Minor arcana suits

[chthonya]

As I said in my comment on the major arcana, I'm interested in Tarot but not a fanartist - so feel free to kick me out if you don't want mere observers to comment.

Anyhow, I've had some thoughts on allocating the suits, which I thought I'd share here in the hope that they might provide useful seeds for discussion.

Comments

[thalia_seawood]

Oh yes, that's a difficult subject.

Only a couple of days ago we discussed it on sistermagpie's journal:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sistermagpie/98360.html?thread=2912824#t2912824

I always so Slytherin as Swords and Ravenclaw as Cups (in parts thanks to Luna). But yes, I think we have to go with Rowlings here.

This also might open up new ways of interpretation:
E.g. I always thought the Slytherins were motivated by the mind, thinking and planning and plotting. What if they are motivated by their emotions instead. Severus might have joined Voldemort because he feels despised by everyone, he wants respect. Draco also reacts to Harry's rejection; he wants friendship and love. In book VI, he's strongly motivated by his need to protect his family.

The Ravenclaws on the other hand might not be motivated by emotions that strongly. Not sure about them really. The Ravenclaws we know (Cho, Marietta, Luna) could be interpreted either way

[chthonya]

I always saw Ravenclaws as being air, though now that you mention it as well as Luna's dreaminess we have Cho's tears (not a fair reflection of her total personality I'm sure, but certainly a main part of her role in the books, as well as being Harry's first emotional interest). Their house characteristics don't scream 'emotion' to me.

It was where to put Slytherin that always puzzled me.

This also might open up new ways of interpretation... What if they are motivated by their emotions instead.

That's an interesting thought - considering HP and Tarot is certainly bringing out some inexpected shades of interpretation. I like how it makes us look beyond the obvious.

[pockettheroach]

I tend to like this system a bit better than the house artifacts (though I must admit, they would make lovely ace cards, but I think the associations are a bit more important). I see Slytherin working for water in the secretive aspect, and in this deck, if water=Slytherin it may definitely be more about hidden emotions than surface emotions--which I can see as working quite well, since fire/Gryffindor would correlate more than usual to emotional display.

[chthonya]

I see Slytherin working for water in the secretive aspect,

Yes, I can see that. That's not the primary way I think of water (and I follow Gail Fairford in reading reversed cards as hidden aspects), so it hadn't occurred to me.

and in this deck, if water=Slytherin it may definitely be more about hidden emotions than surface emotions--which I can see as working quite well, since fire/Gryffindor would correlate more than usual to emotional display.

Absolutely. :)