The Tarot of Trees: Artwork and MeaningsBy Dana Driscoll, 2009

Copyright 2009. Dana Driscoll, All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems, without permission from the author.

Published by Dana Driscoll on www.createspace.com.

Visit www.tarotoftrees.com for more information on the Tarot of Trees and to purchase the Tarot of Trees Tarot Deck and accessories.

ISBN: 144215246X EAN-13: 9781442152465

Table of Contents

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The Wheel of Fortune.....27Justice...........................28The Inverted Tree ...........29Death .............................30Temperance.................31The Devil.......................32The Tower......................33The Star.........................34The Moon......................35The Sun.........................36Judgment....................37The World......................38

Minor Arcana: Cups...........39 Ace of Cups...................40Two of Cups...................41Three of Cups................42Four of Cups..................43Five of Cups..................44Six of Cups....................45Seven of Cups...............46Eight of Cups.................47Nine of Cups..................48Ten of Cups...................49Page of Cups..................50

Introduction......................2-5About................................6Dedication.........................6Awen................................7Why Trees? .......................7-8Symbolsim..................9-10 Reversals........................11Card Layout: Mind, Body, Spirit..................................12Card Layout: Daily Tree Spread ..............................13Incense Recipe..................14Planting Trees....................15Major Arcana ....................16

The Fool........................17The Magician.................18The High Priestess........19The Empress.................20The Emperor..................21The Hierophant..............22The Lovers.....................23The Chariot....................24Strength....................25The Hermit.....................26

Knight of Cups...............51Queen of Cups...............52King of Cups..................53

Minor Arcana: Wands........54Ace of Wands................55Two of Wands................56Three of Wands.............57Four of Wands...............58Five of Wands................59Six of Wands..................60Seven of Wands............61Eight of Wands...............62Nine of Wands...............63Ten of Wands.................64Page of Wands...............65Knight of Wands............66Queen of Wands............67King of Wands...............68

Minor Arcana: Swords.......69Ace of Swords...............70Two of Swords...............71Three of Swords............72Four of Swords..............73Five of Swords.............74

Six of Swords................75Seven of Swords...........76Eight of Swords.............77Nine of Swords..............78Ten of Swords................79Page of Swords..............80Knight of Swords............81Queen of Swords...........82King of Swords...............83

Minor Arcana: Wands........84Ace of Wands................85Two of Wands...............86Three of Wands.............87Four of Wands...............88Five of Wands................89Six of Wands..................90Seven of Wands............91Eight of Wands...............92Nine of Wands................93Ten of Wands.................94Page of Wands...............95Knight of Wands............96Queen of Wands............97King of Wands...............98

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IntroductionShe walks, the gentle wind rippling her hair and the sun peeking through the trees in patches of light on her skin. As she makes her way down the forest path, she passes many of her dear friends--mayflowers, birches, jack-in-the-pulpits, sassafras, and moss-covered stones. The wood abruptly ends, and she steps out onto a hill overlooking a valley below.

“You’ve asked me about my art and about the Tarot of Trees. I’m not sure how to put it in words. So I’ll speak to you about these lands and perhaps an answer will emerge.”

She raises a hand and gestures to the valley below. The smoke from several large factories, traffic jams, strip malls, and power plants, blocks much of the view in a grayish haze. Great billows of smoke and grit issue in large quantities from soiled smokestacks.

“My kind define ‘progress’ and ‘development’ in only one sense--the creation and sale of goods and services and the amassing of wealth. These are the means through which

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nature is tamed and exploited to produce oil, plastics, steel, and above all--profits. Humans judge how well we are progressing by measures like economic growth and the gross national product. These seem to me to be very empty measures, in light of everything else.”

She motions to the forest behind her.

“Many of my kind would see this forest as ‘undeveloped’ and would seek it only to see how they might profit from it. Ore from the ground, wood from the trees, grains from the field, meat from the animals--all of the earth’s gifts selfishly squandered away. Or, worse, they would turn it into a strip mall--selling the land, and all its inhabitants--to the highest bidder. Ever-sprawling suburbia. Hundreds of thousands of acres of wild lands and habitats are re-appropriated each year for banks, Wal-Marts, houses with white picket fences, and fast food restaurants. What nature is left in those areas is carefully controlled and harnessed, often through the use of destructive chemicals. People love their bug sprays, perfectly fertilized lawns, and picturesque invasive plant species.”

Her gaze follows a river that meanders through the valley and into the city below. Its sickly, opaque, bluish hue speaks for itself.

“Ah, the river. My people believe, foolishly, that they can use its waters to wash away that which they want to be rid of. But it’s not so simple. This river was once home to many--plants, frogs, fish, insects--all are now dead.”

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“People these days are clueless. Dam the rivers, poison the waters, crank up the air conditioning. They refuse to recognize the warning signs--climate change, thousands of miles of dead zones in the oceans, melting ice caps, endangered and extinct species--ignorant and refusing to care, people continue their exploitation and consumption.”

She leans on a nearby oak to steady herself. Tears form in her eyes.

“Its like a terrible wave. It never seems to end, it only destroys and consumes, despite the best efforts of many who dare to stand in its path. I fear for the future of our wild lands, for the billions of lives on this planet that aren’t human and that are unable to speak for themselves. What will happen to those trees, animals, insects, plants, and birds as the suburbs expand, the forests continue to be cut, and the human popula-tion continues to skyrocket? Although I am young, I have already witnessed some of what is to come. And although I fight, I often feel powerless to stop it.”

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She sits down, the thought of so much destruction too much to bear.

“And with that, you ask me why I paint trees? Why this deck contains not a single person, but only plants, trees, flowers, and animals? The answer should be obvious. I paint trees as a statement. If our fight for the real trees should fail, one way or another, I fill the world with them or, at least, their memory. Trees represent nature, in all her glory, and in all her pain. Why there are no humans in my work, you ask? There are already too many of them in the world.”

She stands up and slowly walks back into the forest, the gentle breeze blowing on the nearby wild grasses. She reaches down and runs the blades of grass between her fingers.

“And yet, as pessimistic as I may sound, I do hope for a better world. And I know that if we work hard enough, we can achieve world where all species can live in peace and balance. This is why I am drawn to the world of fantasy, of whimsy, of that which is beautiful and vibrant.

As she disappears back into the wood, she says,

“I hope you’ll understand my art, and through my art, my hopes and dreams. My desire to protect and preserve our earth above all else. I hope that these paintings will touch you, and you will walk by my side to fight for those billions of lives who have no voices to defend themselves. Thank you for listening and sharing, and may you too experience the earth’s blessings.”

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About the Tarot of TreesThe Tarot of Trees is a Tarot deck focused on interpreting all 78 cards through the theme of trees. The major arcana are represented through unique paintings of each tree in a theme. The minor arcana are season-based and also have a consistent color scheme appropriate for the season: the cups and spring; the wands and summer; the swords and fall; and the pentacles and winter.

I hope that you, like me, are able to hear the quiet voices of the trees. The have so very much to say if only we listen.

Come with me now as we explore some of the major themes in the tarot deck.

DedicationThis tarot deck has been painted in honor of my dearest friend, Alfred Durth Struble III. Although Alfred lived less than thirty years on this world, he was an inspiration and a source of strength for all that knew him. Much like the tree, Alfred’s spirit continues to grow and touch the lives of those who remain. Alfred, my trees are singing to you.

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Awen, or the Spark of InspirationA core concept in Druid spirituality is “Awen” (pronunciation: ah-o-en), a divine spark of creativity, inspiration or illumination. Inspirations for this deck began with my studies with the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA) and the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). As part of my spiritual journey with the AODA, I began studying different divination systems and quickly discovered that I had a love of the tarot and the ogham runes. After trying out many different tarot decks, I became frustrated with some of the cards visuals and interpretations. I decided that I needed to paint a deck for myself, and began the work, having no idea where my Tarot of Trees would lead! I painted the Tower first, and shared it with some friends who encouraged me to finish the major arcana and eventually the minor arcana. This deck would not be complete without the support of so many of my virtual and real-life friends including the members of Aecletic Tarot Forums, Illustratedatcs.com, and Atcsforall.com.

Why Trees? I grew up in the wooded Appalachian mountains, spending nearly all of my free time as a child in the miles of woods behind my home. I have always been strongly connected to trees, and for a long time have been studying them as an artist. I observed and sketched them throughout the seasons, learned about their different qualities, and worked to identify all that grew in the areas where I’ve lived. I chose to study trees as an artist also as a political statement about the massive deforestation and lack of re-spect for the natural world and its inhabitants. As my introduction describes, I said to myself, “There are so many people in this world! I don’t want to paint more. Instead, I’ll paint trees.” The theme of trees for my Tarot deck seemed like a ‘natural’ choice.

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The theme of trees represented a unique challenge for a Tarot deck. Because so much of the classical tarot imagery is person-based, interpreting it through the theme of trees required thinking outside of the box and re-envisioning the core meanings of the Tarot. Because of this, many of the cards blend layers of meaning combined with classic presentations of the major and minor arcana. For example, the Emperor represents a mighty Oak tree, lording over the forest be-low, flanked by two majestic purple mountains. Death, which for trees can be represented as a permanent change through being uprooted or cut, was fitting fot this concept—although the tree will no longer grow, it will be transformed into something new: fire, a wooden table, or a tome for the written word.

The seasonal affiliations were another choice I made when painting the deck. Although there has been a lot of debate among tarot artists and enthusiasts about the placement of the seasons, I decided to associate the seasons with the suits based on both practicality and elemental affiliation. The Suit of Wands, for example, works perfectly with the firey heat of summer. The bountiful rains of spring fits the Cups, the winds and dying of the leaves in the fall with the Swords, and the earthy qualities of winter with the Pentacles.

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Daily Diviniation Tree SpreadThis is a simple daily spread that can be used for seeking guidance about a number of situations. The cards are spread to form a tree trunk and branches, drawing upon the positive energy of the tree.

Card 1: The Past. A card in this position signifies the past situation, events, or persons who contributed to the situation at hand. Like the trunk of a tree, this card provides the grounding and framework for the rest of the reading.

Card 2: The Current Situation. A card in this position represents the current situation or current influences on the subject of your inquiry.

Card 3: Suggested Action. A card in this position represents the suggested action you should take. Remember that a suggested action might refer to an attitude, action, or even seeking out a person.

Card 4: Expected Outcome. If you take the action as suggested in Card 3, this is the outcome you can expect.

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

Card 4

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Tarot of Trees IncenseI developed this incense recipe as the perfect compliment for the Tarot of Trees. It smells wonderful and works very well to enhance work with the Tarot. This incense blend is a non-combustible powdered incense blend that you will need to burn on a charcoal block. Charcoal blocks can be purchased at most metaphysical stores and also online. You will need a mortar and pestle to grind your ingredients and tin or jar to keep the incense dry.

2 parts frankincense2 parts sandalwood (purchase in the powdered form)1 part cinnamon (powdered)¼ part Sweet Orange Essential Oil1 part juniper berries (dried)½ part lemongrass (dried)½ part yarrow (dried)

In a mortar and pestle, powder your frankincense as finely as pos-sible. Combine the frankincense with the sandalwood and cinnamon until blended. Set aside. In the mortar and pestle, crush the juniper berries, lemongrass and yarrow separately. Combine all ingredients, including sweet orange essential oil, in the mortar and pestle and blend thoroughly.

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Planting a New Tree“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

Here are some simple instructions for planting a new tree:Trees should be planted during the dormant season: early spring or late fall.• Dig a hole that is as deep as the rootball but three times as wide as a rootball. The tree’s • roots will need space to grow horizontally and anchor it to the ground firmly. If the roots are planted too deep, they may suffocate.The bottom of the hole should have dirt that is firmly packed to help the root ball stay in • place. Place the tree centered and straight in the hole, and make sure the roots are spread out sufficiently. Fill the hole up with dirt gently, being careful not to damage the roots or trunk of the tree.• Stake the tree for additional support if necessary. • Mulch the tree at its base with a natural mulch like pine needles or leaf compost. Mulch • helps hold in moisture and keeps the ground temperature cooler. Water your new tree frequently. Water it at the time of planting, and then at least once a • week throughout the summer. Water it more if there is little rain.

For more information on tree planting, visit the Arbor Day Foundation: http://www.arborday.org/

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Cards and Meanings:The Major Arcana

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The seedling tree, with vibrantly colored leaves, looks out upon the world. He stands on the edge of a cliff, seeing where his path may take him. His journey is just beginning. Where will the path lead? Will the sun continue to shine or will the clouds roll in?

Meaning: The Fool is about fresh starts; it is a new day and the Fool sets out upon his journey. This card describes someone who is a free spirit. This person may have a great sense of adventure and are not afraid to take risks or to take a big leap into the unknown. It might also describe someone going through a rite of passage. This card involves major transitions, radical departures, and leaps of faith. Zero is a perfect number for this card, which can be both anything and everything. Despite the Fool’s optimism, the Fool can also symbolize naïveté, thoughtlessness, immaturity, lack of responsibility, rash behavior, and impulsiveness.

O: The Fool

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I: The MagicianThe magician is a vibrant tree in his colorful fall hues. He commands a powerful presence and can work his way with all of the four suits that hang from his branches. White lilies grow up around him as a symbol of the magic that he possesses through the energy of the earth.

Meaning: The Magician symbolizes someone who is the master of his or her own destiny. Something needs to be accomplished, and the magician has the tools to complete the job. In fact, the magician is so effective it is as if he uses magic to accomplish his tasks. This card could describe energetic, dedicated individuals or someone who is focused and practicing hard. This practice might be in a craft or profession, and often involves achieving personal goals, aspirations, and ambitions. This card tells you to focus your energies, apply, and assert yourself. Nothing is beyond your power and there are no boundaries or limitations that you cannot overcome. Wish for it, strive for it, and it will be yours.

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The High Priestess sits upon a crescent moon framed by twin pillars of black and white. In her roots she holds pomegranates, a fruit associated with Persephone and the underworld. Will you eat of the fruit?

Meaning: The High Priestess is perhaps best symbolized as a wise mentor, spiritual teacher, or spirit guide; a wise woman who opens the door to unknown mysteries. She is a person in touch with the spiritual realm and someone who knows without knowing. The moon indicates her ability to illumi-nate what you might not otherwise see—the path to secret knowledge. The situation at hand may call for substantial mental energies. She also symbolizes contemplation, silence, calmness, patience, mystery, discretion, and intuitive knowledge. While the Magician is about revealing, the High Priestess is about keeping things hidden.

II: The High Priestess

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III: The EmpressThe Empress sits upon a hill, the fruits of her labor overflow-ing in baskets below. She is a mother, fertile and inspired, connected to the natural rhythms around her.

Meaning: The Empress is a creator or nurturer. She is about productivity and procreation. This card can describe a per-son who is productive—prolific even—in the creative arts, in academics, in business, or in life in general. It can also represent someone who is close to nature, in touch with the physical world, or a person who is a good parent. It can represent a bright idea or the touch of creative inspiration (Awen). While the Magician is a primal spark of inspiration, the Empress helps give ideas shape and form. She often represents mothers—patient, loving, giving, generous. Pay attention to what you have birthed: nurture it, help it grow, and help it take those first steps into the world.

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The Emperor is a mighty Oak tree lording over the forest below. His large root system implies stability and power. He is flanked by two majestic purple mountains which fur-ther demonstrate his lordly might.

Meaning: The Emperor often represents someone in charge that has a great deal of authority or worldly power. The Emperor may also represent physical strength or great charisma. When you draw this card, consider who has the power: who is the boss, who is pulling the strings, who sets the rules or policies. The Emperor is card number four in the Tarot, and the number four is about stability—four corners, four legs, four wheels, four seasons. The Emperor may represent that there is something you need to overcome such as a rule, regulation, rigidity of thinking, or inflexibility in approach. The Emperor’s negative side is that of stagnation, over-control, inflexibility, and rigidity. This card could also represent the need or ability to shoulder responsibility, ambition, or achievement.

IV: The Emperor

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V: The HierophantThe Hierophant is a wise and ancient Oak overlooking a grove. His gnarled and wizened trunk has seen many sea-sons. And like a wise religious leader, this Oak is comfort-able growing in a forest not just of Oaks, but of other types of trees.

Meaning: The Hierophant represents beliefs, religion, the established order, and discipline. This card can describe someone with a strong spiritual connection or strong beliefs, possibly a spiritual mentor, priest, or rabbi.This card may indcate the need to put faith in others or to strengthen your faith in a traditional sense. The Hierophant also represents a traditional education: the pursuit of knowledge, study and learning, and seeking a systematic understanding of the world. The Hierophant is rigid and inflexible which is a product of his formal education; religion and academia are slow to change and prefer to work within the established order. A final thing the Hierophant may represent is moral standards and societal norms and conventions. He is about working within the conventional boundaries and being part of the establishment.

The 98-page full Tarot of Trees: Artwork and Meanings includes all major and minor arcana artwork and meanings + layouts,

symbolism, and more! Available Fall 2009!

www.tarotoftrees.com