Tarot Yin & Yang - Death & the Sun, Part 1

Suits of Playing &

Tarot Cards Compared

In this eleven part series, the 22 Trump Cards will be presented in 'flag symmetry' order. Flags like Tarot Cards convey a deep sense of symbolism. Flags are symbols of nations, likewise Tarot Cards are symbols of the human condition.

Tarot Cards are related to playing cards. Essentially the four suits match up with four suits of a Tarot Deck of cards. Clubs match to Wands, Diamonds match Pentacles, Hearts match to Cups, and Spades match to Swords. Tarot decks have Royal suits - Kings, Queens, and Jacks...but instead of a Jack or Knave there is Page for Tarot.

Tarot Cards also have an extra royal suit called a Knight - that ranks above a Page and below a Queen. Imagine if regular cards had a extra royal suit. How much fun would that be?

The most important difference between a regular deck of cards and Tarot Deck is that Tarot has 22 trump cards - also known as Major Arcana. Essentially Trump Cards are related to varied personal challenges that an individual must deal with in life - if it is to be lived fully.

One should wisely use the hand that fate has deals you, since "you'll never know what life will deal you next" - Jack Dalton of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.



The cards used in these posts are from the most popular deck - the Rider-Waite Deck. This deck is grounded to the English Language and Judeo-Christian tradition.

There is no better place to begin with than two cards that feature flags - DEATH & THE SUN.

The flag of Death has a black background and features a wholly white rose similar to that of English Royalty. The flag is square like a military regimental flag. A human skeleton in black armor is holding the flag with its left hand and is riding a white horse.

The flag of the Sun is wholly red and extends lengthwise beyond the bottom of the card with no seeming end. In contrast to the Death Card a naked child wearing a wreath of flowers joyfully rides towards us on a white horse. But the white horse of the sun is unharnessed. It is essentially naked like the child. The child is crowed in a red feather in its fullness, also the black skeleton knight has red feather that has wilted on his helmets crest.

The sun can be found on both flags. The sun in the Death Card is at the point of transition on the upper horizon. Whether the sun is rising or setting an unwelcome change marches on. While the sun of the Sun Card is high in sky - in full splendor.

The Death Card and Sun Card are a balance of life in the beginning and at its end. Where do souls come from and where do they go? Both are 'horsemen' bearing two different flags. Likewise life & death are two interlinked concepts like Yin and Yang.

LINK TO PART 2

Origins of the Rattle Snake Flag - May 9 1751, not May 9 1754

260 years ago Benjamin Franklin published an sarcastic note entitled To the Printers of the Gazette - May 9, 1751.

In this article Franklin addresses the Empire's issue of sending "Felons" to the Colonies. In order to balance this immigration policy, Franklin suggests that North American Rattle snakes should then be sent back to England.

Ben wrote on today 260 years ago... "And Rattle-Snakes seem the most suitable Return for the Human Serpents sent us by our Mother Country. In this, however, as in every other Branch of Trade, she will have the Advantage of us. She (England) will reap equal benefits without equal risque of the Inconveniences and Dangers. For the Rattle-Snake gives Warning before he attempts his Mischief, which the Convict does not. I am."

Yours, Americanus
Gazette (May 9, 1751)

Three years later on May 9, 1754, Franklin printed his famous rattle snake image that became an American Symbol on several US flags. Did Ben Franklin have a fondness for May 9th? Maybe it's just a coincidence? Franklin was many things - insightful, creative, thoughtful, calculating, sarcastic, and keenly aware of natural cycles. He published an Almanac after all.

Franklin's Famous Rattle Snake Image
Printed in 1754, three years after
" I Am Americanus" Immigration Proposal

In any case Franklin shook his patriotic rattle in a threatening tone towards England three years before his famous rattle snake print was printed.

It seems the association of the rattle snake with America was set in Franklin's mind, long before his famous "JOIN, or DIE" rattle-snake print of 1754.

Happy Mother's Day, 2011

Mothers Day Flag
Mother & Daughter Jarvis

In honor of Mothers Day, here is a Mother's Day flag. Mother's Day took its form under the guidance of Ann Marie Jarvis and her mother Ann Maria Jarvis.

In order to distinguish the founders of Mother's Day it will be a bit easier to refer to them as Daughter Marie and Mother Maria.

Mother Maria was born in Virginia when it was still united with West Virginia 1832 in Culpeper County. Culpeper county is also vexillologically famous for Culpeper County Minute Men Flag from the US Revolution of 1776.

Culpeper Minute Men Flag 1775
Clupeper County later became a
birthplace of Mother's Day due to US Civil War
under the leadership of the Jarvis Family

Daughter Marie was born in West Virginia a year after it had broken away from Mother Virginia on May 1, 1864. West Virginia officially separated from the older eastern Virginia on June 20, 1863.

Likewise Virginia is considered to be the 'Mother State' of the United States, since Virginia is the oldest. The American Dream, at least in English started in Virginia, without interruption.


History books also call Virginia the Mother of Presidents since many of the early and founding father presidents of were born there: Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Tyler, Taylor, Wilson, and of course the grandest of all - Washington.

In honor of this privileged position I have created a Mother's Day Flag that combines the state flags of Virginia and West Virginia, since both states coincidentally gave birth to the founders of Mother's Day - as it is in the USA. The blue border and cross wreath are taken from West Virginia, while the inner head wreath is from the current flag of Virginia. In the center are portraits of the Jarvises - Mom Jarvis on the right and Daughter Jarvis on the left.

Mother Maria Jarvis organized women to help injured men on both sides of the US Civil War and became a pacifist. She like many other women and men thought a day to honor motherhood would help reconcile the tragedies of Civil War.

West VA Flag with Mother's Day Founder

Mother Maria Jarvis never lived to see Mother's Day officially adopted. But Daughter Marie Jarvis did, in 1914 under the last US President born in "Unbroken Virginia" - President Wilson.

Soviet Union & Red Afghan Flag - Fraternal Partners

Soviet Red Flag of Afghanistan
1978-1980

The flag of the Soviet Union is partnered up with the Red Soviet Flag of Afghanistan. From 1978 unto 1980 these flags were harmoniously aligned in the last quarter of the Cold War.

The scythe is simply a farm tool but when combined with the hammer - it became the essential icon of Communism.

The red flag of Afghanistan was the final harvest for the Soviet Union. In the 1980s the Red Army would fight is final fight against Islamic Militants & Osama Bin Laden.

Previously the Soviet Union was America's greatest ally against Nazi Europe and Imperial Japan. But soon afterwards the Soviet Union and United States became fierce political rivals that erupted into the Cold War - or rather World War III. It was fought on all five continents and in outer space.


The last of nations to raise a Red Communist Flag was Afghanistan. Both flags have yellow stars in the crest position. The Red Afghani flag officially flew for three years. It features a cross-wreath of wheat wrapped in a red ribbon. This harmoniously aligns with the scythe of the Soviet Emblem, since wheat is the primary crop associated with the sickle.

But the reaper also represents death. The conjunction of these flags hint at a notion of life and death. Likewise bread is a symbol of life. The Afghan flag has Arabic Script written upon it. In the center is reads in Pashtu "Khxalaq," which means the "Masses." On the banner written near the compartment is "Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, April 1378 (Islamic Calendar)."


During the proverbial sunset of the Cold War, the United States and her Mujahideen Allies delivered the death blow to an ailing and economically frustrated Soviet Union in the 1980s. Afterwards, the Soviets abandoned their social-political efforts in Afghanistan, and their Communist Forms dissolved into the history books.

After the smoke of the Cold War settled, the free and wild wildly contested Central Asian Region gave birth to the Taliban, which became a protective harbor for Osama bin Laden, until 9/11.

Flag of the Soviet Union
1922-1991

A generation later, the United States was fated to follow in the wake of the Red Army's Last Stand.

CLOSE UP OF SOVIET & RED AFGHAN FLAGS

The Fireman Cross-Shiled

Not all fire departments use this design, but is popular. The fireman's cross-shield is a specific kind of design used all across America.

The firefighter cross is basically a convoluted equilateral cross. In the four wings are various symbols and/or words fill the void.

Even in Hollywood land, the television show Resecue Me that stars Dennis Leary uses the fireman logo.

It's kind of like the Bat Signal - but for real ordinary superheroes.

A Stylized NYC pin with a stylized flag design
that uses six stripes instead of thirteen











Even in Hollywood land, the television show Resecue Me that stars Dennis Leary uses the fireman logo.

50th Anniversary of US SPACE FLIGHT

Mission of Patch of the USA's
first launch of an Astronaut on Cinco de Mayo 1961

50 years ago today, America entered the elite club of human spaceflight. But a foreign holiday has ursuped the lime light of this historical and epic flight.

It must be easier to make money off Cinco de Mayo? Most of the media outlets in the United States gave mucho air time to this St. Patty's Day-like holiday, that celebrates a military victory of another nation? Just Amazing!

50 years ago Cinco De Mayo was not a holiday! Perhaps it's only fair that someday in the future the USA should celebrate a French Canadian battle victory over the British? That holiday would of course be sponsored by Molson, Canada Dry, and LeBatt? Perhaps it could be celebrated in late September. A drinking holiday sounds good about then. This might be trendy once an immigrant group gets enough power in the US, it can celebrate its own patriotic drinking holiday when it beat up some other nation?

Of course these holidays must fall on and occult important American moments in history. Like the day the Wright brothers built an airplane back in 1903. We could insert and make up an American-Chilean Holiday when they fought against Peru and made them land locked nation.

The important thing is to market it properly and sell it with a theme and specific kind of alcoholic beverage.

Final Example: Sake, Japan, Cherry Blossom and their Naval victory over Russia in 1905 = new holiday...any takers?


Alan B Shepard
the first American in Outer Space
Who Cares! It's Cinco De Mayo!

Let's Celebrate a Military Victory of another nation!

Please note that Cinco De Mayo is for Mexico only. Guatemalans, Puerto Ricans, Panamanians and other nations of Latin America are not included.

It is not a Pan-Latin American holiday that celebrates culture.

Makes you think what kind of new "American" holidays are just around the corner?

Intersex & Bi-Sexual Flag - Yin & Yang of Body and Mind

Bi-sexual Pride Flag

Much of the world is familiar with the Rainbow Flag as being associated with Gay Pride. One generational line is that Generation X - can remember a time when Rainbows were used for kids and Noah's Ark only. If you can remember a time when rainbows were not associated with gay people then you were born after Generation X. You may be a part of Generation Y or I (Generation I can not remember a time before the INTERNET).

However within this 'Rainbow Nation' there are other types of 'transgendered' flags. One being the Bi-sexual flag, and the other being the Intersex flag. The Intersex flag has six stripes arranged horizontally. There are tree pink stripes, two white stripes, and one blue stripe.

The Bi-sexual Pride flag is typically a horizontal tri-bar. It has blue on the bottom and red-pink up top. In the middle is a thinner purple stripe.

Usually gay people are attracted to their own gender. But there are some people in the who seem to have one foot in the gay community and another in straight community. Many people, gay and straight, can not wrap their heads around these so called 'switch hitters.' Apparently being gay or straight for bi-sexual people is a choice.

In a similar tone the intersex flag uses the colours pink and blue. It has six stripes - three pink, two white and one blue. The fourth and third stripe are merged, this symbolically indicates that this personal has both male and female tissues.

Intersex Flag

The intersex are sort of like unicorns, but are not imaginary!

The intersex vary in degrees of a mixed gender. At one end there are men who grow mammary tissue - Gynecomastia.

At the other end there are people who develop both male and female reproductive organs in varying degrees. In the previous millennium these real life XX-Men & XY Women were kept hidden from the public spotlight, due fear and shame. But recently, these people born in between a male and female gender are speaking up.

Society is less judgmental towards intersex people - since they were made that way. But with bi-sexual people, it is a tougher nut to crack since this issue is seemingly behavioral.

"The Intersex" may be the ace of spades for the Gay Pride Movement