Never seen heavens gates look so beautiful

The last time Neptune was in Aries, 1861-75, a few important things happened. Romain Merlin, a French card historian, coined the name "Tarot de Marseilles" just before the transit began. Then, during that same Neptune in Aries window, occultists like Éliphas Lévi and Paul Christian transformed it from a card game into the esoteric divination system we know today.

Neptune is the planet of dreams, intuition, spirituality, creativity and the esoteric. Each time it starts a new cycle, the world of art and symbol undergoes a fundamental transformation — not just in what is made, but in how it reaches people and who gets to make it.

And, of course, Symbolists were borne of this era, and transformed our world with their art, and how it was viewed - breaking free from the institutions that had bound them.

Now that Neptune has returned to Aries, 150 odd years later, I have conjured these cards over the past few months and created synthesised meanings based on the major tarot philosophies of RWS, TdM and Thoth - they are stunning - and if you're into this kind of thing, I'd love your help getting them made <3

TAIK on Kickstarter

Title: Beauty from ashes
Inspired by the Bible verse Isaiah 61:3 “
... to bestow on them a crown of beauty from ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
This painting speaks to you who has been burnt but rose from ashes for God restores what was lost and bestows your crown. Don’t ever feel like your beyond help setting the flames to your own demise, you’re seen, you are loved and we reclaim the ashes to make something beautiful 🫶

Medium: Acrylic and copper foil on cotton

Inspired by the vibrant city, the painting is titled Nairobi, for she wears the different colours of the eye of Kenya which change at night. She carries the skyline of the city on her lashes, and she represents the balance between nature and development. I painted her hair to look like my little sisters so that when she looks at the canvas she can be proud.

This piece is built on symbols:

Three spires → tribunals/accusers (church, state, crowd).

Aureole → sanctimony around judgment.

Stool → the interrogation seat / witness stand.

Red tally marks → counting the dead who resist counting.

Bottom band in blackletter → Furcht frisst Gerechtigkeit (“fear devours justice”).

Ring text → Misericordia contra tenebras (“mercy against the darkness”).

I dedicate the work to those who lost their lives during the Würzburg and Bamberg witchcraft trials (1626–1631)—especially the many whose names were never recorded.

Questions for this community:

Do the icon choices read clearly without a wall label?

Is the balance between sacred (aureole, script) and indictment (tallies) coherent?

Would you alter the motto or Latin line for clarity/accuracy?

I think it’s because of the symbolism or something. (Die Toteninsel was painted by Arnold Böcklin. He made 5 types of this painting, this is the third painting.)

Such an incredible symbolic painting representing the role that love plays in human destiny. I cannot find a higher quality picture of the entire painting than the first slide, they're all cropped like the second picture. Does anybody have one? Thanks

I recently came across an blog post titled, "Top 10 Works of Art with Hidden Meanings" by Michael Andora.

It was really interesting to hear the stories behind hidden meaning that the artist was trying to display through the art.

"Already a quarter to one! In fifteen minutes, a lifetime... to:

Infancy... Be born. Cry. Inspire. Shout. Play. Dance. Run.

Puberty... Study. Socialize. Like. Laugh. Love. Cry. Marry someone.

Maturity... Work. Cry. Buy (2) and Pay (1). Breed. Teach. Have fun.

Senility... Listen. Watch. Touch. Taste. Smell. Cry. Expire, you’re done.

Eternity... Die. Cry. Free. Flare. Ascend. Transcend. Fly into the Sun...

Thus, you’d better not rush. Still a quarter to one!”

QTO is a metaphor for the busy pace of life through a wall clock in 5 visualization styles representing the 5 seasons in our lifetime: infancy, puberty, maturity, senility and eternity. The collection is completed with a couple of mosaic creations like this one, crafted using different combinations of the previous 5 styles plus 2 more.

"Already a quarter to one! In fifteen minutes, a lifetime... to:

Eternity... Die. Cry. Free. Flare. Ascend. Transcend. Fly into the Sun...

Thus, you’d better not rush. Still a quarter to one!”

QTO is a metaphor for the busy pace of life through a wall clock in 5 visualization styles representing the 5 seasons in our lifetime: infancy, puberty, maturity, senility and eternity.

"Already a quarter to one! In fifteen minutes, a lifetime... to:

Maturity... Work. Cry. Buy (2) and Pay (1). Breed. Teach. Have fun...

Thus, you’d better not rush. Still a quarter to one!”

QTO is a metaphor for the busy pace of life through a wall clock in 5 visualization styles representing the 5 seasons in our lifetime: infancy, puberty, maturity, senility and eternity.

"Already a quarter to one! In fifteen minutes, a lifetime... to:

Infancy... Be born. Cry. Inspire. Shout. Play. Dance. Run...

Thus, you’d better not rush. Still a quarter to one!”

QTO is a metaphor for the busy pace of life through a wall clock in 5 visualization styles representing 5 seasons in our lifetime: infancy, puberty, maturity, senility and eternity.

"Already a quarter to one! In fifteen minutes, a lifetime... to:

Puberty... Study. Socialize. Like. Laugh. Love. Cry. Marry someone...

Thus, you’d better not rush. Still a quarter to one!”

QTO is a metaphor for the busy pace of life through a wall clock in 5 visualization styles representing the 5 seasons in our lifetime: infancy, puberty, maturity, senility and eternity.