23 Saturday Jul 2022
Posted in PRINTS, TAROT POSTS, VISUALS
Today’s proof copy!
Temperance, Card XIV, Tarot, Major Arcana !
Something I definitely could use more of! Revealingly I don’t draw this card often.
Stay tuned for my upcoming chapbook on the Major Arcana!
#PrintOfTheDay #ProofCopy #ArtistOnWordPress #Tarot #MajorArcana
24 Friday Dec 2021
Posted in POETRY, TAROT POSTS, VISUALS
Tags
Ace Of cups, Chrsitmas Gift!, GRAPHIC DESIGN, Happy Blogging!, Phil Gennuso Arts, Tarot, Thanksgiving
Today I draw for you
on Christmas Eve 2021,
a gift for my fellow bloggers,
the beautiful Ace Of Cups,
filled to the brim
with the sweetest nectars of life;
Draw deep and often
from this brimming cup,
and share your precious
thoughts and inspirations with us
in the coming year,
and together we can give thanksgiving,
for the life we have been given,
and how blessed we truly are.
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The Ace Of Cups from the Tarot signifies creativity, intuition, and grace among other things.
I wish for everyone a happy, productive, inspirational, and joyous year of creativity with their blog!
Peace Be With You!
10 Friday Dec 2021
Posted in TAROT POSTS, VISUALS
Mystic dreams, Magic wands,
as we wind our way through life
and the lights grow dim,
every now and then,
the magic returns, the dream is real,
the sun shines brightly,
the stars guide our way;
Where there is life
there is hope,
Where there is faith
there is spirit,
Where there is laughter
there is magic.
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The second card of the Major Arcana, numbered Card I, is generally referred to as The Magician. For me, in my Tarot, The Mystic, and The Magician are two sides to the same archetype that has been passed down, since the beginning of time. Hence my card is called The Magician / The Mystic.
We have all experienced connected events, fates, situations, that cannot be explained by any rational means. Turns in the road, the one that got away, things that were meant to be. I don’t have to tell you, poems and songs have been written, movies have been made, great works of art have been produced, embracing this theme. We sometimes call it serendipity or fate, but we know there is more there than meets the eye.
This is part of the province of this card. The world that is real, concrete, but not part of the world the rational mind perceives. We know it is there, but we don’t know how to explain it. That is where The Magician and The Mystic live. This card can urge us to action, to focus on our inner and outter being and to accomplish our worthwhile goals.
There is another dimension associated with this card. Skill, accomplishment, the ability to get the job done. This facet is directed more toward the Magician, the one who can make things happen. A card of confidence, a card to start taking action. Also, some experts in the History Of The Tarot, say that as the deck originally developed, The Magician could have connotations of a trickstrer, a joker, someone you could not really trust. That is the beauty of the Major Arcana – each card has its own unique feel, its own unique history, its own unique aura.
When I draw this card, which isn’t often, I am always happy. It is definitely a positive card, as far as I am concerned. I am looking to put projects in motion, I am examining my intuition, I am looking for new inspiration.
For my design I am using an Art Deco theme from the 1920s. My Art Deco Princess! She is blowing petals from a flower. Making wishes, making plans, keeping promises, making things happen. The four elements are represented, as are the four suits of the Minor Arcana (traditional). The Magician and The Mystic are facing each other, softly blowing petals in the air, twins of discovery, initiative, contemplation, and of course, fun!
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Beautiful Princesses,
lost in time and myth,
forever joyful with your lifelong companion,
your destined namesake, your precious twin,
Bring skill and thought,
reflection and meditation,
joy and celebration,
back into this helter-skelter world
of chaos, deceit, and confusion.
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26 Friday Nov 2021
Posted in ILLUSTRATIONS, TAROT POSTS, VISUALS
Tags
Innocence / The Fool! We begin our journey!
The first card of the traditional Tarot deck is typically labeled The Fool and begins with the number Zero. Zero here signifies infinity or as a circle, a path with no beginning and no end. Many commentators also point out that this card, The Fool, travels through the other Twenty-One cards of the Major Arcana, and so the Major Arcana really documents The Fool’s journey.
For me this card always signifies Innocence. It signifies a new beginning, a fresh start. And yes, many times, when we start something new, we are fools, that is, we are inexperienced and perhaps naive. That is part of our journey. But our Innocence is our defense, our traveling companion through a world that is often jaded and corrupt, and tries to pull us in, to play the games, to always look out for Number One.
My card shows a young boy who is holding onto a fence with a somewhat tentative look in his eyes. He is a bit unsure but determined to make his way forward, no matter what. This is the way it is. Every journey that is worth the effort is surrounded by uncertainty. Even The Fool knows that! Yet if we are to do anything in life, our determination, which springs from our Innocence, carries us through those first steps.
In many ways we are Fools to even try, but our Innocence, the purity of our intentions, the loftiness of our goals and dreams, this is what protects and defends us and gives us the courage to go forward.
For me, that is the subtle duality of this first card of the Tarot!
When I draw this card, I am always thinking of new beginnings, new projects. Maybe I should finally start that new art work that I have been thinking about. Maybe I should tackle that short story or complete my website design and actually start the coding! Possibilities seem to just spring about, all the wonderful paths I might take. But I also am aware of hastiness, lack of preparation, wishful thinking. This is all part of this card.
With that said, I view this card, as very favorable for someone like me, who is always looking for a reason to start new projects and test new ideas! I think on the whole it is a favorable card for everyone.
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We start at ground zero,
taking on the past and present,
history’s sins and our own,
struggling up the hill with Sisyphus,
hoping this time
the stone of evil fates stays in place,
and the world can begin anew
We are all orphans,
we are all refugees,
only our innocence can protect us,
only our persistence
can sustain us on this journey,
the only journey we will ever know
19 Friday Nov 2021
Posted in TAROT POSTS, VISUALS
Tags
I first started my interest in the ancient Tarot way back in my teenage years. I was immediately fascinated by the myths, the lore, and the imagery. Many artists have taken their shot at creating Tarot cards and that also added to the attraction. The Tarot seemed to be a source of inspiration, contemplation, and action.
Also, at that time, many of us were looking for different ways to look at the world, different from some of the ideas that had been handed down. We did not necessarily want to reject organized religion, but we wanted other perspectives. There were so many things going on, so many questions to be answered. This encouraged exploration into a wide variety of philosophies and traditions.
No one knows exactly when the Tarot began. I surmise its deepest roots are from Egypt and the Near East, like so many other legends. The modern card deck, the fifty-two cards, the four suits, the Minor Arcana, started sometime around the 15th century in places like Italy and France, among other spots. Within time the twenty-two Triumph (Trump) cards began to emerge and were added to the decks. It was a game generally well off folks played for entertainment. Much later on, the 17th and 18th centuries, Tarot began to take on more of a divinatory role and the fifty-two original cards of the Minor Arcana, and the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana were further developed, enhanced, and given meanings. Those meanings and interpretations are still changing today.
A truly fascinating history, books have been written about it! And of course nowadays you can find alot of information right on the Internet.
My interest here is in the Major Arcana, the twenty-two cards, the Trump cards that have become major players in the Tarot as we know it today. These cards in a way represent archtypes, dreams, legends, myths, that have been around from the beginning of time. From childhood innocence, to falling in love, to the judgement, to the world itself, these cards traverse an entire spectrum of human experience.
My cards are original and follow the general pattern of Tarot history. Like many deck creators nowadays, I add my own observations based on my experiences to each card. Each card will be a unique art work accompanied by a brief write up which may include a short poem. I think you will find it interesting and rewarding, even if you have little knowledge of the Tarot.
In my own experiences, I have found the Tarot to be most valuable, and entertaining, by reflecting where I am, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, at any given time. I don’t really use the cards in a divinatory fashion to any great extent, rather I use the cards as mirrors that reflect the state of my being at that moment, on that day. This helps me determine what is going on and what I might need to do. The cards drawn help me understand myself and move forward.
Typically I use a simple three card spread: one card represents the past or where I have been; one card represents the present, or where I am; one card represents the future, or where things might be headed given my current state of mind.
To give you an idea of what will be coming in the weeks ahead I am going to just list the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana that I will be presenting:
CARD 0 : Innocence/The Fool – CARD I : The Magician/The Mystic
CARD II : The Priestess – CARD III : The Empress – CARD IV : The Emperor
CARD V : Widsom/The Hierophant – CARD VI : The Lovers
CARD VII : The Chariot – CARD VIII : Strengh – CARD IX : The Hermit/The Poet
CARD X : Fortune – CARD XI : Justice – CARD XII : The Hanged Man
CARD XIII : Death – CARD XIV : Temperance
CARD XV : The Devil – CARD XVI : The Tower – CARD XVII : The Star
CARD XVIII : The Moon – CARD XIX : The Sun
CARD XX : Judgement – CARD XXI : The World
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There you have it! All twenty-two glorious cards handed down through the ages to the current generation. As you can see the scope is large and complete, the myths, legends, figures, and archetypes we live with every day.
I will presenting the Major Arcana on my WordPress blog and the entire set with text will be available as either a pdf or an epub (Amazon) ebook available for purchase either directly from me or on one of the sites like Etsy and Amazon.
I look forward to your comments and observations in the weeks ahead!
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13 Tuesday Apr 2021
Posted in Haiku, PHOTOGRAPHY, POETRY, VISUALS
Tags
It often seems that way,
choices to be made,
we would rather not decide.
Phil G's Blog/Website 