The Sagittarian Tarot - Trump 26

TRUMP 26: THE HANGED ONE.



The tree we have seen so much of is now full grown and splendid, and grows on the right of the card, in a green field bounded by a hedge. From one branch hangs a figure, upside down by one ankle, the other leg crossed behind. The hands are behind the back, and the expression is ecstatic.

The card represents the final act of sacrifice. Having regained itself, the soul offers itself up to whatever powers there be. It is not a retreat, but an advance: not a renunciation, but a claim. "It is one of the ancients' least comprehended and most ignored truths that the only possible sacrifice is the irrevocable and whole-hearted offering of one's self" (Shirinin); this card encompasses and encapsulates this truth.

The card is Passive, Mutative and Bright, a Counselling Card aspected to Wand and Sword.

Note: keen-eyed scrutineers will observe that the rope around the Hanged One’s left ankle is not attached to the tree, or to anything else. This is common to all Sagittarian Tarot decks; the reason is unclear.

The Sagittarian Tarot--Trump 27

TRUMP 27: THE ANGEL.



In the centre of the horizon stands the Tree, flourishing as before. Above it, many times larger than life, a beautiful androgynous figure in flowing white robes, with great golden wings and an aureole, rises in an attitude vaguely prefiguring the final Trump. It holds a long trumpet in its right hand, raised almost to playing position, while its left arm is wrapped around something shadowy.
The card represents rebirth. The figure can be seen either as a divine messenger, rescuing the sacrificed soul from the Tree, or as the soul itself, rising into a new state of being. The overall meaning, however, is clear. This is the act to which all else has been leading, and whose result is celebrated in the next card. This is where the story really starts.
The card is Neutral, Ideal and Bright, a Changing Card aspected to Chalice and Wand.

The Sagittarian Tarot - Trump ∞

TRUMP ∞: THE ALL.



At first glance this seems very similar to the Fall. A human figure hangs against a starfield. Upon closer inspection, though, the background is divided into eight equal segments along the cardinal and semicardinal axes, and each segment is different in background shade and distribution of stars. The figure, too, is different: its arms are out at its sides, forming an upward-pointing arrow, and its face is upturned. The garb is the same in form, but now a deep indigo, and the features are idealised.

The quester has learned all that the multiverse can teach. An infinity of choices are now open to the reborn soul; angelhood, beyond the real, or an infinite number of worlds to wander - or another Fall, into a different frame, a new beginning – or simply to return home, to the world into which it Fell, and see it for the first time with awakened eyes. The sacred duty laid upon those who attain this state of being is hard to express in a phrase, though "grok" might have approximated to it before it became just another synonym for "knowotImean?" It could be imperfectly understood as "to take an interest", if by "interest" was also implied compassion, love, pride, amusement, lust, worship, awe, hunger and a myriad of subtler nuances of emotion. It is such adepts as these who keep the cosmos alive, and that is how they do it.

The card is outside the classification system, but is generally regarded as a Ruling Card aspected to Eye redoubled.

The Sagittarian Tarot - Trump 0 again

As I thought, the Gilchrist machine slipped a ringer in on me. It will have its little joke. I swear it talks to Nyrond homeship computers while I'm not looking and picks up tips.

Here is the correct version of the Fall card from this deck:



As you can see, this is much more in keeping with the style (such as it is) of the rest of the deck.

This concludes the Major Arcana of the Sagittarian Tarot. As always with divinatory systems, there are a multitude of interpretations out there; I've chosen to focus on one of the narrative threads applied to the cards, but as always, what matters is what the cards say directly to you, without some other idiot getting in the way. And even if they don't say anything, at least I hope you found them nice to look at, and that my numerous errors of description didn't spoil that too much.

And now perhaps I'll get back to some writing... :)