Feb 21 | 2023 — Ace of Vessels
I was contemplating some of the conversations I had yesterday about the propensity of those involved in Tarot to feel compelled to purchase new Tarot or Oracle decks. Personally, I am all for supporting creative artists who bring new decks to life; it is no small feat and is certainly a cause for consideration. However, there are only a few decks to which I actually feel a connection and use in my regular practice.
I decided to showcase one deck in particular today, the Terra Volatile, because this deck is truly unique, and includes a fifth suit (outside of wands, cups, pentacles, and swords): the Vessels, focused on our internal spiritual presence. The creators describe the suit of Vessels as such:
The Vessels embody the Quintessence, a celestial substance that connects the different realms of reality, binding all four classical elements in a harmonious balance. We made this suit of Vessels to provide a deeper self-knowledge, in order to achieve a higher level of awareness and rebirth.
The narrative of our spiritual journey begins with a personal crisis and the search for answers. An epic adventure on the depths of ourselves reveals many challenges and transformations that allow us to return as a new improved being.
The concept of this journey was strongly influenced by Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth, which describes an archetypal hero and his classical descent to the underworld and subsequent return.
At its core, The Vessels is a take on alchemical philosophies that have been around since at least 3500 B.C. to encourage us to break down the natural, raw, spiritual components within ourselves to refine and not just transform, but transmute into something entirely new. I figured there was no better place to start than the beginning with the Ace of Vessels.
About the Ace of Vessels: I went down the Alchemy rabbit hole last night, trying to understand its intentions other than trying to make gold out of lead. It was a fascinating rabbit hole, let me tell you, full of historic references that originated in Asia, India, and the Mediterranean, and extended to the West in medieval times. I barely scratched the surface, but it really made me eager to learn more about the concept of Vessels in this deck.
To start, this card — The Ace of Vessels — depicts a sealed glass container with a small tube that leads to another smaller chamber, referred to as an alchemical alembic. This vessel represents us, and all changes, transformations, and transmutations occur within. There is a dark liquid that is pooling in the second smaller container (most likely Dr. Pepper if this card is a representation of me) and is an indication that there is a cleansing of some form happening, similar to the liver cleansing the blood. It is the start of a purification process.
The sun on the front of the vessel is a symbol of spiritual awakening, that we are ready to rise and focus on our inner selves. In a sense, this a call to move past the individual four suits of Tarot (wands, cups, pentacles, and swords), and view them as a collective whole that we must balance to find harmony. Only when we embrace the four elements (suits) and find equilibrium in the soul, heart, body, and mind can we begin to focus on spiritual change.
As an Ace, this card is the first step in the journey: our golden opportunity, the seed of intuition. It encourages you to trust in your own intuition and find your own inner sanctity. If I were giving a traditional reading and this card appeared, it would indicate that you are ready for something big and have the inner strength to pursue it. It would indicate a brilliant opportunity that will help you find your purpose in life if you choose to start the alchemical journey of transformation and transmutation.
I think this card (and suit) speak to me because I DID find a spiritual “awakening” with my deep delve into Tarot, one that I didn’t expect, but was pleasantly surprised by how “at home” it made me feel. Those who know me or who have followed my Tarot journey know that I come from a challenging Mormon upbringing that was at odds with my being gay. Institutional religion, as a whole, was a massive turn-off because of the emotional and psychological trauma it caused. Tarot allowed me to reconnect to my spiritual side without feelings of judgment or guilt.
I find this suit exciting as it truly branches out from traditional Tarot in a way that is inclusive and complimentary to existing Tarot philosophy and enhances the existing suits to encourage harmony of the elements in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
If you’re interested in learning more about this card and this deck, I highly recommend checking out Terra Volatile. At the time of this writing, the deck is, unfortunately, sold out. However, there have been reprints in the past, and I’m sure the deck will be available again soon. The PDF guidebook is available for free on their site.
In terms of the introduction of this new suit, what are your thoughts? I know a lot of people who read this don’t engage in Tarot as a practitioner. Is this something you would like to learn more about or have me discuss in further detail, maybe once a week?
Deck shown above:
