Twenty-Four Pieces of a Failed Schema

These were intended for use with Terrae Vertebrae as Zodiac-cum-Tarot-cum-Pseudo-Jungian-archetypes - nominally the remnants of a defanged Paganism, kept alive by fortune-tellers, occultists, artists and (here and there) the odd fairy, sprite or demon (allowing for latter-day pagan clerics).

[Having written that, I quite like the idea that some of said clerics would effectively be play-acting - and then Oberon or Robin Goodfellow pops up and grants them a few powers, then as they commit to the role a few more....]  

In hindsight, I'm not sure these would have worked. The descriptions below, however vivid they may be, don't really communicate the simple, immediate impression of an archetype or a Pagan deity. I wrote up very dressy, colourful descriptions that work for those who can in fact afford luxury playing cards or illuminated manuscripts. Even if these are meant to be the most complete, up-market depictions there should be a way to make a simpler description - cheap, three-colour illustrations or scratched, angular, constellation-like symbols.  

It's the sort of thing I would return to with improvised playing cards - to better effect, I think. A folk-saint variant of the Heavenly Jury or Half-Giant Ancestor Spirits might have worked. Either way, presented for you below are twenty-four pieces of a failed schema. 

The Face

A Blank, mask-like face stares out of a black background. One corner of the mouth turns up; the other down. There is only a suggestion of hairline or neck. The eyes are both open and nothing shines through them.

The Casement

A window looks out onto the world. The frame of the window is old stone, pale with a slight green tinge to it. Through the window we see towns, farmland, a river, perhaps in the distance the sea. One the right edge of the window, we see a small, pale, right hand stretching out from the outside of the picture.

The Lion

A great lion, in his prime. A magnificent golden mane, sleek and smooth. The lion stands atop a rock and looks down upon a valley, detailed with many woods and plains.

The Wolf

A grey wolf, thin and lean, goes through the pine covered hills. Above is a crescent moon and a smattering of stars. The wolf is surrounded by darkness. He moves not as if he owns all that he surrounds, but he is not timid or cowed either.

The Fox

From behind a hedge, we see the brush of a fox, burnt-orange against the brown and green of the country. In the background, a sunset. 

The Collar

A narrow collar made of some black, relatively inflexible substance. It rests on a sheet of blue velvet. It makes noticeable furrows in the soft fabric that run to the edge of the picture.

The Hood

A man wearing a cloak and hood rides through a gate. We cannot see the man’s face, nor the faces of the guards. Outside the gate is the dark countryside; inside the lights and shadows of the city at night.

The Throne

An empty throne stands on a dais. Around it fall motes of dust. The throne is of dark wood, gilded and trimmed with precious metals and stone. Above the throne, matching its high, pointed back is a vaulted ceiling.

The Bridge

 A stone bridge, with ornate balustrades rests over a deep sided, fast flowing river. There is no traffic on the bridge and a cold sky rises above it.

The Marriage

In the foreground, a book and a hand raised in benediction. At the centre, a man and women, one in black, one in white, soon to be husband and wife hold hands. Behind them, a hall full of people, one half in black, the other in white stand under a high-vaulted gothic ceiling.

The Labourer

A man, dressed only in a loin cloth and sweating freely stands bent over between two classical columns on a stone base. Above him, his straining back helps bear the weight of a heavy white marble ceiling.

The King

A man on a great horse. He wears finely made clothing, but it is not ostentatious. He bears a sword at his hip and on his head, a crown. Behind him, we see a distant castle in the midst of many woods.

The Queen

A women in a glittering ballroom, surrounded by people. Each of her hands is taken in dance. She wears a richly embroidered medieval dress, with long flowing sleeves and has a crown on her head. Her black hair is braided into a thick, whirling plait with a gold ring in the end. The floor beneath her is a chequerboard of black and white flags.

The Mouth

A great bronze trumpet, its wide end in the shape of a snarling lion, blares its voice at a bright blue sky. A crimson pennant drifts from one end.

The Tree

A tall, broad oak lifts its green head to the sun in a meadow. We can see the shadow streaking off into the foreground and the gnarled roots reaching into the earth. Birds and cattle wonder lazily in the sky and meadow.

The Dragon

A great scaled beast soars between the bare peaks of a mountain. We see red light in its nose and nostrils. Beneath it, a coiling, writhing tail swishes. The sun sets in the background, great and sanguine.

The Serpent

In the cold earth, a green, pale serpent crawls like a great worm. Its head pokes out into the world and coils round the heel of a man.

The Hearth

A fire burns in the grate and suffuses the room with a ruddy hue. The room is full of the things of home; a great chest, a wooden table, a wine barrel and a pipe that still smoulders.

The Helm

A helmet of silver-white, which covers the entire face. It glistens and shines strongly on a background of pure sable.

The Blossom

A small tree, in a copse. It is spring and the air is fresh. The tree has brought forth creamy blossoms that litter the green earth around it. Small flowers cover the wold. The sun shines gently on the whole scene. 

The Outsider

A man, in a smoky-hued purple cloak with a stiff, pointed beard walks through a drab stone gate. The crowd around him leave him and his horse, which has an embroidered blanket over the back rather than a saddle, a wide berth.

The Threshold

A stone doorway frames the picture. It is divided down the middle. On the left we see a warm, fire lit room with ceramic tiles. On the right we see a sprawling countryside in the twilight, lit all in blues and greys. The double doors of the Threshold are open.

The Bull

A ruddy maroon beast, with terrible sweeping horns of ivory. It lowers.  It is tangibly muscled. The hooves of the great beast have scrapped the ground into great ruts. The sky above is a stark, masculine blue.

The Skein

A great cloth of rolling white fills the image. Around it, the faces of five different beautiful women with their right arms tangled in it. Their left hands are seen, holding a gold chain, a ring, a mirror, a distaff and a knife.