When my notoriously commitment-shy brother attended a Catholic wedding, he was horrified by a two-wick candle lit by the bride and groom. As the candle burned down, it became one instead of two, and was to symbolize the wedding couple becoming one. My brother was sickened by this. He felt that individuality was lost to a glob of wax, and expressed this repeatedly and heatedly to his then-fiancee. Needless to say, they never married.

In Arnell Ando's Transformational Tarot, the Emperor and Empress are inextricably intertwined. The Empress is Eve, the Emperor is Adam. A green snake connects the two cards if you place them side by side (and ignore the white borders)... Yet the two cards look away from one another, which shows that, though they are connected, they are also separate entities.

Eve stands behind a tall tree with breasts, and Adam is flanked by a "male" tree. I think this is to suggest the archetypes of the Empress and Emperor, which are larger than life, living large and for centuries. Eve is seductive, sure of her beauty and her place in the world as she holds an apple in her palm like an offering. The apple looks golden, reminding me of Aphrodite. The garden (of Eden) behind her (and Adam) is studded with flowers in full bloom, G-d or the Goddess' creativity in abundant beauty.

Adam (The Emperor) stands relaxed, with the face and body of a pagan G-d. His face is serene and he stands with the calm assurance of a man who believes the garden is his creation.

This is a couple to be envied, but not like you might envy a neighbor or friend. This Emperor and Empress are more like a glamorous celebrity couple whose glorious lifestyle is above mere mortals.

The glyph for Venus is at the far left of the Empress card, and the glyph for Mars is to the far left of the Emperor. Both are traditional astrological assignments, yet in these cards, the planets seem more visceral than usual to me, as if Arnell really captured the essence of these planetary archetypes in her images.

Diane

The Old Grey Cat
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