on Tarot Knights

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “A charming, energetic but somewhat feckless man (or boyish woman).  A man or woman of immense charisma, but who lacks commitment.   Emigration, making a major domestic or job move.”

darker or more hidden meaning: “Someone who loves them and leaves them.  A charming manipulator, particularly of the emotions of the opposite sex.”

“She walks in beauty, like the night

   Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that’s best of dark and bright

   Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellowed to that tender light

   Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”- from Lord Byron’s, She Walks in Beauty

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:  “A creative, sensitive person.  An ‘arty’ type who can be quite impractical.  A great lover who tends to idealize the object of his (or her) affections.  An enthusiastic advocate for all creative and artistic endeavors.”

darker or more hidden meaning:  “A creative person whose energy is sometimes wasted in conflict and fighting.  A tendency to rush into things based on emotion rather than rationale.”

 –  Gabriel Rossetti’s, Beata Beatrix.  Painting of the character of Beatrice from Dante’s Inferno, with the memories of his deceased wife, Elisabeth Siddal, serving as the model.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “A fighter, who can be a great friend but an implacable enemy. An impetuous person who tends to leap right into things.  A leader with great energy and intelligence.”

darker or more shadow meaning: “A person who has to get his own way.  A person who abuses others.  Using intelligence to dominate and take control.”

“When you see a river, you must follow it to its source, no matter the perils, no matter those comrades that fall along the way. You must know how things work. You must unlock.” – Sir Malcom from Penny Dreadful

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Following a routine dutifully.  Reliable and trustworthy, but lacking in imagination.”

darker or more hidden meaning: “Obsessive compulsive disorder.  Feeling stuck, unable to move on.   Never losing your head, always being predictable and rather dull.”

 “Whatever happened to Lestat I do not know. I go on, night after night. I feed on those who cross my path. But all my passion went with her golden hair. I’m a spirit of preternatural flesh. Detached. Unchangeable. Empty.”- Louis from Anne Rice’s, Interview With the Vampire

Tarot Pages

From the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “energy and enthusiasm.  Innovations, experiments.  Messages, letters, news.”

darker or more hidden meanings: ” Hidden passions, especially in a young person.  Energies put into negative activities. Nature in a form that is uncontrollable and frightening.”

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Naive, but full of passion and goodwill.  A young idealist, particularly when it comes to the arts- and to matters of love.”

darker or more hidden meanings: “Enthusiasm cut short.  Over-emotional young person, maybe a little hysterical.  A reluctance to grow up and leave childhood dreams behind.”

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Alert and on guard. Loyalty to a person or cause.  Defending something that’s important to you.”

darker or more hidden meaning: “not being guarded enough; there’s danger about. Acting alone, not asking for help.  Paranoia, seeing enemies all around.”

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Study, particularly of practical skills.  A time to learn more about basic, everyday matters such as money and running a household.  Someone a little old and serious for their age.”

Darker or more hidden meanings: “Getting too obsessed with practicalities, taking no time out to dream.  Getting drawn into repetitive, compulsive behavior.  A young person who tends to hoard and save.”

“A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King,
But God be with the Clown —
Who ponders this tremendous scene —
This whole Experiment of Green —
As if it were his own!“- by Emily Dickinson

Penny Dreadful: Ode to Sembene

Sembene: You are required.

Victor Frankenstein: Let me fetch my bag.

Sembene: You will not need it.

Victor Frankenstein: What will I need?

Sembene: Courage.

Sembene: “I have been much feared and hated in my life. By my people, by yours. These marks, mean I was a slave trader. It is my sin to live with, but in this house I have found kindness among the unkind. So have you. ”

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Hanged Man: Illumination, spiritual enlightenment.  Self-sacrifice- for altruistic reasons.  Trying to see things from a new perspective- though it is hard.  Letting go of ego.”

Ethan: Do you believe in God?
Sembene: I believe in everything.

Tarot Tens

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:  “Mourning and grief.  Sorrow and regret.  A psychological breakdown.  Feeling desolated.  Hitting an extreme low- but from here, things should get better.  Darker meaning: Anxieties about death. Coming to terms with a tragic event.”

Eva Green as Vanessa Ives in Penny Dreadful, Closer than Sisters

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Weighed down by too much work.  Being burdened by too many responsibilities.   Darker Meaning: Trying to do far more than you should.  Feeling burdened by your sins and misdemeanors.”

Sembene from Penny Dreadful

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Being thankful and happy about the simple pleasures in life.  Enjoying your family and domestic life.   Darker meaning: A dysfunctional family.  A claustrophobic, oppressive aspect to your family life.  A child (or inner child) that is not being well cared for, this could be physical or psychological.”

Vanessa, Mina, and Peter as children with Sir Malcolm in Penny Dreadful

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Prosperity. Feeling content on the whole, but there’s a hint of a feeling that you’ve missed out on some of the magic in life.  Choosing material comfort over more spiritual or mystical pursuits.  Darker meaning: Willing to steep low for some material gain.”

Dorian Gray from Penny Dreadful

 

Tarot Nines

Being caught up in a nightmare.  Emotional and mental problems.  Internal issues rather than external.  Projecting one’s fears onto the world.  Self-fulfilled prophecies.

Strong work ethic.  Stalwartness.  Refusal to give up one’s duties and responsibilities.   Commitment

Pleasures and indulgement.   Basking in simple luxuries.  Dashes of selfishness.

Refinement.  Maturity.  Age.  Material wealth.  Comfort with self.

– Vincent Price

*all Tarot images from The Bohemian Gothic Tarot

Tarot Eights

Being trapped in one’s mind.  Self-imposed isolation.  Unable to see what is in front of you.  Fear of the unknown. Unwillingness to face a situation or yourself.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:  “Feeling trapped in a situation.   Being a willing victim- unwisely.”

“I  lock my door upon myself And bar them out; but who shall wall  Self from myself, most loathed of all?” – Christina Rossetti

Eight of Pentacles: apprenticeship, labor, concentration, diligence, determination to make something work, learning, gaining experience

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Practice makes perfect.  Detailed excellent work.  A willingness to stick to something in order gradually to perfect it.”

“Life is not easy for any of us.  But what of that?  We must have perserverance and above all confidence in ourselves.  We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”- Marie Curie

Eight of Cups:  turning away from one’s past.  Escaping into solitude.  Sadness.  Regrets.  Elegiacal.   Unsatisfaction with one’s acheivements.  Beginnings of a spiritual journey.  Awakenings

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:  “Taking the next necessary step in life.  Moving on.  You need to do it, but it’s a sad moment.”

Caspar David Friedrich: Frau in der Morgensonne G45

Eight of Wands:

Swift changes.  Action.   Removal of obstacles.  Moving forward.   Fiery energy.   Seeing things happen at a quicker pace

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:  “Everything happening at once- threats and opportunities.  Events moving swiftly toward a conclusion.”

  Edvard Munch’s The Scream

Tarot Sevens

Dreams, hopes, wishes, mania,  daring to bring castles in the air down to earth, the need to be able to decipher good choices from bad, being kissed by moonlight, debauchery,  emotional drunkiness, Venus in Scorpio

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Daydreams- both realistic and fantastical, delusions, choices, hopes, ambitions: some plausible, others not. dangerous delusions, lunacy”

Seven of Pentacles: questioning our material needs. What is necessary to reach our goals?  What must we strip away?  Taking a rest from our work to reevaluate.  Are we happy with the fruits of our labor?  Was the toil worth it?

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Reviewing what you’ve achieved.  A time to contemplate and to consider.  Making plans at other people’s expense.”

Seven of Swords:

The perceptive qualities of the rational-minded number seven meet the airy aspect of Swords.  The pursuit of knowledge.  A need and desire to work on one’s own.  Eccentricity.  Stubborness and willfullness.  Evasiveness.  Keeping secrets.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “A small piece of dishonesty or deception.  Mixing with things you don’t fully understand.”

Seven of Wands:      Fiery challenges and fights.  Destroying obstacles.  Strength in the face of adversity.  Staying true to one’s self.  The ego.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: ” A battle that you know you can win.  A fight against the odds.  Getting a buzz out of winning through a difficult situation.”

“Riches I hold in light esteem
And Love I laugh to scorn
And lust of Fame was but a dream
That vanished with the morn–
And if I pray, the only prayer
That moves my lips for me
Is–’Leave the heart that now I bear
And give me liberty.’

Yes, as my swift days near their goal
‘Tis all that I implore
Through life and death, a chainless soul
With courage to endure!”- Emily Bronte

Tarot Sixes

Six of Cups

Nostalgia.  Fond memories of childhood.  Connecting the past to the present.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:  “Innocence.  Happy memories, especially of childhood.   Indulging in simple, childlike pleasures.  Losing yourself in nostalgia and regrets.  Hiding some ulterior motive under an apparently sweet and naive act.”

Simone Simon and Amy Reed in Curse of the Cat People

Six of Swords:  Remaining serene through troubled waters.  Changes and travel.  Nightmares of the dream and physical realm.   Not being able to escape your problems.  Trying to run away.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Getting through a hard time calmly and quietly.  Making a profound change in your life, one that will take some time.  Feeling ‘dead’ to the world.  A period of mourning for a loss.”

Scene from Let’s Scare Jessica to Death

Pride in achievements.  Self-confidence.  Valor and bravery through tasks.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “A hard-won and worthy victory.  Taking a moment to bask in the glory.  A sense of personal achievement.  A victory won at the expense of others.  Letting a triumph go to your head, becoming dictatorial and over-confident.”

Willemijn Verkaik as Elphaba in Wicked: Die Hexen von Oz

Six of Pentacles:  Charity.  Helping others in need.  Receiving aid. Financial difficulties.  Monetary and material loss. Making a bargain you may not want to keep.  Making a dangerous pact. 

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:  “Charity.  Helping someone in a practical way.  Generosity.  ‘Charity’ with strings attached.  Getting control over someone with your financial support.  A caring act that is in fact hypocritical and self serving.”

Scene from Fritz Lang’s Der Müde Tod

Tarot Fives

Five of Swords:

Looking out for yourself at perhaps a cost.  Going all out for the win.  Fights.  Conflicts.  Disgrace after winning, or having thought you got the upperhand.  Fooling yourself.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Feeling victorious at the expense of another.  A defeat.  An unlikely struggle, the outcome might surprise you.  The thrill of something wild and dangerous.  A victim of abuse or violence who ‘bites’ back.”

“Nice speech, Eve. But I wouldn’t worry too much about your heart. You can always put that award where your heart ought to be.” Bette Davis as Margo Channing in All About Eve

Five of Cups:

Contemplation.  Mourning.  Regrets.  Living in the past.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Seeing only what is lost, not what’s left intact. Wallowing in melancholy.  Becoming morbidly inward-looking and withdrawn.”

from the film, Portrait of Jenny

Five of Wands:

Facing one’s ghosts.  Having to make a difficult decision.  Taking things too seriously.  Forgetting how to have fun.  Concentrating on the wrong things. Coldness.  Unwilling, or unable to grow emotionally.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Hassles.  Petty annoyances.  Getting drawn into pointless battles.  Battling against inner demons.”

Lugosi and Karloff in The Black Cat

Five of Pentacles:

Needing to ask for help.  Loss of faith.  Financial difficulties.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “Falling on hard times.  Failing to ask for practical help even though it’s available.  Your arrogance and pride prevent you from asking for help.  Getting your priorities wrong at a difficult time.  Focusing on revenge instead of a solution.”

Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith

Tarot Fours

Four of Swords:

Repose.  Resting after an emotional ordeal.  Regaining one’s emotional and physical strength.  Healing inner wounds.  Hiding.  Retreating from the world.  Wisdom (as seen by the card’s raven) gained from time spent alone in contemplation.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot: “A period of rest and recovery.  A well deserved holiday from work.  Allowing yourself to step back and stop worrying for awhile.  Finding it difficult to step away from an argument and forgetting about it.  A period of illness that takes you out of everyday life for awhile.”

Four of Cups:

The good cry.  Melancholia.  Elegiac.  Poetic feelings.   Unrequieted or lost love.  The blues.  Languidness.

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:

“Feeling disenchanted and bored with everything.  Losing touch with life.  Listlessness and lack of energy.  Refusing opportunities, avoiding social events.  Being stuck in some endless, horrible cycle.  Losing your love of life.”

Four of Wands:

friendship.  parties.  socials. having fun.  getting dressed up.  joyousness.  frivilousness

from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:

“Getting away from a boring routine.  Leaving a secure but dull lifestyle for something that’s more fun.  A celebration or festival.  Escape from a threatening or oppressive situation.  An ability to rise above the gloom and doom around you.”

Four of Pentacles:

A materialistic person. Riches.  Being too focused on personal belongings. 

From the Bohemian Gothic Tarot:

“Worrying too much about your material possessions.  Saving and investing.  Being miserly.  Accumulating wealth at the expense of others.  Neurotic meaness.