Created by Steven Robert Morriso
HISTORY OF THE ROSE CHALICE TAROT
Inspiration:
The inspiration behind the creation of the Rose Chalice Tarot deck is a multi-faceted story. In its most basic aspect it is the end of a creative process of an extremely personal application of tarot imagery and the meanings of the cards both within the Major and Minor Arcanas. I have not strayed to far from the standard convention of basing many of the designs on an Egyptian motif. This being based on the belief that the Tarot has its roots in both the ancient Egyptian mysteries and Kaballistic thought. The general imagery is not based in any esoteric flight of fancy, or single theme, but on what I see as a concise and measured application thought and years of practical application based on thousands of readings.
IMAGERY
The imagery I have used are not all that new as many of the forms found here are also found in more traditional decks. However the greatest change of the most shocking change may be in the major Arcana and the court cards; I have used a number of modern images; for example the Princes or Knights are not mounted on horses but on motorcycles. The Queens are all in formal eveningwear as opposed to the traditional images of being on thrones with crowns. There is a standard use of colour that runs through the deck and it is important in gender representation of the images on the cards. tones of blues and greens in the images for feminine based cards, and reds, yellows and oranges for masculine cards. The feminine suits are bordered with either blue or light olive, the masculine suits are bordered with red or green, the major Arcana, is in a silver frame.
Much of the inspiration for the imagery is based in my admiration for Dolores Ashcroft-Norwicki�s Servants of the Light Tarot and the artwork of the designers of that deck; Jo Gil and Anthony Clark. (The Servants of the Light was published by Aquarian Press; 1991). It was the colours andthe format of that deck�s images rather than from the traditional Rider-Waite model, that opened my mind and eyes to a more broad interpretation of the philosophy of Tarot and using tarot as a tool for self-improvement and encouragement.
The design divisions within the deck of major and minor Arcana are similar to that of the SoL deck design, which was originally based on Emily Peach�s book Tarot for Tomorrow (Aquarian Press 1988).
The greatest motivation I had at the start of this project was the need for why I designed the RCT deck, that was simply the difficultly I had in finding a replacement deck for my much used and much loved Servants of the Light deck. This evolved into searching for other types of decks for a design that I felt really comfortable with and that I could really identify with. After a few years of fruitless searching I thought, that I would have to make my own deck and that was it, I did make my own deck.
The Rose Chalice Tarot deck is dedicated to my parents William and Marie, who in their infinite wisdom either by accident or design allowed me the freedom to travel my journey my way, from the 0 Child card to the XXI Universe card. They, in many spoken and unspoken ways taught me the values of the suits, the love and compassion of the Chalices, the strengths of the Weapons, the understanding and morality of the Spheres and the knowledge and wisdom of the Rods.
NOTES OF DESIGN
In the RCT deck each of the cards in the major Arcana all have a strong individual image but not the one typically found in other decks. The minor Arcana and court cards rather than being set in a standard style are created to be more of a visual stimulus and are designed to be intellectually motivational and even challenging.
The majority of the information within this deck is not all that different or unique from other more commonly used decks it just may be a little more adult, mature or dark. Adult in the manner of sexual images and imagery, mature in the way of, the deck may be directed towards a more experienced or older reader and darker simply because most people do not seek advice from oracles or divination in time of joy or celebration. The meanings of each of the cards within deck are based on personal experiences of the application of personal faith and personal insight on how people have reacted to overall readings and to single cards. As well as how it seems that some particular cards seem to be more likely to come up in readings of one type of issue more so than in readings on another issue.
The first card of the major Arcana in this deck is the �0� card or the Child card, in most decks this card is referred to as the �fool�. The word �fool� in today�s common usage often denotes a negative image of someone, someone whom when seen through the eyes of another seems to be a dull-witted, stumbling, incompetent or as someone acting in an unflattering manner. I hoped to avoid this preconception by using the word �child�. I believe it is a more accurate portrayal of what this card is intended to be. The word �child� is a word offering inspiration, hope and the promise that everything is possible. It denotes a youthful innocence and a soul and being with no prejudices or preconceptions and one that is of the ideal mindset to start the explorations of the universe and of oneself.
The XII card in this deck is called Illusion, in most decks is called the �hanged man�. The reasons for this name change are based partly on the fact that in the all the deck in the style of Waite or A. Crowley have the basic interpretation of this card as a �dying god� and personal or universal suffering. Whereas �gods� are for the most part unseen and if they are seen as through a Tarot�users eyes, they are allegorical and illusionary so their pain and suffering must also be illusionary. The other reason, for this change, is that this card often is seen as denoting wisdom, and wisdom is an illusion unless acted upon and used as a tool for whatever purpose, because wisdom without purpose and wisdom not utilized are wasted and illusionary powers.
The use of gender roles does not follow the traditional images either. I believe that the passive or internal magick, which is the basis of mystical sight and of awareness are the feminine in nature. The power to change and perform magick in an external way and the process of being active is the masculine aspect of nature. As the Tarot is a tool for offering insight and inner wisdom, it would therefore be correct to illustrate the majority of cards with female images, unless the card is a definitive male role as say; the Priest or Emperor.
The final point on design is that each suit has an opposite suit and each card within the minor Arcana has an equal and opposite valued card.
Steve Morrison
Ottawa 2003
