vague-whisperings Posted October 10, 2020 Posted October 10, 2020 Hi! I'm doing a study in the Adventurer's Tarot; the deck booklet is extremely sparse and I don't think the definitions are necessarily accurate to the cards. Some cards are specific to this deck, so the above problem paired with an overall lack of information for some of these means I can't figure out better, in-depth meanings for the cards. So, I thought I'd ask you guys- I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts about it, even if it's very DnD oriented ;3
vague-whisperings Posted October 10, 2020 Author Posted October 10, 2020 I've had the Sorcerer card appear in another reading before, and, while I was working on expanding the definition, realized it was kinda sparse, which isn't super great lmao Im having trouble with this one, since it seems very straightforward, but I cant help but feel like I'm missing an aspect of it 😐 For reference, this is the main card, and its alternate (main: left, alt: right) Booklet meaning: INTUITION Magic comes naturally to the gifted Sorcerer. Leverage your innate talent and creative energy in your endeavors. Put your plans into action and watch the flame of your soul burn bright. DEVASTATION If you lack a clear plan or goal, your untrained power may manifest haphazardly, causing destruction around you. Focus on your original vision and center yourself so that your magic will find its mark. My interpretation of the card: Powerful Chaotic Can deal with the consequences Situation can get very complicated very easily Commanding Self-assured Can control magic
TheLoracular Posted October 10, 2020 Posted October 10, 2020 As an avid TTRPGer, I support this thread 🙂 So I don't own this deck and can't compare/contrast with the rest of the Major Arcana which might get some deeper meanings, especially setting it side by side first with the High Priestess and then with the Fool. But simply looking at the LWB and the meanings you gleamed yourself? I feel like you have something solid. I would maybe delve deeper into what "controlling magic" means in an esoteric context. A reversed pentagram hints at someone on the LHP (Left-Hand-Path) and so does the fact that they have their left hand raised and they are not doing anything with their posture to ground themselves. This is not a RWS magician channeling power from above to below. This is someone invoking their own power, its coming from within and that means they are acting by Will alone. Which means they are going to be able to act and create/destroy but they can't sustain whatever they do or create. A LHP practitioner is self-driven, self-oriented, ambitious and driven to becoming a god in their own right vs. the RHP (right hand path) practitioner who seeks reconnection with Godhood or to serve a god. And this isn't said with judgement just to comment on the card symbology and attributions to think about. I can't tell what the orange above the reversed pentagram is in the picture. If that is a glyphic script of some kind? If its a D&D script you recognize as draconic, infernal, elvish, etc., that might give new insight (I can't see it clearly enough and I play too much WoD and non-D&D to have any clue what script it might be just by looking). Also, anything that tieflings in general represent to you, especially a tiefling sorcerers and what you think about them might bring up some more meanings and interpretations.
vague-whisperings Posted October 15, 2020 Author Posted October 15, 2020 @TheLoracular thats some really good insight tysm! I think most of the LHP/RHP explanation went over my head (I'm not a practicing paganist- it's all cartomancy for me and idk of any media with that terminology) but I really like the new aspects to think about. The gold looks like a general clasp or broach-type of thing, and the markings on it appear to be misc. detail that the artist included. I'd try the specific race meaning, but I'm super into homebrew so I'm not sure how helpful it would be since my interpretation of tieflings is like. Super massively removed from the original dnd context. I'll definitely try it out though tysm again! also sorry for the Late Late response i didnt follow my own thread like a dumbass lmao
vague-whisperings Posted October 15, 2020 Author Posted October 15, 2020 Yet again, I'm stuck. This time, the Monk has gotten me. This class specifically is a bit difficult for me, since it feels fetish-y of Asian cultures, but also there just aren't a lot of players with monk characters (at least not in any media I consume or games I've played). With some cards, I feel that the creators drew on specific Major Arcana for inspiration, but I'm not terribly familiar with the Major Arcana so it's hard for me to pinpoint which ones they used. Again, with this card (and most others, I suspect) it feels as if I'm missing an aspect of these. (Main: left // Alt: right) Booklet meaning: BALANCE The duality of the Monk brings forces into balance. If you meditate on the inner truth, you can bring your mind and body into focus. Whatever challenge you face is intuitively achievable. WITHDRAWAL When your world is out of balance, withdraw into your inner sanctum in order to clear your mind and quiet the storm. You will be ready to face the tempest with renewed calm energy My interpretation: Balance Decision Weighing the options As above, so below Reflection of the self in religion and spirituality Balance in the self Can be external, material, spiritual, etc Focused energy Purposeful Energy cost Justified Spiritually focused Call for meditation
TheLoracular Posted October 16, 2020 Posted October 16, 2020 21 hours ago, vague-whisperings said: @TheLoracular thats some really good insight tysm! I think most of the LHP/RHP explanation went over my head (I'm not a practicing paganist- it's all cartomancy for me and idk of any media with that terminology) but I really like the new aspects to think about. No worries! I will stick to less pure occult and more gamer terminology, being both a magick geek and a gamer nerd. XD Simplified down to just D&D metaphor? RHP= White (lawful good) Magic LHP= Black (chaotic evil) Magic.
TheLoracular Posted October 16, 2020 Posted October 16, 2020 21 hours ago, vague-whisperings said: Yet again, I'm stuck. This time, the Monk has gotten me. This class specifically is a bit difficult for me, since it feels fetish-y of Asian cultures, but also there just aren't a lot of players with monk characters (at least not in any media I consume or games I've played). With some cards, I feel that the creators drew on specific Major Arcana for inspiration, but I'm not terribly familiar with the Major Arcana so it's hard for me to pinpoint which ones they used. So I just now noticed that The Monk has a II on top of it. I'm willing to bet the Major Arcana in the Adventurer's Deck goes from 0- XXI in Roman Numerals along the top. And I'm willing to bet that means each card does correspond to a specific Rider-Waite-Smith card. So II The Monk replaces the II The High Priestess. What the little white book gave as details would fit The High Priestess good enough. Here is a really neat article on 5th Ed Monk that I think will give some of that insight you are looking for. "Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. " So all that energy in the mystical sphere the monk on the card is holding? That is chi energy, its coming from within them. They are directing their sacred-magical life energy into an arcane form. A cleric channels power from their divinity, a druid from nature and a monk from their own lifeforce and they can all weaponize it, but they do that differently.
vague-whisperings Posted October 16, 2020 Author Posted October 16, 2020 13 minutes ago, TheLoracular said: So I just now noticed that The Monk has a II on top of it. I'm willing to bet the Major Arcana in the Adventurer's Deck goes from 0- XXI in Roman Numerals along the top. And I'm willing to bet that means each card does correspond to a specific Rider-Waite-Smith card. I hesitate to say that the deck has a Major Arcana bc there isn't one as far as I can tell? I separate them by card type: class, monster, first level, and bonus cards- partly so I can remove the extra cards*, and partly because there's nothing indicating what would be the MA, so ultimately, I don't know that any one of those categories would/should be Major/Minor. * All cards come with a duplicate, except for the bonus cards. The monster cards come with an extra four while the Adversary (a monster card as well) has five. The class and first level cards only come with one alternate version, as seen above. Also the base class cards are numbered 0-XII, with the additional classes ending at XV, briefly stopping for the monster cards, putting the Wild Oracle (technically a class card, but it is also a bonus card that got unlocked last during the kickstarter) at XXXIII and the bonus cards breaking the Roman numeral system entirely. If you'd like I can link you to the Oracle guidebook (and all the cards) for a better look at their definitions! Yes, this is a shameless plug for the Adventurer's deck 😛 16 minutes ago, TheLoracular said: Here is a really neat article on 5th Ed Monk that I think will give some of that insight you are looking for. "Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. " I did find that in the PHB! A friend suggested that I angle the card meaning to be more focused on the spiritual end of things, which was helpful. But also, looking at it now, I'm unsure how the monk is any different from a sorcerer, as the sorcerer's magic comes from within, as well, even if it is a hereditary skill. The only thing that seems to be different is a slightly mysterious air around it, and a more communal aspect. Another friend, who has played with a monk PC, said they were rather unbalanced in the game. So there could be an aspect of power to it? Of course, this might be me looking at this from a non-DND perspective. I have issues with DND lore, generally speaking, which could be affecting how I read this :^)
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