LO, I CAN FEEL THE WORKINGS: The Roots of "The Marigold Tarot"

IN THE DIRT HAVE I BEEN SOWN

While we've published a myriad of projects, The Marigold Tarot remains the heart of 13th Press. This month we are reflecting on what makes the heart of the deck tick.

"The many skeletal figures throughout this deck do not directly imply darkness or an afterlife; they are, after all, the very same bones that reside alongside flesh, sinew, and viscera. It is an acknowledgement of the fact that enlightenment is within the reach of living flesh. Divinity exists inside of us and others in perpetuity, should we acknowledge it."

- The Marigold Tarot: A Guide to the Symbolism, 2018

THE MARIGOLD: CIRCLES & CYCLES

The marigold flower is the core, reoccurring motif of the deck. Illustrated on the back face of the cards as a completely symmetrical, circular icon, it is intended to evoke cycles of life, death, and rebirth.

Much of the Marigold Tarot's artistic language is inspired by the Panjab region of India, where the flower has historically been featured in weddings, funerals, and festivals. It is an ever-present icon of change and transformation, and it is a steadfast companion when using the deck.

BY TEETH AND BONE

"There is no need to fear teeth and bone when it is stripped of the pulp that makes up a human body. It has only ever been human, and nothing more. Those same skeletons wander and wonder and love and grieve."

- The Marigold Tarot: A Guide to the Symbolism, 2018

The deck is known for its skeletal figures, not limited to the Death card as in the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith tarot. This is intended to lend a sense of universality to the deck: the skeletal figures are synonymous with all people. Their repeat appearances in the deck are also intended to not numb or desensitize, but to make the presence of this hidden anatomy almost mundane. We are surrounded by these frames every day, and they are the foundation upon which our flesh, blood, and viscera are entwined and built.

THE TRAPPINGS AND THE TETHERS

The only suit that features flesh and bone is Rings. Known as pentacles in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot but also portrayed as coins and discs in other tarot formats, Rings is intended to speak to the earthly element of this suit. Often associated with prosperity, finances, fortune, and the material world, it is the only suit that will feature non-skeletal elements (in this case, hands). These are the trappings of this life, the trials, tribulations, and busywork that encompass our day-to-day.

Then there are the tethers. Many of the figures featured in the deck are grounded by a horizon line or botanical elements. Some, however, like The High Priestess and The Magician instead almost float in their frames, uninhibited. This is a call to expanding ones perspective past this physical world, and allowing oneself to wander, to contemplate, and to challenge the frameworks we live with in an attempt to broaden our consciousness.

READING WITH THE MARIGOLD TAROT

This deck resonates particularly well for:

• Shadow work and seasonal reflection: its minimal anatomy keeps readings grounded and truthful.

• Creative practice: artists and writers often use it to inspire narrative or thematic development.

• Daily readings and meditations: the memento mori approach of the deck encourages and demands that one remain aware of the now instead of just allowing the days to slip by unacknowledged and unappreciated.
  

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