically assertive about the colors it wanted to be.

Tuesday, July 29, 2003

For about 6 months before I found out I was pregnant with Rex I was taking karate lessons. I can't tell you how much I loved it! There were lot's of reasons I loved it, including the awesome teacher who was also a tarot afficianado, Jaqui. What an incredible woman. Every time I look at the painting for the Ace of Wands I see her, and when I was showing her my original paintings, she saw that painting and recognised herself. I can't remember if she actually said so, but I Remember the look on her face. She is like that- firey, lean, always in motion, exploding with energy.