HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ROSWILA (a/k/a Patricia)!

Sunday, January 4, is my 65th birthday and to celebrate it I'm posting below the cards that are my "family" in the Tarot deck. I did this sharing of my family of cards on my birthday two years ago with the quirky Terrestrial Tarot. The Tarot I'm using this time is the New Tarot for the Aquarian Age, by John Cooke and Rosalind Sharpe. The cover of an original old accompanying booklet is above; the deck was first published in 1968.

This New Tarot for the Aquarian Age was my first deck ever, given to me nearly 30 years ago by a co-worker. It is now a collector's item and worth a little bit of money; the only one in my collection of 90 decks that is worth much of anything monetarily. However, I would never consider selling it. It's too valuable to me personally. It even left my possession at one time many years ago, and very soon found it's way back to me. I rarely read with it as its designs are so "far afield" from the vast majority of Tarot decks. In fact, when first given it, I quickly moved to both the Rider Waite Smith and The Thoth Tarots whose images I immediately found more enticing and inspiring. But I do have a great affection for this first deck and take it out just to enjoy its images, every so often. And occasionally I'll have a dream about or a poetic association to one of the Major Arcana images in this deck (such as The Reverser below).

For those of you who may not know, you can determine your "family" of cards in The Tarot via various aspects of numerology and astrology. For example, here's the link to an article that explains using your birthdate to determine one of your Major Arcana cards: Innerchange Magazine.

I'll say just a little bit about each one in my Tarot family below, though I hasten to add the booklets accompanying the New Tarot for the Aquarian Age have rather different understandings of these cards though not totally unrelated. I suggest if you aren’t familiar with this deck or The Tarot in general that you might want to try some of the links I post on the right for further information or do some googling. I highly recommend aeclectic.net.




Above left: The Speaker (The Hierophant)-- Intuition; spiritual teacher; tradition; bridge builder.

Above right: The Reverser (Temperance) -- The sword tempered in the flame; I read somewhere it’s said to be on the most difficult path on The Tree of Life (in the Qabala).




Above left: Stone Queen (Queen of Pentacles) -- She makes do on less that almost anyone else; abundance and fertility; an Earth Mother type.

Above right: Blade Page (Page of Swords) -- The child of difficult parents who ultimately triumphs. (I think I read that somewhere in The Thoth deck’s comments on the card.) I've nicknamed this card the ACOA or Alanon child, i.e. the Twelve Step program child.




Above left: Three of Stones (Three of Pentacles) – Probably my favorite family member. :-) In the more traditional Rider Waite Smith deck and clones thereof, it has a stone mason working on a cathedral arch under what is sometimes said to be the supervision of the Hierophant and The Fool. (I generally don’t particularly care for unillustrated pips, as on this deck. Less symbolism for my intuition to hook on to maybe?)

Above right: Four of Stones (Four of Pentacles) – This card is often said to be ruled by Capricorn; in Thoth decks and clones thereof it’s called “Power.” Hoarding; good management.

Middle: Ace of Blades (Ace of Swords) – When I first studied with The Thoth deck, this card made me think of the story of the Gordian Knot, i.e. sometimes we simply can’t think our way out of or through something, but must just take action. It also often makes me think: the sword of the mind can cut both ways.


That last comment on the Ace of Blades is a good one for me to close this post with and keep in mind as I continue to go through the ending of an intimate relationship I’m choosing to leave, very sadly.

Not to end here on that note, I hope this New Year brings peace and prosperity to all our personal lives, and Peace and Prosperity to our world.

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‘til next time, keep having Happy Birthdays and enjoying The Tarot,

[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****