Children of Air, Fire, Water and Earth
The Gaian Tarot Children correspond to Pages in traditional decks. In readings, children are neophytes, students or beginners in areas associated with their element. In a life cycle, she or he represents the quality of birth, corresponding to a new or crescent moon. Each Child in the Gaian Tarot is shown encountering a symbol of his or her suit for the first time — a butterfly, the flames of a campfire, a starfish at the tideline, a just-picked apple. These Children remind us of the sense of wonder we felt the first time we encountered the natural world close-up.
 |
 |
Child of Air
The Child of Air gazes at a swallowtail butterfly that alights on her hand. She can feel the trembling of delicate wings and wonders if it's really a faery, disguised as a butterfly. Butterflies take flight in a spiral around her. She remembers a story in which a wise old Zen master asks, “Am I a person dreaming that I'm a butterfly, or am I a butterfly who dreams I am a person?”
|
 |
Child of Fire
The Child of Fire laughs in delight at the flames of a campfire that dance and dazzle him. Humans have gazed into flames since the beginning of time, fascinated by the warmth, radiance, visions — and even danger — that the fire brings. Yet each new child who discovers fire discovers all this for the first time. His companion, the tabby cat, is as comfortable in the shadows as she is basking in the glow of the firelight.
|
 |
Child of Water
The Child of Water sits at the tideline, where the water meets the shore. As the tide flows and ebbs, treasures are uncovered then covered up once more. The water's edge is a place of fascination and magic for children and adults alike. The Child's attention is caught by a bright orange sea star and she watches to see if it will move. Nearby, a hermit crab scuttles by, carrying its house on its back. All around her, rocks and shells are strewn like jewels and sunlight sparkles on the water. Behind her, Mama Ocean rises and falls, ebbs and flows, and the sound of her ripples and waves are a lullabye of the heart.
|
 |
Child of Earth
The Child of Earth holds a ripe apple in his small hands. It's fresh-picked, right off the tree, and its tangy aroma tickles the Child's nose. It feels heavy, solid and grounding in his hands. He gazes at the apple as if it holds all the mysteries of the universe — and perhaps it does, for a pentacle of apple seeds is revealed when the apple is cut crossways. His companion the Rabbit is most often seen in those borderline times of dawn and dusk, when it is easiest to slip between this world and the Otherworld.
|
|
 |
|
|
