Equinox 3.20.2023
A turning point . . .
The onset of Spring is our first major marker for the year. The two equinoxes (when day and night are equal in length) and two solstices (when either day or night is at its longest) remind us that we live on a planet, in a solar system, in a universe.
Rachel Pollack has an innate sense of that larger reality—and a rare gift for sharing her awareness with others.
It seems Rachel will be leaving us soon. Her brilliant, multifaceted body of work will remain, which offers consolation. But everyone who knows her (or appreciates her work) will miss her presence terribly.
I’ve known Rachel a little for many years, as we were brought together by a shared interest in serious Tarot. I didn’t really focus, though, on the range of her accomplishments. I’ve only now taken a more careful look—and to say I was impressed is to say the least.
I’m planning a series of Daily Notes this week, with more about Rachel, her work, and her personal gifts. I hope you’ll join me, and share any comments you may have.
To start with, a focus on her uniquely thoughtful and visually inspiring Tarot deck, The Shining Tribe. Here’s a brief description, from The Fool’s Dog:
Shining Tribe Tarot takes us to a mythic realm inspired by fifty thousand years of culturally diverse art. Sourced from ancient rock carvings, shamanic art from global cultures, the Kabbalah, and Jungian psychology, Shining Tribe is powerful, sophisticated, and utterly unique.
In Shining Tribe, the suits are renamed as Trees, Rivers, Birds, and Stones, and the royalty have become The Place, The Knower, The Gift, and The Speaker. The Major Arcana provides a map of the soul’s journey from birth to enlightenment, and the Minors show the kaleidoscope of human experience in all its varied forms.
Author/artist Rachel Pollack is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Tarot. “All of us who work with Tarot form a kind of tribe, one whose roots go back many thousands of years before the actual appearance of Tarot cards. This is the tribe of diviners, those special magicians, shamans, psychics, and visionaries who use cards, or sticks, or trees, or stones, or shells to communicate with the Gods.”
If you’d like to know more about Rachel’s process for creating the Shining Tribe, here’s a wonderful interview. It includes this illustration . . .
Til tomorrow, C