The Power Within The Deck

Although we may be accustomed to the traditional deck of cards that displays kings, queens, and jacks, the tarot Deck has grown in popularity as a tool for assisting individuals to interpret signs that are supposedly sent from the universe, such as a repetitive appearance of items in one’s life like numbers or an animal, and more. Hand-painted tarot cards were initially presented in Italy in the fourteenth century. Like other playing cards, the tarot was initially used as a game, eventually gaining popularity and spreading throughout Europe. Initially, there were four players, each of whom had eighteen cards—plus a “dog pile” of six cards. The bidding phase then proceeded. Each player was essentially attempting to demonstrate the strength of their belief in the points that their cards contained. There were ongoing tricks played amongst the participants, and the basic rules varied based on the culture of the players. The most valuable cards within the game were known as the “Honors’’ which consisted of the Fool, the Magician, and the World.

However, the tarot deck has evolved to possess a mysticality that has contributed to its influence and modern popularity. A Frenchman named Jean-Baptise Alliete wrote a book in the 18th century that offered comparisons between the idea of divination and tarot cards. He incorpo- rated an element and a connection to astronomy into each card, allowing people to use the deck as a tool for introspection instead of a game. In the early 1900s, tarot cards were made available in the United States, and the Rider-Waite deck served as a manual for others to learn the meanings of the cards. Due to its mystique, the deck has been exaggerated in the extent of its powers and is often used in carnivals and other events. Though, the tarot deck was never meant to be used to foretell the future; it was meant to help people connect with their intuition and seek answers to questions.

The mystery within the tarot decks continues with card number 13, which often signifies death. Although death may be categorized as a doomed stage in life, in the world of tarot and spirituality, card number 13 can be associated with a metamorphosis of the self. By reading into the symbols of the card, clarity can be brought about signaling a new journey or beginning. The card is usually depicted with four figures greeting the Grim Reaper. The four characters consist of a young girl, a king, a man that looks like a pope, and a child holding a bouquet of flowers. These characters display how death doesn’t discriminate based on race, religion, age, socioeconomic status, or gender identity; the Reaper is the equalizer of the people. He dismantles hierarchy. Each of these characters shows an interpretation of death differently: the king displays how death disregards a person’s power, the pope is trying to negotiate with death, the girl is turning away—almost denying death, and the young boy is greeting death with flowers and open arms.

The thirteenth card possesses many dualities, for you can view this card through different lenses. The card’s principal meaning is to show the beauty of letting go of the old and stepping into a transformation of the self. Life is a cycle; without death and change, there can be no way for new aspects and entities to enter your life. Without letting go of things, there is no space for change and growth. The ability to grow as a person allows for a sense of freedom. Once you let go of the old, you choose what you bring into the new. There is a lot of fear surrounding death in our culture and an insistent obsession with youth. We don’t want to see death but, in reality, there is beauty in ending things that don’t serve you.

Writers: Natalie Willis & Emily Montarroyos / Editors: Jayna O & Lexi Fernandez

Shoot Staffers: Angelika Ziemecki, Alexis Brown, Tyler Jones, Lalo Ambris, Emma Edy Morris

Beauty: Addison Nance

Models: Brianna Souffran, Everett Reed, Roxana Chen

Photographer: Tess Passinault

Videographer: Tristan Reale

Layout: Abigail Endsley

Humans are imaginative creatures. We love to dream of an ethereal future, and we will do all we can to make it there. Whether it be designing life-transforming technology or sending a man to the moon, humans have always been persistent. Apollo 13 was a successful failure, something familiar to all of us on a much smaller scale.

In the past, the Apollo 13 mission was viewed as a potential catalyst for the futuristic society that never came to be. Society collectively hoped the mission would bring about a Star Trekesque future with flying cars, eradicated diseases, and hightech specs.

The society conceptualized for the 2020s and beyond never came to be. By now, we should have been flying through the air in cars or using jet packs to reach our world’s highest peaks. If these fantasies became reality, there would be tall, futuristic buildings made entirely of glass, and our energy would be entirely clean and sustainably sourced.

Still, we are forced to keep all four wheels on the ground. There are no holograms of historic figures floating in the air as beacons of transcendence, and there’s no cure for cancer. We, as humans, have an innate desire for success, but those all too often become failures, instead. The Apollo 13 mission was simply a predecessor to the rest of our successful failures. On a small scale, we strive for validation in the unhealthiest ways, ranging from academics to corporate winnings. We will always have the desire to be the best and gain glory by becoming the savior of society. This isn’t a reality, but failing upward is always better than never trying at all.

Ever since many of us were young, we have always been amazed by the night sky. Its vast darkness, filled with little beams of light dazzling and dancing among each other, forming constellations and showing glimpses of galaxies far beyond what the naked eye can see. It wasn’t until we grew older that we realized the same night sky we grew so fond of when we were younger had also captured the attention of many who came before us. To them, the night sky symbolized a new beginning— a future yet to be discovered.