Beauty is the beast

Sol Invictus Tarot 

It's Lammas on Friday, so in honour of John Barleycorn, I'm drawing from Sol Invictus: The God Tarot (Kim Huggens,  Schiffer 2007) this week.

Today's card is apt, as the new moon is in Leo. We have the Strength card, represented by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. I can't really top the thoroughly enjoyable summaries at Schmoop, so here they are: The Epic of Gilgamesh. Do have read; they are hilarious.

So in this picture we see Gilgamesh (standing) and Enkidu (on the floor). They've just been having an epic knock down drag out fight because both are half-god and they have met their match in each other. Enkidu suggests they stop fighting and make friends, and thus begins the first bromance in world literature. (Of course the Epic of Gilgamesh is the first anything in world literature. We know of no older work.)

The Strength card is represented here not just because both of these dudes are very strong, but because one represents refinement and one represents lower animalistic nature. Guess which is which. Just like in the traditional Strength card, we see that when a balance is reached between our higher and so-called 'lower' natures, that is where our true strength lies.

I'd totally forgotten that Strength card is my year card for 2014 as well. So, on the first Monday of the Leo new moon, I draw the Leo card, which is also my year card. I think this may just be a pivotal lunation for me.

It has already got off to a flying start with the Smith Street Party in Warwick on Saturday 26 July.

Smith Street as the day begins...

We had this tent outside the shop (I'm doing that reading -- you can't see me though!)

The Morris dancers decided just outside the shop was the perfect place for all the teams to dance.

So we retired to the quiet oasis in the back garden.

 

Me with the Deck of the Bastard. 

I've revamped my 'About Me' page (click the tab at the top of the page to check it out) using a snapshot from yesterday in that tent.

What a great start to the month!