Like the Wichita Lineman

Aquarian Tarot (US Games 2006)

The little guy in this card from Aquarian Tarot (2006) looks more like he's scaling the wall of the the cathedral than building it in David Palladini's version of the 3 of Pentacles. The long window opening onto nothing but sky gives a great sense of scale and height. I imagine that if we pulled back the perspective we'd see that the carver (or climber as the case may be) is clinging high above the cathedral floor, a vast space of air and potential peril all around him. The ceiling is still high above his head. The intricately tiled floor is many feet below him. If he falls, he falls. No safety net, no climbing belt. Just his own natural agility and dexterity.

That's a bit of a departure from the usual RWS image, which shows the craftsman standing on a ladder of some sort in a low alcove a cathedral, a church official and a patron of some sort looking at plans and observing him at his work. That card often makes me think of how teamwork is such an unacknowledged part of artistry, or how some people are willing to stand back and let someone else do all the work, depending on the question and the card position in the spread. Here though, I just think, Wow, that guy is all on his own, and to be honest, he looks like he could easily slip and slide right down that bit of stone masonry. In fact, he might even be beginning to slip in this picture. Sounds slightly familiar. I'm on my own this weekend, and I do feel a bit like I'm hanging from my fingernails. Well, it's 4.48 AM and obviously I am still up. I don't do well when left to my own devices. I need the remainder of my team to function.