Deviant Moon

Here is an index to keep us organized as more threads are added (millions and millions, right?!). If you add a thread for a specific card or topic, I will link it here for easy reference. If we gain a lot of momentum and other types of topics emerge, I can create a separate index for those. Major Arcana 0. The Fool I. The Magician II. The High Priestess III. The Empress IV. The Emperor V. The Hierophant VI. The Lovers Symbology: Black and White: Random Thoughts on the Tiled Floor

0. The Fool With the Fool’s first tilted step into the canal water of the subconscious, we begin our journey into the world of the Deviant Moon. This Fool is wearing his pyjamas, apparently stumbling madly from bed right into his spontaneous adventure. His grin and eyes have a decidedly maniacal cast. His one finger points loosely to his head. Perhaps this signifies the power of dreams, madness, or the mind. A vicious looking fish bites his ankle, but the Fool doesn’t appear to care. Does the pain of the bite draw him back to reality and the earth, or is he so lost in spontaneous madness that he doesn’t notice?…

So, I was thinking about the tiled floor and thinking that only the High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, and Heirophant had them. I decided to pull them out because I was thinking of their interactions and the way they were facing, expressions and body language. Thanks @Flaxen 😛 I wanted to line them up and see what's up. As I was looking through the deck I found one other card with a tiled floor and one with a chess board and even if it's not a floor it has black and white squares so I pulled it because why not? I lined the cards up in the order of their numbers: The first thing I noticed is that the Emperor and Empress aren't just facing away …

Hello everyone! I’m super excited to get started on this deep dive of the incredible Deviant Moon. My plan is to start from the Major Arcana and eventually make it through all the suits. I know there are some other mega Deviant Moon fans here ( @Wyrdkiss, @vulprix, @Flaxen, and I’m sure others), so please feel free to create threads for any cards you‘re interested in, and of course, contribute however you would like. It is the day after the full moon, so this seems like an auspicious time to get started.

I. The Magician A four armed Magician wields a wand, sword, pentacle, and cup on a stage in front of an audience. On a box representing the cosmos he dips his finger into the cup, which is filled with blood, while a look of intensity and focus crosses his face. He uses the objects with confidence and skill, while the concentration on his face seems to indicate that he is still on the journey to mastery. The background behind him seems to be both a wall and the nighttime sky, as we can see the shadows of the audience members across it. This brings to mind the liminal feeling of the Deviant Moon in general. We are neither outside nor inside, neithe…

II. The High Priestess The High Priestess sits on a stone pedestal, a grimace across her face and her arms crossed tightly in the shape of an x. Long, spindly fingers splay in the air, perhaps quite good at flipping through the pages of old, forgotten texts. Wings rise from her shoulders, apparently petrified into stone. Bare feet lay flat on the checkered ground beneath her. Her red inner robe has the imprints of faces and mysterious text, while her outer robe curls into the shape of a tail next to her feet. Her head appears to block the moon, with only the lunar glow visible behind her. Green buildings sit in the distance, including the Tower (n…

III. The Empress The Empress sits on a gravestone throne, on the same style of tiled floor as the High Priestess. Unlike the High Priestess, she appears to be in a more organic and natural location, filled with lush branches and vines popping with bright pink spheres. She wears a royal purple gown and a blue crown. A vine appears to grow from her body, winding around her right leg and left arm. An orange flower blossoms at the end of the vine and sparkling bulbs of light emanate from the petals. She wears spiked boots, and appears to be pinning the vine down with her right leg. Her body is hunched and (to me) she looks vaguely uncomfortable and un…

IV. The Emperor The Emperor sits up on a narrow, stone pedestal, striking a pose. I almost imagine he is posing for a picture or painting. He holds a thin, stone sceptre, topped with a crescent moon. According to Valenza, the crescent moon on the staff symbolizes the Emperor's materialization of dreams into reality. He points one finger at his head, signifying the importance he places on the mind over the heart. He has pinned a demon to the floor with his staff and his clawed boot. The demon looks quite tamed now (to me, anyways). He's kind of cute! According to Valenza, the Emperor has to maintain his pressure on the demon or it will get loose a…

V. The Hierophant One of my least favourite cards in the Tarot in general, and one I've happily replaced with Bacchus in the Trionfi della Luna. The Deviant Moon's portrayal is not so flattering, so I have a feeling Mr. Valenza may not like him so much either. The Hierophant sits gingerly on a very narrow pedestal, his knees locked together as if repressing his urges (or maybe he just has to pee). He holds his fingerless hands up in supplication and grimaces in discomfort and fear. His wings are hardened and useless, much like those of the High Priestess. In general, the image evokes impotence and fear. He wears sparse red robes, lined with gold, …

VI. The Lovers Two lovers embrace each other on the shore of a lake, in the middle of a vast desert. The female lover has her head thrown back, her eyes closed and her hair drifting towards the emotional depths of the lake. The male lover had his eyes opened wide, deep in the throes of passion. He wears a purple hat that is reminiscent of a soldier. A venomous snake bites his ankle, unnoticed. In the sky, the Deviant Moon displays its full power, its intoxicating energy flowing into the pair. Here are a few details I noticed looking over the card this morning. First, the female lover is one of the only characters dep…