This is the twenty-fifth (and FINAL) post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana"). 

To view other rugs in the series, go HERE to an index of all the rugs (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

All of the Major Arcana cards have now been covered, along with the interpretations for each card in a rug by each of 22 artists.  If we were to make these "tarot rugs" into a tarot deck, we would need one final design for the back of that deck. 

This rug is that final design, by Pris Buttler, our 23rd artist.

On the left below, you can see her rug from its "DAYTIME" view, and on the right is the same rug turned 180 degrees for the "NIGHTTIME" view.

Pris Buttler is an artist in more than one medium.  She is first a multi-award-winning graphic and fine artist and has a webpage showcasing her paintings and graphics HERE, including her bio.  Please have a look at that site and you will see how she honed her talent in this realm before she took up traditional rug hooking.

Here is the rug one final time, "sunny-side up," so that you can see it full-size on the page.

Pris says that she was inspired to create this rug with its African theme because she happened upon a tarot deck based on African animals.  I'm going to take a guess that she may have been looking at this deck, though I certainly could be wrong.  In researching an African-inspired theme for her tarot rug, she eventually came up with a truly original design.  Her borders reflect patterns from African fabric (and don't you love the designs on the women's clothing?), and the Sun/Moon in the center are motifs reflected on the back of many traditional tarot decks.  Here we see them portrayed in Pris's amazing style. 

I love the way the animals only show up at night...

Pris took up traditional rug hooking in the 1990s and has been teaching for at least 14 years.  Her art training immediately made her a standout in this medium, and she has appeared in Celebrations more than once, including serving as a judge on one of the panels that decides who is accepted into that prestigious annual publication.  (I cannot imagine a harder job than trying to judge that competition)  Lately, her rugs have focused on portrayals of women.

A few years back, Pris became well-known for teaching workshops based on the work of Gustav Klimt, the Symbolist artist most famous for his painting "The Kiss," and active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  In the November/December 2011 issue of Rug Hooking Magazine, there is a wonderful article about one of these workshops (you can see a teaser in the link), and the illustrations are just priceless.  In reading the article and looking at the illustrations, one can see that Pris is not encouraging her students to "clone Klimt," but rather simply to be inspired by his overall style.  There are ten color photos of student work in the article and you simply cannot believe how wildly different each of the rugs are.  Clearly, Pris has the magic touch to encourage her students to new heights of creativity and original designs.  If you have the magazine, please re-read this article.

Finally, Pris runs the annual Black Bear Rug Hooking Camp in Georgia and it looks like a lot of fun.  One thing I didn't mention during this series is just how many of our remarkable rug artists not only teach but also run rug hooking camps, a bonus for all the rest of us who enjoy the camp experience.

In concluding this series, I'd like to say thanks for your patience in reading (and ogling), and thanks to all my fellow artists, most especially to Loretta and Michele who conceived of the show.  You two are remarkable. 

If you, the reader, would like to see the show, please look at the FAQ HERE (scroll down that page), posted on 12/7/15, which details where the show will travel.  And remember, you can bring the show to a venue near you (instructions in that FAQ).

Happy tarot-ing, and happy rug hooking!

And now, back to my regular style of blogging...

This is the twenty-fourth post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view other rugs in the series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

THE WORLD:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image:

"We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us."
Neil deGrasse Tyson

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."
John Muir

"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders."
Lao Tzu

This is the last of the Major Arcana, and I am the artist who created the interpretation of the card in the following rug.  (This isn't the last rug, though--we still have one more rug to go!)

Are you thinking I went off-road with this interpretation?  You'd be absolutely right; I did.  There is nothing left from the original card in this design.

Or is there?

In fact, if you look closely, you will see that every single Major Arcana card is represented on this rug, in the form of the Tiny Tarot, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc., of Stamford CT (USA).  I'd like to thank them for allowing me to use their copyrighted images directly on my rug and also for allowing me to copy their Universal Waite Tarot for use in this blog throughout my posts on the tarot project.

If you are having trouble seeing what I mean, here's a closer look:

This rug is--if I'm right--the only punched rug in the entire project.  There are a few traditionally hooked loops in there, but 98% of the rug was punched with yarn and an Oxford punch needle.

(Thank you, Amy Oxford and Heidi Whipple of The Oxford Rug Hooking School)

What's the design about?  It's a diagram of The Universe (another name for The World card) called the Qabala.  [There are various spellings of that word:  "Kabbalah" and others, but I'm going with the Q-one.] 

Below is the story of this rug, and I'm sticking to it...it begins with my love for the tarot and ends with my love for both tarot and rug hooking:

I began working with the tarot in the 1970s, using it not for fortune-telling but rather as a reflection of the psyche, and I have been learning from its wisdom ever since. Because The World is usually regarded as the final card in the Major Arcana, I wanted to create an image for this rug that would integrate all of the rugs that preceded it—thereby tying the exhibit together. 
 
The Tree of Life (also called the Qabala) portrayed on this rug is an esoteric diagram of The World—not just this world, but all the visible and invisible worlds in existence.  The esoteric Qabala/Tree of Life is a many-layered framework and has, since the 19th century, been associated with tarot.  The twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana have been matched to the twenty-two paths between the spheres on the Tree.  In the rug, I have placed the cards on the Tree in their commonly accepted positions, as a way of summarizing and integrating the Arcana for this exhibit.
 
I hand-dyed all of the blue background yarns for the rug, and used bits and pieces of other leftover hand-dyed yarns to duplicate the traditional colors of the spheres on the Tree.  As I mentioned above, I used an Oxford Company punch needle for the punching process.  A few loops on the rug were also pulled using the traditional rug hooking method. 

In a post I wrote last year--before I was given permission to publicly speak about this project (it was still in the hush-hush phase), I described the fun I had at Amy's school in a class with Heidi, learning to dye the variegated background for the rug.  You can read that post here (it is cryptic because it was pre-publicity for the project, but you'll get the idea).

Here are two of the stops I made along the way to creating the rug.  In the first, you can see my initial drawing of the outline on monk's cloth (I ended up re-doing the font on the title at the bottom), and then on the right you can see the color-planning in progress.

One of the many reasons I love making textile art is that the process is so often entirely meditative.  Forming loop after loop is rhythmic and calming—a type of moving meditation.  I have had a committed meditation practice for many years and appreciate this opportunity to maintain a mindful state while creating art.

WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?
This card shows the World Dancer, inside a double circle of protection--the four animals at the outside edges represent the 4 archangels, the 4 elements, and all the other symbology of "four-ness."  We have seen these four in another card--card ten, the Wheel of Fortune.  Just outside of the Dancer is a green, vital, bursting-with-life wreath, a type of ouroboros, with its red sash in the form of an infinity symbol.  She holds two wands, and her legs are in similar position to the Hanged Man, but she is facing up, as he was facing down.  The position of her legs also suggests that she is dancing. 

This is the Fool, come full circle.  S/he has completed the journey, and it has been very successful.  It's time to stop and dance--to pause awhile and look back, as she seems to be doing, to assess where you have been.  Only then can you assess where you are going next, as the journey never ends.  Synthesis a good keyword for this card.  Another message of this card might be that you have all the resources you need to move forward; just open your eyes to the many options that surround you.

When you get this card:
As with each of the other cards, if you choose The World card in response to a topic you are pondering, it will have many meanings that all share a similar theme.  Ask yourself the following questions if you get this card.  One of them will apply to your topic—a little message from your subconscious to your conscious self.

• What resources in The World are supporting me on this issue? (If at first you cannot answer, look more deeply; there is plenty of support for you)
• What great cycle in my life is now complete, or nearing completion?
• What do I need to synthesize from this experience?
• What do I need to celebrate?
• Where in my life do I feel I am holding The World in my hands?

Only one more rug is left in our tarot rug project series, the rug that is the design for the back of the deck we have created together.  That's coming up in the next post.

Curious about the rest of the rugs in the exhibit?  You can see all the posts by clicking on the link at the very top of this post.  There is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here (NOTE:  scroll down to the bottom of that post to get to the FAQ).

Thanks for reading.  Your comments are always welcome.

This is the twenty-third post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view other rugs in the series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

JUDGEMENT:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image:

"Spirituality means waking up.  Most people, even though they don't know it, are asleep.  They're born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up.  They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence."
Anthony De Mello

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."
Paul Valery

"My appointed work is to awaken the divine nature that is within."
Peace Pilgrim

Let's have a look at what Linda Rae Coughlin has done to interpret this card in her tarot rug:

Linda Rae Coughlin is not only a rug artist herself, but also an author (she has at least 2 books on rug art in print), a curator of rug shows, and has traveled internationally to teach on the topic of creativity.  Linda Rae has a website packed with wonderful images of rugs by her and also of rugs by others in the numerous shows she has curated.  You can find more information about her background and her books on the site--just go HERE to see it, and don't forget to come back!  There is so much to take in.

Let's look at these two portrayals of "Judgement" side by side:

One of the many things I have learned from writing blog posts about this tarot rug show is the concept of simplifying images when transposing a complex idea from a drawing, painting, or photograph into a hooked rug.  This rug is almost the last rug in the show (only two more rugs to discuss in this series), and while I could write a book about what I've learned from looking at each artist's work, I promise to spare you--but I will say this:  I'll take the idea of simplifying forward with me as I design rugs in the future.

As have many other artists in this show, Linda Rae went straight to the most powerful images in the card and simplified, simplified, simplified.  As a result, we can really focus on those symbols in her rug.  In the original card, we see the archangel Gabriel blowing his horn, from which flows a white banner with a red cross.  Beneath the clouds just underneath him lie beautiful mountains, a pond or ocean, and six people responding to his call by standing and looking up at him.  And are those coffins?  Yes indeed.  These folks are literally being resurrected, woken up.  But more about that in a moment...

In Linda Rae's interpretation of the card, Gabriel and the horn are prominent.  The banner has been twinned with itself on the bottom left and right, almost like flowerpots, and from them grow the shoots of new growth and development.  The human figures are indicated by the large hands reaching up to cradle the horn against a background of brilliant light--a wonderful response to the call.  And somehow that brilliant blue background is a tranquil and lovely "holding container" for what is portrayed here.  This design puts the most meaningful symbols from the original card squarely into our view.

WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?
So...what IS being portrayed here?  This card is about "answering the call."  It is about resurrection, rebirth, forgiveness, and starting anew.  The red cross on the white background is a Templar Cross, symbolizing protection for those who answer that call, who wake up and begin a whole new journey.  What a wonderful and encouraging message.

“I believe there's a calling for all of us. I know that every human being has value and purpose. The real work of our lives is to become aware. And awakened. To answer the call.”
Oprah Winfrey

“What makes your heart leap?”
Jonas Salk

When you get this card, ask yourself:

• What "call" am I hearing right now?
• What, in me, is coming back to life?  What is awakening?  (If you aren't sure, take a guess (it's ok to guess!):  Where would you say you most need to "wake up" at the moment?
  
• What new growth is occurring right now?  How can I cultivate that new growth?
• What new cycle may be beginning now?
• What healing is underway?  What is being forgiven (or possibly, what do I need to forgive)?
  

I absolutely cannot resist closing this post with a hilarious clip on YouTube--Ethel Merman singing "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," a Cole Porter song.  Ethel is definitely an acquired taste...as one critic said, "She couldn't sing, she couldn't dance, she wasn't pretty..." but she certainly was an American original and great fun to watch.  Don't miss what happens about 2 minutes 30 seconds into the clip.  Watching this piece will definitely "wake you up," although perhaps that's not QUITE what this card had in mind...!

Curious about the rest of the rugs in the exhibit?  You can see all the posts by clicking on the link at the very top of this post.  There is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here (NOTE:  scroll down to the bottom of that post to get to the FAQ).

Thanks for reading.  Your comments are always welcome.

This is the twenty-second post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view other rugs in the series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

THE SUN:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image:  (Can you hear the Beatles song in the background as you view this?)

"The Sun is new each day."
Heraclitus

"Just imagine becoming the way you used to be as a very young child, before you understood the meaning of any word, before opinions took over your mind.
The real you is loving, joyful, and free. The real you is just like a flower, just like the wind, just like the ocean, just like the sun."
Don Miguel Ruiz

Let's look at Mary Doig's wonderful interpretation of this tarot card:

A sunny day inclines us to smile more.  Doesn't this rug incline you to smile? 

Mary Doig is a long-time rug artist and designer from beautiful Nova Scotia.  (Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, in fact.)  Mary and husband were at the show's opening in Shelburne Vermont last December and I had the great pleasure of meeting them.  Ironically, I had been to Nova Scotia for the first time just a couple of years ago; Mahone Bay was one of the places I most enjoyed seeing.  I wish I had known Mary then!

Mary has been hooking for over 20 years and is best friends with the owner of one of the rug hooking shops in Mahone Bay, Encompassing Designs.  (In fact, it was Mary who introduced the owner to rug hooking; not only did Christine "take off" with the art, but she created a wonderful business, teaching, and meeting space.)  I'm proud to say I've been in that shop, spent quite a bit of time there, and enjoyed it immensely.  If you go to Mahone Bay, be sure to stop in.

If you go to the shop's link in that last paragraph and you will see a photo of Mary with the patterns she has designed--you can see that she already loved sunflowers, before she ever took on this particular rug project.  Mary doesn't have her own website, but she has guest-blogged about two of her other rugs HERE and HERE.  If you read those two short blogs, you'll get a sense of her.  And if you love her "Homestead" rug as I do (pictured in the first blog), there's a larger picture of that rug here.

I was struck by how appropriate it was that Mary did The Sun rug for the show, as she struck me as friendly, comfortable, and as sunny as the card itself.  Let's look at the two cards side-by-side:

The wall, sunflowers, and sun are all there in Mary's rug; the child and horse are imagined, and the bright red sash has been transformed into one of the borders.  I love the way her sunrise has a Japanese styling to it, and radiates, radiates, radiates!  And the field of sunflowers she hooked has to be seen to be believed (scroll back up to the larger image to get a better view).  It goes on and on, and one can imagine diving into it and running through it for sheer joy.  I love the way she did her lettering, which just enhances everything about the rug.  This is such a beautiful piece.

WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?
The Don Miguel Ruiz quote at the start of this post says it all.  This card is about our true identity, when and where we feel most free to "shine," to be ourselves.  Whenever it comes up in readings I've done, clients inevitably smile or sigh with pleasure.  We all recognize the life-giving nature of the Sun.

Sure, it's possible to get too much of the sun--narcissism might be an example of how that would manifest.  But for most of us, it's such a relief to experience warmth, to play, to shine, to be expansive, and to let our true, childlike selves show.  This card is all about joy, about coming from the very core of our being, about seizing each moment of happiness as we live it, and about radiating that.

When you get this card, ask yourself:

• Where can I shine today?  What do I want to radiate to others?
• How can I notice each moment of happiness I experience today?
• How can I come from my deepest self as I move through the day?
• What is shining in my life right now?
• What can I do to increase my own vitality, passion, and enthusiasm?
• When was the last time I took a walk on a sunny day?

"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you."
Maori Proverb

"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair..."
Susan Polis Shutz

Curious about the rest of the rugs in the exhibit?  You can see all the posts by clicking on the link at the very top of this post.  There is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here (scroll down to the bottom of that post to get to the FAQ).

Thanks for reading.  Your comments are always welcome.

This is what happens when you are away with no tools except the 2 items shown on the left, and one-half piece of light blue paper--and you want to tangle something. 

In this case, I didn't even have a graphite pencil for shading, only this stub of a Rainbow Lead Pencil which is fast disappearing on me.  So I just worked with what I had.

Lighting in the photo isn't great, but there you have it:  a Bic pen plus the Rainbow Lead stub.  No regular pencil for shading, and I couldn't even see well in the low light.  Tangles are Tripoli and N'Zepple.

And then of course I couldn't stop there, so I mirrored it with the iPhone app (which allowed me to do some color adjustments too).

This is the twenty-first post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view other rugs in the series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

THE MOON:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image:

"They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon."
Edward Lear

Next we will view how CELESTE BESSETTE has interpreted the card on her tarot rug, but before we do that, let's think about the images above and about what this card might signify.

Looking at the image on this card, you may find yourself thinking, "What in the world...??!" and indeed, that more or less captures one of the inner meanings of the card.  For all the stories, songs, poems, and sayings about the moon, it's hard to see anything clearly under its light--especially when there IS no light (the dark phase) or very little light (waxing or waning).  Even under a full moon it can be hard to determine what you are actually seeing, if you are walking outside with that as your only light source.  Colors are dimmed or reduced to white, gray, and black.  Our experience when using the moon as our only light is radically different from that of using the sun.  The moon's light can be confusing, and we may mistake things for what they  are in reality.

And of course, that also encourages our imagination to run wild--which can be a gift or a curse, depending on the direction it takes.  Imagination can be seen in all those stories, songs, poems, and saying have been created ABOUT the moon.  It encourages us to develop our imagination and alternative ways of thinking.  It has long been a source of wonder and mystery to humans.  We may have walked on its surface, but we still know little about it. 

It is strongly associated with intuition, dreams, and our subconscious selves--the area of ourselves that we cannot directly access.  Subconsciousness has no voice, no words, but when and if it wants to communicate, it does so in pictures.  (And what is the tarot but a series of pictures?  Which is one reason I think it is so effective in helping us to communicate with our own subconsciousness.)

In the Rider Waite Smith image above, we have the pool (subconsciousness) at the bottom of the card with a crayfish emerging (sometimes things emerging from the subconscious can look very strange and we don't know what they mean at first).  We have the wolf (the wild self) and the dog (the tame self) under the influence of the moon.  A path leads past twin towers and into the distant mountains.  The moon herself is pictured in three phases.

Although the moon acts as a mirror for the light of the sun, it has a dramatic and visible pull on our oceanic tides.  Water has long been a symbol for our emotional life.  Since our bodies are up to 60% water, I'll let your draw the inference of how much influence the moon has over each of us.  And that's another key word for one of the meanings of this card:  Influence.

Now let's take a look at what Celeste Bessette has done with all of this in her tarot rug.  Here it is:

Celeste Bessette is a talented, well-known, certified rug hooking teacher.  She has appeared in Celebrations at least once (the highly-respected annual magazine that showcases rigorously judged, high-quality rug art).  Celeste doesn't have a webpage and I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting her (which I hope to remedy soon) but I see on her LinkedIn page that she has been a textile artist for over 20 years and I can see many references to her work online, especially emphasizing her current passion for and teaching classes on hooking stained glass rugs.

Clearly, her interpretation of The Moon card is built on her stained glass explorations.  Isn't it gorgeous--I especially love how the colors and hooking in the moon completely mirror the colors and hooking in the pond beneath it.  The wolf and the dog, the crayfish, the path, the mountains, the twin towers, and the sky are all deliciously watery/lunar/dreamlike.  I love the use of color here and the directional hooking.  It is all enticingly mysterious and a wonderfully accurate interpretation of the original card.  Can't you just picture this as a stained glass window in a gothic structure, with moonlight pouring through it?

WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?
Mystery.  Illusion.  Imagination.  Possibly deceit or misinterpretation.  Possibly confusion or inability to see clearly.  This card also reminds us that the moon has phases--predictable cycles; things wax and wane, and if we can determine what phase we are in now, then we can make an intelligent guess as to what phase is coming next.  We also know that if we wait, things will change.  The moon is "perfectly stable in its instability."  We know it has a regular cycle, just as women have their regular menstrual cycles on earth. 

And we know that it can INFLUENCE us, because that is its job.  Remember its influence on the sea-tides, and the fact that we are up to 60% water?

Joanna Powell Colbert says:  "The moon is constantly changing, and is utterly faithful in her changes."

When you get this card, ask yourself:

• What, in me or in my life, is "constantly changing?"  What does that mean to me?
  
• What is influencing that change?  How aware am I of that influence (or those influences)?  How beneficial is that influence and how can I cooperate with it?  Or if it is not beneficial, how might I resist it or move away from it?
• What is emerging (the crayfish) from the change?  If I am not sure what it is exactly, can I note down some words to describe its elements?  (color, shape, feelings)  Or draw my impression of it?
  
• Can I name the "phase" I am in with this change?  Dark moon, waxing moon, full moon, waning moon?
• What illusions or deceptions might I have about the change?  What questions do I need to ask in order to gain clarity?
  
• Where am I getting distracted (the howling animals) from working with this change?  What fears or defenses (the towers) do I have about changing?
  
• How can I encourage myself to use my imagination skillfully, to aid me with the change?  How can I use my dream-life to help? 

“Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly...”
― William Shakespeare

“The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen.”
― Shannon L. Alder

"Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being."
-- Rumi

Curious about the rest of the rugs in the exhibit?  You can see all the posts by clicking on the link at the very top of this post.  There is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here (scroll down to the bottom of that post to get to the FAQ).

Thanks for reading.  Your comments are always welcome.

Ugh, I couldn't leave the house today, felled by a temporary plague.  Nothing at all major but enough to keep me out of the studio.  So I did this instead.

Micron 01, Micron 1, and graphite used in the two "Venetians."  The one on the left was my first-ever attempt and the one on the right was my second try, now feeling more confident, using a different method for drawing it and varying it.  "Sand Swirl," in the center, has the Micron 01 as well as both graphite and a tint from my Rainbow Lead Pencil for fun.

I'm taking a break for several days from the tarot rug project (only five rugs left to show!) and getting back to other things that I have put on hold.  Things will likely be quiet here for awhile, and then I'll get back and finish the tarot rug posts.

I mentioned I had accidentally started a new punch-hooked rug, "Moon and Clouds," a couple of weeks ago (I just couldn't resist a few "experiments" with punching, and it turned into an actual start).  But realistically, I've had to set it aside while I find time to finish color planning it.  Once I complete that, I will need to dye the rest of the yarn.  Until that's done, it needs to wait.  I'm feeling impatient!  Sigh. 

The Moon and Clouds rug has lots of curvy motifs. 

I notice that curves and spirals are taking up room in my brain right now, as you can see in my latest design:

This is one corner of the design for my next traditionally hooked rug.  Spirals.  Curves & spirals...or in this case, it will likely be straight lines and spirals.  I'm using an 8-cut on linen, and my plan is to buy no new wool for this rug at all.  I should have enough already on hand to  make it from the leftovers of previous rugs.  The plan is to make a "scrappy rug" using only my red and black scraps, but who knows how it will evolve.

So I have 2 rugs underway at this moment.  Alas, one of them is temporarily on "pause"; it'll be 2-3 weeks before I can get back to the dyepots, so Moon and Clouds will be waiting quite a while.

In the meantime I am also trying to get back to my tangling.  The other day I posted the tangle on the left below, but that same night I produced the one on the right, a variation.  I like that one too, and I like them together.

More curves and spirals there.  After all...

"When life gives you curves, flaunt them."
Anon.

This is the twentieth post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view other rugs in the series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

THE STAR:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image:

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."
Julian of Norwich

There is something about this card, especially since it comes directly after The Tower card, that makes us want to let out a big sigh, and relax.  All of its symbols are inherently peaceful, and that is one of its themes. 

The card is packed with symbols--we'll focus on just a few.  The lovely naked woman has nothing to fear and is perfectly calm. She is pouring water both into the pool and also on the earth;  water is plentiful in the card.  She has an inexhaustible source of it.  It circles, centers, flows.  In tarot, one of the things that water represents is intuition.  It also represents our emotions.  Both intuition and emotion are in good supply, in a balanced and centered way.  The earth on which she is pouring the water is fertile and flowering as a result.  Behind her is an ibis (a bird associated with the Egyptian god Thoth) on a tree, representing wisdom, and above her are seven small stars, reminding us of the Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters) and one large, 8-pointed star, a symbol of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.

Armed with this partial list of symbols and a start on their common meanings, let's look at what Cyndy Duade has done with her interpretation of this card:

Ok, go ahead--say it. 

Wow. 

Cyndy Duade is another in our long line of distinguished and well-known rug artists who contributed to this show.  She is a certified rug hooking teacher, a colorist and dyer, and holds many classes in the Northeastern USA and elsewhere.  She doesn't have a website, but there is a charming and thorough introduction to her HERE.  Well worth reading.  I look forward to meeting her some day. 

This rug is clearly a reflection of her many travels.  One of the most intriguing aspects of the rug is that she has used an endanged bird native to Hawai'i as a substitute for the ibis; it is named the 'I'iwi.  (That's not a typo--it's really spelled that way, and you can find out more about it HERE. )  It's gorgeous and she's captured it perfectly in the rug.

There is a definite story behind this interpretation with its Polynesian theme.  Every single one of the objects and symbols in her rug has personal meaning to her.  Some of that story is revealed by Cyndy in the show's catalog.  (To get the information on how to order the catalog--the proceeds from which help the rug to travel--see the FAQ at the very bottom of this post.)  Even the design in the white border was carefully selected by her to reflect and honor the culture she portrays in the card.  The gourds from which the water is being poured, the flora and fauna portrayed...all reflect that lovely culture.

If anything, I think Cyndy's rug makes me feel even more like giving a relaxed sigh as I look at all the elements she has combined, than the original card does!  And I love the reversals--there's just a little bit of clothing on the woman; she is facing in the opposite direction from the card, the tree and bird are on the other side also.  In this way, the rug mirrors the card perfectly; and there are so many similarities and echoes of the original.  But all is done with a Polynesian twist, with this lovely and grace-filled result.

“Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
― Carl Sagan

“Caddy got the box and set it on the floor and opened it. It was full of stars. When I was still, they were still. When I moved, they glinted and sparkled. I hushed.”
― William Faulkner

“Each star is a mirror reflecting the truth inside you.”
― Aberjhani

 SO WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?
The Star is the ultimate card of hope and healing.  The main figure is calm, collected, and has all that she needs to fertilize or bless the earth around her.  She has an inexhaustible source of what she needs - the waters of hope. Notice that she draws not on her own personal power to bless the earth, which could eventually drain her energy; instead she uses the waters of the pool, a deep, round mandala of compassion and healing. 

And while she pours water onto the earth around her, so she also returns water to the pool to ensure that it will never run dry.  This card tells us that even in darkness (stars, after all, are visible only at night, dawn, and dusk), we can look up and see those lovely lights hanging above us, encouraging our spirits.  The Star is like our compass, guiding us in hope towards our next step to healing...guiding us toward beauty and balance.  It is a card of nourishment and replenishing.

I also think this card has a lot to tell us about the importance of Nature in healing our spirits, and how we must not only draw hope and energy from Nature, but also give back to Her. 

In that way, it is a about stewardship and kindness.

When you get this card, ask yourself:

• What calming and restorative forces are at work in my life right now, and how can I most benefit from them?
• When I need to relax and replenish, what is my most effective (healthy) way to do so?  Am I allowing myself to do this?
  
• If someone in my life is helping me and supporting me, how can I give back to them (pouring water back into the pool) once I have the energy and resources to do so?  (This could take awhile and there is no need to rush it)
• How do I use, or how could I use, Nature to heal myself?  And as I celebrate the beauty of the natural world, and draw on that beauty, how can I give back to Nature in some small way?
• If that Star overhead were my compass, where would it be pointing me?
• If that Star overhead were a mirror, what would it be reflecting to me as I look at it?  (Remember that this image will be completely compassionate)
  

As always, thanks for reading and I hope you are enjoying the show.  Frequently asked questions are below, including information on the catalog.

This is the nineteenth post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view each post on all the rugs in the series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

THE TOWER:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image:

For many people, this is one scary-looking card.  

For people who aren't familiar with tarot, the three most unsettling cards in the deck are Death, The Devil, and The Tower.  Having already discussed the first two, I hope I have been encouraging all of us to think more deeply about this trio without making assumptions about their "obvious," most extreme meanings (which rarely apply).  For any of them to actually mean what they may first suggest, you would need to have a context of certain specific other cards around them--and that's actually quite rare.  It's far more likely that these cards refer to our ATTITUDES rather than to any dire events, and that is just as true for this card as it is for the other two we've already covered. 

Let's look at a quote by Dawna Markova which captures part of this card's meaning.  As you read it, bear in mind the image above.

"I will not die an unlived life.

"I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.

"I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.

"I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit,"

Dawna Markova

What comes to mind when we think about the symbol of a tower?   Some examples include:  The Tower of Babel.  An "Ivory Tower" (an institution of higher learning).  A castle tower.  The towers of skyscrapers (like the former Twin Towers of New York, or the Trump Tower).  The Eiffel Tower.  Cell phone towers.  Church towers. 

What do all these have in common?

They are all related to long-established, often-codified ideas and organizations:  religion, education, business/enterprise, communication.  Towers are built to represent and serve the ideas, purposes, defenses, and ambitions of the organizations to which they are dedicated.

Because of their tremendous height, towers are particularly strongly built and strongly buttressed.  And so is the thinking  or belief system found within some of the organizations mentioned above.  Our own thoughts can be very "strongly built" (and become rigid) and  heavily defended.  Thus, The Tower symbol can represent our limited or rigid thinking, or our absolute belief or trust in some structure we have built up within our own lives. 

Just as the interior of a tower is narrow; so may our own thinking may have grown narrow. 

"Towering ambition" is another phrase that comes to mind here.

Lightning, one of nature's most destructive but illuminating forces, is attracted to tall structures like towers.  In the classic image of this card, lightning has knocked the top off of the tower, and two people are falling from it.  This Tower represents some kind of built-up thought/structure that is not true or correct--lighting (illumination) has come along and destroyed the very top, tossing out its residents and burning out all falsehood or error from the inside.

There are many other rich layers of meaning in each symbol in the classic card, and we cannot delve into all of them here.  We have enough to get us started, though, so...

Here is Michelle Micarelli's interpretation in her tarot rug.

 Michelle Micarelli is one of the co-creators and organizers of this entire exhibit, along with Loretta Scena.  Michele is an internationally renowned textile artist, master colorist, and longtime teacher.  She also works in other media.  It's her mission in life to excite creativity in all her students. 

To watch Michele in the dye kitchen is to watch the master at work.  She can take any piece of multi-colored wool and produce a flawless "twin" in minutes with no recipe, simply working by eye.  I remember reading somewhere that Michele learned about rug hooking from her father--rather unusual--who took it up when he was recovering from surgery.

View her complete profile on her website HERE; be sure to ogle all the rugs and other creations in the gallery on the site. 

If you compare her interpretation with the original card, you will see that the detail Michele has achieved on her tarot rug is truly impressive.  On her website, she mentions that she often works in 4 & 5 cuts to achieve this level of detail.  She has altered her Tower enough so that it appears to resemble a conch shell, set on fire by the same lightning we see in the original card.  The roaring fire within the Tower/shell is scouring out any incorrect beliefs or false ambitions.

The falling human figures are not there--but isn't there a suggestion of people hanging out the windows?  And look at that roiling sky, echoed below by the roiling sea!  The movement, colors, and design of this piece make it especially compelling and attractive.  The combination keeps your eye moving around the rug, noticing new things every time it lands.

I remember Michele saying in a video interview that the ocean is very close to her heart and that she is very concerned about environmental damage to it.  You can see her love of the ocean in this rug (and you will see that theme in many of her other rugs as well). 

SO WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?
In the Wheel of Fortune card (Card Ten), we looked at change/transformation that occurs in cyclical fashion, moving up, then down, as the Wheel turns.  In The Tower card, we now look at change/transformation that is dramatic, sudden, and shocking.  Think of the times in your own life when you have realized in a blinding flash (the lightning strike) that something you wholeheartedly believed was not true.  Or when a structure in which you've placed your faith has collapsed without warning.

Our first reaction to events like these is to be totally stunned, then perhaps horrified (or, depending on circumstances, delighted).  A quote from Frederick Barthelme illustrates another common reaction:  "There is a feeling of disbelief that comes over you, that takes over, and you kind of go through the motions. You do what you're supposed to do, but in fact you're not there at all.”  This is a frequent response to shock.

Eventually, reality sets in and we need to deal with the new normal.  We may feel liberated, or we may feel like you've lost everything.  The truth is that we are now seeing something clearly--as it is--and we now need to adjust to it--as it is--perhaps for the first time. 

When this card comes up for you, ask yourself:

• What structure within myself is breaking down, or do I need to break down?  What did I believe that I now see (or suspect) is not correct? 
• What information may I have been ignoring or denying?  What thoughts have I not been able to consider until now?  What might a blinding flash reveal?
• What makes it so shocking?  (It could be an internal or an external event)
• A "Tower experience" may be quite a challenge (though by no means always negative).  It's essentially a rude awakening.  Nevertheless, it is always a gift to be free of a delusion or a way of thinking that you may suddenly realize is not true.  What is the gift here?  Even if it feels like a curse at the moment--if you were to predict what the gift will be, once you can begin to see it, what would you predict?
• Notice that in the original image, the foundation of the tower is very strong.  No matter how powerful the lightning jolt, you do still have a solid foundation, whether or not you can see it now.  How would you describe that foundation, and how will you use it to rebuild, using what you have learned from this experience? 
• Re-read the Dawna Markova quote and ask yourself how it may speak to you.

"It is in the midst of disasters that bold men grow bolder."
Henry IV

“There is only one kind of shock worse than the totally unexpected: the expected for which one has refused to prepare.”
― Mary Renault

"Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often."
Mae West

Remember that you can catch up on all the other rugs in the exhibit at the link at the very top of this post.  If you are curious about what's behind the exhibit, there is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here (scroll down to the bottom of that post to get to the FAQ).

Thanks for reading.  Your comments are always welcome.

I'm needing to take a break from the tarot rug posts for just a bit!  Back to those shortly. 

I'm missing Zentangle®, drawing, and my other usual activities.  So tonight I indulged myself with a new tangle, Mollygon.

That's my first-ever attempt above. 

Below are some variations created with an iPhone app.

I was also busy in the studio in the last 2 days, working on the finishing for my nearly-done rug.  The finishing process, which is tedious (I still enjoy it), seems to take forever but I'm almost there.  I may get it all done tomorrow.  A photo of that is coming once it's completely done. 

I created the label for it this evening:

That will get sewn onto the back of the finished rug once I've completed all the other finishing.

I whipped out my sewing machine yesterday--I haven't touched it in years--and spent quite a while hemming the edges of the Moon & Clouds rug which I will be punching.  Since I don't own a serger, I zig-zagged around the outer edge 3x.  And did the same with the inner edge where I'll be trimming it once I'm done.  That is one BIG rug.

Today I drew out a new design for a second, new, traditionally hooked rug.  Below you can see the background wool I'm thinking of using at the bottom of the photo, plus just a little bit of the backing where I've begun drawing the pattern.  There will be more to the pattern, but I'll have to wait until I can get back to the studio in the morning to finish drawing.

Lastly, I am tossing in a picture of this cute felted pouch I've had for years and rediscovered recently.  I wish I could remember who made it and where I got it.  I think it's so well done, and it's also useful for carrying supplies.

Back to my experience with the sewing machine for a minute:  It's been at least 3-4 years since I've used it.  I remember that the last time I used it I had a bit of trouble threading the needle, even with my reading glasses. 

Yesterday?  I couldn't even SEE the needle, let alone the hole. With my (now even stronger) reading glasses.

Yikes! 

It took me 25 minutes--no joke--to get it threaded.  I'd still be there, trying and failing, if I hadn't managed to scrounge up a needle threader after getting completely desperate, and even with the threader it took me another ten minutes to get the job done. 

After I left yesterday I went straight to the sewing store and bought every variety of needle threader they have.  I don't want to go through that again.  Sad, sad, sad.  As Joni Mitchell would say, "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone."

Well, it's definitely gone!  Boo hoo hoo.

This is the eighteenth post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view the entire series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

THE DEVIL:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image:

"I can resist everything except temptation."
Oscar Wilde

"Lead us not into temptation.
Just tell us where it is; we'll find it."
Sam Levenson

"The Devil made me do it."
Flip Wilson

This is yet another card in the classic deck that some people find very disturbing.  So, everyone:  take a deep breath and remind yourself that you are talking about a piece of painted cardboard--that's all!  Yes, it's full of symbols, but we'll get into them in a few moments--it's really not a harbinger of doom.  Read on.

Let's first have a look at Emily Robertson's interpretation of this classic card.

Emily Robertson is an award winning rug artist and teacher, currently known for her feminist and "sayings" rugs.  A great introduction to Emmy can be found in a delightful video HERE, in which you can see dozens of her rugs.  She is unbelievably prolific!  I had the good fortune of being able to hook with Emmy for a few years while she lived close by, and share in her zany humor.  She is a wonderful friend and a truly kind person.  She is also an ordained minister, so it's especially wonderful that she did an interpretation of The Devil as her tarot rug.

In the original image (the tarot card), there are symbols galore, such as  the ridiculous looking half-man/satyr, half beast, the chained man and woman, and more.  But look closely at those chains, folks.  Very closely.  If either the woman or man chose to think rationally for a moment, they would realize that all they have to do to be free is to lift those exceptionally loose, floppy chains over their heads and just walk away.

So why don't they? 

Not to mention that the Devil isn't exactly well-balanced on his tiny, precarious perch; either one of our chained people could knock him off that perch with one small push of an index finger.

So why don't they?

What is really going on here?  Plus, the woman has a "tail" with a bunch of grapes (food or wine), and the man's tail is a flame (passion).  Sound familiar?

This is a card about temptation, addiction, and oblivion.  And often it's also about blaming our problems on external factors.  (See "The Devil made me do it!" quote above) 

All of us have moments just like this in our lives, moments of complete mindless behavior (oblivious to what is really going on) in which we may feel hopeless, stuck, enslaved to something or some one.  "I just can't leave this bad relationship."  "I can't believe I just ate that whole thing."  "I just can't help myself."

Really?

I do not mean to make light of this, as some of these temptations truly do take us over and appear supernaturally strong.  I certainly experience that, and frequently!  But in just about every case, there is something about the situation that we are either unable to see clearly or unwilling to see clearly.  We just do not take those chains off our own necks.

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..”
John Milton

In Emmy Robertson's interpretation, she has pared down the images.  The Devil himself is only suggested via the tail-like arrows and the pentagram.  In essence, he doesn't even need to be present, because we'll do his work ourselves, by unquestioningly accepting our own negative thoughts and by "sleepwalking" through our days, oblivious.

What is going on in this rug?  Just as the Devil card is disorienting, so is the rug.  Is she walking away from the man?  Or is she leading him and he's following?  Is he pushing her?  Is he reaching out to her with a supportive touch?  We can't tell.  And what about the chains?  In the rug, the chains are actually a mixed-media touch:  actual pink plastic chains that Emmy has attached to the hooking.  The woman appears to have broken one of the chains.  And look at how loose the chain is around her neck--she could lift that right off and walk away.  Is that a door to her right? 

Are they freeing themselves, or sleepwalking into some type of addiction?  We simply can't tell, and I love the ambiguity of this rug.

WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN:
As I mentioned above, this card often turns up when you feel hopelessly stuck or enslaved by some situation, interior or exterior (although very likely you will be tempted to blame someone or something exterior to yourself).  So...

When you get this card, ask yourself:

• Where am I feeling stuck?  Or what addictive behavior is going on for me?  Or, what is tempting me?
• What am I not seeing clearly in this situation?   Or even, what am I deliberately choosing to ignore?
• If I can't answer that question, am I willing to sit down and write out a brief description of the situation without defending or justifying anything, and read it back to myself?  How might someone I trust describe my situation if they were being completely truthful with me?
  
• Who or what am I blaming in this situation (including self-blame)?  How does blaming help or hinder?
• Is there a way I can help myself in this situation by helping someone else--a sort of mutual aid?  (One of the chained people could unchain the other, which would likely "wake them up" to the fact that they could then simply do the same for themselves.)
  

In general, the only thing to fear with this card is the kind of fear that occurs to us when we are afraid to look at a situation objectively and without blame, and deal with it for what it is.

Remember that you can catch up on all the other rugs in the exhibit at the link at the very top of this post.  If you are curious about what's behind the exhibit, there is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here (scroll down to the bottom of that post to get to the FAQ).

Thanks for reading.  Your comments are always welcome.

Today's suggested resource is a rug hooking resource (not tarot):  The Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild).  Enjoy the hooked rug artistry at that site.

This is the seventeenth post in a series on the Tarot Rug Project (also known as "Exploring the Tarot:  23 Artists Hook the Major Arcana").  To view the entire series, go HERE (that post will be kept up to date as new photos are published and the show travels).

TEMPERANCE:  Here is the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith image below:

"Joy, temperance, and repose, slam the door on the doctor's nose."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Use what seems like poison as medicine. Use your personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings.”
Pema Chödrön

"A fretful temper will divide the closest knot that may be tied,
by ceaseless sharp corrosion;
a temper passionate and fierce may suddenly your joys disperse
at one immense explosion."
William Cowper

Let's have a look at Jule Marie Smith's interpretation of the Temperance card on her rug:

Jule Marie Smith is an enormously talented, highly respected rug artist who--as with just about all the artists in this project--has won numerous awards for her originality and mastery of color.  I think she is too busy teaching, dyeing wool, and creating rugs to have a webpage.  The easiest place to see several of her rugs is HERE--to see them, scroll down to the bottom of that page.  (The page is a description of a class she's giving in 2016.)  I've been lucky enough to take two classes with Jule Marie and loved every minute of both.  I hope to study with her again.  Rug hooking seems to attract very special and kind people, and Jule Marie fits right into that category.

To see one of her rugs up close is to see how she paints with wool, using colors in both bold and subtle combinations.  She has long been known for her penchant for creating original colorful borders around her rugs.

Jule has worked with The Egyptian Tarot rather than with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, and her rug reflects that.  I love the design, from her red-rayed sky and powerful sun, to the lotus border and the angelic figure in Egyptian garb pouring from one flask to another (complete with "walk like an Egyptian" stance). 

And those wings!  Check out the coloring in the wings.  I also like the bargello-like water underneath, its pedestal and lotus vase, and the Serpent of Wisdom sneaking in an appearance.

Going back for a moment to the original Rider-Waite Smith image at the top of this post, you can see the complex and numerous symbols in the card itself.  In both the card and in Jule's rug, we have an angelic figure mixing a liquid between two cups.  So...

WHAT DOES THE CARD MEAN?
One of the many traditional meanings of the card is that of bringing two unlikely things together and successfully integrating them.  To do this, one must achieve the correct balance--first within oneself, and then with any external ingredients.  And if you look at the angel's feet in the card, one foot is on land (the material world) and one in the water (subconsciousness).  This angel is all about balance, moderation, and careful experimentation until s/he hits just the right combination of ingredients in the two substances to create the perfect blend.

When you get this card, ask yourself:

• What may need to be more balanced in my life right now?  Where may I need to be more temperate, more moderate?
  
• What two (or more) things need to be brought together?
  
• What INTERNAL balance to I need to achieve?  What external balance can I then try for?
  
• What actions have I already taken to achieve this balance?
• What other "mix" might I try?  Have I given up too soon?  How can I change the blend and try again?
  
• What can I learn from the Middle Way in dealing with this blend?
  

A few more quotes may help you, especially the last one from Rumi:

"Temperance:  Eat and carouse with Bacchus, or munch dry bread with Jesus, but don't sit down without one of the gods."
D.H. Lawrence

"The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care."
Sir Philip Sidney

“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds' wings.”
Rumi

Remember that you can catch up on all the other rugs in the exhibit at the link at the very top of this post.  If you are curious about what's behind the exhibit, there is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section here (scroll down to the bottom of that post to get to the FAQ).

Thanks for reading.  Your comments are always welcome.

Today's suggested tarot resource:  The Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI).  You don't have to be British to appreciate and use what they have to offer.