Laying out The Tarot of the Animal Lords
to follow the Hero’s Journey requires a deeper knowledge of animals. Each card in
this deck reflects either the natural history or the folkloric history of various
animals. Some animals are an obvious selection for their card such as the fox
for The Magician, the lion for The Emperor, the raven for Death, and the male
goat for The Devil.
However
to understand the other animals which are representing themes in the Major
Arcana requires knowledge of their natural history. For example, The Fool is an
European Badger setting out on his own. European badgers live in societies of
setts, which are towns constructed of burrows. Some setts are over three
hundred years old, with generations of European badgers inhabiting them. A lone
European badger going out on his own would be a fool. (In contrast, American
badgers, a separate species, usually live by themselves.)
Featuring
a flamingo for Temperance is another example. These birds live in the hot salt
flats of Africa and eat brine shrimp. This gives them their bright pink color. If
they are too pink or too white, this means that the flamingo is nutritionally
out of balance, and will need to change their diet.
To
understand other animals featured in this deck’s cards for the Major Arcana
requires knowledge of their folklore. For example, The Moon features an owl and
a cat, reminding the reader of the children’s poem, The Owl and the Pussycat, by Edward Lear. In that poem, these two
animals go out to gaze at the moon and the stars in wonder. Meanwhile, The
Lovers depict two mandarin ducks. In China, these ducks are believed to be
lifelong mates. They use mandarin ducks in their wedding decorations to
symbolize fidelity.
Each
animal that is chosen for their particular card enhances the meaning of the
Hero’s Journey for me. At first glance, each selection may seem a bit opaque
but within each card are clues to explore further. The reader can ponder each
card’s meaning further through that particular animal.
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For more information on the Hero's Journey: Tarot: Patterns of the Major Arcana, "The Hero's Journey," and Others
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