[Journey Deck] The Suits

[indicoyote]

Here's the first real contentful post in presumably a series going into details of the divination deck I mentioned previously. I'm starting to refer to it as the Journey Deck, if only to have a name for it, and posts will be titled and tagged as such.

I'm very interested in critique on this; this is a really new sort of thing for me to be doing and I have a feeling there will be people reading this who are a lot more knowledgeable than I am. So if you have any thoughts, see anything that seems strange or missing, please leave a comment!

Half the cards in the deck are numbered cards aligned with the three Circuit Elements; Spark, Steel, and Smoke. These elements have their traditional broad meanings of creation, pattern, and transformation, respectively, with a bit more elaboration included in the suits:

• Spark includes data, signals and the process of becoming, it's the bridge between the internal and external, and thus is close to both Air and Earth in the classical elements.
• Steel is the most likely to be concerned with the physical world, as well as social and emotional closeness and communion. It has the most ties to classical Earth and Water.
• Smoke is psychological and ephemeral, its interpersonal concerns are often those of instrumentality; getting people to do things. In classical terms, it is Water meeting Air.

(On the subject of classical elements, it's worth noting that all three are considered to have ties to Fire; the Circuit itself is, after all, a description of willwork and the creative process)

Each suit has nine numbered cards, referred to as the [Number] of [Elements]; One of Spark, Six of Steel, and so on. Each one also has another traditional name which gives a closer pointer to its actual divinatory meaning:

1. Font of [Element]
2. Herald of [Element]
3. Inner [Element]
4. Core [Element]
5. Fractured [Element]
6. Outer [Element]
7. Conduit of [Element]
8. Well of [Element]
9. Flowing [Element]

This suggests a process running from inception to completion, and that colors the meanings of each card. The specifics vary from one element to the next, but some commonalities can be found:

1. The Font is the root or first glimmering of the element; for instance, the first initial notion of a greater work (in the case of the Font of Spark)
2. The Herald brings the nascent element to the attention of the journeyer. This often represents an actual person, and also often a choice; the journeyer can accept the summons, or turn away, Either could be the right choice, depending on circumstance.
3. The number three calls back to the three-part circuit itself, and refers to the manifestation of the element inside someone. The Inner element is a driving force or the beginning of skill.
4. One more added to the three represents the journeyer standing in the middle, establishing mastery at the element's Core, now almost halfway through the cycle.
5. But with increased skill comes increased risk, and it's the way of the circuit that too much force is the very thing that causes problems. The Fracture is the element misused, betraying itself.
6. The Outer manifestation of an element is its direct effect on the world. This can be negative, a destructive result of fracture, or positive, a true show of power thanks to the lessons learned in overcoming such a setback.
7. The Element acts through the Conduit, which, like the Herald, is sometimes an actual person, and always a force of change. The cycle is nearing its end, and each element is always changing into another, so the Conduit is dynamic and often at least a bit ambiguous. They are the inverse of the herald; they will not be ignored, for good or ill.
8. The Well is the inverse of the Font, the element in its fullest flush, and, perhaps, a moment of respite or glory before it moves on to be something else.
9. The Flow is the culmination of the cycle, a true expression of the element, and as such, on the verge of changing into the next element in the cycle. Endings are always beginnings.

Illustrations on these cards are similar to what you might expect in the Tarot, with one to nine 'instances' of the element on each one, though in this case instances are likely to be fairly broadly interpreted. Sparks may be literal bolts of lightning, or icons of data, or scorch marks on a circuit board. They're less likely than tarot cards are to show people, though nearly all Conduit and Herald illustrations focus on a person.
This entry was originally posted at http://indicoyote.dreamwidth.org/3631.html. Please comment there using OpenID.