🚪 "Death is not the End" - The the infinite cycle
Usually, when I finish a painting, I sit down with a cigar and a nice drink to look at my... accomplishment. This "ritual" slows me down and gives me an hour of quiet reflection. Today its not a new painting finished, but a project finally brought on its way, that I've been trying to get going for almost two years now... post to follow 😎
So, I thought it was time for a nice break. As I'm taking a look into my humidor, I am reminded, that my routine might not be the best for my (physical) health and we all know the stickers, that point out the drastic consequences of tobacco consumption. But since I paint very slow and my other projects are really long term (I'm talking years) I figure a cigar every 6 to 8 weeks is likely not going to be the cause of my departure.
Which brings me to todays painting, a tarot card from my "Temple of the Secrets": "XIII - Death"
After last week's "XII - The hanged Man", this is another card, which a lot of people find scary at first. For me its just another major turning point in life, called the "journey of the fool" in this context. In my "Temple of the Secrets" the paintings were mounted in a U-shaped structure, and where the two cards meet, is one of the "corners"
For me the two major arcana are closely related, as an underlying theme is transformation. While in card XII we are to adjust our thinking patterns, attitude and values, XIII is about the infinite cycle of coming and going. The card "XIII - Death" does not mark the end of our journey but only a natural end of something, because the time has come.
My figure wears a cloak in the form of a withered flower, because with a flower we can perceive this cycle of blooming and passing well enough.
Death stands there like a ferryman. We have reached a shore here, and the things we are used to have come to an end. He takes us across the water, which means an interruption or a break and something new starts on the other side.
to be continued...
To find out your Personal TAROT Card, just add day, month and year of your date of Birth:
dd + mm + jjjj = xxxx.
Now add the four digits of the resulting number:
x + x + x + x = nn
If the resulting number is greater than 22 please add n + n again.
Any result equal to or smaller than 22 is your personal number with 22 representing 0
visit @tarotbyfergus
The Temple of the Secrets total size of artwork is 15ft by 45ft, unfinished
It was part of the museum I ran for twenty years.
If you'd like to take a look at previous cards, you can use the following links:
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My tarot cards were done in my special technique as introduced in What is Hinterglas?
View more of my work on sola
Perfect, as usual )
Firstly, have no guilt about smoking a cigar. A cigar or pipe smoking (ask @winstonalden) has actually been tied to longevity. I think it's only cheap cigarettes with all the chemicals that are bad for you. Good tobacco enjoyed at leisure with a fine port or good scotch is a recipe for joy and long life, so say I.
I love your tarot pieces. I am considering doing an homage piece to you and doing my version of my number card (remember you shared with us how to figure out our number tarot card)
I love his face and his expression makes me think of the Terry Pratchett novel's version of Death. I am not sure if you are familiar with his books, but his Death character makes me smile. And this, too, though dark, still makes me smile. I can see the humour in the human condition, because if we cannot smile and laugh at ourselves, what a dire lot we'd be.
The radiating rays of glowing light around his head is equally impressively met with the amazing mottling of blues at his feet.
I am excited to see what your new project is! I love projects!
If I was really concerned, I wouldn't do my little cigar thing. And as I said, the amount is negligible ;-)
I'd love to see you do your tarot card. Very curious of what you will do with it, and I'm sure its going to be beautiful! I read a Terry Pratchett book a long time ago. Don't remember which one. Most likely his first.
The new project is an exhibition I am (co)organizing. Just a pop up for two days with some 400 paintings and 4000 drawings and prints of a German artist who died back in 1993. Lots of weird stuff.
Your death looks quite friendly and for a change, this is something different than the gloomy grimaces of damnation, which are otherwise artistically portrayed with Grim Reaper's death. Yesterday I saw a film in which a father visited his grown-up daughter at her own art exhibition and she asked him for his honest criticism afterwards. When he told her she was suffering her life before she even lived it, she got angry. But he was absolutely right. He also said:"If the suffering expressed in the picture is not authentic, it is even more wasteful.
Looks like you're not the enemy of our death friend. That's what I like.
P.S. Go ahead with the cigar ritual.
I didn't want him in a way it is usually imagined and depicted, as to me the underlying theme of the card isn't gloomy and scary. I even gave the scythe has an upward swing. Sure, there is an end, but it is a natural one, because the time has come and now something new can come :-)
I think any art, that isn't authentic is a waste of time and energy...
As for a cigar, its going to be a while though. Started a few things and they all will take a while, until its time to celebrate...
One of my most favorite from your Tarot series. I don’t have a lot of words today. We are visiting old Home only for 2.5 days and I’m exhausted from trying to be with so many people today in such short time. But please know your image refreshed my mind, gave me chills, and calmed me just now. Thank you.
Been missing our wonderful conversations, but I figured you'd be busy with all the changes in your life. Thought of you a lot, while I was writing this post...
I know the feeling very well, when one comes back to a former home and wanting to meet with everyone. Glad my image gave you a positive feeling 😊😘
Strange thing is, I can't imagine you smoking Reinhard. I guess a cigar and alcohol are appropriate for Death, although, it does have a different connotation in the Tarot.
Hehe... I'm not a public smoker after all ;-) And I think its all in the amount. Like most other things...
There was a time that I enjoyed a cigar and red wine while I painted. =)
Cold, intimidating and grande, like death should be. I just hope the new beggining on the other side is not that bleak...
Haha... looks like we read each others posts at the same time. Colors appear similar too... and Uranus appears to be quite deadly. Compared to that, my "Death" is a rather friendly fellow I'd say. And the other side is what you make of it :-) ...although there are still a few threats ahead 😱
Haha! We had a good timing!
Your Death still scares me though, almost as much as Uranus...
May sound a bit odd: but I love this death! The flower cloak is ingenious! A ferry man indeed. I adore this book you are painting.
Thank you for your kind compliment. It was important to me, to make people be aware of the positive aspects of this "chapter" 🙂
WOW first time I read about tarot cards before, how long have you be doing it?
I worked on it for almost 10 years, starting in the early 90s
this may be an opp question but do those cards work? I have never actually seen them in use before?
the painting is very amazing works of fine art hopefully in pay expensive
Thank you. Actually, it was never created to be for sale.
why if sold would sell
many people are buying it for sure @reinhard-sch
wonderful this art... i appreciate this painting...best of luck dear...
Thank you very much, good luck and happiness for you too 🤗