Verse, Void, and Virtue
This deck was born from Poetry.
In the summer of 2016, I was struggling with my health and feeling my own mortality in a way I never had before. Those feelings were hard to process, so I turned to writing. Writing is something I did a lot of as a child, but ‘writer’ is one of the many facets of myself I momentarily lost while ‘growing up.’ It felt nice to find her again.
The verse that started it all is this:
“I paint galaxies
to calm my weary mind.
I imagine floating
breathless
feeling weightless
embraced by blankets of light
colors I’ve never seen before
cold and warm at the same time
then darkness,
silence,
nothing.”
By the time I completed the deck I realized that this verse was the void from which the deck was born. It was this feeling of longing and helplessness that drove me to create it in the first place. So in the spirit of hope and gratitude, I added this line to the end:
“But
great things
are born
from nothing.
Everything begins
and ends
with the void.”
So, the Void was born.
I then decided that each of the major arcana deserved their own verse to complete and communicate my whole vision. They followed suit by being born from pain and anchored in hope. That hope is not really for me, but for you. I don't want to share my pain, I just want it to be a lesson.
“The Fool
Only a fool would try to fly
before their wings have time to grow
and venture forth in blindness
from the comfort of above for the inevitable chaos of below.
But if you don’t take the leap, you’ll never know.
”
“The Magician
The fall created a bridge between worlds
and illuminated the infinite connection
between body, mind, heart, and soul.
Thus the universal truth of
as above, so below.
A true magus needs only
the courage to speak their desire
and the will to make it so.
”
“The High Priestess
The guardian of the divine feminine
waits patiently
between the twin pillars of duality
for one who is worthy
to peak beyond the veil
and unlock the sacred knowledge
they’ve waited lifetimes to share.
”
“The Empress
The Empress descends
to gently dip their feet
into the stream of consciousness
forming a connection
that sends ripples throughout the universe.
The cypress trees
who once laid down their branches for Venus
grow tall and lush once again
for the one who holds Earth
and the power of creation in their hands.
”
“The Emperor
A stoic sentinel
stands upon the precipice
of a jagged valley carved by gentle waters.
to gaze down upon their dominion.
The crown of Mars weighs heavy
on one who would wage war to protect sacred life.
They hold the world in their hand
and tighten their grip.
”
“The Hierophant
On the other side of the twin pillars
the guardian of the divine masculine
reaches out from the light
to offer a hand to the lost.
They hold the key
to the collective wisdom of humanity
and share it freely.
”
“The Lovers
One travels the path of lightning,
the other, the path of the serpent.
Despite the inevitable
collision of their meeting,
they reach out for one another.
Finally,
two who were once solitary
find completion and
harmony in their duality.
Their decision to become one
unifies the world
and they find truth
in each other,
and a new path
together.
”
“The Chariot
With the fickle winds of victory beneath their wings
the charioteer throws open a curtain of stars
and bursts forth to soar across the galaxy.
With blind faith and sheer will
they command the guardians of light and dark
who tentatively heed their command
as they travel with divine purpose
even deeper into the unknown.
”
“Strength
True strength
is the courage to gaze into the feral eyes of a beast
and meet their fear
with compassion,
their violence
with patience,
and create a connection
with infinite love—
even when the eyes we gaze into
are our own.
”
“The Hermit
Sometimes
we need
some distance
to reflect
on icy mountains
and dazzling auroras,
to cradle ourselves
in the egg of the cosmos
until we can be reborn
in the light of wisdom.
”
“The Wheel of Fortune
From beyond the light
a vision appears
of the living mechanism
whose perpetual motion brings about the turns of fate.
Its prophecy reveals moments of triumph
that usher us towards destruction
and back again,
the chaos within the cosmos,
and the intricate connection of all things.
It calls upon us to accept our destiny
and take the wheel.
”
“Justice
The double-edged blade of truth rests,
sheathed within the throat of Justice.
They perform a balancing act,
a display of faith and focus,
a protest for fairness,
with awareness
of the potential price of their valiance.
With one hand on mercy
and the other on severity
they bridge the gap with mildness
and cannot be moved.
”
“The Hanged One
Pause,
it’s necessary.
Feel,
it’s temporary.
Time suspended
for a sacrifice.
An inversion
of perception.
Calm waters
reflect the truth.
Ripples
dispel illusions
and teach the art of letting go.
”
“Death
The cosmic hourglass exists
at once full of promise
and devoid of mercy.
Like the wheel,
it is turned ceaselessly
by the hands of fate.
Inevitable endings
plant the seeds for beautiful beginnings.
We were born to transform,
decompose down to bare bones
then start again.
Time is an illusion,
and so are we.
”
“Temperance
Imagine,
fire and water meeting
without destroying each other,
but instead harmonizing
to become something powerful and new.
Imagine,
the same convergence happening
to reconcile the wild elements inside of you.
Imagine,
the serenity
of feeling everything in balance,
removing your shackles
to the material
and being the light
that exists peacefully within darkness.
Imagine,
that golden crown you’ve always reached for
being placed gently on your head
by your highest self.
”
“The Devil
In this shadow theater of fools
the Devil whispers sweet lies
with every string that they tie,
then makes you play the part of
Pied Piper in a tale of your own demise.
Your demons know
the selfish desires you hide
and tell you they’re just sublime.
The indulgence feels so good,
you believe them every time.
But can you also feel
the burning sting of salty tears
on the freshly cut slit in your tongue?
Live deliciously
with a new craving you can never satisfy
for the taste of blood.
”
“The Tower
You can say you never saw this coming,
but the storm clouds towered over you from the start.
No matter how well you built the foundation,
in due time everything falls apart.
You pray for divine intervention
from the deities you turned your back on.
They’re still out there in the heavens
unphased by your destruction.
Even in the midst of your annihilation
the universe still remains
Hold onto this revelation
and start again.
”
“The Star
The birth of a star is often violent,
its life marked by brilliance,
its end barely noticed,
but there’s still hope in its existence.
The charioteer who once dashed across the starry sky
with haste and hubris
was thrown from their carriage,
and when they got back up again
had a sudden longing for stillness.
Feel the ground reach up to meet you.
Meditate on the serenity that exists between the light and dark aspects of you.
Close your eyes to see the stars realign within you.
Then, with renewed faith in your power
ride again.
”
“The Moon
Lulled by sweet serenity
the sound of gentle waves
calls you to rest,
but don’t be fooled
it’s yet another test.
In your slumber
you find yourself
on a moonlit shore
by the primordial waters
where illusions and nightmares are born.
The path to morning
is long and winding,
each misstep a promise
of being lost forever
in endless depths.
When your untamed spirit
comes out to play
your intuition can keep you safe
if you listen very closely
and let it lead the way.
”
“The Sun
They say the Sun is also a star,
but to those on Earth it is so much more.
Its light and warmth
are close enough to reach out and feel.
It is the monarch of the morning,
and the herald of a new day.
It ignites a once empty horizon,
and calls you to wake up
so you too can rise
and set the world on fire.
”
“Judgement
The call of Gabriel’s horn
radiates seven sounds of sorrow,
the notes flow into a rapturous crescendo
that wakes the dead.
Once wayward souls emerge from their sullen graves
who in life,
through strife and suffering,
saw the truth behind the veil,
now rise gladly towards their final judgement
ready to be born again.
”
“The Universe
You’ve come so far
to see yourself
as you were meant to be
and take your place
at the center of the cosmos,
but it is a Fool’s errand
to seek the ending
to an endless sea.
You are infinite
like the universe that surrounds you,
full of stars and swirling galaxies,
constantly expanding and exploding,
only to begin again.
”
“The Prism
The cosmic prism
absorbs infinite light
through 22 facets
that bend it
into the colors
that paint the galaxy
and reveal the truth
in all things.
”
“The Void
I paint galaxies
to calm my weary mind.
I imagine floating
breathless
feeling weightless
embraced by blankets of light
colors I’ve never seen before
cold and warm at the same time
then darkness,
silence,
nothing.
But
great things
are born
from nothing.
Everything begins
and ends
with the void.
”
All of these verses will be included in the guidebook that comes with the deck.
This is definitely not the end of my writing. I find a lot of inspiration in the Tarot and I’m going to keep exploring it through verse. Sometimes its the only way I feel I can really communicate my feelings.
