April 13, 2021: 4 of Wands and 0 The Fool

We are coming to the end of our exploration of the Decameron Tarot.  After this entry, we only have two cards left to address.  Let's get to it!

My Inner Focus card is the 4 of Wands.  The image on this card is of a strong looking castle sitting on a hill surrounded by green trees and bushes.  Around the hill are green meadows bisected by a curving stone wall.  One of the meadows is filled with red wildflowers.  Behind the castle is a beautiful blue sky with a few fluffy fair-weather clouds.  The key phrases for this card are: harmony, accord and peace, and purification.  

My Outer Focus card is 0 The Fool.  The image on this card shows a man on his back in what appears to be grass.  He is fully clothed and appears to be a bit shabby; both of his socks have huge holes in them, one at the toes and the other at the heel.  All of his clothes appear spotted with stains.  At his belt are a blade in its scabbard, a small pouch, and several large keys.  He is laying with one leg straight out and the other knee bent and drawn up, hinting at the traditional stance of The Emperor. He has one shoe off and in his hand, and is smiling as he tries to catch a pretty butterfly that is fluttering by, with his other hand cupped and ready to gently contain the butterfly.  His fly is open and his penis is visible.  Beside him is a young girl, laying on her belly and resting against the thigh of his bent knee.  She is pulling on the laces of his fly, opening his pants and looking at his penis.  The key phrase for this card is: lightheartedness, daydreams and freedom can carry heavy consequences.

So, the castle in the image of the 4 of Wands has appeared elsewhere in this deck, on the 7 of Swords (which shows a closeup of the doorway into the castle).  The 4 of Wands does not have any darkness to it, but the key phrases of the 7 of Swords, plans within the darkness of night, and hidden complicity, are a bit unsettling.  The 4 of Wands shows us that the overall picture is good, and it encourages us to pause and just enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.  This card is not saying that things are forever great and we do not ever need to protect ourselves; it just says that for the moment we can rest and recuperate, and thus be better prepared for whatever presents itself down the road.

The traditional meaning of The Fool is the possibility for new beginnings, and for leaving things behind that no longer serve us.  However, the Decameron Fool, like the Decameron Tower, presents a more subtle message through its seemingly simple and joyously silly image.  Our Fool seems to be enjoying a simple pleasure and having fun.  This is not a planned event, but rather a random opportunity to laugh and embrace our inner child.  We can see this because he does not have a butterfly net, but rather he is using one of his shoes to attempt to capture the butterfly.  On the surface this seems quite innocent.  However, this Fool obviously serves some valuable purpose.  He has a blade on his belt along with several large keys, which hints to us that he has important responsibilities.  Despite the interest of the girl by his side, his penis is limp because he is focusing on a different and more transient pleasure.  Finally, he could injure that delicate butterfly during his attempt to catch it, probably unintentionally.  We end up asking ourselves just what could he be ignoring as he is focused entirely on this butterfly and completely innocent intentions. 

April 12, 2021: 4 of Chalices and 6 of Swords

  

Today, my Inner Focus card is the 4 of Chalices.  The image on this card shows a man in a hallway peeking into a partially-opened door.  This hallway looks similar to that of the 3 of Swords, with dressed stone blocks and a heavy wooden door.  We have a narrow glimpse of the lit room inside and of what appears to be a bed.  The key phrases for this card are: an intruder, distrust, and poor self-esteem.

My Outer Focus card is the 6 of Swords.  The image on this card shows several people in a brightly lit room.  There is a man sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, dressed in red with a napkin used as a bib at his throat and an empty container laying next to him on the floor.  He is laughing heartily, his hand on his belly.  A man in the foreground is only visible from the shoulders up; he is wearing some kind of costume and his mouth is open as if he was shouting.  There are two other people in the image, both of whom we have seen before.  There is the person in the dog or wolf costume, seen from the back, and there is a woman in a colorful harlequin-type costume and a belt, also seen from the back.  Both of them appear to be moving toward an open doorway at the back of the image.  The key phrase for this card is: the enemy suddenly becomes harmless.

The 4's of the Tarot Minor Arcana bring stability, but stability is not always a good thing.  The suit of Chalices represents Water, and if Water is left standing for too long it begins to stagnate.  Perhaps for the Decameron 4 of Chalices, the stagnation has at its root the poor self-esteem mentioned in the key phrases for the card.  Thinking that we are not good enough could very well cause us to take actions that are harmful.  We don't believe that others value our opinions, we push our own unnecessary defenses onto a situation, or we check up on what is going on, even if that checking up ends up as spying.  We are only trying to keep safe, we tell ourselves, justifying what we are doing when in reality things might not be as dire as we believe, and our actions could hurt ourself or others.  

The 6 of Swords of the Decameron Tarot presents a really great version of the traditional meaning of this card: healing and moving on.  This is kind of like the suggestion for getting over the fear of public speaking that involves visualizing the audience in their underwear.  The silliness of the costumes in the image of this card renders any fierceness of the people in the image as pretty much non-existent.  There is the healing we need!  Laughter.

We have seen two of the figures in the image on the 6 of Swords already.  The 9 of Pentacles shows a woman in a mask and hat, laying naked on a bed on top of her multi-colored harlequin-like clothing; the key phrases for that card are: a pleasant surprise and long-lasting situation.  The dog or wolf costume is seen in the 2 of Wands card (key phrases: first experience, shyness, and reserve), and we will see that dog mask again when we look at the 2 of Swords (key phrases: the animal within us showing itself, and everything will balance out).  Both cards could very well be connected to the 6 of Swords and the mental and intellectual healing offered by its transformative powers.  After all, we may be hesitant when experiencing something new but once we get past that newness, all is well.  Allowing our wild side to show itself can sometimes be a relief, thus restoring balance.  

April 11, 2021: XVIII The Moon and 3 of Swords.

 

Interesting cards for today, considering. 'Nuff said.

My Inner Focus card is XVIII The Moon.  The image on this card shows a woman who appears to be putting on or taking off her clothes, standing next to an open window.  Through the window we see a naked man from the chest up who appears to be hanging onto the window sill, with a startled look on his face.  Behind him and blowing in the wind is a shirt.  There is a bench below the window inside the room, and the woman is slightly bent over with one knee resting on that bench, grasping the clothes that are piled there.  She is wearing something on her head and there is what appears to be her blouse looped around her shoulders, but her arms are outside and below the blouse.  The woman's wide-eyed gaze is facing into the room and out of our view, and she appears panicked.  Her other hand is turned toward the window, with her palm facing the man, as if gesturing for him to get away.  The key phrases for this card are: the unexpected can ruin plans but perhaps the undertaking was flawed, and there is a risk of things being blown out of proportion.

Ugh, the dreaded 3 of Swords!  The Decameron 3 of Swords image shows a man with a toothy grin leaning against a stout wooden door in a stone block masonry wall, peeking through the keyhole in the door.  The key phrases for this card are: jealousy, the fight for possession, and morbidity.

There is one commonality between these two cards: perception.  The image on The Moon of the Decameron deck seems to show a woman who was caught in the act of some tryst, trying to shove the man out the window so they won't be caught.  She is obviously worried about how she will be perceived if she is caught; we can tell by the wide-eyed look of horror on her face.  The man appears stunned, as if he was wondering how he went from having a woman in his arms to hanging naked outside a window with his clothes floating in the wind.  We can very easily imagine that the man in the image of the 3 of Swords just pounded on that heavy door, and is peeking through the keyhole to see what is going on inside the room.  

Illusion and visualization are related concepts, and there is a danger inherent in them both if we take them alone, without knowing other factors within a situation.  We can panic in anticipation of something bad and have our actions make things worse.  We can make a judgment only based on what we see through the keyhole, without taking into consideration background and periphery facts.  Today I need to remember that I should not panic or judge without knowing the other side of things, and I should be wary of allowing those effects to influence me if they come from outside of me.  

April 9, 2021: XXI The World and the Knave of Chalices

My Inner Focus card for today is XXI The World.  The image on this card shows a mature man and woman kneeling on a sturdy desk having sex.  They are both naked from the waist down; he is sitting back on his heels with his knees together and she is in front of him, leaning forward just a bit with her knees outside of his.  The man has one arm around the woman's waist, holding her back against him, and the other hand is around her shoulder and grasping her breast.  The woman has one hand reaching back, firmly grasping the man's hip; the other arm is relaxed on her thigh and that hand is holding a mirror.  They are both in a dark room, lit by one lamp hanging from the ceiling.  Behind them is another desk that is covered by books and papers.  Above and in front of them and hanging from the ceiling is what appears to be a gyroscope.  The key phrases for this card are: spirit and body unite and intelligence and knowledge assert themselves, and don't look afar for what is right in front of you.

My Outer Focus card is the Knave of Chalices.  The image on this card shows a man wearing nothing but shoes and a hat, sitting on a chair with a naked woman spread across his lap on her belly, with a sheet between them protecting his legs.  Her knees are bent, the hand nearest to his torso appears to be in his groin (however the sheet prevents us from knowing this for sure) and her other arm is bracing herself.  Her head is turned toward us, her eyes are open and her lips are parted.  The look on her face is uncertain.  He has a smile on his face and his gaze is on her buttocks.  One hand is hovering right above her buttocks, which appear somewhat rosy as if he had been spanking her.  His other hand is holding a golden Chalice above his head and he is pouring what appears to be red wine onto the middle of her back.  Behind them is a table on which we see another golden Chalice.  Above the table is a single lamp lighting the dark room.  The key phrases for this card are: while both set out to enjoy pleasure with no holds barred and the woman is trusting, the man wastes energy.  

The meaning of XXI The World is pretty obvious.  Knowledge for knowledge's sake alone can be a waste of time and effort.  Knowledge that is a tool for obtaining fulfillment is way more valuable.  Connections are important as well, and all of these things can bring balance and happiness.  We don't need to examine how we appear to the world because we are comfortable with who we are, both the inner Self and the outer Self.

In the Decameron Tarot, the rank of Page is called Knave.  I see the Knave as being similar to the Jack of the playing card deck, representing a young Prince that has some authority for which he is not yet mature enough to wield.  He is a student who is still learning how to use his rank and authority not just for the good of himself, but for the good of all.  Part of that learning process sometimes includes being a selfish brat who misuses his power for his own pleasure.  Our Knave of Chalices seems to embody this last concept.  He has a woman who is open to having fun, but he is so caught up in his own process that he is not seeing that she is uneasy.  Trust is important, particularly in relationships that include some kind of emotional connection, and perhaps our Knave will learn a painful lesson.

Today I need to learn from the Knave and not lose sight of the pleasure that others have a right to experience. I should facilitate a balanced presentation rather than only focusing on my own needs.  I am at a place in life where I can relax and let others take the lead when those others are people that I trust.  

April 8, 2021: X The Wheel and XI Strength

So not only two Major Arcana cards today, but two consecutive Major Arcana cards.

My Inner Focus card is X The Wheel.  The image on this card shows four people viewed from the top, two naked women and two clothed men.  One naked woman and one clothed man with his pants down around his knees are pleasuring each other orally in a 69 position in the center of the image; beneath them is an image of a wheel.  A naked woman stands at the bottom of the image, behind the man in the center, watching the pair.  A clothed man who has one hand in his own groin and the other hand holding a rod or pole of some kind is standing at the top of the image, behind the woman in the center.  The key phrases for this card are: bad luck is compensated by solidarity and mutual help, and selfishness does not pay off.

My Outer Focus card is XI Strength.  The image on this card shows a dark haired man with a beard in a mail shirt wearing a sword in a scabbard, naked from the waist down and standing with one leg braced on something outside of the image.  We can see the man's hair and beard but nothing else because his head is turned away from the viewer.  He is having sex with a naked woman, with one hand on her thigh and the other around her shoulder with that hand caressing her neck.  The woman has one arm around his shoulders and her legs are wrapped around his waist.  She has her hand on the hilt of his sword and has pulled it part way out of the scabbard; her gaze is on that sword.  Behind them both is darkness; we can just make out a curtain held up by a curtain rod.  The key phrases for this card are: affection and strong feelings can fight brute force, and reconcile relationships.    

There are interesting dynamics in the image on The Wheel.  The man and the woman in the center of the image are focused on each other and what is happening between them.  The naked woman at the bottom of the image appears to be just watching.  She is standing away from the Wheel that is on the ground and does not appear to be reacting to what is happening.  The male bystander at the top of the image, however, is standing partially in the Wheel and he appears to be pleasuring himself through his clothes.  He looks like he would like to be a part of what is happening before him.  The Wheel usually tells of the unpredictability of luck and Fate, but the Decameron Wheel seems to be saying a bit more, perhaps letting us know that standing together with like-minded people can attract luck tilt Fate in a good direction, while selfishly grabbing what we want without considering others could repel luck tilt Fate in a less positive way.

The number 11 is seen by many as a strong number with spiritual connections.  If the number 1 is interpreted as representing leadership, the number 11 doubles that leadership power.  The term "master number" applies to any double-digit number that comes from a single root number, and offers those spiritual connections I just mentioned.  Perhaps in this case, the number 11 is reminding us that the Strength of this Major Arcana card is not necessarily connected to physical strength.  The warrior who is having sex with the naked woman is not the focus of the image, despite his armor and his very large double-edged sword, and his physical strength (after all, he is having sex with a woman while standing up).  In this image it is the woman who has the mental focus to understand the power of that sword and its phallic symbolism, and it is the woman who has control of the sword, not the warrior.

Today I am being told that teamwork could create a better day, and it is not physical strength that will create the energy I'm looking for.  

April 4, 2021: Knave of Wands and 9 of Pentacles

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

My Inner Focus card for today is the Knave of Wands.  The image on this card shows a man in nice clothes and a few pieces of military armor, holding a large rough club in one hand, with his other hand resting on his sword hilt.  Before him kneels a woman whose dress is around her waist; she is wearing nothing else but her shoes.  We see her from the back, as her face is in the man's groin and one hand is holding his pants open.  He is looking down at her with a smile on his face.  Directly behind him is a stool; there is a window over his shoulder, showing that it is daylight, but the room is in shadows. The key phrase for this card is: sexual harmony, even though one person has more power.

My Outer Focus card is the 9 of Pentacles.  The image on this card shows a naked woman laying on a made bed with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.  Her arms are behind her head and her knees and lower legs are dangling off the mattress.  Spread beneath her are what appear to be her multi-colored garments (in the harlequin style), and a belt.  She is wearing a hat that covers most of her hair, and a mask over her eyes and nose.  She appears relaxed and pleased with herself.  The key phrase associated with this card is: a pleasant surprise and a long-lasting situation.

We have talked about the Knaves in the past, but let's revisit.  In the Decameron Tarot, the Knave holds the rank usually named Page, which represents a novice or a child, or a person with a child-like perception of the world.  The word "knave" has been used at times to represent a scoundrel, a rogue, or an unreliable or dishonest person, and perhaps to a small extent, the Decameron Knaves may fit those traits.  In playing cards, the Knave usually is represented by the Jack, usually seen as a young Prince.  To me the Knaves of the Decameron Tarot do not represent children, but rather are more in keeping with the Jack of playing cards.  Thus, I will see each of the Knaves of this deck as representing a Prince, someone with authority for which he might not be mature enough, someone who is still a student even though he has some rank and standing.  

Our Knave of Wands might enjoy using his authority to create and control situations that are a bit extreme, perhaps even flaunting his ability to please himself by using others.  He has a satisfied look on his face and even though it does not appear he is forcing the woman to pleasure him, we get the sense that this is his idea.  The woman on the 9 of Pentacles exudes a different kind of satisfaction than the Knave of Wands.   Our Knave seems to feel that telling a woman to go down on him is something he is due because of his rank.  The woman laying on the bed seems to have achieved something via her own efforts.  

While the Knave looks like he has the power, the woman pleasuring him gets something too, even if all she achieves is that the Knave leaves her alone for a while.  Perhaps she, too, will lay back on her bed once the Knave is gone, with a self-satisfied smile on her face.  

April 1, 2021: April card 7 of Wands and Energy of the Year 9 of Wands

Interesting, both of my cards for April are Wands cards

The 9 of Wands is my Energy of the Year card.  The image on this card shows a naked man and a naked woman on a rumpled bed in the shadows, viewed from the front.  The woman is on her hands and knees, and the man is behind her.  They both appear to be in the throes of pleasure, with eyes closed and mouths open as they both cry out.  He has one hand on her shoulder, holding her in place, and the other hand is caressing her breast.  She has her head turned toward him as he penetrates her from behind, with one of her hands on her pubis, pleasuring herself.  The key phrases for this card are: good stimulation but watch your back, and defense and vigilance are important.

My April card is the 7 of Wands.  The image on this card is of a woman laying on a bed with a dark background, with a man leaning over her.  We only see their heads, shoulders and arms.  The woman has her head on a pillow, with her nightgown untied and pulled open so we can see her breasts.  The man is leaning over her with one hand over her mouth and the other index finger near his lips, as if he is telling her to "ssshhhh."  Her eyes are wide and her arms spread, one with palm open and fingers spread and the other in a fist, as if she has been startled awake.  The key phrases for this card are: surprise and daring, and a part of the undertaking is complete.  

In January, I saw the 9 of Wands as predicting good events, but also warning me to pay attention lest I trip and fall.  In February, the emphasis was on the element of Fire and the sharing of power, and March the focus was on the woman in the card image and her ability to control the situation.  Now, I am reminding myself that the suit of Wands represents Fire, strong passions, and extreme experiences.  This month I am seeing a warning of some sort, but I am also seeing some encouragement that while I may need to be alert, I can still please myself.  And I do have someone protecting my back.

Yes, the image on the 7 of Wands is not comfortable.  My first thought is that she was in trouble, but then I wondered if maybe his intention was to bring her away from a bad situation, not cause one.  It could be that he wants her to be quiet so they can both sneak away.  Once again, there is someone to help.  

The number 9 in the Tarot Minor Arcana tells of completeness.  Not completion or winding up and ending, but the fullness of manifestation.  The 7 cards tell of a pause to determine if the situation has matured sufficiently, or if more time is needed (while keeping in mind that waiting too long could cause us to miss out).  Again it seems that I am being told to be alert, to not be startled by whatever happens, and perhaps to not judge a situation by how it appears initially.   I will deal with it.  Perhaps if I am quiet and if I don't cry out when I am startled, I will be able to control things so in the end, I will be pleased.  I will take care, though.  Just in case.