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Copyright © 2018 Robin L. Cole All written rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United States of America First Printing, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 This Deck

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2 The Artists Edward Burne-Jones John Collier Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee Herbert James Draper John William Godward Hermann Hendrich Edward Robert Hughes William Holeman Hunt Edmund Blair Leighton Frederic Leighton John Everett Millais Sir Edward John Poynter Valentine Cameron Prinsep Dante Gabriel Rossetti Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys John William Waterhouse

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

3 The Major Arcana The Fool The Magician The High Priestess The Empress The Emperor The Hierophant The Lovers The Chariot Strength The Hermit The Wheel of Fortune Justice The Hanged Man Death Temperance The Devil The Tower The Star The Moon The Sun Judgement The World

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

4 The Minor Arcana

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Suit of Cups Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page Knight Queen King Suit of Pentacles Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page Knight Queen King Suit of Swords Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page Knight Queen

47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 87 89 90

King Suit of Wands Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page Knight Queen King 5 Spreads 3 Card Spread 9 Card Diamond Spread Muse’s Message Spread Matters of the Heart Spread About the Author

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112

1 This Deck The Creation of The Beautiful Rebellion It occurs to me—ever in hindsight, which unfortunately seems to be my usual way of doing things—that I went about creating this deck backwards. Or maybe following my intuitive nature when it comes to tarot is what made it work, even if it caused me some mild panic when I realized I’d have to try and write a sensible guidebook? Who knows. Let me try to start this ramble at the beginning. I have always been a big fan of medieval art, especially that of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s: the PreRaphaelite, Romanticism and Aesthetic periods. There is something about the beauty of art created during that time that touches my soul, evoking deep and powerful emotions. Those paintings speak to me on an intuitive level unparalleled by any other, and thus has always held a special place in my heart. When I decided to tinker with creating and printing a tarot deck—in preparation for that far off day when I hoped to finish painting my own—the first thing that came to mind was, “Oooo, Waterhouse! I’d LOVE to have a Waterhouse art deck!” I don’t know if it’s possible to be a classic painter fangirl, but if it is? I’m totally a Waterhouse fangirl. So that was what I set out to create. Over the next few weeks I gathered together seventy-eight cards’ worth of images, all pulled from the works of John William Waterhouse. The process was a joy, rather than the chore I feared it might be, and the whole experience made my little tarot-loving heart sing with glee. Only…in the end, I found that it just didn’t work. One of the problems one can run into when creating a deck out of already finished, non-tarot-based artwork is that sometimes the images just doesn’t evoke the card meaning upon sight—and that is exactly what was happening with my creation. I really had to reach to make some of those beautiful Waterhouse paintings “fit,” and I had my doubts. Despite that, I was determined to see it through. (I wanted that Waterhouse deck, dang it.) I even went so far as ordering a printing of a prototype deck. It was gorgeous! Holding a real deck of my own creation was a breath-taking experience. However, in the end I found my doubts had been well founded: it didn’t read as smoothly as I needed it too. There were just too many cards that didn’t say the right things to me once I saw them to use. Needless to say, I was bummed. Hella bummed. I had had such a fun time putting that deck together, and my enthusiasm for the idea of it had not waned. I still wanted to make it work, somehow. I put the idea of the shelf, along with that prototype deck, and let the idea simmer on the back burner while I went about my business for the next month or two. As the holidays approached that year, I found myself wondering what I could get my tarot-loving bestie for a Christmas present. She had expressed a love of my original Waterhouse creation at the time I received it, and I found myself wishing that it had been up to snuff so that I could make her a copy as well. Knowing 1

it was lacking, I realized it would need an overhaul of some sort before I would consider it shareable with others. That lead to me wondering, “What if I were to expand the deck beyond Waterhouse, to include other artists of a similar style?” Ding, ding, ding! I had a winner. In that moment, The Beautiful Rebellion tarot deck was born. While this deck started out as that small passion project, it quickly grew into an even bigger, more beautiful labor of love. Once I realized the scope of art I was going to have to comb through to find the perfect pieces to include in the deck, I delved into researching artists. It took few months of combing through quite a few galleries filled with beautiful medieval paintings to discover the ones that I felt resonated most closely with the meanings of the each tarot card. In the end, I found that I had created something bigger and more beautiful than I had ever imagined possible. I strongly feel that each and every painting featured in the finished deck strongly encompass the spirit of what I was searching for. I am an unabashed tarot enthusiast, if not an out-and-out collector. It’s possible that I’ve been called a tarot slut (lovingly) before and didn’t disagree with that assessment in the slightest. I have been studying and reading tarot for over twenty years. I own a wide array of decks. I read professionally. And—yes—I am constantly purchasing new decks as I fall in love with their art. Tarot is just “my thing.” There are other decks that I love deeply and share an unparalleled intuitive relationship with—Cila Conway’s Intuitive Tarot and Kim Krans’ Wild Unknown immediately spring to mind—and there are others that I enjoy solely for their art but prefer not to read with—but this deck? This deck touches me deeply. Completely. Silly as it may sound, there may have been a few tears when I shuffled through the final version. (And I may or may not have spent that first night physically cuddling with it as I watched television before bed.) And that final version? It was the fifth version that I had printed. I would not settle for anything but perfection. Once I saw the cards in action, what had started off as a project that I intended to keep between myself and one or two tarot buddies became something I felt the strong desire to share with the world. I had no clue how I was going to make that happen, however. I’m just your average indie urban fantasy writer— which is to say only one or two steps removed from the “starving artist” stereotype. I certainly didn’t have a clue how to expand into independently publishing a deck of cards! Boxes and guidebooks and all that— yikes! I hadn’t the first clue how I was going to make all of those elements come together. Yet, that didn’t stop me. Every time I tried to push the idea out of my mind, it popped back up-forcefully. Everything kept pointing to a “go” so I decided it was time to give it a shot. I’d made miracles happen for myself on weirder ideas in the past. Coming up with a name for this particular project was hard. Throughout the creation process I had just been calling it the “Pre-Raphaelite Deck” in my head. Not only was that a rather boring, hard to spit out kind of name, but it also wasn’t accurate as only a small portion of the art was technically part of that genre. I wracked my brain over many a cup of coffee to come up with something more fitting; worthier of the magnificence of the original art. The ode to the Pre-Raphaelites persisted and, ultimately, helped to name this deck. Their art movement was linked to a social reform rebellion during their time, when England was experiencing mass industrialization. I felt the defiant passion of the artists in my soul. Maybe my years of indie publishing—of working my side hustle, of following what feels right to me no matter the cost—came into play just a little bit here, but when the name The Beautiful Rebellion came to mind, it just felt right. As I had different versions of the deck printed throughout the creation process, I experimented with a few different card stocks. I wanted this deck to be durable and easy to shuffle above all else. I’m a riffle shuffler by nature (though I have added some overhand to my routine over the years), and I needed this deck to be something that could withstand a good, hard shuffle. (Giggity.) I briefly considered gilding and foil and all those lovely extra touches that have become so popular in tarot decks these days—but decided not to go that route. Personally, I’m not always fond of the way gilt edges wear, and I was afraid the same could be said of too many foiled touches. I wanted a deck that would 2

last the test of time—and on top of that, there was the cost. I understand why indie decks cost so much now (it is not a cheap process, and time consuming to boot!), but I wanted to keep The Beautiful Rebellion as reasonably priced as I could. So, the glitzy touches never even made it to the test phase. I was thrilled when I received the third test version of the deck in a 310gsm French casino quality card stock. It shuffled like a dream no matter what way I used and had enough slip to glide against itself easily, without being so slippery that the cards would shoot all over the place. The linen finish I chose was perfect for the look I was going for, harkening back to the original canvas look of the paintings, and it had a satin gloss to it that I just fell in love with. While original test versions of the deck were borderless—which I loved—I didn’t care for how the font showed up on some cards. I really wanted to keep the font and color consistent, and some cards were just either too dark or too light for the original, dainty white script text to show up well across the bottom of each card. I tried a few other ways of adjusting the titles (by adding a banner or name plaque behind them) or a subtle faded black border—but in my heart, this deck was always meant to be borderless. Adding a frame or name plaque hemmed in the muse and took away from the breathtaking beauty of the images. I changed the font to a bolder, easier to read style and went with a pale yellow that showed up well across the board. (There is one very stubborn card that is a shade off of the others—it was the bane of my existence during this creation process but I loved the image too much to throw it away!) I made peace with the fact that sometimes the title would be on the top of the card instead of consistently across the bottom. With those changes, the cards themselves were finally complete and I was over the moon with how they turned out. The next hurdle I faced was packaging. I—like most tarot lovers—have a love of a good deck box. However—I’m a bagger at heart. Every single deck that falls into heavy rotation gets a bag, and only a few of the really nice boxes get kept for display. I wanted to provide the best of both worlds. By now you know I’m an indie girl at heart. What you will now also learn is that I’m a crafty gal too. I like a hands-on approach to my creations—and I wanted the box that housed The Beautiful Rebellion to be a work of art equal to its contents. Handmade was the way to go. Each tuckbox is assembled and decorated by me, by hand, and I hope you find it as beautiful and fitting for this deck as I do! Inside the box, a red jute drawstring bag is also provided for those who prefer to bag their decks. The choice is yours! Then I realized the final step in completing this deck would be to write a guidebook. That was the moment I realized that I might have gone about creating this deck backwards. I’m no stranger to writing, but I write snarky, irreverent first person urban fantasy—and, honestly? That’s pretty much how I talk in real life too. Trying to find the proper “voice” to write this guidebook in scared the beejezus out of me. How could I write tarot prose worthy of such beautiful paintings as The Magic Circle and Lady Godiva?! Obviously, I gave it my best shot, because you’re here reading this now. I felt I needed to. While this deck certainly has its roots in the traditional Rider Waite Smith tarot structure, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a “traditional” deck. You will not see cups on every card in the cups suit, nor a single pentacle in the its suit either. You will not find The Beautiful Rebellion’s Hanged Man inverted, hanging from his ankle like he is in so many decks, or a heart pierced with blades for the dreaded Three of Swords. Rather, the images I chose for these cards were based not only on my personal understanding of the card meaning, but also by the emotions and intuitive hits that the artwork invoked within me. I strove to capture the feeling of each card rather than adhering to strict symbolism. My gut said that many would understand where my heart had been when choosing each image, but my brain said, “Not so much. Take them along on the journey with you. Make them see what you see.” And here we are. Along with the card name and any applicable numbers, the title and date (when available) of the painting are featured in this accompanying guidebook. A full color image of the card is also provided. You will notice that some of the images are larger and include other figures or details than are not present on the printed tarot card, such as the additional figures on the Ten of Pentacles or Nine of Swords. For those larger landscape style paintings, I isolated the part of the original that spoke to my tarot reader’s soul and included just that part of the image on the printed card. I have also included a quote that I found resonated particularly well with each card—almost as if the card is speaking to you. Keywords are then listed, for times when you might feel stuck and in need of a little 3

nudge toward better understanding. Below that you will see a section I’ve called “Curator’s Notes,” which is what I feel I have become in creating this deck. In those notes I will be adding my personal take on the card and the image used. Feel free to read them for additional input or ignore them completely—it’s up to you. I went with a PDF guidebook again to pare back costs, but also because I had yet to find a printer who could do the guidebook I had in mind justice. In my head, I see a beautiful hardbound art book—and that costs more than I wanted to charge. Rather than produce an inferior book, I thought it easier to go this route and allow people to decide if they wanted to print their own copy of the guidebook (easily inserted into a 3ring binder or spiral bound at a local copy shop). Some of us love guidebooks and refer back to them frequently; others read them once and never pick them up again—and still others find them a complete waste of time and don’t ever use them at all. Whether or not this guidebook gets used is totally up to you. A hardbound, expanded guidebook may become available for purchase separately in my Etsy shop later on, for those interested in such a thing. In the meantime, for those who are new to tarot or who want to be able to use the deck “out of the box” without having to download/look at this PDF, I also included a printed key wood cheat sheet with each deck for quick referral. And now you hold the finished product of this year long journey in your hands. At its heart, I believe that tarot is a deeply personal, transformative tool. If you don’t agree at all with the keywords and meanings I attach to each card, that is perfectly fine by me! Listen to what the cards say to you. Let the art within these cards impart their wisdom when you need it most, sparking your deepest intuition. A final note here, before we move on to the meat of the guidebook. Let’s take a moment to address reversals. You won’t find specific reversal meanings for each card, as I personally do not use them. I feel the tarot contains enough light and shadow within its original structure and does not need negative meanings added to additional cards. When a card does pop up “reversed” in my deck, I take that to mean one of two things: that card is crying out to me, asking for special attention, or it is a blocked energy that needs to worked on. Please feel free to read reversals in the way you are accustomed to, if they are meaningful to you. And that’s it. I’ve yammered on enough; it’s time to talk about the artists who made this deck possible and the cards within. I hope you enjoy this deck and find its beauty gracing your days for years to come. Enjoy The Beautiful Rebellion!

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2 The Artists This deck would not exist without the amazing artists in the following pages. I am an art nerd, but by no means an expert. I do love to read art history books and have spent many days wandering around museums, but before I started putting together this deck, I did not know very much at all about the lives of the artists themselves. I do love to read and wanted to know who the men were behind these beautiful, intuition stimulating paintings, so I dove on in and tried to learn a little bit about each of them. Some of them were quite easy to find information on, but others I could find comparatively little information on. Again, my expertise is only by way of what the internet can tell me. If you would like to learn more about any of the men behind the paintbrushes, I urge you to do your own research and learn more. In following pages you’ll find some brief artist biographies, as well as a listing of which of their paintings are contained in this deck, and on which cards they appear.

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Edward Burne-Jones (August 1833 – June 1898) Edward Coley Burne-Jones was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts and was a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. He was born in Birmingham in August of 1833. Sadly, his mother, Elizabeth Jones, passed away within a week of his birth, leaving him to be raised by his grieving father and the family housekeeper, Ann Sampson. Despite difficult financial circumstances of his youth, he was sent to Oxford in 1853, where he began studying theology, intending to train for the priesthood. However, his interest was quickly turned to art first by Morris, a fellow student at the time, and then by Rossetti, who remained the decisive influence on him throughout his life. It was also during this time he discovered Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d'Arthur, which would prove to be an incredibly influential work in his life and art. Burne-Jones is said to have once admitted that, after leaving Oxford, he “found himself at five-and-twenty what he ought to have been at fifteen.” His artistic works of this first period were primarily pen-and-ink drawings on vellum, of which the Waxen Image (1856) is one of the earliest and best examples. His first sketch in oils dates from this same year. It wasn’t long before he became a key figure counted among his own artistic heroes, and his strange, visionary art began to change the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood itself. With his influence, the focus of the group began to gravitate away from its earlier concentrated realism into more stylized paintings. Burne-Jones's aim in art is best given in some of his own words, written to a friend: “I mean by a picture a beautiful, romantic dream of something that never was, never will be - in a light better than any light that ever shone - in a land no one can define or remember, only desire - and the forms divinely beautiful - and then I wake up, with the waking of Brynhild.” He certainly achieved this dream-like intention in his art. The scenes and creatures of his paintings are not those of this world—rather, they are themselves their own reality. A beautiful, medieval reality that harkens back to a day long gone—or maybe a romanticized time that never really existed at all. Works that are included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • St. George and the Dragon VI: The Princess Tied to a Tree (8 of Swords)

Image credit: Photogravure of a portrait of Edward Burne-Jones by his son Philip Burne-Jones, 1898

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John Collier (January 1850 – April 1934) John Collier was a British artist who painted portraits, dramatic themes, and landscapes. He came from a talented and successful family. His grandfather, John Collier, was a Quaker merchant who became a Member of Parliament. His father (who was a Member of Parliament, Attorney General and, for many years, a full-time judge of the Privy Council) was created the first Lord Monkswell. He was also a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, he himself having studied art in Munich and Heidelberg He painted in the Pre-Raphaelite style, and became one of the most prominent portrait painters of his generation. Among the sitters for his portrait paintings were Charles Darwin, Professor Huxley, and the Dukes of both Cornwall and York. Other subjects included two Lord Chancellors (the Earl of Selborne in 1882 and the Earl of Halsbury in 1897); the Speaker of the House of Commons, William Gully, (1897); senior legal figures: the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Alverstone (1912) and the Master of the Rolls, Sir George Jessel (1881). A copy of John Collier’s Sitters Book, made in 1962 from the original in the possession of the artist’s son, can be consulted in the Heinz Archive and Library, National Portrait Gallery. This book was written by his own hand and records of all his portraits, including name of subject, date, fee charged, and details of any major exhibitions of the picture in question. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Clymenstra After the Murder (Justice) • In the Forest of Arden (The Fool) • Lady Godiva (The Chariot) • Lilith (The Devil) • Queen Guinevere’s Maying (4 of Wands) • Priestess of Delphi (The High Priestess) • The Laboratory (2 of Wands) • The White Devil (King of Swords)

Image credit: John Collier by his first wife Marian, née Huxley, 1882

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Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee (November 1853 – October 1928) An English painter and illustrator, Francis Bernard Dicksee was a member of a noted artistic family. He was initially trained by his father before entering the Royal Academy schools. Amongst the visiting lecturers who trained him were the famous senior academicians and Pre-Raphaelite painters Frederick Leighton and John Everett Millais. Dicksee is best known for his paintings depicting dramatic literary, historical, and legendary scenes, but he also was a noted painter of elegant, highly-finished portraits of fashionable women in his time. These society paintings helped to bring him material success and they were widely acclaimed by their subjects. Dicksee painted The Funeral of a Viking (1893; Manchester Art Gallery), which was donated in 1928 by Arthur Burton in memory of his mother to the Corporation of Manchester. Victorian critics gave it both positive and negative reviews, for its perfection as a showpiece and for its dramatic and somewhat staged setting, respectively. The painting was used by Swedish Viking/Black metal band Bathory for the cover of their 1990 album, Hammerheart. Dicksee was knighted in 1925 and died in 1928. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Cleopatra (King of Wands) • Leila (King of Pentacles) • The End of the Quest (9 of Cups) • The Funeral of a Viking (5 of Swords) • The Two Crowns (6 of Swords)

Image credit: by Unknown photographer. © National Portrait Gallery, London

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Herbert James Draper (November 1863 – September 1920) Herbert James Draper was born in London and educated at Bruce Castle before moving to the Royal Academy Schools. In 1890 he travelled throughout Europe, spending time in Paris and Rome before settling in London and marrying. He specialized in paintings that depicted mythological events, much like the subjects that his friend and neighbor John Waterhouse was also attracted to. In the mythological subject area his paintings include, as well as The Lament for Icarus, Ulysses and the Sirens, The Kelpie, and The Vintage Morn. In later years, as the public tastes changed and mythological scenes became less popular, he concentrated more on portraits. This resulted in a lucrative society portrait painting practice, and his aristocratic sitters included the Duchess of Abercorn. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find much information about Draper the man. However, it is a matter of record he attended the funeral of Waterhouse, his close neighbor, in 1917. We also know that his painting The Lament for Icarus was purchased by the Chantry Bequest in 1898 and in 1900 Draper was awarded a gold medal at The International Exhibition in Paris for the same painting. He exhibited works each year from 1887 until shortly before his death in 1920. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • The Lament for Icarus (Death)

Image credit: by Unknown photographer.

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John William Godward (August 1861 – December 1922) John William Godward was born in 1861 and lived in Wilton Grove, Wimbledon. When he moved to Italy with one of his models in 1912, his family broke off all contact with him and even cut his image from family pictures. Godward was a Victorian Neo-classicist and a follower of Frederic Leighton. His work remained consistent throughout his forty-year career, over which time he created a vital stylistic niche for his works. He is best known for his highly finished paintings of pretty girls attired in classical robes and became known as the master “classical tunic gown” painter. Godward exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy between 1887 and 1905 and at the Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street, of which he became a member in 1889. However, very little is known about his private life. Said to have been melancholy, reclusive, and shy, Godward’s private life remains a mystery. Declining health and depression meant that Godward produced very few paintings in later life. He committed suicide at the age of 61 and is said to have written in his suicide note that “the world is not big enough for myself and a Picasso.” He was buried in Old Brompton Cemetery, Fulham. One of his best-known paintings is Dolce far Niente (1904) currently resides in the collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • A Roman Matron (Knight of Swords) • At the Gate of the Temple (Knight of Wands) • The Mirror (Knight of Pentacles)

Image credit: Unknown/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

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Hermann Hendrich (October 1854 – July 1931) Hermann Hendrich was born in the vicinity of the Kyffhäuser, Germany. At a young age he served an apprenticeship to a lithographer and showed evident talent, leading him to later take a job at a Berlin art institution where he had to lithograph oil paintings. In 1876, he visited Norway to further his art studies and wound up staying for a few years, starting a job as painter in Amsterdam. In 1882 he married and the newlyweds took their honeymoon trip across the pond to visit Hendrich’s brother in Auburn, New York. While Hendrich had been unsuccessful in his quest to have his works exhibited in Europe, in American he was able to exhibit his paintings for the first time. After some initial sales, the remaining number of pictures on hand was bought by a single art dealer. Using the money he earned from that sale, Hendrich then made a study trip through the USA. To further his education, he returned to Germany in 1885. His later works were often characterized by an effort to represent not only the objective image of the subject but also by trying to reveal a deeper, more esoteric truth. The Kaiser himself bought a painting from Hendrich in 1889, an event that would be a highlight in his artistic recognition. Hendrich died 1931 in Schreiberhau in an accident. Hendrich was another artist I was able to find depressingly little on. Despite the considerable success he achieved at the end of the last century, he seems to have been virtually forgotten by the contemporary world. A considerable number of his paintings were destroyed during the last world war, and many of his early paintings—those sold during the years he spent in the USA—remain missing from the public eye today. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Ride of the Valkyries (The Tower)

Image credit: by Unknown photographer.

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Edward Robert Hughes (November 1851 – April 1914) Edward Robert Hughes was a nephew of the PreRaphaelite painter Arthur Hughes, under whom he studied until he entered the Royal Academy Schools. Some of Hughes’ acquaintances included the English artist and designer Edward Burne-Jones and the poet and novelist George Macdonald. Hughes showed at the Royal Academy from 1870 to 1911 and was represented at the first Venice Biennale in 1895. He also exhibited regularly with the Royal Watercolor Society, becoming an Associate in 1891; a full member in 1895; and Vice-President for two years beginning in 1901. Around 1902, Hughes worked as a studio assistant for the elderly painter William Holman Hunt, whose eyesight was failing. Under the direction of Hunt, Hughes helped the artist on his final, and largest version of The Light of the World, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. For several years Hughes he was employed as a teacher of evening classes at London County Council. He lived in London until 1913 when he moved to St. Albans. He died on April 23, 1914 at his cottage in St. Albans, Hertfordshire after being struck with appendicitis. Hughes worked mainly in watercolor and gouache, painting symbolist subjects and obscure literary themes, often Italian in origin. He is also well known for his slightly idealized portraits of women, executed in red chalk. His works display the meticulous observation of nature and minute technique associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Idle Tears (5 of Cups) • Star of Heaven (The Star) • Valkyrie’s Vigil (The Moon)

Image credit: Edward Robert Hughes, Painter, albumen carte-de-viste, 1870s, by Maull & Co., NPG

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William Holman Hunt (April 1827 – September 1910) William Holman Hunt, one of the founders of the PreRaphaelite Brotherhood, was born in London in 1827. He attended the Royal Academy Schools in 1844, where he met Millais and Rossetti. Hunt's works were not initially successful. In fact, he was widely criticized in the art press for his works’ alleged clumsiness. He achieved some early note for his intensely naturalistic scenes of modern rural and urban life, such as The Hireling Shepherd and The Awakening Conscience—but it his religious paintings that he became famous for. A devout Christian, Hunt decided to visit the Holy Land in 1854, to see for himself the subjects of the religious subjects he intended to paint. The first tangible results of this journey were two paintings: The Scapegoat and The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, which was exhibited nationally, to great acclaim, in 1860. Hunt’s famous painting The Light of the World—featured in this deck at The Hermit card—was considered to be one of the greatest Christian images of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He eventually had to stop painting because his failing eyesight could no longer achieve the quality that he wanted to present in his painting. His last major works, which included a large version of The Light of the World, were completed with the help of his assistant, Edward Robert Hughes. Hunt was awarded the Order of Merit by King Edward VII in 1905, just a few years before he passed. He died in 1910. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • The Light of the World (The Hermit)

Image credit: Self-portrait, 1867, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

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Edmund Blair Leighton (September 1852 – September 1922) Edmund Blair Leighton was born in 1852, the son of a promising young artist, Charles Blair Leighton. His father died in 1855 and later his mother sent him off to a boarding school in St. Johns Woods. At age 12 he attended the career-oriented University Collage School. After some time working in the tea business he was able to save enough money to pursue the artistic training he had always longed for. He started taking night classes at the South Kensington School of Art, and later, had some instruction at the Heatherley's School of Art before gaining entry to the five-year program at the Royal Academy of Art School in 1874. Leighton Exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1878 through 1920. Early in his carrier to earn some extra money, Leighton made illustrations for the noted publisher Cassell & Co., as well as such magazines as Harper’s Bazaar. In 1885 he married Katherine Nash, with whom he had two children, Eric James Blair Leighton, who also attended the Royal Academy School of Art, and Sophie Blair Leighton, who married the famous British civil engineer Sir Harold John Boyer Harding. Although Edmund Blair Leighton was elected to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1887, he was never voted in as an associate of the Royal Academy. His career hit its peak in and around 1900 with his most famous works of Godspeed being painted in 1900, The Accolade in 1901, The End of the Song in 1902, and Vox Populi in 1904. He continued to paint other great masterpieces for many years, with less and less large scale works as he neared the end of his life. He died on September 1st 1922. Although his name is not commonly known, his most famous works are among the most widely recognized paintings of the period. Godspeed and The Accolade can be seen on posters, cards, and other works all around the world. They are often used as the epitome of medieval iconography. Though he may be best known for his medieval compositions, he also painted a large number of nineteenth century costume pieces which share similar subject of male female interaction and romantic gesture. When one looks at his entire body of work as a whole, it is clear that he captures a certain quality that reaches the core of human emotion. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • A Stolen Interview (3 of Wands) • Accolade (Ace of Swords) • Duty (9 of Wands) • Faded Laurels (Wheel of Fortune) • Farewell (6 of Swords) • God Speed (7 of Wands) • My Fair Lady (10 of Cups) • Stitching the Standard (8 of Pentacles) • The Charity of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (6 of Pentacles) • The Dedication (2 of Swords) Image credit: Unknown - Kara Lysandra Ross, E. Blair Leighton: The Prominent Outsider, The Epoch Times, August 18, 2011.

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Frederic Leighton (December 1830 – January 1896) Frederic Leighton was born in 1830 in Scarborough, Yorkshire to Frederic Septimus Leighton and Augusta Susan Nash. His father—a medical man—retired shortly after his birth and the Leighton family spent the next twenty or so years traveling around Europe. Young Leighton was a natural linguist, and was soon fluent in French, German, and Italian. After receiving an education in many European cities throughout his youth, Leighton found himself living in Rome in 1852. His dedication to his art and the scope and ambition of his own painting won admiration and respect from his fellow artists, including English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, the French novelist George Sand, and the English poet Robert Browning. Leighton’s career was always cushioned by this family wealth; his father paying him an allowance throughout his life. Leighton’s parents were uncertain about his choice of career as he wrote in a letter in 1879; “‘My parents surrounded me with every facility to learn drawing, but, strongly discountenanced the idea of my being an artist unless I could be eminent in art.” And become “eminent in art,” he did. Leighton’s painting Cimabue’s Madonna, shown at the Royal Academy’s exhibition in 1855, was bought by Queen Victoria. It marked the beginning of a new age in England, where the grandeur of scale and forms of classical Greek and High Renaissance extraction were used to embody subject matter. In 1869 he was made a member of the Royal Academy and in 1878 he became its president. In 1878 he was knighted, in 1886 he was made a baronet, and, on the day before he died, he became a baron, being the first English painter to be so honored. He never married, however, so the titles became extinct upon his death. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Clytie (Judgement) • Faticida (Queen of Swords) • Wedded (The Lovers)

Image credit: Self portrait of Leighton (1880)

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John Everett Millais (June 1829 – August 1896) John Everett Millais was born in Southampton in 1829, the son of John William Millais, a wealthy gentleman from an old Jersey family. He was sent to Sass’s Art School and won a silver medal at the Society of Arts at the age of nine. In 1840 he was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools as their youngest ever student, winning another silver medal in 1843 for drawing from the antique, and then a gold medal in 1847 for his painting The Tribe of Benjamin Seizing the Daughters of Shiloh. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1846, with Pizarro Seizing the Inca of Peru. At the Royal Academy he became friendly with fellow student William Holman Hunt, and contributed with Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti to the Cyclographic Society. In 1848 the three helped form the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His first Pre-Raphaelite painting was Isabella, which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1849. Millais became the most famous exponent of the style. His painting Christ in the House of His Parents generated considerable controversy, and he created the painting perhaps best known as the embodiment of the school, Ophelia, in 1851. However, by the mid-1850s Millais was moving away from the Pre-Raphaelite style and developing a new and powerful form of realism in his art. His later works were enormously successful, making Millais one of the wealthiest artists of his day. He was made an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1853, and a full member in 1863. In 1885 he was created a baronet and in 1896 was elected President of the Royal Academy but died shortly thereafter in London. He is buried in St Paul's Cathedral. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind (5 of Pentacles) • Little Red Riding Hood (Page of Wands) • Saint Stephen (3 of Swords) • Speak! Speak! (9 of Swords) • The Farmer’s Daughter (Ace of Cups) • The Rescue (8 of Wands)

Image credit: National Portrait Gallery (Great Britain)

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Sir Edward John Poynter (March 1836 – July 1919 in London) Early in his career Edward John Poynter studied in Rome, where he met Frederic Leighton, his greatest single artistic influence. He then moved to Paris in 1855. On returning to London, he became involved on book illustration. In 1865 he produced his first really successful picture, Faithful Unto Death, which featured a Roman sentry staying at his post in Pompeii as Vesuvius overwhelmed the city. This dramatic painting was probably never bettered by Poynter throughout his whole long career. It is said that, given the from the subjects of some of his paintings (such as King Solomon and King Solomon’s Temple), and his association with Kipling, that Poynter was a Freemason. Prints of his painting The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon are said to be found in many Masonic Lodges around the world. Poynter became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1869, at an unusually early age. Much of the rest of his life was devoted to the Academy, and in 1896 he succeeded Millais as President of the Royal Academy, narrowly defeating Briton Riviere in the vote. He was president for the next two decades. From the turn of the century Poynter’s paintings declined in numbers, as his main priority was running the Academy. He lived to see the death of classicism, and the total eclipse of his own artistic standards, as well as those of his contemporaries. He adopted the approach of ignoring new developments of which he did not approve. Sadly, one of the last duties of the eighty-one-year-old president of the Royal Academy was to attend the funeral of John W. Waterhouse. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Faithful Unto Death (5 of Swords)

Image credit: Edward Poynter (Alphonse Legros)

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Valentine Cameron Prinsep (February 1838 –November 1904) Valentine Cameron Prinsep—also known as Val Prinsep—was the son of a senior Indian Civil Servant, Thoby Prinsep, and his far more extrovert wife, Sara. He was brought-up at Little Holland House in London, where his mother kept the most interesting artistic salon of the day, frequented by the likes of Dickens, Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Carlyle. In the famous words of Sara Prinsep, G.F. Watts “came to stay three days; he stayed thirty years.” Though his father had hoped his son was destined for the Indian Civil service, it was there, under Watt’s influence that the young Prinsep decided to become a painter. He became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1878, and a full member in 1894. He was Professor of Painting at the Academy from 1901 until his death in 1904. In 1857 Prinsep painted one of the murals in the Oxford Union with Rossetti and his friends, and he remained very close to Rossetti for the next few years. In 1904 he wrote his reminiscences of this period for the Magazine of Art. In the mid 1860’s, Prinsep built his own house in Holland Park Road and became Frederic Leighton's next-door neighbor. The friendship between them took him away from the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and he began to paint more aesthetic subjects in rustic or eighteenth-century dress, such as Home From Gleaning or A Minuet. It is widely felt that Prinsep did not achieve his true potential. His mentor Watts felt that he just did not work hard enough. His paintings are held to be very uneven in quality. He was, though, an important figure in the Victorian art world. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Il Barbagianni The Owl (Page of Swords) • The Gamekeeper’s Daughter (Ten of Wands)

Image credit: Portrait of Prinsep by Alphonse Legros, British Museum

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Dante Gabriel Rossetti (May 1828 – April 1882) Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born in London in 1828, the son of an Italian immigrant family. The Pre-Raphaelite poet Christina Rossetti was his sister. Dante decided to become an artist early in life and enrolled in the Royal Academy Schools, but did stay long. He moved on to study for a short time with Ford Madox Brown, before meeting and studying under William Holman Hunt. His friendship with Hunt, and his subsequent meeting with John Everett Millais, were the major factors in the creation of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In the early 1850s he met Elizabeth Siddal, the model for Millais’s famous painting Ophelia. She became his lover and, after an on-off relationship, he married her in 1860. At the time of their wedding, Elizabeth—often called Lizzie—was said to be very ill, likely with tuberculosis. In 1862, after the still birth of their child, Lizzie committed suicide by taking an overdose of laudanum. The grief-stricken Rossetti had a manuscript version of his poems buried with his wife. Following the death of his beloved, he moved to a house in Cheyne Walk, where he lived for the most of the rest of his life. He lived in a curious fashion, with many wild animals in his garden. In the late 1860s, he had his wife’s body exhumed to recover his poems. Many say that this act was the first clue that all was not well with his mental state, which ultimately destroyed him. In later years, Rossetti became increasingly obsessed with Jane Morris, the wife of his friend William Morris. For most of the last twenty years of his life, his pictures were of lone women, sumptuously colored, in luxurious, but often claustrophobic surroundings. Most of these pictures had as their model, a stylized Jane Morris. In the 1870s Rossetti became addicted to chloral (a narcotic) and alcohol. When Jane Morris terminated her association with him, his mental state—and health—quickly declined. He died at Birchington-on-Sea at Easter in 1882. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • A Vision of Fiammetta (The Empress) • La Ghirlandata (Queen of Pentacles) • Sibylla Palmifera (Queen of Wands) • The Beloved (The World)

Image credit: Portrait of Dante Gabriel Rossetti c. 1871, by George Frederic Watts

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Anthony Frederick Sandys (May 1829 – June 1904) Anthony Frederick Sandys was born in Norwich. His surname was originally “Sands.” He added the ‘y’ later. Sandys trained at the Norwich Art Union, and in the early 1850s moved to London. It would appear that he left his wife in Norwich and did not return to her. He famously parodied Millais’ controversial painting Sir Isumbras at the Ford, with his drawing The Nightmare. This brought him to the attention of the Pre-Raphaelites, who, surprisingly, were not offended. In the 1860s he lived with Rossetti, at his house in Cheyne Walk. He was probably the best draughtsman amongst the PreRaphaelites and was a supremely naturally talented artist, in the same league as Millais. The rejection of Medea by the Royal Academy in 1868 seems to have had, not surprisingly, a profound effect on Sandys. He never became a popular painter during his time. He painted little in those years, and the dominant influence upon his art was the influence exercised by lofty conceptions of tragic power. There was in it a somber intensity and an almost stern beauty which lifted it far above the ideals of the crowd. The Scandinavian Sagas and Le Morte d'Arthur gave him subjects after his own heart. The Valkyrie and Morgan le Fay represent his work at its very best. Sandys died in London on 25th June 1904. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • Morgan le Fey (Ace of Wands) • Queen Eleanor (King of Cups)

Image credit: Portrait of Frederick Sandys by his father Anthony Sands, 1848.

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John William Waterhouse (April 1849 –February 1917) John William Waterhouse was born in Rome. Both his parents were artists. It is interesting to note however that little is known about his personal life today, considering he died in 1917, beyond his being an active member of the Royal Academy. What is known about him indicates that he was a shy, private man. He left behind no diaries or journals and it was his friend William Logsdail who eventually wrote his memoirs. There is little doubt that Waterhouse is among the most popular Victorian Artists (and is also—as you know by now—this curator’s personal favorite). Many of his paintings have become icons of feminine beauty recognized the world over. They have the power to transport viewers into a romantic world of myth and legend. However, like other Victorian artists, Waterhouse was neglected through much of the 20th century and only today is he being acknowledged as a crucial inheritor of the “Pre-Raphaelite legacy.” Waterhouse became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1885, and a full member in 1895. Around 1900 he and his wife moved to St John’s Wood, evidence of both increasing prosperity and the desire to be part of the artistic community. He was a teacher at the St. John’s Wood Art School between 1892 and 1913, a school which sent more students to the Royal Academy than any other preparatory institution. In 1917 Waterhouse died of cancer, but he had carried on working virtually to the end of his life, as evidenced by the two very late pictures bought by Lord Leverhume, still on show at the Lady Lever Gallery to this day. Works included in The Beautiful Rebellion: • A Sick Child Brought Into the Temple of Aesculapius (10 of Pentacles) • After the Dance (4 of Swords) • At Capri (6 of Cups) • Circe Invidiosa (Temperance) • Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses (Queen of Cups) • Cleopatra (The Emperor) • Diogenes (The Hanged Man) • Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May (2 of Pentacles) • Gathering Almond Blossoms (9 of Pentacles) • Gone, but Not Forgotten (8 of Cups) • Household Gods (The Hierophant) • In the Peristyle (Page of Pentacles) • La Fileuse (The Sun) • Mariamne Leaving the Judgment Seat of Herod (Strength) • Pandora (Ace of Pentacles) • Spring Spreads One Green Lap of Flowers (7 of Pentacles) • St. Eulalia (10 of Swords)

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• • • • • • • •

The Crystal Ball (7 of Cups) The Danaides (3 of Cups) The Magic Circle (The Magician) The Remorse of Emperor Nero After the Murder of His Mother (4 of Cups) Thisbe (7 of Swords) Tristan and Isolde (2 of Cups) Undine (Page of Cups) Windflowers (4 of Pentacles)

Image credit: H.S. Mendelssohn (Hayman Selig Mendelssohn) 1848–1908

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3 The Major Arcana The Major Arcana is the heart of the tarot. These cards (sometimes also called the “trump cards”) form the foundation of all tarot decks. The Majors consist of twenty-one numbered cards and one unnumbered card (the Fool), representing a journey toward spiritual self-awareness. The Beautiful Rebellion follows the Rider-Waite Smith system more than any other, though I would not consider it a traditional clone deck. The Major Arcana in the Rider-Waite system depict the various stages or life we go through and events we encounter as we search for greater meaning and understanding in our lives. In this way, these twenty-two cards all hold deep, meaningful lessons that affect us again and again throughout our lives. The Major Arcana cards are important messages which we should pay special attention to in order to progress further on our spiritual quests. Think of these cards as carrying more weight than those of the Minor Arcana; the big picture events that shape and change our lives, where the Minors are the more dayto-day occurrences we experience. When a tarot reading is predominantly made up of Major Arcana cards, expect life-changing events that will have long-term influences.

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0 The Fool “In the Forest of Arden” by John Collier c.1892

Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~Robert Frost Keywords Beginnings • Innocence • Simplicity • Purity • Spontaneity • A leap of faith • Taking a chance • Trusting in the unknown • Pursuing a dream • Blind faith • Acting on impulse • Inner child • Potential Curator’s Notes When I decided to expand this deck to include artists other than John Waterhouse, I was unsure that I would be able to see this project through to completion. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to find enough paintings that ‘fit’ the tarot system I knew and loved… And then I stumbled upon In the Forest of Arden. There was my fool—complete with motley—shaking his scepter at me for being a doubter. Touché. The Fool is the 0 card in the tarot; a number of unlimited potential. This gives him the ability to come at the beginning or the end of the Major Arcana—and I feel this image fits that perfectly. In In the Forest of Arden, we see a seasoned fool lecturing a young girl. Perhaps he is telling her the tale of the journey he has just been on; maybe he is giving her advice for journey she faces ahead—or maybe the truth lies somewhere in between. This card reminds us that we can be the Fool at any stage of life. We never stop learning; changing; growing. When one road ends, another opens up before us; giving us a new beginning.

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1 The Magician “The Magic Circle” by John Waterhouse c.1886

Now is the time, now is the hour. Ours is the magic, ours is the power.

~The Craft

Keywords Personal power • Skill • Concentration • Control • Ambition • Willpower • Resourcefulness • Alchemy • Inventor • Visionary • Conjurer • Illusionist • Scholar • Tools of the trade Curator’s Notes The sword, the wand, the cup, the pentacle—The Magician has it all. She is the bridge between the world of the spirit and the world of humanity; a conduit of willpower made flesh. Unlike the High Priestess, who has a natural, effortless connection to Spirit, The Magician is someone who has worked for her magical chops. She’s read the books, attended the workshops, experimented with different paths; all in the effort to harness her personal power and use it to her best advantage. Is there magic afoot in this card? Certainly! But it’s the magic of a learned mind; a keen and determined will. The Magician makes things happen according to her plan and would never move forward in haste. I chose Waterhouse’s The Magic Circle for The Magician for this very reason. This painting evokes, in me, the image of witches and sorcerers of old, chanting carefully memorized incantations over a carefully assembled brew in their cauldron; conjuring up the proper energies to imbue their spell with power.

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2 The High Priestess “Priestess of Delphi” by John Collier c.1891

Make your own nature, not the advice of others, your guide in life. ~Oracle of Delphi, 83BC Keywords Intuition • Imagination • Insight • Spirituality • Divine feminine • Feminine energy • Esoterica/Occult • Dreams • Past Lives • Meditation • Understanding • Wisdom • Self-sufficiency • Instinct • Mysteries Curator’s Notes The oracles of old immediately spring to mind when I think of The High Priestess, so this card choice was pretty much a no-brainer. In 8th century BC the Delphic Oracle, a chosen high priestess of Apollo, was the most prestigious and authoritative oracle among the Greeks. She was likely one of the most powerful woman of the classical world as a whole. People came from all over Greece and beyond to have their questions about the future answered. Who better to represent The High Priestess? Like the Oracle, The High Priestess in the tarot is our connection to the divine feminine; a deep inner knowing that taps into something mysterious and primal. She speaks to the intuitive nature that lies buried within all our souls. Her words of wisdom come to us through dreams and meditations; emerging in strong gut feelings when our instincts tell us to make decisions without our rational minds knowing why. Her messages are powerful and brimming with insight. We need only still ourselves and listen.

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3 The Empress “A Vision of Fiammetta” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti c.1878

Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. ~Doreen Virtue Keywords Femininity • Mother Nature • Activism • Abundance • Fertility • Prosperity • Manifestation • Peace • Motherhood • Caring • Nurturing • Health • Compassion • Sensuality Curator’s Notes The Empress is the ultimate feminine force; the embodiment of Mother Nature. She is abundant, beautiful; thriving. She is the power of motherhood and compassion. Creation and creativity spring forth from her well of manifestation. She changes and grows with each new phase of life; always flourishing anew, always retaining her alluring beauty. To capture the sensuality inherent in The Empress, I chose A Vision of Fiammetta by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This painting is of Italian writer and poet Giovanni Boccaccio’s beloved and muse. Fiammetta (which m means “little flame” in Italian) was a recurring character in a number of Boccaccio's works, including The Decameron. Several scholars of Boccaccio believe that the character of Fiammetta was based upon a real woman, Maria d'Aquino, a Neapolitan noblewoman whom Boccaccio fell in love with.

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4 The Emperor “Cleopatra” by John Waterhouse c.1887

If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it.

~Julius Caesar

Keywords Masculinity • Control • Power • Authority • Protection • Professional • Glory • Victory • Routine • Autonomy • Assertiveness • Order • Structure • Rigidity • Possessive • Determination • Rising to the challenge Curator’s Notes Where The Empress represents wild growth, The Emperor is all about structure, order and regulation—potent forces to balance out the free-flowing abundance of The Empress. He makes order out of chaos, creating concrete plans that he—and others—can then follow on to glory. His authority is unquestioned, and he has a firm hand on the reins of control. While The Emperor also represents pure masculinity, I found Cleopatra to be a perfect representation for this card. Waterhouse captured her calculating authority perfectly in this painting. She was the last of a series of rulers called the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. During her rule, she oversaw a vast empire that included Egypt, Cyprus, part of modern-day Libya and other territories in the Middle East. Though her romantic involvement with other historical figures like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony have been immortalized in art, music and literature for centuries, she was beholden to no man. A number of ancient records and recent historical research tell us that she was a sharp-minded, multilingual, female ruler who affirmed her right to rule Egypt and other territories with her words and actions.

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5 The Hierophant “Household Gods” by John Waterhouse c.1880

Tradition is tending the flame, not worshipping the ashes. ~Gustav Mahler Keywords Tradition • Religion • Orthodoxy • Ritual • Beliefs • Morality • Hierarchy • Conformity • Structure • Service • Establishments • School/Education • Learning • Advice • “Book Smarts” Curator’s Notes The Hierophant represents tradition in every sense. There is an inherent warning toward becoming too rigid in our thinking—adhering to the old without giving thought to the new—embodied by this card. (Especially for those of us one spurned by organized religion.) Religion springs to mind first upon seeing this card, though it can also remind us that tradition and its rewards come to us in many forms: structured learning, taking the advice of our elders, seeking to serve our communities, or maintaining the rituals and beliefs that speak to our hearts. Here in Household Gods, we see two women tending to the household shrine, making offerings to their family’s deities. In ancient times, many homes had a household altar where the family could interact with the goddesses and gods on a personal level each day. This beautiful sense of tradition brought the best of The Hierophant’s energies to mind, reminding me—and I hope you as well—that there is beauty to be found in routine, when it is tended to with intention.

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6 The Lovers “Wedded” by Lord Frederic Leighton c.1882

I would rather die of passion, than of boredom. ~Vincent van Gough Keywords Choice • Decisions • Passion • Fervor • Dedication • Trust • Commitment • Duty • Balance • Affection • Attraction • Union • Partnerships • Connection • Marriage • Soulmate Curator’s Notes The Lovers is a card people often immediately think of in a romantic (or sexual) context. However, I often think of it first in terms of a profound choice being made. (Because, really, what choice is more profound that choosing to share your life—and body—with another human being?) So yes—the card can be speaking of romance and passion; but it can also be asking you to examine issues of trust, or to seek a place of balance when tempers run high in a relationship, remembering what brought you together in the first place. Leighton’s Wedded screams of that kind of deep, dedicated partnership to me. Love isn’t all about allout desire and getting down and dirty. Though in my opinion it can—and should—be sometimes! Other times, just leaning into the casual embrace of your soulmate it all you need to remind you that you have made the decision to share all that you are and all that you will be with another person, and that they share that back with you in turn.

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7 The Chariot “Lady Godiva” by John Collier c.1897

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. ~Deepak Chopra Keywords Movement • Progress • Travel • Hard control • Willpower • Focus • Drive •Ambition • Self-control • Discipline • Determination • Confidence • Going the distance • Success Curator’s Notes Lady Godiva is said to have been a 13th century English noblewoman. She had appealed to her husband again and again to repeal the taxes he had levied against the people of Coventry but he resolutely refused her. She eventually wore him down and, weary of her entreaties, he said he would only grant her request if she would strip and ride her horse through the streets naked. Lady Godiva took him at his word and rode through the town clothed only in her long hair. The legend of Lady Godiva—while likely false or greatly exaggerated—speaks to the struggles we must sometimes willingly submit ourselves to in order to move forward in our lives. Sometimes the road ahead of us promises to be hard and is littered with pot holes we’d rather avoid—but we know we have to walk it anyway. The very struggle of moving forward is in itself a valuable part of our journey. The Chariot reminds us that we have to walk out path with focus and determination, keeping control of not only the horse we ride but of our egos as well. Without self-control, our efforts may be for nothing and the success we reach hollow. It is up to each of us to determine where our future leads.

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8 Strength “Mariamne Leaving the Judgement Seat of Herod” by John Waterhouse c.1887

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. ~Ernest Hemingway Keywords Inner strength • Soft control • Patience • Compassion • Courage • Reconciliation • Endurance • Calm • Grace • Vision • Taming • Willpower • Leading by example Curator’s Notes Mariamne is a heroine known in both Jewish and Christian traditions. Her 37 BC marriage to the Judean king Herod the Great united his family with the deposed Hasmonean royal family and helped to legitimize his position. Unfortunately, her sister-in-law, Herod’s sister Salome, became jealous of her own husband’s admiration for the Mariamne. She told Herod that Mariamne was planning to poison him, and in a mad rage he had her tried by men of his tribunal. Though she was innocent, and insisted so, they had her condemned to death. Strength comes from within, much as it did for Mariamne, standing condemned before a council that was stacked against her. Courage is the watchword of this card for me, and the vision of Mariamne standing firm on those steps (with a nod to the traditional lion showing up in the corner, carved in stone) speaks of the soul at the core of this card. Sometimes we will win our battles, and sometimes we know we are bound to lose—but how we handle ourselves and the demeanor we project to others is always up to us.

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9 The Hermit “The Light of the World” by William Holman Hunt c.1851

I looked in temples, churches, and mosques. But I found the Divine within my heart.

~Rumi

Keywords Withdrawal • Solitude • Isolation • Introspection • A light in the dark • Guidance • Discernment • Selfawareness • Faith • Spiritual awakening • Soul searching • Looking within • “Me” time Curator’s Notes The Hermit stands alone and whether he is depicted deep in a forest grotto or high atop a mountain, one thing always remains the same: he holds the lantern to light his way. For me, the Hermit is not complete without that lantern; that light, that beacon in the dark. It lights his way as he retreats to his quiet, hidden place—and it also offers us a bead of light to follow, when our own path seems lost. The Hermit knows where we must go to seek the spiritual pinnacle and he is ready to share his knowledge with others. While his path may not be our path, he is more than willing to share his tips and tricks for finding your way through the woods, and his lantern is there to relight your candle should the way forward prove too dark.

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10 The Wheel of Fortune “Faded Laurels” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1889

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

~Frederick Douglass

Keywords Chance • Winning/Losing • Karma • Fate • Destiny • Irony • Unexpected change • Adaptation • Luck • Opportunity • Uncertainty • Cycles • A turning point • “What goes around, comes around” Curator’s Notes One day we’re on top—like the younger man in the background, reaping the rewards of fame and fortune as he wins the hearts of his crowd—and then, suddenly and from seemingly out of nowhere, we find ourselves dumped on our bottoms like the older minstrel. Someone or something sneaks up and steals our thunder, leaving us all but forgotten; out of luck and money and all the other nice things we came to take for granted when we were riding high. Like the older man in the Wheel of Fortune, we will all see the day when our luck falters. The Wheel keeps on turning and being at the pinnacle never lasts forever. Before we know it, we’ll find ourselves down on our luck and all of our hard work will seem to have gone out the window—if we fail to plan for just such an occasion. It’s up to us to think ahead and have a plan B “just in case,” just as it is up to us to decide if our spill off the Wheel is the end of that particular road. Is fate telling us it’s time to give up? Or is this change of fortune a reminder that we need to back up, dust ourselves off, and try again?

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11 Justice “Clytemnestra” by John Collier c.1882

Law and justice are not always the same.

~Gloria Steinem

Keywords Rules • Reason • Responsibility • Fairness • Honesty • Truth • Cause and effect • Self-examination • Consequences • Detachment • Equality • Balance • Equilibrium • Legal affairs Curator’s Notes Clytemnestra, in Greek legend, was the wife of Agamemnon, commander of the Greek forces during the Trojan War. In Aeschylus’s play Agamemnon, part of his Oresteia trilogy, Clytemnestra is driven to murder her husband to avenge the death of her daughter Iphigeneia, whom Agamemnon had sacrificed for the sake of his success in the war. A harsh mistress to appear on a Justice card? Perhaps—but talk about a case of the scales being balanced! There is a strong sense of cause and effect at play in Clytemnestra’s legend and the imagery created by John Collier spoke to me on a deep level. Her expression holds no joy, no gloating—rather, her grim countenance speaks only of a hard deed being done; a soul avenged however distasteful the act might be. In her eyes she had a responsibility to seek revenge for her daughter—and she did. Justice is often depicted as a card of black and white—but when taken into a personal context, as tarot cards often are, there are many subtle shades of gray—and only an individual can decide where their moral line falls.

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12 The Hanged Man “Diogenes” by John Waterhouse c.1882

If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. ~Thich Nhat Hanh Keywords Sacrifice • Stasis • Suspension • Letting go • Restriction • Delay • Reversal • Crossroads • New perspective • Decisions • Divination • Prophecy • Acceptance • Reflection • Observation • Calm Curator’s Notes Diogenes, also known as Diogenes the Cynic, was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. He was a controversial figure who adhered to a simple life-style in an effort to criticize the social values of the corrupt, confused society around him. He made a virtue of poverty, begging for a living and often sleeping in a large ceramic jar in the marketplace, as depicted in Waterhouse’s painting. Diogenes gave up everything material—just as the Hanged Man does, in his quest to seek answers within. Though Diogenes might have been coming from a more confrontational view than the selfsacrificing Hanged Man we have come to know in the tarot, I feel parallels can be drawn between the two here in Waterhouse’s depiction. It is only through letting go and seeking new perspective that we can come to see the truths that might be starring us right in the face, lost in the cacophony of modern day life. By pulling back, paring down, and seeking a new way of viewing the world we can embody the Hanged Man—and Diogenes’—mission.

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13 Death “The Lament For Icarus” by Herbert James Draper c.1898

Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn. ~Mahatma Gandhi Keywords Rebirth • Transition • Transformation • Change • Endings • Beginnings • Separation • Elimination • Loss • Grief • Closure • Liberation • Renewal Curator’s Notes In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the labyrinth that housed the Minotaur. Unfortunately for them, King Minos of Crete was a paranoid sort and after the labyrinth was created, he had them imprisoned in a high tower so that they couldn't reveal his secrets to anyone. Daedalus then constructed them two pairs of wings from fallen feathers and wax, knowing it was their only escape from the high tower. He warned Icarus to be wary of flying too low—where the sea’s dampness would weigh down the wings—or too high, lest the sun's heat melt them. Icarus, exhilarated by flying, ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun and the the wax in his wings melted. He tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea where he drowned. Daedalus was struck with horror but could do nothing to save his son. Death is a card of transition; of endings and beginnings. Sometimes we accept the change gracefully; other times we rally against it even if we know it is futile. Like the sirens in this card, we may sing a lament for what we have lost—but we must also be like Daedalus, who lived on despite his tragic loss.

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14 Temperance “Circe Invidiosa” by John Waterhouse c.1892

Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.

~Keith Urban

Keywords Balance • Moderation • Patience • Harmony • Compassion • Flow • Cooperation • Emotions/Feelings • Communication • Caution • Blending • Merging • Healing • Connection Curator’s Notes Circe is a Greek goddess of magic, though she is sometimes considered a nymph, witch, or sorceress. By most accounts she was the daughter of the sun titan Helios and Perse, one of the three thousand Oceanid nymphs. She was widely renowned for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs—and in this card we see her representing Temperance, holding the vessel and carefully mixing her potion with the pool of water below her feet. Temperance asks us to be patient and consider the timing and precision required to bring our actions for fruition. Sometimes we have to let the situation around us evolve at its natural pace, carefully nurturing the flow in whatever way we can. After all, all great potion masters know not to rush the making of their wares, lest they add too much eye of newt and ruin the spell!

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15 The Devil “Lilith” by John Collier c.1886

‘Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall.

~William Shakespeare

Keywords Temptation • Addiction • Self-indulgence • Willful ignorance • Helplessness • Depression • Bondage • Slavery • Materialism • Anger • Resentment • Repression • Compulsions • Obsession • Lies Curator’s Notes Lilith is one of the most notorious demons in Jewish mythology. In some sources she is said to be the original woman—the first wife of Adam, created even before Eve, banished and rejected by God because she was smarter than Adam and would not obey his commands. In other tales, she depicted as not only a spirit of darkness, but also as a figure of uncontrolled sexuality. (And they couldn’t have a smart woman enjoying her sexuality back in the good ol’ BC times, now could they?) No matter the myth you ascribe to her, Lilith’s name literally means “the night,” and she embodies the emotional and spiritual aspects that darkness holds for humanity: terror, sensuality, unbridled freedom; the unknown. She felt fitting for the Devil card here, where so many of our darker emotions and urges come forth to play. How the Devil comes into play in your life is all a matter of perspective. Is Lilith appearing to tell you that you’ve been wrapped up too tightly for too long, and that its time to get in touch with your primal needs? Or, have you gone too far into self-indulgence that now those around you have begun to see you as a wanton demon that needs to be stopped?

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16 The Tower “Ride Of The Valkyries” by Hermann Hendrich c.1906

Humanity learns true lessons only in cataclysm.

~Daniel H. Wilson

Keywords Disaster • Upheaval • Sudden change • Life-altering event • Disruption • Reversal of fate • Misfortune • Accident • Divine intervention • Humiliation • Pride • Liberation Curator’s Notes Oh, how I love this card. I mean that not only for the art chosen—though I do! —but also for what the Tower represents. Many view the Tower with trepidation—as I once did—but now I view it in a fonder light thanks to time spent in shadow work with this card. The Tower is a life-altering event, and often it can be unpleasant—but I prefer to see the energy of this card in the sense of an oncoming, hurricane-like storm (like we see here in Ride Of The Valkyries), rather than a lightning strike. Lightning destroys, knocking us down to our foundations—but so does a powerful storm. And after the storm passes, with all its wind and rain? We are washed clean; ready to start anew. In Norse mythology, the Valkyries were a host of divine women who watched over the battlefields, bringing those who fell bravely over to the afterlife and hall of the slain, Valhalla. Like the Tower, these women ushered fallen warriors on to their next life; forever changed and cut off from the world of the living—yet able to enjoy the spoils of Valhalla. If we view the Tower as offering us liberation from the outlived aspects of our lives and a welcoming into a new phase of life, it no longer seems so scary.

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17 The Star “Star of Heaven” by Edward Robert Hughes

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.

~Desmond Tutu

Keywords Hope • Renewal • Optimism • Generosity • Humility • Inspiration • Serenity • Spirituality • Faith • Calm • Peace • Healing • Wishes • “Opening your heart” Curator’s Notes The Star brings renewed hope and faith after The Tower has shaken us down to our foundation. Once we’ve endured the upending of everything we knew, we are asked to begin again; to heal and adapt, and to move on into the next phase of our lives—guided by the light of The Star. There were two cards in the running for The Beautiful Rebellion’s Star card, and the beautiful work of Edward Robert Hughes won by a small margin. The other work being Waterhouse’s St. Joan, which holds no actual star in its image, but a look of innocent faith and hope on Joan’s face that struck me to the core. In the end, my gut said this pivotal card needed to have a star physically represented, and the image of a graceful woman wreathed in a crown of bright stars felt right.

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18 The Moon “Valkyrie's Vigil” by Edward Robert Hughes c.1906

The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.

~Ram Dass

Keywords Intuition • Imagination • Dreams • Fantasies • Illusions • Visions/Prophecy • Mental illness • Psyche • Shadow self • Shadow work • Subconscious • Emotions • Fear • Confusion • Deception Curator’s Notes The Moon is the card of intuition, dreams, and the unconscious. There is a lot of internal energy to be found in this card, as we look deeply into our psyches and take stock of our emotions. There is an element of confusion—being lost in the dark—or deception—shadowy people in our lives that we distrust— to this card but more often I find the darkness the Moon is asking us to take a good, hard look is that which exists within our minds. For our Moon card we again turn to Edward Robert Hughes, who painted such beautiful nighttime scenes. I am a big fan of shadow work—getting deep down into the soul muck to root out the cause of our darker emotions—and I love the woman bathed here in moonlight, seeming to beckon us to join her on her midnight journey. She carries all the tools we need, if we are ready to cut away our fears and illusions, seeing through to the deep truths that lie within.

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19 The Sun “La Fileuse” by John Waterhouse c.1873

Every moment is a fresh beginning.

~T.S. Elliot

Keywords New beginnings • Opportunities • Joy • Happiness • Friendship • Unions • Liberation • Success • Vitality • Warmth • Wellbeing • Positivity • Stability Curator’s Notes No creepy little naked kids on The Sun card for me, thanks! (Seriously—why do so many decks have children on their sun cards? Maybe it’s meant to be a sign of new beginnings, but—honestly? Children in art—especially naked ones—are just…unsettling.) Anywho, The Sun is a message of optimism; the dawn that follows the darkest night. I wanted the bright, joyful energy of the Sun represented in this card—and I easily found that in La Fileuse. Seeing that woman dressed in a stunning yellow gown, stepping from the darkness of the curtained space behind her and into the lighted room screamed “Sun!” to me. La Fileuse, which I believe is French, translates to The Spinner. The woman we see here is a woman getting ready to do her work; to seize the day and make her wares to sell at market. The modern day #girlboss movement is one that is near and dear to my indie heart, so seeing the connotations of a woman making her way in the world—striving to hone her craft, reaching for success—just made me fall deeper in love with this Sun card.

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20 Judgement “Clytie” by Lord Frederic Leighton c.1895

Spiritual awakening is awakening from the dream of thought.

~Eckhart Tolle

Keywords Rebirth • Regeneration • Resurrection • Inner calling • Spiritual awakening • Absolution • Rewards • Progress • Revelations • New purpose • Karma fulfilled Curator’s Notes In Greek mythology, Clytie was a water nymph; the daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was the lover of the sun god Helios, but he eventually deserted her to pursue Leucothea, the daughter of Orchamus. Clytie was enraged and told Orchamus about the love affair, who then sentenced his daughter to death. Clytie thought that the death of Leucothea would make Helios return to her, but he never forgave her for causing Leucothea’s death. Realizing the error of her ways and what her jealously had driven her to, Clytie lay naked for nine days on the rocks; staring up at the sun, without drinking or eating. On the ninth day, she was transformed into a flower, the heliotrope, which turns towards the direction of the sun. Is this the Clytie that Leighton painted? Perhaps; perhaps not. But the message of repentance and facing the mistakes we have made ring true in both cases. It is only once we face our pasts that we can greet our future, being reborn into our new role, as Clytie was reborn into her flower.

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21 The World “The Beloved” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti c.1865

It always seems impossible until it’s done.

~Nelson Mandela

Keywords Completion • Culmination • Accomplishment • Success • Connection • Fulfillment • Growth • Travel • Freedom • End of a cycle Curator’s Notes We are the world, we are the children… In all seriousness though—we are. The world is made up by billions of souls all traveling their own paths; seeking their own forms of success and completion. The World card not only signifies that we have reached those achievements and are now enjoying a sense of fulfilment—and who doesn’t want that? — but also reminds us that we are not alone at any step along the way. We all start out as The Fool—full of innocent faith—and experience the hero’s journey for ourselves. We endure hardships and challenges along the way but come out better for having experienced them on the other side; made stronger and wiser than when we first started on our journey. The World is an end, but it is not the end. Its just time for us to start off down another path…

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4 The Minor Arcana The Minor Arcana consists of four suits—Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. Each suit corresponds with a different element and is representative of different aspects of our day-to-day lives. Each suit in the Minor Arcana consists of fourteen cards: ten numbered cards (from Ace through to Ten) and four Court Cards (the Page, Knight, Queen, and King). The numbered Minor Arcana tarot cards reflect everyday life situations that are less earth-shattering than the Major Arcana, while the Court Cards reflect personality-types or actual people present in our lives. I also find it helpful to remember that the Court Cards may be asking us to embody the traits of that card, and therefor list keywords for them that are in adjective form. My Minor Arcana is where we buck tradition a little. I tapped into the energy and emotion of the Minor Arcana, but very few of these cards will feature the traditional Minor Arcana symbols. Though you might find some chalices in the Cups suit and flowers in most of the Pentacles, there are no actual pentacles to be found and only a handful of actual swords. In the Courts, my Kings? They’re all ladies. Sorrynotsorry. I hope the intuitive meaning of these cards shines through and helps you connect with the suits on a deeper, more intrinsic level than you may have felt with other decks.

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The Cups Water • Emotions • Intuition • Relationships

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Ace of Cups “The Farmer's Daughter” by Sir John Everett Millais c.1863

Openness and softness of heart is your home.

~John de Ruiter

Keywords Emotional growth • Openness • Intuition • Creativity • Potential • Affection • Good news • New love Curator’s Notes The Ace is a symbol of possibility; of a longing for fulfilment not just emotionally but also spiritually. The opportunity to seek what will make us happy might be right before us—but will we reach out and take it? There is an innocence and underlying current of romance to the Suit of Cups, for me. In this young farm girl, I see all that possibility and creativity; the innocence and longing for something more. Is she happy with where she is in life, or is she a daydreamer? Is she thinking of the charming young farmhand from down the road as she goes about her morning chores—or is she daydreaming about a dashing knight sweeping her off her feet and carrying her away to a dazzling new life where she never has to work another day?

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2 “Tristan and Isolde Sharing the Potion” by John Waterhouse c.1916

True love cannot be found where it does not exist, nor can it be denied where it does. ~Torquato Tasso Keywords Harmony • Partnership • Union • Cooperation • Communication • Romance • Commitment • Marriage Curator’s Notes The legend of Tristan and Isolde is the tale of two lovers fated to share a forbidden but undying love. Scholars of mythology believe that the legend originated in western France, and that over time it became part of the mythology of medieval Europe. Their legend—with its emphasis on a love that cannot be denied even when it leads to tragedy—has appealed to artists since medieval times, as it does to me. The Two of Cups is a card that shows us the power of two becoming one. This can, of course, be a romantic relationship—as that of Tristan and Isolde—but it can also be applied to other important partnerships and relationships that have a lasting effect on our lives. What comes through most in this card, which is also my reasoning for choosing this painting to represent it, is that the connection happening here is strong and unified, even in the face of adversity.

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3 “The Danaides” by John Waterhouse c.1903

Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only true friends leave footprints in your heart. ~Eleanor Roosevelt Keywords Friendship • Celebration • Toasts • Sisterhood • Gatherings • Reunions • Sharing • Joy Curator’s Notes Friendship, sisterhood, chosen family—all of those come to mind when I look upon the Three of Cups. It is my personal favorite card in the Minor Arcana. What can I say? I’m just a Three of Cups type of gal. I love my friends deeply and fiercely, and always see our coming together—in good times and bad—as a reason for celebration. The painting here features of Danaides, the daughters of the Danaus, as told in Greek legend. His daughters did not lead happy lives under their daddy’s thumb, so I see them here working together and feel that sense of harmony that can be found even in crappy situations when true sisterhood exists. Nothing can beat the love, support and compassion you can find among soul sisters.

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4 “The Remorse of the Emperor Nero After the Murder of His Mother” by John Waterhouse c.1878

We must accept infinite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. ~Martin Luther King Jr. Keywords Apathy • Boredom • Withdrawal • Disinterest • Disappointment • Self-absorption • Missed opportunities • Reevaluation Curator’s Notes The first word that comes to mind when I think of the Four of Cups is “Meh.” (And then my brain goes into the Last Midnight lyrics from Into the Woods, “You’re not good, you’re not bad, you’re just… nice.”) The Four of Cups is a card that just isn’t happy. It’s not angry either—and that’s the problem. Instead of acting from a place of passion or from desiring change, it instead becomes a moment of stasis where we wallow in dissatisfaction, feeling sorry for ourselves. Waterhouse’s The Remorse of Nero After the Murder of His Mother depicts the Roman emperor Nero, whose reign was known for its lavish splendor and luxury. We see Nero reclining on a couch, surrounded by opulence: fine clothes, finely embroidered pillows, golden bowls—and yet he looks apathetic. Rather than enjoying the beauty around him, he longs for more and ignores what he already has—and if that isn’t the Four of Cups self-centeredness coming through, I don’t know what is!

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5 “Idle Tears” by Edward Robert Hughes

It’s better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret. ~Jackie Joyner-Kersee Keywords Loss • Regret • Self-blame • Guilt • Doubt • Looking back • Wallowing • Unexplainable sorrow Curator’s Notes Where the Four shows us that our dissatisfaction may largely be our own fault, the Five of Cups presents a more poignant loss—and reminds us that there is a time when we simply need to let go. When we get caught up in the past and find ourselves unable to move on, we miss out on the new opportunities that could present themselves in our lives. In Idle Tears, we see a woman lost in her bitter memories from the past. Whatever her loss, it is time for her to move on. If she were to close the book and look up from the dusty pages, she might see the sun shining brightly outside her window—a reminder that there is always a new dawn, and a new path waiting for us beyond it.

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6 “At Capri” by John Waterhouse c.1889

What heaven can be more real than to retain the spirit-world of childhood?

~Beatrix Potter

Keywords Nostalgia • Naivety • Childhood • Simplicity • Innocence • Idealism • Regression • Sanctuary • Memory Lane • Rose colored glasses Curator’s Notes In this card we see two young girls—perhaps sisters—whiling away a warm summer day in a lush garden beside a fountain. One braids her hair, the other gazes at herself in a mirror. The Six of Cups brings with it a sense of nostalgia; a longing for the simpler, care-free days of our childhoods. In this painting, I see that sense of innocence and timelessness. The two girls relax and pamper themselves; not seeming to have a care in the world. Wouldn’t we all love to have a day such as that again? Funny aside here. There is an alternate name for this painting, or so I’ve seen. Some call it “The Toilet.” Not sure why; didn’t really look into that one too much to be honest. I think the idyllic At Capri sounds much nicer (and it appears to be the more widely accepted title—whew)!

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7 “Crystal Ball” by John Waterhouse c.

Fantasy and reality often overlap.

~Walt Disney

Keywords Wishful thinking • Fantasy • Imagination • Possibility • Choice • Thrill seeking • Avoiding reality Curator’s Notes Illusions, daydreams—or portents of truth? Who knows what you’ll see, when you gaze into the depths of a crystal ball. With the Seven of Cups, there is a risk of wishful thinking. Sometimes we want something to be real so badly that we start connecting dots that aren’t there—and in the end? That harms us more than helps us. The Seven warns us to separate what reality from fiction—much like the woman who tries to divine her future in the crystal ball.

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8 “Gone, But Not Forgotten” by John Waterhouse c.1873

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone. ~Alan Watts Keywords Separation • Abandonment • Resignation • End of a cycle • Walking away • Letting go • Moving on • Soul searching Curator’s Notes For me, the Eight of Cups is a card of leave-taking. Something in our lives has changed; ended, lost forever. We are no longer able to follow the path we once did—even if we still want to—and there is no choice but to start exploring new options. In Gone, But Not Forgotten we see a heart-breaking sense of sorrow. She has experienced a loss that has irrevocably changed her, but she also realizes that it is time to move on. She cannot mourn forever. Moving on with her life and seeking happiness will not tarnish the love she has lost. It will always remain deep in her heart, a cherished memory after the pain has faded.

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9 “The End of the Quest” by Frank Bernard Dicksee c.1921

The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go. ~Dodinsky Keywords Happiness • Wishes fulfilled • Realizing dreams • Reaching a goal • Security • Comfort • Prosperity • “The Good Life” Curator’s Notes Is it here—that moment we’ve wished for; waited for? Much like naked baby Sun cards, I hate smug, fat fellow Nines. Nope; not for me, thanks. There are other ways to show we’re almost at the end of an emotional journey—and I believe I’ve done so here with The End of the Quest. We see a knight returning to his lady, asking for her hand in marriage. All he has worked for, toiling away at war; seeking fame and fortune to build their house upon has finally come to fruition. All he needs now is for her to say yes, to be his bride and make him the happiest man in the kingdom…

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10 “My Fair Lady” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1914

The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved in return.

~Moulin Rouge

Keywords Fulfillment • Hopes • Dreams • Harmonious home • Marriage • Soulmates • Love • Happy family • Perfection Curator’s Notes …and she said yes to the dress! The Ten of Cups embodies so many wonderful emotions: joy, fulfillment, love. Most of all love. (Que the release of doves and harp music here!) This card rarely shows up for me unless its speaking of a romantic relationship or about family—and that is perfectly okay by me. I love the idyllic state of perfection and good fortune this Ten brings to mind. I also feel that Leighton’s My Fair Lady—with its beautiful bride approaching her groom—captures the breathless joy of that moment perfectly. 57

Page “Undine” by John Waterhouse c.1872

Some of us are born star chasers. Off this world, sweet lavish dreamers. ~Conny Cernik Keywords The Dreamer • Naïve • Creative • Caring • Gentle • Shy • Sensitive • Idealistic • Clairsentient Curator’s Notes Young, innocent, idyllic—but with a mercurial heart that demands to be expressed, the Page of Cups is a herald of new creative endeavors. Like the other Court Cards in her suit, she is in touch with her emotions and has a deeply resonant intuition, even if she doesn’t know how to interpret its messages quite yet Who better to represent that energy than an Undine? Undines were first mentioned in the writings of the Swiss author Paracelsus, who theorized that there were spirits who inhabited the element of water. They are more commonly called water nymphs, and their curious, playful—though sometimes dangerous—natures are well embodied by the innocent maiden by the fountain in Waterhouse’s painting.

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Knight “Invocation” by Lord Frederic Leighton c.1889

The sweetest pleasures are those which are hardest won. ~Giacomo Casanova Keywords The Lover • Romantic • Charming • Imaginative • Generous • Sensual • Sentimental • Moody • Volatile Curator’s Notes How beautiful is Leighton’s Invocation? Lifting her veil, baring her face—and perhaps her secrets—to the world, this self-assured woman is a beautiful incarnation of this Knight’s energy. She has power and she knows it—but it would never occur to her to abuse it. Charming, curious, expressive—the Knight of Cups possesses the most feminine energy of all the Knights. She would prefer to be a lover rather than a fighter, and always chooses to listen to her heart— even if her head is telling her otherwise. She trusts her gut and seeks to deepen her connection with the artistic urges within her soul. She knows there is more to her journey but it does not intimidate her one bit.

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Queen “Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses” by John Waterhouse c.1891

There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.

~Rumi

Keywords The Listener • Feminine • Intuitive • Emotional • Nurturing • Psychic • Spiritual • Warm-hearted Curator’s Notes The Queen of Cups is represented in this deck by the beautiful work of John Waterhouse. His painting depicts a scene from The Odyssey where the sorceress Circe is confronted by Ulysses. Ulysses’ reflection can be seen in the mirror behind Circe’s throne, and one of his crewmen, magically transformed into a pig, is beside Circe’s feet. She holds her wand and chalice aloft. Clearly, she is an enchantress not to be trifled with—she is in her element and comfortable with her power. No intuition out there is more on point than that of this Queen. She is a magical woman down to her toes and she knows it. Her connection to the unknown, the subconscious, is rivalled only by the High Priestess. I like to think of them as sisters; both powerful, though the High Priestess may be older, wiser; better taught. Like her older sister, she urges us to listen to our inner voices and follow our hearts.

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King "Queen Eleanor" by Anthony Frederick Sandys c.1858

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. ~Jimi Hendrix Keywords The Peace-keeper • Calm • Caring • Sympathetic • Supportive • Diplomatic • Considerate Curator’s Notes Eleanor of Aquitaine—the subject of Sandys’s painting—was one of the most powerful and influential women of the Middle Ages. Before her death in 1152, she become the queen of France, the queen of England, and led a crusade to the Holy Land. Eleanor also established the legendary Court of Love, where it is said she encouraged a culture of chivalry among her courtiers that had far-reaching influence on the literature, poetry, music and folklore of the day. This Court was reported to have attracted artists and poets, and to have contributed to a flowering of culture and the arts. And who could be more supporting of the Court of Love than the King of Cups? He represents a kind, compassionate leader; one who values creativity and chivalry. He is no push over, but also not too proud to be seen shedding a tear while watching a moving play.

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The Pentacles Earth • Finances • Home • Career

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Ace of Pentacles “Pandora” by John Waterhouse c.1898

It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.

~Tony Robbins

Keywords Manifestation • New ventures • Abundance • Wealth • Investment • Inheritance • Windfall Curator’s Notes Pandora, the first human woman created by the Greek gods, was endowed with beauty and cunning. He then had her delivered to Prometheus’ foolish younger brother Epimetheus as a bride. Zeus gave Pandora a jar (often mistranslated as a box) as a wedding gift. When she opened the jar, a swarm of evil spirits was released into the world, to plague mankind forever after. When Pandora slammed the jar shut only one spirit—that of hope—remained behind, a single blessing to ease mankind's suffering. We never know what potential lies within our own Pandora’s Box until we open it—much like the journey we are being asked to step out upon in the Ace of Pentacles. In this card we are being asked to let our dreams out into the world, so they may manifest your goals. This can be a very scary thing if you are unsure that this new venture will pay off—but until you turn your ideas into something tangible, you’ll never know...

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2 “Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May” by John Waterhouse c.1909

Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. ~Orison Swett Marden Keywords Progress • Prioritization • Adapting • Balance • Optimism • Time management • Ups and downs Curator’s Notes While the Ace of Pentacles represents the shiny, fresh stage of a new business venture, the Two represents getting down to brass tacks. Work takes work; there’s no two ways about it. Following our dreams means doing the legwork, because there is no one out there who can—or will—give our dreams as much energy as we can. Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May was inspired by the 17th century poem “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick, and I found its opening verse to vibe with my understanding of the Two of Pentacles: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today, Tomorrow will be dying.

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3 “A Flower Stall” by John Waterhouse c.1880

Problems can become opportunities when the right people come together.

~Robert Redford

Keywords Teamwork • Cooperation • Collaboration • Learning • Mentors • Growth • Laying the groundwork • Material growth Curator’s Notes Teamwork lies at the heart of the Three of Pentacles. Like the women bartering together at The Flower Stall, this card reminds us that sometimes we need help to complete our work, no matter how skilled we are in other areas. Don’t forget that you can draw on the knowledge and experience of your peers when needed. The overall message of the Three of Pentacles is an encouraging one, promising that if we continue to work toward our dreams—and ask for help when we get stuck instead of giving up—we will make progress toward our goals. You need to do work that is satisfying to you and that you can be truly proud of. Persistence, determination, and effort are going to pay off.

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4 “Windflowers” by John Waterhouse c.1902

You need self-control in an out-of-control world.

~James C. Collins

Keywords Saving • Security • Conservation • Preparation • Practicality • Control • Paring back •Self interest Curator’s Notes The winds of change are blowing—and if we don’t heed the warning of the Four of Pentacles, we might find ourselves regretting it later. While it is not a good thing to be overly concerned with our finances and material possessions, it is equally damaging to be a wild spender, never showing concern for the future or the balance on our Amex card. In Windflowers, we see a woman who is walking through a field, her sleeves blowing in the wind—and her armful of carefully picked blossoms in danger of being whisked away if she is not careful. This image warns of a need to consider the world around us and gage which way the wind is blowing. Forewarned is forearmed, and we can blame no one but ourselves if we didn’t heed the warnings the Universe was giving us.

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5 “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind” by John Everett Millais c.1892

If you are going through hell, keep going.

~Winston Churchill

Keywords Isolation • Hardship • Worry • Depression • Unemployment • Poverty • Sudden loss Curator’s Notes The title of Millais’ painting comes from one of William Shakespeare’s poems: Blow Blow thou winter wind Thou art not so unkind As man's ingratitude… …Though thou the waters warp, Thy sting is not so sharp As friend remember’d not. The Five of Pentacles is a card of adversity and loss. Hard times have come; our fortunes have turned and left us feeling alone and uncertain of the future. Like the woman in the painting, we might feel we have been left to suffer, out in the cold. However, stopping in the middle of nowhere—giving up—only compounds our suffering. If we keep heart and walk a little farther, we might find that there are people right around the bend who are willing to help. There is always a solution or a way out; we just need to seek it.

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6 “The Charity of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary” by Edmund Blair Leighton c. 1895

The heart that gives, gathers.

~Marianne Moore

Keywords Generosity • Charity • Assistance • Sharing • Support • Kindness • Gifts • Financial flow Curator’s Notes Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, depicted in Leighton’s painting, was a pious princess who later became an early member of the Third Order of St. Francis. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14 and widowed by 20. After her husband’s death she sent her children away and regained control of her dowry, using the money to build a hospital at Marburg where she herself, and her companions, cared for the sick. She became a symbol of Christian charity after her death at the age of 24 and was canonized in May 1235. The world could use more of such charity. The Six of Pentacles is a card that represents our lives are currently in a balanced state. Our finances are comfortable, our homes are secure, our ventures are prospering—but the Six also stands to remind us that there are always others whose lives are not in such a state. There is always someone out there who is less fortunate than us. Like Saint Elizabeth, we would do well to remember that, whether it’s time or money, we all likely have something we can give to help many other peoples’ lives just a little bit better.

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7 “Gathering Almond Blossoms” by John Waterhouse c.1916

The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest. ~Deepika Padukone Keywords Perseverance • Hard work • Forethought • Gestation • Cultivation • Thriving • Efforts vs. Rewards Curator’s Notes The almond is a species of tree native to Mediterranean climate regions of the Middle East, from Syria and Turkey to Pakistan, although it has been introduced elsewhere in the world. Almond trees are the first tree to blossom every year and yet they are the last to bear fruit. That symbolism works well with the Seven of Pentacles, which urges us to put in hard work; the kind of efforts that yield long-term rewards. This isn’t a card of get rich quick schemes or fast turn arounds—the Seven is going to take its time putting out dividends, but they will be the kind you are glad you put the work into down the road.

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8 “Stitching the Standard” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1911

With extraordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable. ~Thomas Foxwell Buxton Keywords Apprenticeship • Education • Talent • Effort • Craftsmanship • Positive potential • A bright future Curator’s Notes Stitching the Standard depicts a woman on the battlements of a medieval castle putting the finishing touches to a standard featuring a black eagle on a gold background. In a time of peace, the woman has taken her needlework into the daylight away from the bustle of the castle. The Eight of Pentacles is the card of apprenticeship; a time of learning new skills and taking care to hone our skills. There is a concentrated determination that can be felt in this card, like the woman carefully tending to her needlework under the midday sun. The Eight asked us to take our new endeavor seriously, for we have chosen this new path consciously and now it deserves all the energy we can dedicate to it.

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9 “Spring Spreads One Green Lap of Flowers” by John Waterhouse c.1910

Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into. ~Wayne Dyer Keywords Success • Abundance • Resources • Prospering • Harvesting • Better than expected results Curator’s Notes Like the blooms being gathered by the woman in Spring Spreads One Green Lap of Flowers, our harvest is ready to come in. Some decks choose to give this card a feel of luxury and excess, but I have always seen it as the very last step before we bask in our success; when we are so close to reaching the end goal that we can almost taste—but we haven’t made it just yet. Instead of basking in “almost,” the Nine reminds us that we need to stick to the plan and see it all the way through. 95% isn’t good enough! Knuckle under and harness the self-discipline that has grown within throughout the suit of Pentacles and that dream will come true.

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10 “A Sick Child Brought Into the Temple of Aesculapius” by John Waterhouse c.1877

Home is the nicest word there is. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder Keywords Happiness • Peace • Family • Stability • Permanence • Status • Contentment • Security Curator’s Notes Hearth, home, family—now this is the payoff of the suit of Pentacles. The Ten of Pentacles shows a family gathered together in a valetudinarium (which is a fancy-schmancy way of saying a Roman doctor’s office), showing the importance of their bonds. Together they feel safe and comfortable, even in the face of the unknown, because they know they always have one another to rely upon. Beyond the family ties, the Ten of Pentacles is a card of fulfilment; especially financially. We followed that dream—which may have seemed so scary at first—and saw it through to the end. We’ve built something solid; something important; something we can look upon with glowing pride. A sustainable future lies before us now, and isn’t that just about the best thing ever? This success is something that will last the test of time.

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Page “In the Peristyle” by John Waterhouse c.1874

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. ~B.B. King Keywords The Student • Responsible • Reliable • Steadfast • Practical • Studious • Hardworking • Loyal Curator’s Notes Our Page of Pentacles shows a young girl feeding her family’s chickens early in the morning. She is a doer; a helper who wants to earn her parents’ praise. She yearns for responsibility and a chance to prove herself. She has the desire to try new things. She is filled with the innocent wonder of a child who believes she can become anything she sets her mind to and reminds us that we are never too old to become the student yet again. Learning a completely new way of doing things might seem scary to those of us who are set in our way, but if we embody the Page’s unfettered wonderment, we may find the world has much more to offer us than we ever dared dream.

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Knight “Girl with a Mirror” by John William Godward c.1892

Tradition: how the vitality of the past enriches the life of the present.

~T.S. Elliot

Keywords The Builder • Conservative • Traditional • Efficient • Methodical • Trustworthy • Respectful Curator’s Notes This is probably the card whose image I would say is the furthest stretch to fit in with the card meaning—but there is something about the expression on the Girl with a Mirror’s face that makes that connection for me, so just stay with me for a moment. There is a sense of perfectionism around with the Knight of Pentacles. A lot of her pride rides on how people perceive her, so she is not about to let anyone hold her back from seeing her idea comes to fruition. There is never a doubt in her mind that that everything she undertakes will by anything but a rousing success—so don’t try to tell her otherwise. (Okay, maybe she’s a little bit on the stubborn side too.) She knows what she wants, when she wants it, and has very strong opinions on how it should be done. She is never leaves a job unfinished and takes every one of her promises very seriously. 74

Queen “La Ghirlandata” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti c.1873

Nurturing has the power to transform people’s lives.

~John C. Maxwell

Keywords The Homemaker • Nurturing • Motherly • Generous • Stable • Sensory • Prosperous • Down-to-earth Curator’s Notes As an indie girlboss and wife, I envy the woman who can effortlessly embody the Queen of Pentacles’ energy. They have the drive to work full-time jobs, take care of the children, keep their house clean, and still find a way to make it to Zumba classes three nights a week. That is SO not me! I can barely get off the couch on my rare Sunday off! This Queen is also the beautifier, in addition to being the homemaker. She has a very warm, motherly energy and prides herself on making her home not only stylish but also a welcoming sanctuary for any in need of comfort—but don’t mistake her for a push-over. She puts the “momma” in “momma bear!” (I actually picture the woman in this card as being a sort of glammed up Molly Weasley, ready to jump to her family’s defense when they’re threatened.)

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King “Leila” by Frank Bernard Dicksee c.1892

Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.

~Henry David Thoreau

Keywords The Provider • Successful • Materialistic • Practical • Responsible • Authoritative • Wealthy Curator’s Notes If there was ever someone secure in their personal power, it would be the King of Pentacles. Represented in The Beautiful Rebellion by Dicksee’s beautiful Leila, this King is the ruler of her own life, and likely of those whose lives cross hers. She is the grand matron; the provider for the manse. Does she need a husband to provide for her? Hell no! Her sharp mind has brought her to a place of material wealth and security. She has all she needs and more—and she’s not shy of showing it!

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The Swords Air • Ideas • Convictions •The Mind

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Ace of Swords “Accolade” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1901

A breakthrough is a moment when the impossible becomes possible.

~Tony Robbins

Keywords Break through • New idea/plan • Potential • Clarity • Inspiration • Fortitude • A fresh start Curator’s Notes There are many stories considering the origin of and inspiration for Leighton’s Accolade, although none have been confirmed beyond agreement that it depicts an accolade, a ceremony to confer knighthood. In the painting, the ceremony is being performed by a young queen with the knight bowed before her feet in a position of submission and fealty—accepting this great honor with grace and dignity. The Ace of Swords implies that we are being given great power, in the form of a breakthrough (an “Aha!” moment) or a flash of impressive insight. Like a sword—or even a knighthood!—the power of this breakthrough can be double-edged. It is us to us to use its energy with care and responsibility, so that we do not harm others by abusing our power.

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2 “The Dedication” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1908

Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile.

~Bertrand Russell

Keywords Choice • Indecision • Stalemate • Courage • Compromise • A crossroads • Staying calm Curator’s Notes The Two of Swords usually depicts a blindfolded woman holding a sword in each hand. Her blindfold indicates that she is confused about her situation and cannot see a solution to it. I chose Leighton’s Dedication for this card because it has that conflicted feeling to it. The young man asks for God’s blessing on his sword; eager to go off and prove himself in battle. The woman beside him—who I see as his mother—appears to be praying. But what is she praying for? Is she asking that her beloved son find the glory and rewards he longs for? Or is she hoping that he will change his mind and choose not to enter the fray after all? The Two of Swords reminds us that life’s decisions are frequently difficult. Sometimes the consequences will be painful, no matter which path we choose. Sometimes we must face those hard decisions and do what our hearts insist is right—and in others, we will have to keep silent and let another follow their own path.

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3 “Saint Stephen” by John Everett Millais c.1895

Each betrayal begins with trust.

~Martin Luther

Keywords Betrayal • Painful separation • Heartache • Heartbreak • Sorrow • Rejection • Greif • Infidelity • Release Curator’s Notes

Betrayal. Heartbreak. Rejection. There really isn’t much of a silver lining to this card. Arguably one of the roughest cards in the tarot, the Three of Swords is just not an easy card to behold. Something has gone wrong, striking us through the heart, and all we can do is worth through it. While emotions like pain, sorrow and grief are a necessity in the journey of life, they are never easy to work through as they occur. It takes time, understanding and patience. The dark, heart-wrenching ambiance of Millais’ Saint Stephen captures that raw, desolate feel that the Three of Swords can bring into our lives. Saint Stephen is traditionally venerated as the first martyr of Christianity. He knew in his heart that the Lord would receive his spirit and that his killers would be forgiven as they began to stone him, so he is said to have calmly sank to his knees and “fell asleep” as death claimed him.

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4 “After the Dance” by John Waterhouse c.1876

If you have no time to rest, it’s exactly the right time.

~Mark Twain

Keywords Rest • Recuperation • Contemplation • Retreat • Peace and quiet • Time out • Delays • Passivity Curator’s Notes After the Dance features two young figures, gracefully draped, resting themselves in the atrium of the house wherein they have been dancing. Their challenge might not be as great as those normally hinted at in the Four of Swords but the message remains the same: rest and recovery are needed before you can move on. Staying inactive, or silent; taking some time to put yourself first instead of doing what others expect of you—that’s a challenge in and of itself in modern day society! Don’t let others bully you into feeling you don’t need—or deserve—a rest. We all do, from time to time, and it’s likely that yours is well overdue when this card appears!

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5 “Faithful Unto Death” by Sir Edward John Poynter c.1865

There is no knife that cuts so sharply and with such poisoned blade as treachery. ~Ouida Keywords Tension • Conflict • Strife • Treachery • Surrender • Instability • Dishonesty Curator’s Notes The Five of Swords is a card fraught with conflict. You might find yourself having disagreed with others, causing tension and hostility. You might just plain be torn on how to proceed on the issue. This card asks you to make a decision; to find the heart of the conflict and suss out a way to solve it. The answer you find might not wind up being what you want, but if it is the right thing to do for the situation? It’s time to own up to it. In Faithful Unto Death, we see a scene set on the last day of Pompeii, inspired by real life. During the excavations at Pompeii in the early 19th century, the skeleton of a soldier in full armor was discovered. Historians of the period assumed that he had remained loyally at his post while all the other inhabitants of Pompeii were fleeing from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Poynter’s brilliantly painted rendition of this scene shows the confliction in the soldier’s eyes. Does he remain loyal to his liege and his duty, knowing that he will die? Or does he run, saving himself but forever tarnishing his honor? A hard call to make—and one that distills the very essence of the Five of Swords.

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6 “Farewell” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1922

Moving on, is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard.

~Dave Mustaine

Keywords Travel • Escape • Moving on • Regretful but necessary transition • Rite of passage Curator’s Notes This card was one that I had many versions of in my original test copy of The Beautiful Rebellion—but there was something so poignant in Farewell that it won out over all the others. Do we know who is sailing off in that ship, leaving the woman and child behind? No, but we can take a good guess that it is a father and husband. Perhaps he is sailing off to war—or maybe he is a merchant, sailing off in search of trade to continue his business. Whatever the reason, sailing was dangerous in medieval times. That woman must have known there was a possibility that she would never see her husband again—and that she might one day have to explain his disappearance to her small child. The Six of Swords is a card of regretful transition. Something is calling us forward, forcing us to leave the comfortable life we have known. Often the travel is physical, and we know we must leave something important behind in order to chase this new life. While it may be what is best for us in the long-term, there is always an element of the unknown—and the sadness of saying goodbye.

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7 “Thisbe” by John Waterhouse c.1909

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to accept what is true. ~Soren Kierkegaard Keywords Deception • Stealth • Curiosity • Daring behavior • Plotting • Mind games • A spy Curator’s Notes Thisbe is a character that appears in the work of Roman poet Ovid. She loved Pyramus, who lived next door in a connected house, but they had been forbidden to marry by their rival parents. However, they were able to speak to one another through a crack in a wall—sneaking around the ban their parents had put on their relationship. The Seven of Swords is a sneaky card, full of deception and lies, and I very much enjoy the imagery in Waterhouse’s Thisbe here. This card speaks to difficulty of trying to “get away” with something. Doing something in secret is harder than you think and only one little thing needs to go awry and then—BAM! The secret is revealed and a whole new can of worms is opened.

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8 “St. George and the Dragon VI: The Princess Tied to a Tree” by Edward Burne-Jones c.1866

I am the hero of my own story, I don’t need to be saved.

~Regina Spektor

Keywords Confinement • Feeling restricted • Anxiety • Indecision • Withdrawal • Abandonment Curator’s Notes The Eight of Swords shows a woman tied up, looking defeated. Though her hands are indeed tied, she still has her wits and could formulate a plan to release herself—if she wasn’t trapped by her own thoughts and perspectives. She needs only look at the situation from a new angle. The woman in the Eight of Swords is often seen as powerless. She let herself get put into this situation— shown in this image by the women walking away from her—and has effectively let herself become the victim waiting for rescue. Who knows what those ladies said to convince her to let herself be tied to the stake, a sacrifice to the dragon—maybe they had a good reason. Maybe she was too scared to fight back against her sisters; maybe there was enough truth in their words to make her feel guilt. The fact is that she did indeed let herself to talked into that victim mentality. Fight against those ropes that hold you back. Change the narrative in your head. Don’t become a lamb lead to slaughter.

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9 “Speak! Speak!” by Sir John Everett Millais c.1895

Despair speaks evenly, in a quiet voice. ~Ursula K. Le Guin Keywords Nightmares • Intense anxiety • Crisis • Breaking point • Doubt • Despair • Solitude • Self-imposed isolation Curator’s Notes The subject of the image in Speak! Speak! was explained by Millais’s son J.G. Millais: “It is that of a young Roman who has been reading through the night the letters of his lost love; and at dawn, behold, the curtains of his bed are parted, and there before him stands, in spirit or in truth, the lady herself, decked as on her bridal night, and gazing upon him with sad but loving...” The Nine of Swords is a card of nightmares and phantasms; of the tricks our minds play on us when they strike us through with fear. Though these fears seek to cripple us, it is important to remember that the Swords are the suit of the mind, and these terrible images are only in our heads. It is up to us to discern truth from myth and stop our worries from affecting us in the physical realm.

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10 “St. Eulalia” by John Waterhouse c.1885

Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

~J.K. Rowling

Keywords Hopelessness • Defeat • Stabbed in the back • Ultimate betrayal • Rock bottom • Time to start over Curator’s Notes

Well… that didn’t go as planned. Sometimes we try our hardest, plan ahead, and do everything we can to make a situation go right…and it still goes terribly wrong. The Ten of Swords is a hard stop. It is the end of the road, and there just is nowhere to go from there. It tells us we need to turn around, go back to the drawing board, and try something new. Often this failure is very painful for us, but we are given the chance to start anew—unlike Saint Eulalia. Eulalia was a 13-year-old Roman Christian virgin who suffered martyrdom in Barcelona during the persecution of Christians in the reign of emperor Diocletian. She was martyred in 304AD for refusing to make sacrifices to the Roman gods. The method of her death was also said to be particularly gruesome. Prudentius, a Roman Christian poet, says that the body of St. Eulalia was shrouded “by the miraculous fall of snow when lying in the forum after her martyrdom.”

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Page “Il Barbagianni The Owl” by Valentine Cameron Prinsep c.1863

I don’t think I’m a follower, frankly. ~Rachel True Keywords The Initiator • Talkative • Curious • Quick-witted • Energetic • Restless • Hasty Curator’s Notes The Page of Swords is a go-getter; an initiator. She is full of energy, passion and enthusiasm. When a new idea pops into her head, she’s out there sharing it with others; gathering all the pieces she can to get a head start on it. Her challenge, however, is keeping up that high energy—and finishing what she’s started. As quickly as she’s shown a passion for crocheting, she discovers the wonders of deep sea diving—and there she goes again. Her yarn gathers dust while she makes friends with exotic fish. When embodying this Page’s electrifying energy, one must remember to keep their feet on the ground. She’s going to encourage you to move forward, getting those wheels in motion despite any challenges that might stand in the way. She’s right there beside you, getting things moving and—hey, did you see her awesome new pet? I mean, how cool is it to breed owls?

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Knight “A Roman Matron” by John William Godward c.1905

Be an independent thinker at all times, and ignore anyone who attempts to define you in a limiting way. ~Sherry Argov Keywords The Thinker • Determined • Fearless • Chatty • Assertive • Clever • Direct • Opinionated • Impatient Curator’s Notes The Knight of Swords is a self-assured powerhouse. She—like her younger sister the Page—is full of life and energy. While she isn’t quite as scattered as the Page, she has a wild streak of her own that needs to be balanced with a strong sense of responsibility. She’s a thinker, but once she gets past the conception stage and into action—there can be no stopping her! This Knight doesn’t give a fig about risk or “what ifs.” She has a strong drive to win, even if her current pursuit isn’t necessarily a game to others. She’s clever, determined, and to her? All of life is a game. Temper that wild spirit with a reminder that our actions have consequences when she spurs you know toward dangerous territory. Winning is awesome and fun—but the glow of glory will quickly fade if we’ve crushed others in our single-minded quest for grandeur.

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Queen “Faticida” by Lord Frederic Leighton c.1894

Sometimes you have to be a bitch to get things done.

~Madonna

Keywords The Stone-Cold Bitch • Professional • Independent • Reserved • Aloof • Blunt • Honest • Critical Curator’s Notes Okay; there is no denying it—this is my favorite card in the deck. I adore this image for the Queen of Swords. I don’t call her the Stone-Cold Bitch for nothing! The look on Fataicida’s face says it all. “Mmmhmm. Honey, you want to try telling me that again—maybe without kissing my ass this time?” The Queen of Swords ain’t no fool—and she has zero patience for games. She has an innate ability to cut through the bullshit and tell it like it is. She thinks on her feet and has a contingency plan for everything. No one is catching her off-guard or backing her into a corner. She is upfront and honest; blunt to the point where more thin-skinned people may find her heartless—but that doesn’t bother her. She doesn’t have time to waste beating about the bush, and she expects the same from others.

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King “The White Devil” by John Collier c.1909

When you see a good move, look for a better one. ~Emanuel Lasker Keywords The Chess Player • Intellectual • Analytical • Meticulous • Forceful • Manipulative • Communicative Curator’s Notes The King of Swords is not a figure to be trifled with. She is represented in The Beautiful Rebellion by Collier’s The White Devil, a regal looking woman who clearly isn’t afraid to use whatever means necessary to achieve her goals. I call this King the “Chess Player,” because she is a symbol of intellectual power and authority, brimming with cunning. The downside of this King is a temptation to use her superior intellect to manipulate others—especially when they aren’t playing by the King’s rules. It appears that Collier’s The White Devil is linked to the seventeenth century revenge tragedy of the same name by English playwright John Webster. The story, loosely based on a real murder of an affluent Italian noblewoman, explores the corruption that can lie at the heart of people who otherwise depict themselves being “white” (a.k.a. good).

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The Wands Fire • Passion • Action • Creativity

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Ace of Wands “Morgan le Fey” by Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys c.1863

Dream big and dare to fail. ~Norman Vaughan Keywords Inspiration • Potential • Action • Initiative • Optimism • Movement • Change Curator’s Notes Inspiration, power, creation—the Ace of Wands is like a big thumbs up in the sky saying “Go for it!” This breakthrough moment hits hard and fast, filling you with inspiration and motivation. All of a sudden a whole new world of possibility has opened up before you; setting your soul afire with the many promises of choice that now stand before you—much like the beautiful Morgan Le Fay, dancing about her apothecary as she gathers the components to cast her spell. Morgan Le Fay, the woman featured in Sandys’ painting of the same name, is a powerful healer and enchantress in the Arthurian legend. The earliest accounts of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Gerald of Wales refer to Morgan in conjunction with the Isle of Apples (another name for the Isle of Avalon) to which the fatally wounded Arthur was carried off after the Battle of Camlann.

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2 “The Laboratory” by John Collier c.1895

Plans are nothing; planning is everything. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower Keywords Planning • Assessment • Decision • Discovery • Enterprise • Duality • A fork in the road Curator’s Notes Choices, choices. With the energy of the Ace behind us, the Two of Wands now asks us to harness that passion and decide how to apply it. This is a time of discovery that begs for us to step outside our comfort zones and take that first step toward seeing our dreams realized. The Ace has filled us with those possibilities for a reason after all! The Two of Wands also denotes an aspect of planning. We need to consider our long-term goals and, moreover, what we need to have in hand to achieve those goals. Like the girl making a deal with the alchemist in The Laboratory, we must be sure of our next move before we make it. There might be consequences to our actions, of course, but if they will pay off in the long term, perhaps we will find that we are willing to make that bargain…

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3 “A Stolen Interview” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1888

The world is always open, waiting to be discovered. ~Dejan Stojanovic Keywords Preparation • Forethought • Patience • Assistance • Accepting help • New horizons Curator’s Notes New opportunities loom before us, asking us to take a risk. Expand our horizons—travel, start a new business, take a new class, learn a new language—something that pushes us outside of our static day-to-day norm. Changes and challenges are ahead, but the Three promises you are ready to tackle them. The choice of painting here might seem odd at first, but I find the interplay of characters in A Stolen Interview fitting. The young maiden knows she is breaking the rules, talking over the garden wall while her chaperone sleeps—but she longs for the excitement and change the young man brings. She knows there is no reward in staying safe in her solitary routine.

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4 “Queen Guinevere's Maying” by John Collier c.1900

Celebration is my attitude, unconditional of what life brings.

~Ranjeesh

Keywords Celebration • Harmony • Stability • Homecoming • Contentment • Pride • Hope for the future Curator’s Notes I have always seen the Four of Wands as the four walls of a stable, happy home. They offer security, safety; a place to retire to when life outside gets a bit too hairy. The Four also brings a sense of celebration, when we can rejoice in our good fortune. All around, it’s just a good card. Collier’s Queen Guinevere’s Maying shows the young queen on a May Day procession, showered with the love of her people on a sunny spring day. This idyllic scene very much captures the warmth and gaiety at the heart of the Four of Wands for me, giving us a sense of the peaceful interlude that this card promises.

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5 “The Funeral of a Viking” by Frank Bernard Dicksee c.1893

Where there is fear there is aggression.

~Jiddu Krishmanurti

Keywords Conflict • Competition • Disagreement • Strife • Chaos • Aggression • Arguments Curator’s Notes Here we go again with the conflict. The Five of Wands indicates that there is something standing in your way right now. The situation is fraught with tension and you are finding it difficult to move past it—everyone is talking, but no one is listening. It’s the very definition of a futile argument. I needed some flames in this card, to represent the uselessly fanned flames of aggression that occur when we butt heads with another. There is no value to the conflict we are currently embroiled in; it helps no one—but there we are, right in the thick of it. Instead of throwing that torch and adding to the blaze, the Five reminds us that it’s a good time to take a step back and get a cooler head before we try to move forward yet again.

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6 “The Two Crowns” by Frank Bernard Dicksee c.1900

Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.

~Sun Tzu

Keywords Triumph • Victory • Pride • Achievement • Recognition • Rewards • Leadership • Moment in the spotlight Curator’s Notes

All hail the conquering hero! The battle has been won and you’ve come out on top. Public recognition of your glory is at hand—as it is for the prince on the card—and its finally time to reap the spoils of your hard work. The Six of Wands is the victory card, as we see in The Two Crowns. In The Two Crowns Dicksee shows us a medieval prince returning through the gates in triumph on a white horse; gazing up at a crucifix held aloft in the crowd. This is probably the card I feel most closely resembles the traditional Rider-Waite tarot image. There is no doubting that our prince has been victorious.

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7 “God Speed” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1900

You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety. ~Abraham Maslow Keywords Challenge • Rivalry • Resistance • Valor • Tenacity • Stamina • Protecting what’s yours Curator’s Notes The Seven of Wands represents a struggle that arises after an initial period of peace. Yes, you won the battle—but the war rages on, and you are being called to the field once more. This time, the struggle you’re about to face is more about maintaining your current position rather than seeking new victories. Leighton’s God Speed depicts an armored knight departing to war and leaving his beloved. He may not want to fight but knows that he must. He has loved ones and a home to protect. His beloved likely does not want him to go either but understand the necessity of it as she ties a reminder of her love around his arm as he departs.

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8 “The Rescue” by John Everett Millais c.1855

It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. ~Roy E. Disney Keywords Swift change • Travel • Speed • Action • No hesitation • Courage • Thinking on your feet Curator’s Notes The most prominent keyword of the Eight of Wands is speed. Something is happening and it’s happening NOW. Time is of the essence and there’s no time to second guess yourself or to drag your feet. Go, go, go! The Rescue depicts a fireman rescuing three children from a burning house, their mother reaching out for them—a poignant reminder of those snap decision moments where we have no time to waste. Millais had witnessed the death of a fireman in the course of a rescue before deciding to do this painting. At that time in history, the fire brigade had only recently changed over from small private companies that were dedicated to the protection of property to a solidified public institution charged to protect life first.

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9 “Duty” by Edmund Blair Leighton c.1883

The price of greatness is responsibility.

~Winston Churchill

Keywords Experience • Persistence • Responsibility • Stoicism • Resilience • Test of faith Curator’s Notes Sometimes it seems like the problems never end. The Nine of Wands is that last minute setback that throws a wrench in our plans. We don’t want to deal with it—in fact, it might be the very last thing on the planet we want to face—but there is no other choice. It’s time to put on our big girl (or guy) panties and handle the unpleasant business. The upside of the Nine is that it also reminds us we are right there. SO close to success. It really would be a waste for us to give up at the last hurdle. Like the aging King in Duty, weary of defending his kingdom against rivals; who would rather play his lute and relax, we know it’s something we must do if we want to continue on. Letting our dreams crumble now would be heartbreaking.

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10 “The Gamekeeper’s Daughter” by Valentine Cameron Prinsep c.1875

It’s the things we carry silently within ourselves which are the heaviest burdens. ~John Mark Green Keywords Blocked paths • Overwhelm • Feeling lost • Exhaustion • Oppression • Taking on too much Curator’s Notes The Ten of Wands shows us reaching the end of a cycle—but unfortunately, we then find ourselves saddled with more responsibilities and commitments than we might have planned for. These responsibilities may quickly become a burden, dampening out passion and putting a heavy weight upon our shoulders. Like the Gamekeeper’s Daughter, we know we have to bring home our heavy load of kindling to keep the family hearth going on cold nights—but there is a long way left to go, and our shoulders have already begun to ache. It’s time to stop and assess where you are in life. It might be time to rethink the next step in our plan or to prioritize the tasks ahead of us to avoid overwhelm. It can be a huge bummer to get this far and realize the end goal wasn’t everything you hoped it would be—but that doesn’t mean we can try again.

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Page “Little Red Riding Hood” by John Everett Millais c.1864

You were once wild here. Don’t let them tame you.

~Isadora Duncan

Keywords The Free Spirit • Exuberant • Bright • Outspoken • Feisty • Impulsive • Theatrical • Dynamic Curator’s Notes The Page of Wands embodies an energy similar to that of the Fool in that she is a free spirit heralding in new beginnings. While young and untried, she has boundless exuberance and a passion for life that is undimmed by her age. There might be danger out there in the world at large but it does not concern her— she is too busy having a wonderful time exploring the forest beyond her back door, making friends with the rabbits and naming the flowers. Who better to represent that impish spirit than Little Red Riding Hood? The Page also brings with her the desire to express ourselves and to celebrate in our individuality. Her light-hearted energy encourages us to try new things without fear, recapturing our child-like innocence as we explore the depths of our creative urges.

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Knight “At the Gate of the Temple” by John William Godward c.1898

I am a wanderer passionately in love with life.

~Aleksandr Kuprin

Keywords The Wanderer • Passionate • Adventurous • Motivated • Unpredictable • Competitive Curator’s Notes Like the strong, resolute woman in At the Gate of the Temple, the Knight of Wands is committed to her goals and makes sure that her ideas become actions. This Knight has the most heart of all the Knights, and her courage to move forward on her ideas without hesitation is something others often envy about her. She is not afraid to leave the safety and comforts of home and set out on a quest if it is line with her ideals. The downside to the Knight of Wands is that her fiery passion can sometimes work against her, as she might to rush into things without considering any negative impact her actions could cause. Her wildfire needs to be tempered with a solid plan so she can take more calculated risks.

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Queen “Sibylla Palmifera” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Life is the flower for which love is the honey. ~Victor Hugo Keywords The Poet • Flirty • Vivacious • Inspirational • Social • Demanding • Strong-willed Curator’s Notes The Queen of Wands is our poet; a vivacious, personable woman full of creative energy. She enjoys being the center of attention and basking in the company of friends and compatriots. She has high aspirations and wants the world to know it. Her talent and determination go hand in hand, giving her a fierce resolve to meet her goals. Rossetti’s Sibylla Palmifera features an ancient prophetess who bears the palm of victory. In 1866 Rossetti had also written a sonnet to accompany the picture, later known as “Soul’s Beauty,” part of which says: Hers are the eyes which, over and beneath, The sky and sea bend on thee,—which can draw, By sea or sky or woman, to one law, The allotted bondman of her palm and wreath.

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King “Cleopatra” by Frank Bernard Dicksee c.1876

The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. ~Steve Jobs Keywords The Visionary • Virile • Admirable • Courageous • Assertive • Proud • Bold • Goal-oriented Curator’s Notes Yes, Cleopatra joins us again! Before you roll your eyes at my weird fangirling, let’s think about what the King of Wands represents. This is a figure of pure fire energy; the kind that gives us the power to change the world to fit our vision. This King is a natural-born leader; goal-oriented and not at all hesitant to crack the whip to get her minions to do her bidding. That might sound off-putting, but instead people naturally gravitate towards this King as they know she’s the real deal. She will get things done and then will get done fast. If that isn’t Cleopatra…well, I’ll eat my hat.

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4 Spreads Some people love spreads, others not so much. I, personally, love them. As a largely intuitive reader, spreads are essential for me. They create the framework that allows me to understand a card’s message. It’s my loom, if you will, and only by knowing where a certain card has fallen can I spin the narrative the cards are trying to tell me. As such a spread aficionado, I felt I had to include a few of my favorites here. The first two are very simple, being the readings I use most often when a more question-oriented spread doesn’t come to mind. These are workhorse spreads that can be used for any question, with any deck: a 3-card spread and a 9-card diamond spread. The other two spreads you will find contained in this guidebook are more specialized spreads that I designed with The Beautiful Rebellion in mind. I feel the beauty of the art featured in this deck speaks to the soul and, in that way, it is very much suited for two particular types of readings: those dealing with creative energies through your Muse’s Message and those that deal with Matters of the Heart.

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3 Card Spread The Three Card Spread is one of the most versatile spreads to be used in conjunction with tarot. Those three simple cards can quite literally stand for a dozen different things, framed to suit any sort of question.

• • • • • • • •

Past / Present / Future Situation / Action / Outcome Idea / Challenge / Advantage Mind / Body / Spirit Strength / Weakness / Balancing Factor You / Relationship / Partner Pros / Cons / Best Option Option 1 / Option 2 / Option 3

Using this general template, you can think about any question until you come up with three positions that will help you interpret the advice you received the best. The sky is the limit when it comes to customizing this spread!

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9 Card Diamond Spread This spread is my go-to default spread, in much the way the Celtic Cross is standard for many tarot readers. I find these nine cards can be applied to most questions to help see where it has its roots, how it is affecting the present day, and what can be done to move forward.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

You Below/Unconscious factors Above/Conscious factors Past Future Blockages Key to those blockages Advice from the Universe Your next move

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Muse’s Message Spread Who better to inspire us than these masters of such beauty? As a writer and artist, I often find my creativity getting tangled up with reality and in need of a boost to get me back on the right path. This spread is perfect for cajoling your muse, identifying creative blocks, and moving forward with stalled artistic projects.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

What creative energies surround me right now? How can I best channel those creative energies? What energies are blocking my creativity? How can I overcome those blockages? What is the potential outcome of me following my muse? What source can I turn to when I am in need of inspiration?

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Matters of the Heart Spread Ah, love. Has anything else in the world ever caused us so much joy—and so much misery? Almost everyone wants—at one time or another—to know how their relationship will play out, or to catch a glimpse of what their lover might be thinking or feeling. Its human nature to wonder; to feel insecurity when our hearts are held in another’s hands and hope to rectify it. Unfortunately, I strongly feel that trying to gain insight into a person who is not present for—and consenting to—a tarot reading is a big gray area when it comes to ethics. I frankly avoid relationship readings for that very reason. My solution? This spread. Matters of the Heart helps to clarify how you are viewing both your relationship and your partner’s role in it. With this fresh insight, we can attempt to better understand how blockages might be removed and what root issues are causing any current miscommunications.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

The root of the situation. You in this relationship. How you see your partner in this relationship. Your issues in the relationship. What you think your partner’s issues are. What is the biggest blockage present between you? What can be done to improve the relationship? 8. Potential outcome if advice is followed.

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About the Author Robin L. Cole is a quirky New Jersey based indie urban fantasy author and tarot reader who likes to play tabletop role-playing games, cook, and mess around with makeup when she is not writing. She is guilty of posting visual proof of all three of those hobbies far too frequently on Instagram. Robin writes the dark and snarky, emotionally-driven urban fantasy series The Warding. “Iron” was her first full-length publication, and its sequel, “Faster,” was released in fall of 2016. She has also written “First Hunt,” the first of many short stories set in the Warding world. She is hard at work on the next full-length book in the series, “The Last Dance.” She is dipping her toes into epic sword n’ sorcery fantasy we well, with the upcoming novel “Night of the Hunter,” due to be released in late 2018. The Beautiful Rebellion is her first foray into tarot creation and she thoroughly enjoyed the process. She is also at work creating artwork for a second tarot deck dedicated to shadow work, which she hopes to see in production very soon. Visit her website at http://robinlcole.com or Follow her on social media to receive notifications about her latest projects and publications: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrsrobinlcole Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinlcole Instagram: https://instagram.com/mrsrobinlcole

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