Earth Court Cards
THE STORYTELLERS OF EARTH
The Ulster Family
The Earth Court Cards are the Irish family. They arise out of the Ulster Cycle and a group of people known as the Ulaid who lived about two thousand years ago and gave their name to the region. The Ulster Cycle centers around the reign of King Conchobar who ruled at Emain Macha, now known as Navan Fort in Northern Ireland.
Court Cards have characters that Imaginosophy terms Storytellers, for if you spend time with the cards, they do indeed tell stories. The Storytellers often describe the people in your life, especially your inner circle or family members. In the ancient Celtic world men and women enjoyed equality and knew together they were at their strongest and most powerful.
In the Earth Court Cards, the Storytellers are the lovely Heroine Emer, the warrior Hero Cuchulain, the powerful and potent Queen Maeve, and her equally powerful ex-husband King Conchobar. Imaginosophy has added a fifth deity or family member to the cards. These are the Mages, and each one is a master of their element. They act as guides on the path to wholeness. In the Earth cards the Mage appears as the enchantress Scatach who forges heroes.
Heroine of Earth – Emer
Keywords:
Observation – Self-Reliance – Good News
Shadow
Procrastination – Ignoring the past.
Colors
Emerald/Rose/Gold
Meaning:
The Heroine of Earth replaces the Page of Pentacles. The idea is similar with a twist. A young woman holds a golden coin but looks toward the reader. Emer is all about beauty, artistic appreciation, and reflection. She is the bearer of good news, especially in terms of the material world, finances, and health matters. She is loyal and will stand by your side. Emer has the tendency to keep life on the surface and look away from the more challenging aspects of life.
If you have pulled the Heroine of Earth in a reading, place your attention on the physical world and notice how your actions impact everything around you. Emer whispers that with luck, there may be a financial opportunity coming your way. It is time to begin to manifest your dreams and visions. She says that if you know what you truly want, then go for it. Emer may appear in your life as a loyal and helpful friend.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
Emer is depicted as a beautiful young woman holding a golden coin. Emer is old Irish but in modern Irish her name would be Eimhear. The sun behind her indicates that she is linked to the Sun deities. Three birds fly above her indicating that she has spiritual assistance from the Otherworlds. Richly attired, she knows that the Earth is a source of wealth, and so is her ancestry. Her ability to attune to the natural world is emphasized by the faery in the lower left-hand side of the card. She wears rose quartz, the stone of unconditional love. Her triangular shaped necklace links her to the grail goddesses. Emerald, rose, and gold are her colors, which suggests that her innately compassionate heart knows to trust the process of life. Emer is someone who loves the wisdom of the body and the Earth. She also loves her man Cuchulain and is fiercely dedicated to him. An astrological glyph for Virgo in in the lower right-hand corner.
As a person: A loyal friend. Someone who enjoys learning new skills and is ready to take on more earthly responsibility, such as a new marriage partner. A woman who can love deeply. Someone who knows that sometimes we must forget the past and carry on. A person who looks the other way to avoid conflict.
Astrology:
Virgo is an Earth sign. Virgo is traditionally characterized by the goddess of agriculture. Virgos tend to be very detail oriented, humanitarian, and reliable. Although well intended, they can be very judgmental. They love beauty but can be perfectionists. Virgos know that patience and hard work pays off and can be very detailed and successful artists. They desire to see the best in people, will overlook past troubles, and tend to be very kind.
Story:
Emer was a great beauty and healer, who became the wife of the Irish hero Cuchulain. Her only jealousy was of the fairy woman Fand. She is one of the most beloved characters in Irish mythology.
Myth: Emer’s One True Love
“The love story of Cuchulain and Emer, recorded in 700AD, was part of the Ulster Cycle, a body of largely heroic legends from Celtic Mythology. Emer captured the imagination of the great poet W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory and other writers during the Irish Literary Renaissance. The daughter of gold trader and chieftain Forgall Manach, Emer was a celebrated beauty, and it was she who would become the wife of Cuchulain, who was to become the greatest of Irish heroes.
When Cuchulain visited Emer at Forgall’s house in County Dublin, he wooed her by trading cryptic riddles with her. Or perhaps from the very beginning, they simply knew each other’s thoughts. Emer was practical and would not be swept off her feet immediately, saying she would accept Cuchulain as a husband only when he had proven that he was ready for the position. Emer’s father Forgall was opposed to the marriage and, hoping to kill off the suitor, suggested that Cuchulain go and train with the Scottish sorceress Scátach. While Cuchulain was away, Forgall was determined that Emer should marry royalty, and he offered Emer to Lugaid mac Noís, a king of Munster. However, when he heard that Emer had promised herself to the young hero Cuchulain, Lugaid thought it best to refuse her hand.
Our story begins at the first meeting of the two young lovers in County Dublin at the home of Forgall. Emer was said to have been given six gifts that made her shine like a gentle sun: beauty, a gentle voice, sweet words, quiet wisdom, chastity, and the ability to weave beautiful and magical tapestries….”
(Excerpt from: Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses.)
Grail Question:
What is your heart’s desire?
What are you overlooking?
What are you loyal to?
Hero of Earth – Cuchulain
Keywords:
Protective – Loyal – Ambitious – Fighter
Shadow
Disloyal – Unreliable – Warring
Colors
Red/Green/Gold
Meaning:
The Hero of Earth replaces the Knight of Pentacles. Cuchulain holds his shield in the form of a golden pentacle. The sun, man and shield seem to stimulate the living world around him. He is walking toward a fortress, and it seems that a new job or livelihood is in front of him. Cuchulain is a hero and fearless warrior. He reminds us that we achieve our dreams through hard work, focus, and determination. There are times when we will be called upon to find teachers and mentors who can take our skillsets to the next level.
If you pulled the Hero of Earth in a reading your destiny is clear; if you persevere and follow your highest sun-filled destiny, you will succeed. Cuchulain may appear in your life as a person who will take your side and go to battle with you.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
Cuchulain, an Irish Achilles, is the central hero the Ulster cycle, and the warrior of King Conchobar. According to myth, he had Sidhe blood, and due to this he was considered unstoppable in battle. He was trained in the magical arts by the warrior woman and mystic, Scatach.
Cuchulain does not ride a horse, but gazes directly at the reader as if challenging them to connect. In front of him is the fortress where his wife Emer lives. On his golden shield is the emblem of a three leafed clover. The Irish thought of the Shamrock as a sacred symbol and it was later used to teach the Trinity. However, the idea of the Trinity predates Christianity and has ancient Sumerian roots of Sky, Earth, and Water. The Babylonians spoke of one god in three people. In India the three gods appear as the Trimurti: Vishnu (the preserver), Shiva (the destroyer), and Brahma (the creator).
The sun shining above Cuchulain’s head seems to radiate through his hair, collar, and shield, even giving vitality to the ferns and bees that surround him. His father is the sun god Lugh. One could say that Cuchulain has the Spirit of the Sun within him which gives him his superhuman strength and bravery, as well as innate wisdom and power. Like Shiva, Cuchulain can act as a charmer of women but also a magical destroyer, which is why he is still considered Ireland’s greatest hero archetype.
Behind Cuchulain and beneath a Golden Apple tree, stands a shimmering white faery or sea deity by the name of Fand. Although Cuchulain was married to Emer, he became entangled with another’s wife. The fairy beneath the Golden Apple tree is Fand, the wife of the Irish sea god Manannan Mac Lir, Fand was known as the pearl of beauty, and she fell in love with Cuchulain. He spent a month with her in the Plain of Light (Fairyland) and his wife Emer wanted to kill her. Manannan also wished for his wife to return and since they all realized they were in a cycle of betrayal and heartbreak, Manannan shook his cloak of forgetting between them and they all returned to their rightful realms and partners. The druid Cathbad brewed a drink of forgetfulness so that Cuchulain and Emer could forget the past and come back together again.
(See: Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses.)
As a person: A good provider; a knight in shining armor. A loyal person who can be trusted to get the job done. A person who will battle with you. A defender of the truth.
Astrology:
Capricorn is an Earth sign. Generally, people born under the sign of Capricorn are ambitious and strong. They will keep going when others have given up. Because they are loyal and dedicated, they tend to make wonderful partners, friends, and collaborators. Capricorns like to shine and do care about beauty and the way others perceive them.
Legend: Cuchulain, the Hero:
“Cuchulain had a supernatural beginning. On her wedding night, his mother Dechtire (the daughter of Goddess Maga and a druid) was visited by the sun god Lugh in the form of a fly, which she swallowed and became impregnated by. Dechtire gave birth to Setanta, who became known as Cuchulain. This demi-sun god possessed many powers, even in childhood. From the time of his birth, he could swim like a fish. At the young age of seven, he fought off over a hundred boy warriors to enter his uncle’s court. When he was twelve years old, Setanta accidentally killed the ferocious white hound of the metalworker Cullan. He offered to guard Cullan’s property until another watchdog could be trained. It was at that time that he was renamed Cuchulain, meaning “hound of Cullan.“ He grew up to be a handsome, well-spoken man who was very popular with women. When it was time for the hero Cuchulain to wed, the men of Ulster searched all over for a suitable wife for him, but he was only interested in the great Irish beauty Emer.
Cuchulain, wishing to marry Emer, was sent to Scatach by the chieftain Forgall Manach who hopes the Goddess will kill the suitor and that his daughter will marry into royalty. Scatach sees that he is meant to have a short but meritorious destiny and trains him. His famous rages do not disturb Scatach, who knows an even greater wrath.
Eventually Scatach sends Cuchulain back to Emer as a man who is ready to claim his wife and step into the life of a true hero….”
(Excerpt from: Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses.)
Grail Question:
What is your destiny?
What is worth fighting for?
How do you defend your truth?
Queen of Earth – Maeve
Keywords:
Practical – Robust – Sensual – Wrathful Protector
Shadow
Conflict at home – Promiscuity.
Colors
Olive/Gold/Green
Meaning:
The Queen of Earth knows how to build wealth, both in terms of finances and material possessions. She does not passively regard the golden pentacle but instead gazes directly at the reader as if challenging them. Symbolic of Mother Earth, Maeve is the symbol of wealth and riches. She also has natural healing abilities and was both unabashedly sexual and fertile. Maeve concerns herself with fairness and can become wrathful if she feels an injustice has been committed. As a goddess of sovereignty, a king could not rule without her approval.
If you have pulled this card in a reading, consider it an omen of success in love and business.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
Queen Maeve gazes at the reader with full awareness as if reading the soul. She is beautiful, powerful, and potentially deadly. She can be warm and devoted but is not someone you want to cross. The bees, wildflowers, and butterflies that surround Maeve symbolize her fertility, for she is an embodiment or expression of the land. Four geese fly above the symbol of the trinity clover, which in this case points to the more ancient trinity of mother-daughter-soul. Geese are wonderful totems who know how to defend and protect their tribe. The silvery blue sky behind Maeve suggests that she has full access to the realms of spirit.
As a person: A powerful and autonomous person of means. A woman who can defend herself and others from negative forces. A leader who understands the undeniable beautify of the land and the sacredness of plants and animals. A fiercely independent person.
Astrology:
Taurus is an Earth sign, and its symbol is the bull. Like the beast, Taurians tend to be intelligent, hardworking, and stubborn. Those born under the sign of Taurus value honesty. They also love material possessions. Part of their shadow is that they dislike authority figures, and they can take pleasure seeking too far.
Story:
Queen Maeve (Medb) was a daughter of the king of Tara and a goddess of sovereignty. She became the warrior Queen of Connacht. Famous for her beauty, she was known as a Queen of Sovereignty or Goddess of the Land who ensured the fertility of the nation. This independent warrior-queen had five husbands and at least seven children. She could be compared to several of the twenty-one Taras, especially the Black Tara of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition who is a wrathful protectress, guarding practitioners from black magic, evil spirits, negative karma as well as a variety of obstacles to liberation. Maeve is basically an Irish tantrika, one who worships the goddess within. She refused to let any king rule at Tara unless he had first bedded her.
Strong-willed Maeve is the archetypal warrior queen. Her name means, “She who intoxicates.” Queen Maeve’s first husband was King Conchubar, but the marriage did not go well. She is most famous for her role as Queen of Connaught during the Battle for the Brown Bull of Cooley.
Myth/Legend: Queen Maeve & The Brown Bull
In the ancient days, Celtic women enjoyed equal rights. As the story goes, one evening Maeve and her husband Aillil began to tease each other about who had the most possessions. Maeve claimed that they had an equal amount. They both counted but it turned out that Aillil had one more bull than Maeve. Not to be outdone, Maeve sent a message to the owner of the Brown Bull of Cooley saying that she would like to purchase the beast. However, Dara refused to sell the bull. Enraged, Maeve created the beginning of what was to be known as the Táin Bó Cuailnge, or the Cattle Raid of Cooley. She summoned her armies and may have won had it not been for the hero Cuchulain. Maeve’s armies were still able to steal the Brown Bull but when the beast entered her fields he bellowed, and Aillil’s White Bull charged him. The two bulls gored each other, and the result was the death of both bulls. After that Maeve was determined to wreck vengeance on Cuchulain because of the devastation he had caused her army.
Grail Question:
What is worth fighting for?
What is your connection with the living landscape?
What do you love most?
King of Earth - Conchobar
Keywords:
Authority – Power – Material Riches
Shadow
Power Over – Domination – Abuse of Power
Colors
Gold/Green/Purple
Meaning:
The King of Earth indicates a person who is doing their best to improve themselves, achieve their goals and become successful. He symbolizes good health, and stability in love and business. The shadow side arises when love of the material world becomes the lust for power and domination over others.
If you have pulled Conchobar (pronounced Connor) in a reading it represents the good things in life are available to you. When he appears as a person, he may be a generous benefactor or someone who will fight you for power and control.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
King Conchobar gazes directly, even sensuously, at the reader. He has a twinkle in his eye, and it is clear that he feels at home in the material world. He wears the golden pentacle as a necklace, suggesting that the owns and possesses the gold. Stacks of coins mark his great wealth. Dragonflies are considered magical beings in the Celtic tradition. It may be in part because the Dragonfly’s eyes can see 360 degrees. This is a totem that can help one rise above the mundane and see the greater picture. They also have to do with overcoming the delusions of self, and Conchobar who has almost everything cannot possess it all by force, especially the heart of another. The golden third eye on his headband suggests that he is magic, with the ability to see clairvoyantly and perhaps prophetically. He may have the ability to peer into this kingdom and keep track of his subjects. The green in the band suggests that despite his failings in the arena of love, he basically has a strong and good heart. The Alder leaves behind Conchobar as we have seen in Eight of Earth, indicate that this strong king knows how to cultivate and enrich the land.
As a person: An experienced and mature person who is steady and down-to-earth. A person to go to for financial advice. Not a person to cross in matters of love.
Astrology:
Like Maeve, Conchobar falls under the sign of the Earth sign Taurus. Their symbol is the bull. Taurians tend to be intelligent, hardworking, and stubborn. Those born under the sign of Taurus value honesty. They also love material possessions. Part of their shadow is that they dislike authority figures, and they can take pleasure seeking too far.
Story:
Conchobar mac Nessa was a great and admirable Irish king and the first husband of Queen Maeve. His mother was Nessa, and his name matronymic, which indicates a powerful ancestral female lineage. Conchobar (pronounced Conor) ruled from Emain Macha. Due to a curse, he suffered from debilitating pains when there was an invasion. He married all three of Maeve’s sisters: Eithne, Clothra and Mugain, and lusted after Deirdre. He had many children. Conchobar mac Nessa was semi-historical figure, King Conor, and he resided at Emain Macha (near modern Armagh) with his Knights of the Red Branch, including Cuchulain. Conchobar became a rival of his first wife Queen Maeve.
Legend: King Conchobar & Deirdre of the Sorrows
Conchobar mac Nessa was a successful king and he desired an equally beautiful bride. His crops were plentiful and his fat cattle roamed the lush meadows. Fish jumped happily in the rivers and all was well in Ireland. He loved athletics, feasting, and entertainment. He was a brave warrior and it was his right as king to have the first night with any bride, and bed the wife of any of his subjects. The only problem was that he fell in love with a beautiful girl by the name of Deirdre and planned to marry her. But Deirdre was in love with a handsome youth named Naoise. Due to the king’s fury, the pair fled Ulster and eventually left Ireland for Scotland where they lived safely for some time. Eventually Conchobar sent word that he had pardoned them, but it was a trick. He killed Naoise and took Deidre for his wife, until out of grief she threw herself from a chariot and died. Although Conchobar was a successful and popular king, his greatest failing was refusing to give up the one thing he could not possess.
Grail Question:
What do you desire?
Mage of Earth - Scatach
Keywords:
Magical instruction – Martial arts – Self-defense – Shapeshifter – Foresight
Reversed:
Difficult initiation – Fear – Psychic attack
Colors:
Green/Red/Violet
Idea:
Some of us are destined to become heroes, others become light wizards
Meaning:
Scatach is a Scottish goddess from the Isle of Sky, an embodiment of the living landscape. Her name means the shadowy one or phantom and may be related to the word scathe. She was a teacher of the greatest heroes, including Cuchulain. She was a master seer and prophet. As a guide she is a master teacher and initiates a person in ways that bring out their talents so they can live into their highest destiny.
Divination:
If you have pulled the Mage of Earth card in your reading, then it is time to learn to defend yourself. It may be that you are under psychic or even physical attack, and you must learn to set healthy boundaries. The point of becoming a martial artist is to become physically, emotionally, mentally and psychically strong enough to avoid war. Or if you have to battle, then Scatach makes certain that you have what it takes to win. It’s time to learn the art of psychic defense.
Veils:
If you must battle, then Scatach makes certain that you have what it takes to win. If there is any type of attack going on, it’s time learn a martial art and the art of psychic defense. Self-protection is a divine right.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
The green mountains behind Scatach invite the reader into unknown and unexplored territory. Her mastery is the Green Ray of healing. One of her skills is that of casting illusions during battle. A shapeshifter who can take many forms, Scatach appears here as an enticing woman who gazes directly at the reader. The red coral in her browband indicates that she is clairvoyant, a master seer and prophet. A black cape magically hovers around her, and there is a sense that she could vanish at any moment. Scatach is a master of the Earth and not only of manifestation, but also of shapeshifting and dimension leaping. Scatach wears a golden necklace with a Trinity Knot, symbolizing her connection with eternity. Her violet dress indicates that she someone who can transmute negative energies. Scatach knows what herbs, potions and energies heal the body-mind-psyche. Her stare indicates that she is not afraid of this world or any other. She is a sorceress who understands the games of love, life, and death. In the lower left side of the card is an alchemical emblem for Earth. She waits beneath an Apple tree with a dagger in her right hand and a red coral ring, the gemstone of blood and life energy. The blood red shirt against her skin indicates her passion for love and war. The Raven, who represents mystery and magical powers, perches in front of a full moon. Scatach can read your destiny even before you appear.
As a Person/Spiritual Guide:
A martial arts teacher, or someone who teaches magical arts that can be used in the physical world; a shapeshifter; shaman.
Story:
Scatach, the Shadowy One, is a peerless warrior woman of Irish legend. In myth, she lived off the coast of Scotland on the Isle of Skye. It was there that she turned warriors into heroes. To get to her, a hero had to pass a great chasm known as the Bridge of the Cliff. She taught Celtic martial arts and magic. She was also a prophetess and oracle with great skill. She loved and trained the great hero Cuchulain.
Discover the Myth of Scatach in Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses or visit:https://www.imaginosophy.com/earth-court-cards/#scatach
3 Grail Questions:
What is your personal magic?
How do you defend against psychic attack?
Do you wish to become a hero?
