First of all my thanks for some incredible inspiration from Corinne Bowen this week, as she led a Sigils workshop based upon some time she spent with the artists from Hilma's Ghost. I’ve owned this deck for about a year now (thanks for the birthday gift Dad), and though every image is absolutely beautiful, reminiscent of Hilma af Klint, who I studied with a lovely group of artistic women last year, I just didn’t get it. The deck I felt, was more art than a tool I could really utilize in my work reading tarot. The colors, the shapes, the designs, so incredible, I would happily hang any reproduction of a card on my wall, but I couldn’t get a feel for how to pull interpretations from the images. Until this week.
Sigils
The word “sigil” comes from the Latin, “sigillum” which means “seal.” So the idea behind a sigil is that it is a magical symbol which can represent a deity or god, but can also represent an intention, that which needs to be amplified or diminished, activated or put to rest Additionally a sigil is a representation of something which cannot be grasped at surface value, but requires a tapping in to the intuition, the subconscious, to embody its meaning. A sigil is not meant to be parsed.
I show this chart of the 72 Seals of the Lesser Key of Solomon so you can see a more traditional depiction of sigils. These are what we generally see when we look up the word sigil, and I won’t get into a big explanation here, but look it up, it’s worth a study. I know I’m going in deep.
So though Hilma’s Ghosts Abstract Futures deck is quite different and obviously more colorful and based on the 78 traditional tarot cards, the idea of abstraction and subconscious connectivity is what ties them together. Reading from the Abstract Futures deck is really different from reading Rider Waite Smith. But the meanings are seemingly, maybe certainly aligned.
The Seven of Wands is about struggle and perseverance, about standing one’s ground with inner spirit. Its element is fire, and this can be seen in the active stance of our figure, and the determined, almost angry look on his face. Our guy has the power to overcome any obstacles which come his way. So it is a card of struggle, but also a card of strength.
Abstract Futures Seven of Wands
Back to Hilma’s Ghost. All the wands in the deck have red backgrounds, so that active fiery spirit is the first feeling we get from the card. Then I just relaxed into it, instead of trying to pick meaning from each little element in the card. What came to me was protection and confidence, and the more I stared at the card I felt it could even be a person, whose strong core in the middle prepares them for conflicts and obstacles with grace.
What makes me most pleased about my little sigil breakthrough, is that it has enabled me to pick the Abstract Futures deck back up, to perhaps even use it in reading, first for myself of course. It also reminds me why I named this blog “Explorations on the Tarot Journey.” That’s what this is. I’m not an expert. I’m a student and lifelong learner. That’s the sweet spot for me. The epiphanies and aha moments. Thanks for letting me share my excitement right here.
xo Hanna
Article about 8’s
My friend, teacher, and colleague, Lynn Roulo recently interviewed me for an article she wrote about women who are enneagram 8’s. Take a read below:
The Challenges of Being a Type 8 Woman
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