Module 1

Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air

The Aces of the Minor Arcana: Pentacles, Cups, Wands, and Swords

Each Minor Arcana Suit comprises 10 numbered cards, as well as 4 Royal cards (Page, Knight, Queen and King). While each card represents its own messages, the ace acts as the first in its respective suit. It acts as a seed of potential from which the subsequent cards grow, with each suit symbolically corresponding to a specific element. The ace manifests as a distillation of the message the suit embodies. Given the “minor” aspect of the cards, they are a versatile symbolic tool to incorporate into the various subsequent modules, serving as motifs that create connections between the various works.

I – The Magician

It is appropriate that the resolved work of the first module focuses on the concept of manifestation, creation, and the initiation of a new project that brings the unreal into the real world. There is the superficial relevance to the semester’s creative practice, but it takes on a broader meaning when applied to my own lived experience. Taking the tools, resources, and intention at my disposal to pursue the life I have idealised. Whether this is finding employment more suited to my ethics, a residential situation that suits my financial needs, beginning a degree as a “mature age” student in the pursuit of a career, exploring aspects of self and spirituality, or the development of technical and conceptual skills that enrich my arts practice.

The Magician takes the component parts of the minor arcana, combining them to manifest their intention. It could be taken literally, combining physical components (a solution of water and earth-sourced materials, fire introduced to induce a reaction, the vapour becoming airborne and subsequently captured), but it can also be considered more esoterically. When you consider the pentacle’s association with the material world and financial stability; cup’s association with emotions and relationships; wand’s association with creativity and willpower; and sword’s association with intellect and communication; the manner in which they become “combined ingredients” takes on a new meaning. (Fun fact, one of my best friends states that The Magician is the card they most associate with me.)

“The Magician” is composed of 4 separate elements, both literally a symbolically.

It began with a representation of Pentacles, a symbol associated with earth, the material world and physical experience. It was made from reclaimed branches weaved together into a circle, which was braced on a circular piece of plywood. Green twine was used to secure the branches together, while also implying organic life through the colour. This feature of the sculpture shows the dichotomous characteristic of nature to adopt irregular shapes while humanity takes those elements and manipulates them into recognizable forms. Placing this object at the bottom, and placing all the others within it suggests the baseness of earth while mimicking the phrase associated with the Magician “As Above, So Below.”

The next element is the ceramic Cup, representative of water, emotions and relationships. Initially, I wanted to create a cup with both a basin and a base, however, I was limited by both the amount of clay I had and the limitations of my own technical ability. Placed in the centre of the Pentacle, it appears as an inverted Cup with water spilling out of the stem, with the Wand (the next element) placed inside of it. Within the Tarot, inversions transform the meaning of cards, implying a personal challenge regarding emotions and relationships.

Following the Cup is the Wand, a representation of fire, passion and creativity. Another reclaimed object, this feature was carved from an old hard redwood fence paling which I then charred to imply the presence of fire. Wands are the most commonly recognisable aspect of magical practice (aside from pentacles), and is a symbol in the overall work very close to my heart given the creative nature of my degree.

Finally, the Sword hangs over the previous elements, representing air, logic and strife. This feature presented the opportunity to employ skills I have learned from other courses, as I utilised skills in 3D modelling and printing to produce the first base Sword that was used through this and the subsequent module. This 3D model was then used to create a 2-part pinkysil mould, which was then used to pour several epoxy resin moulds. The epoxy cures clear, which is appropriate for an element that is invisible. This transparency meant that the object could still be observed, but not with the immediate clarity of the other objects. Utilising a clear fishing line to hang the Sword also achieved the illusion of weightlessness. The final touch was to char the base of the sword that was suspended above the wand, depicting the connection between the 2 elements. As someone who has experienced a variety of mental health challenges, the connection to this symbol is uncanny. It is no coincidence that The Magician represents creation and inspiration, as this first module informed the direction of all subsequent modules, with my final presentation being resolved installation utilising the Tarot to communicate my own narrative.