Transformational Tarot
Created by by Arnell Ando
Published by US Games ISBN:1572815396
The Book says: A triumph of love over hate, compassion over cruelty, awareness over ignorance and fear. The seeker has great courage and inner strength adn will need this sense of control with an unpredictable situation. Gentle mastery. Mind over matter. The courage to take risks. Attainment at considerable peril.
TarotBroad’s Buzz: The Strength card (as I may have already mentioned) holds a special place in my heart. It is the card associated with my zodiac sign (Leo) and I usually love the imagery on the card. This card does have a fairy tale quality to it. The dragon doesn’t appear fearsome or fire-breathing and the way it is drawn on the card contrasts with the more realistic depiction of the maiden. She is calm and unworried, willing to get close to the dragon. She has no fear and trusts that her good intentions are clear to the dragon. There is a sense of purity and peace in this image – the maiden’s heart is pure and she holds only good intentions towards the dragon. Her trust and love convey themselves to the dragon and help keep is serene and harmless. The butterfly reinforces the peacefulness and serenity of the energy in this card. It may seem to be an odd pairing but the maiden understands that her love and trust will always keep her safe from the dragon and the dragon knows that she presents no danger to him.
They are an unlikely team, partners in whatever faces them down the road ahead. The dragon can offer the maiden protection and safety, while in return the maiden offers love and caring. Any fears she may have had towards the dragon have been allayed. She sees beyond the frightening exterior to the heart of the beast. And in loving the beast, she learns to love that side of herself as well.
Having recently re-read The Hobbit, this card reminds me of one of the lessons Bilbo Baggins learns. By consorting with dwarves, wizards and elves, fighting Wargs, goblins and spiders and helping to find the dwarves’ treasure, Bilbo finds an inner strength and courage to defy traditional hobbit behavior. He may no longer be quite respectable to other hobbits but he has learned to be true to himself and found the strength to stay true to his course despite societal disapproval.
TarotBroad's Buzz 
The good old Transformational Tarot! I do posts under “Database Monday” on my blog and this came up recently. I find it holds up, perhaps because the collage was done by hand, and the scale is sometimes different as is the art style for elements, but it works, maybe because those disparities make you notice details more?
It’s much more interesting than some of the digital collage that proliferates. This particular card is very charming. I also find that Arnell used some depth in her writing, despite the constraints of space.
LikeLike
I have a number of collage decks and I have to agree – some of them are just too discordant and chaotic for me. Some of my favorites are Arnell’s Transformational, Paula Gibby’s Blue Rose, Kimberly Fordham’s Toscano, Jean Hutter’s Odyssey, Mansions of the Moon and the granddaddy of them all the Voyager (I have to say I grew to like the Voyager a lot more once I trimmed it’s borders. Most of these are self-published decks and maybe that’s why they are more cohesive and approachable – they were originally their creators attempt to create a deck for his/her own use that was made available for others. Perhaps their personal vision is what we respond to on a deep level.
LikeLike