The Caretaker

NORMAL TAROT CARD 24

THE CHARRED KING

A lord of wealth and power, now graying ash. This card represents how quickly circumstances change, how quickly tragedy can strike. Fire consumes all, it makes no distinction between rich or poor. No matter the circumstances of life, tragedy can strike and it can strike hard. 

There is a bit of a dual nature to this card. Fire is often seen as a purifying force. A destructive force, but a purifying one nonetheless. A baptism by fire erases everything, good and bad. ...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 23

THE DROWNED KING

The second of the Dead Kings, The Drowned King dreamed of the sea, and has been taken by the very force he sought to conquer. The king floats on the surface of the water, curled into a fetal position, his eyes closed. 

This card carries connotations of being overwhelmed, of biting off more than one could chew. The Drowned Kings was a figure of great ambition, and thus, also great hubris. It is important to note that his death was not malicious. The sea cares little ...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 22

THE SUICIDE KING

This card depicts a king in radiant garments, curled as if at prayer, plunging a sword into his gut. Nothing good can come of this card. An important thing to note, is that this card does not represent literal suicide, it deals more with the situations and interactions around tragedy. The nature of such tragedy is usually focused and deeply personal. 

When one draws this card they should consider how tragedy affects them, how tragedy has affected them in the past, t...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 21

THE WANING CRESCENT

The last defiant spark of light for now. The final of the eight moon cards, the waning crescent is just that, final. As things slowly come to a close, things begin to show their true nature. Only when something is nearly gone can you realize what it truly meant to you. This is the the Waning Crescent. 

Retrospect is related to this card, but it is not the major focus. This card deals particularly with the things you can only learn about someone when they are sayi...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 20

THE LAST QUARTER

The night is deep and quiet, almost oppressive. The last quarter is the stillness of a lull in the action. The tension comes less from what may happen next, but more from the fear of not knowing. For now though, things are still. 

This card has a hazy quality to it. There is a sense of a slow, gradual fade into complacency or even confusion. The night comes for all things, and obscures the terrain. Preparedness can ward off the encroaching dark, but the situation is...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 19

THE WANING GIBBOUS

All things must fade. And as they do with this cycle of your life,  it should go out with a bang. It is time for the final shot. Pack up, start heading home. Being on the offensive can be dreadfully tiring, you may have suffered injuries you didn't notice until all the action had settled down. Recuperation and rest is a natural part of the cycle so do not despair. Your time will come around again.

The Waning Gibbous is usually associated with periods of rest or fa...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 18

THE FULL MOON

The Full Moon lights your way. Remember your oldest instincts. The hunt is on and you are unstoppable. 

Victory is damn near assured. The Full Moon, carries no subtlety, whatever experience is pertains to will be a rollercoaster of adrenaline. Now is the time to press the attack, now is the time to push forward, now is the time to try something impossible. For a night, the whole world is at your back. 

The Full Moon carries strong connections with the hunt. ...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 17

THE WAXING GIBBOUS

It begins! The time is right! It's your turn now. This is no guarantee of success, just that now you get to go on the attack. The hunt begins. 

The Waxing Gibbous does not imply an inversion. It would be a mistake to compare it to the Hanged Man. Yes the card does represent a changing of fortunes but it is less about situations being reversed, and more about finally being prepared for some large undertaking. More so, the Waxing Gibbous implies that this is only th...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 16

THE FIRST QUARTER

The tide is turning in your favor! The first quarter means that things are heading your way, but they aren't quite there yet. Obstacles may still be daunting, but perhaps you've received a helping hand you are not quite aware of yet. 

It would be wrong to interpret The First Quarter as "The cavalry is on their way!" Its meaning is more understated, more ambient. The moon cards always carry an air of mystery to them. A more accurate interpretation is that perhaps so...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 15

THE WAXING CRESCENT

The waxing crescent has a simple meaning. It is the line of silver light among the darkness. It is hope. 

The moon cards are interesting for how they relate to the other cards in a spread. They don't so much refer to the conditions of a the reader or the target, their effect is much more widespread. Drawing the waxing crescent means an atmosphere of general hopefulness. Things are just barely starting to look up, the wheel is turning your way, but the night is st...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 14

THE NEW MOON

The new moon is often mistaken for an ill omen. However the new moon only foretells of the sort of challenge one may face, not the outcome. This card represents a time when the crutches will be kicked out from under you, the metaphorical training wheels coming off. It is a situation where you are truly on your own.

Success under the new moon is a great victory! Proof of capability you may not have realized until now. Failure is expected, perhaps you don't quite have your sea...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 13

THE BOOK OF SECRETS

The book of secrets is unassuming. The paper it has been printed on has not been dyed or decorated in any way. The cover is off white and the title text is printed simply. Were you to open the book of secrets, you would find all sorts of formulas and tables and graphics that seem to explain something you can't even begin to understand. The text is not ordered like a normal book, but it is legible. You get the sense that there is something profound before you. As you turn th...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 12

THE BOOK OF THE CHAOS

The book of chaos makes an odd amount of sense considering what it is. The binding is an absolute mess, as if several people were fighting over what color and texture is should have been. The symbol clearly meant to adorn the cover is stretched and skewed at a strange angle. Pages are sideways, missing, too big, too small. If one were to hold it, the book would feel unbalanced as if it was trying to leap out of your hands.

It is, however, comprehensible. Strikingly ...

WE ARE BACK BITCHES

NORMAL TAROT CARD 11

THE BOOK OF THE LOST

The book of the lost is something deep and old. The binding is wracked with several attempts at destruction. Large parts of the book are illegible, but even this small fraction of the contents is enough to shake you. The book is the end to every story you never finished. All loose ends tied. Every mystery now solved. The book of the lost of closure, for better and for worse.

Whatever you will find within is something you were not meant to know, something you were bet...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 10

THE BOOK OF WAR

The book of war is a grand thing. It is a compilation of maps and notes and tales of battles. The knowledge of thousands of conquerors and kings is held within. The cover is a rusty red leather, rent soft by the sun and rain. Despite its obvious age, the binding is still sturdy as ever. Pages appear to have been sodden, burned, torn, but never destroyed completely. Fitted between the pages are countless sketches and haphazard diagrams of formations and war machines.

This ...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 9

THE BOOK OF SONGS

The book of songs is a treasured thing. Less a proper book and more a collection of oddities, passed from one owner to the next. The folio cover bears a simple title, several careful repairs have been made to the binding.  The pages are a myriad of different types and sizes of paper, stolen from other books, handwritten scrawl, old yellowed scraps sit alongside expensive sheet music. 

The book represents a carnal force of harmony. Even those who cannot read sh...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 8

CARD 8 THE BOOK OF FLOWERS

The book of flowers is a simple thing. Its pages are old an worn but from use, not anything dramatic. The cover features botanical patterns. Perhaps there was some gold trim along the spine but it has long since faded. The pages are dog-eared and interrupted by bookmarks. Were one to open it, they would find smudges and doodles in the margins.

This cards nature is tender. It represents wisdom that may seem small at first, but eventually blooms into a treasure...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 7

THE TRAITOR

The symbolism of this card is fairly simple. It represents treachery, betrayal, and all the calamity and nastiness that comes with it. The traitor stands facing away from the viewer, a small knife hidden behind her back. There is a sense that she is looking down at a scene, possibly from the perch of a balcony or a railing. Her intervention will be a surprise to all. Though the traitor is depicted as a woman, the card has no preference for either gender. Treachery is treachery...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 6

THE SORCERESS 

The Sorceress stands at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. A fierce storm roils around her, the sky and sea frame the top and bottoms of the card. Her robes and emblematic pointed hat are still despite the wind. The sorceress holds an old wooden staff aloft as a bolt of lightning strikes it. She is unmoved by the ferocity of nature, totally in control of herself.

The sorceress is the epitome of the phrase "Knowledge is power". Her fearlessness in the face of a...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 5

THE HUNTRESS

The huntress stands over a mound of her quarries. Five arrows sit lodged in the dead beasts beneath her. She is bedecked in trophies of the hunt covered head to foot in the pelts of beasts many thought mythical or extinct. In her hands is a silver bow, an arrow nocked but not drawn. Bound to her hip is a twisted hunting horn. The horn appears to be cleaved from some unknown beast, its long tapered spiral looks unnatural.

The Huntress is freedom in its most elemental form. An...

NORMAL TAROT CARD 4

THE LIBRARIAN

The librarian is an unassuming figure. Simply clothed with eyes hidden behind thick spectacles. She sits by candlelight, pouring over vast cumbersome volumes. Notes are strewn about her desk, which at this point is more books than wood. The pages beneath her are ink stained, her notes covered in indecipherable formulas. If one looked closely enough, they would notice she is missing an eye. 

The librarian represents knowledge in its most torrential, elemental form. The ...

NORMAL TAROT

CARD 3: THE EMPTY THRONE

The Empty Throne depicts a simple but imperious looking chair. The seat is a mixture of stone and wood, nothing terribly ostentatious. The room in which it sits is where the majority of the symbolism lies. The throne is flanked by four red banners, covered in dust. Two iron sconces sit beside the throne, both have long gone cold. 

Drawing the Empty throne is a harbinger of war and sin, a world out of balance. Nature abhors a vacuum, and politics doubly so. T...

NORMAL TAROT

CARD 2: THE MOURNING QUEEN

The mourning queen is garbed in black. Her dress is extravagant, reminiscent of a wedding gown, complete with a veil that obscures her face. The Mourning Queen generally symbolizes a terrible loss, but more specifically can represent a loss of identity. The queen is all fabric, no skin is shown so who knows what will emerge from this cocoon? The other detail of note is the single lit candle she holds at her breast. It stands in stark contrast to the hall filled ...

NORMAL TAROT

CARD ONE: THE SINNER

A Wretch in an iron mask and manacles. The sinner is explicitly female but bears no semblance to any sort of Eve figure. Her imprisonment is both deserved and self-inflicted, though there is a sense the punishment does not match her crime, whatever it may be. She is bound by the face and by the wrists but not shackled to a surface, she is free to move about her confinement. This indicates that her freedom is not wholly taken from her and she still has a modicum of influenc...

A STUDY IN NORMAL TAROT

THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR SPECIAL PATRON REWARDS 

EVERY DAY I WILL BE POSTING AN IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE SYMBOLOGY OF MY CUSTOM DECK THE NON PATRONS WILL HAVE TO WAIT A WEEK FOR THESE

GOOD EVENING PATRONS

FINISH THE TITLE: THE SIGNS AND...

I WILL CHOOSE A COMMENT AT RANDOM AND THAT WILL BE TONIGHTS HOROSCOPE

SECRET:

THIS IS A SECRET POST THAT ONLY PATRONS CAN SEE

THE REWARDS FOR DONATING WILL BE KEPT SECRET AS I INTEND TO USE MYSTERY AND RUMOR TO GET PEOPLE TO GIVE ME MONEY

AS A THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO DONATE I WILL BE POSTING FIRST DRAFTS OF POSTS HERE AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN AND OUT OF CHARACTER IF YOU SO WISH