Aces

Originally written by me in December 2006.

ACE OF CUPS

Part of my reason for studying this deck is to learn a bit about the sacred art of the Catholic Church. I find the artwork arising from the faith of people to be very interesting, no matter what the religion.

So when I went online to find comparisons for this card I was discouraged to see that the depiction of the “blood of the lamb” is often mawkish to the point of being tacky. I really had a reaction of feeling sick to some of this artwork and had to flee the Internet wishing to avoid further encounters with it.

This is one reason why I appreciate Robert Place’s illustration for this card. The clean lines and colour, the grounded architectural element of the altar, and the realistic representation of the sacrificial lamb were clear but not sickening. I can lose myself in contemplation of the age-old symbols without feeling awash in the maudlin symbolism I saw elsewhere.

The cup on the card is the chalice of wine used during mass that represents Christ’s blood that washes away sin. This portrays the invigorating renewal and forgiveness that enervates the souls of people.

In this way it reflects the general message of all the Aces, and echoes the image of the monstrance used during mass that is on the Ace of Coins. Vessels for the mass and the renewal of communion seem appropriate for the Aces in the Tarot of the Saints.

This is a personal reaction, but for this deck, perhaps the negative of this card is an attachment to a type of lurid, simpering faith? Not renewal but a way of miring yourself in a bowl of sickly sweet treacle and not seeing things as they are, not seeing the real power in faith, but getting overly emotional and sentimental and losing out on harnessing true spirituality and attaining purpose.

Spirituality is not mawkish artwork and platitudes, it is an empowering renewal. That’s what this card says to me.

ACE OF SWORDS

This is one of my favourite cards in decks because I like the raw energy of it, the energy of possibilities and soaring thoughts and ideas.

I’m used to seeing the sword depicted with the point upward, but here Robert Place has it turned down so that the hilt is up and looks like a cross. So it turns from a weapon into a symbol of love and sacrifice. I really like his idea on controlling your thoughts too–the sword is also grounded downward in my mind because this Ace can get away with your mind quite easily as you take off and become all wrapped up in intellect and ideas and forget to come down out of the clouds for a bit of real life.

But here, he speaks of controlling that. The sword is a vehicle of ascent, but in a still, calm, joyful way, and it is grounded too–that stillness of the confident Self open to possibilities but not out of control. This is something I often lose track of with this card because it has so much energy for me, but I liked contemplating his different positioning. For such a plain looking card, it holds a deeper meaning for me and yet still holds that energy of fresh starts and new beginnings.

ACE OF COINS

This shows a monstrance with the IHS symbol–the first three letters of Christ’s name in Greek. The word “monstrance” comes from the Latin for “to show.” Due to my unfamiliarity with the attendant equipment of the Catholic mass, I had a bit of trouble understanding the difference between the monstrance and the pyx or ciborium, until I looked up the root of the word. Another name for this vessel is the ostensorium which comes from the French for “to show.”So the monstrance holds one wafer to show on the altar, and the pyx or ciborium holds the quantity of wafers that the priest gives the congregation during communion. Consequently, the monstrance is a very decorative vessel, and sometimes they were also used to hold small relics. I thought this was a nice way of showing the relics on the altar during mass for people to see–a great ritualistic show.

The pattern used is often a solar cross and I’m posting a picture of various monstrances so you can see how creative people are with fashioning the rays. There are much larger monstrances that are altar-sized rather than table-top models but I chose to focus on the smaller ones and their variety. My favourite is the modern one an assemblage artist made from cogs and sprockety things–so inventive.

One site I was reading made the connection between the solar cross of the monstrance and pagan sun worship. Obviously pagan sun worship was discouraged and yet the Church seems to have swallowed a bit of the imagery and morphed it to their means. The page I was reading was denigrating the Church for this, but I think it shows a flexibility in the early days, although unacknowledged, to let people keep their favourite symbols in the new religion of Christianity. I like that, and it reminds me of the pagan worship of Mithras which became the basis for when we hold Christmas, and Mithras was also identified with the sun.

I’m afraid the dogmatists would be horrified with me, but if people want to keep some old ways in the new religion, why not? I think it’s comforting and brings extra meaning to the ritual and symbols by including the old mysteries, not just the new ones.

As I mentioned with the Ace of Cups, I like the way these two cards tie together with their communion symbols, and this card also reflects the meaning of cleansing and new beginnings.

ACE OF STAFFS

Beautifully done. The shepherd’s crook becomes the Bishop’s staff, called the crosier or crozier, an obvious reference to the shepherd leading the flock and keeping the sheep on the right path.

The Agnus Dei or Lamb of God is carved in the centre which also ties in with the lamb on the Ace of Cups. The serpent represent the limits of the physical world. For me it also represents the serpent waiting in the tree to talk to Eve, which led to a new beginning for Adam and Eve. Newfound passion and direction like the crook nudging you along. I can see the newness of the other Aces and the possibilities in the road ahead.

I couldn’t resist finding some examples online of various ways this ceremonial staff is made and decorated. Silver and silver-gilt, ivory, semi-precious stones, hand carved wood, painted surfaces and many shapes. More crosiers than you can shake a stick at.

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Tags: Tarot of the Saints, Aces, Ace of Cups, Ace of Swords, Ace of Coins, Ace of Staffs, monstrance, blood of the lamb, Bishop's staff, crosier, crozier

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