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III | THE EMPRESS

+ Fertility, femininity, beauty, nature, abundance - Lack of fulfillment, dependence on others, overbearing

//The empress is the archetypal earth mother. She is deeply rooted in femininity and nature. She is very sensual and nurturing. She invites us to draw on our senses to fully enjoy the present moment, reconnect with nature, and create beauty in our lives. She represents birth and fertility (both literal and metaphorical). She encourages us to nurture and support those around us, open communication, and express ideas freely. The empress can signify good fortune that comes a result of positive choices made in the past. She reminds us we are worthy of our new prosperity.

\\ Nurturing energy is necessary, but abundance can make us careless. If we draw too much on that side of ourselves, we can easy smother the ones we love by being overprotective or overly involved. The empress cautions us that caring too much for the needs often leads to neglecting our own. She may indicate indecisiveness, confusion, or over-dependence in a relationship. She asks us to look internally, rather than externally for resolution. This may mean allowing some distance from these relationships, giving us space to resolve our disharmony independently. However, she reminds us to keep communication open and confide our troubles in those we trust.

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II - The High Priestess

+ Intuition, mystery, subconscious mind

- Receptive to influence, Hidden agendas, Uncentered, lost inner voice

// The High Priestess is the mysterious guardian of the inner self. A link to the subconscious mind. She represents wisdom, knowledge, and serenity. She has a deep, intuitive knowledge of the universe and desires to share this information to others, rather than concealing it to dominate them. She invites those seeking enlightenment and inner illumination into the world of the esoteric. To direct our will outward, we must first look inward. Pay attention to dreams. Meditate. She also calls on us to embrace our own feminine energy, no matter our gender. If we succumb to a pressures of being too masculine, we can easily fall out of balance and will fail to grow. The high priestess encourages us to look for areas of your life that may require greater wisdom or foresight and then to trust in our inner voice.

\\ The High Priestess is the link to deeper part of ourselves that remains unaffected by external forces. She is the calm center within all of us. However, the challenges of daily life can divert our focus to the external, silencing our inner voice. Intuition may be calling out to us, but we may not hear it. Maybe we are refusing to accept the emotional, feminine side of ourselves to impress others. It is easy to become so fixated on the opinion or approval of others, that we neglect your own needs. The high priestess encourages us to have confidence in ourselves, and warns us of the dangers of secrets or denying deep truths. She is always available to us if we pause and listen. Take time for meditation and reflection. Quiet the mind and the truth will reveal itself. The High Priestess asks us to look beyond the obvious and to turn our awareness to a broader reality.

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+ Potential, creation, deep concentration, conscious action

- Manipulation, lack of vision, unutilized talents

// The magician is a powerful character. All the elements are available to him. With these resources, he can apply the force of his will to create anything he can imagine. The magician is an auspicious omen at the beginning of a new project. The skills, tools, and resources to manifest a dream are all there. If pursued with commitment and concentration, any goal can be attained. By examining the knowledge, tools, and networks available to us, we can devise creative solutions to our problems. Though doubts and fears may surface, the magician encourages us to remain optimistic and remember our own innate power. With clear vision, positivity, and single-pointed focus we can be the conduit for miracles.

\\ The power of the magician can become corrupted by impatience and cynicism. The magician warns us to examine our own motivations and to be vigilant against manipulative behavior or being swept up in the illusions created by others. The magician’s potential is easily squandered without a clear goal or proper focus. If a goal seems distant or unattainable, it is necessary to ask what skills and abilities are needed in this situation and if they are being properly utilized. We may have more to offer than we realize, and simply need an opportunity to prove it. The magician is a call to reflect on the obstacles in our path and to make the necessary changes to reach our fullest potential.

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+ New beginnings, innocent, spontaneous, a free spirit, unlimited potential

- Naive, folly, inconsiderate, overeager, recklessness

// The Fool is a protagonist. A singularity of infinite potential. He and his faithful little dog are embarking on a journey. Each day brings new adventures, challenges, and opportunities. The fool is a blank slate, unburdened and oblivious to the hardships of the world and the dangers on the path before him. He faces forward with childlike innocence. The fool encourages us to stay open to new experiences, pursue our dreams, and have faith in direction the universe is guiding us. When faced with decision or doubt, it is best to follow the heart. While the future may be unpredictable, the fool encourages us to take a chance and to press forward with wonder, awe, and curiosity.

\\ The Fool has not contemplated the dangers that lie before him, so he stumbles forward with immeasurable optimism. In his excitement, he is oblivious to the realities of the situation. Still, the fool presses on with little regard or awareness to the consequences of his actions. In his recklessness, he may offend important allies or overlook valuable opportunities without consideration. He may be focused too much on the present and not planning ahead. The fool warns us to take a step back and evaluate the situation. The best choice may not be immediately attractive. It is important to research and prepared for major events to come.

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Queen of Swords

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This is available as a print on my INPRNT store. 

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The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I finished reading Throne of Jade a little while ago. The moment I finished, I knew that I wanted to draw Lien, the albino Celestial dragon. She is revered because she is a rare and special breed, but feared because she is believed to be cursed. She isn’t quite decked out in all of her finery as she might otherwise be. I tried to find a written description of her on the internet and (being 6 books behind in the series as I am) was met with tons of spoilers. So I drew what I remembered. 

Buy this print

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Work in Progress. So many reflective and refractive surfaces! 

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Some new Spirit Animal Illustrations. Flying Fox + Figs for my husband. Also I added Hibiscus flowers to the Ocelot I did before. 

They are available for print on my new INPRNT store! 

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The Two of Swords represents blocked emotions, avoidance, and stalemate.

-- Full write up can be found on my website.

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Ace of Swords

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The chimera is my spirit animal 

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The Four of Swords represents rest, contemplation, and quiet preparation. --- The first image from my Tarot Deck Project.

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Finally finished! I'm pleased with this one, even though it took much longer to finish than it should have. I don't have much time to work on art after work so a lot of the things I start tend to stagnate and never go anywhere. I ended up setting this aside for a couple weeks before digging it up and deciding to complete it. 

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All of my free time seems to be evaporating into thin air these days, but I'm challenging myself to draw more character designs this week. I also bought a small collection of Copic markers and pens (which are just the best) and I needed some practice. This character was inspired by a dream I had, which was very likely the result of staring at all the Guo Pei dresses in Pinterest. 

I will make a concerted effort to make better scans next time.