Silent Hill's Tarot symbology.

[Hugh Bliss]

Hello brothers and sisters.

I have been thinkin about creating a tarot deck based on silent hill for ages but lacked the motivating to start so I thought you guys could help me out.

Any info you can add please do, if I have made any mistakes please tell me and I will edit my post.

any help would be sweet.

I think this is a great way for us to slowly understand the tarot as well as the Series that is Silent Hill.If you have not played the games of Silent Hill I recommend that you read no further as what is to follow will be full of spoilers and the games are so awesome that you really need to experience them without knowing the story as it may ruin it.

I love ya and I'll see ya lata.

Bye.

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I'll start with the fool card as it represent the zero point.

The fool is not really a fool as in the comical/theater sense of the word ..The Fool is the spirit in search of experience or self discovery.

We could do the same with Star Wars/ The Wizard of Oz, or Harry Potter/The Lord of the Rings, or Moby Dick/Beowolf, etc, etc, et al. ad infinitum, ditto. The dramatic structure of the Hero's Journey is well known and has been used since the first Fool stepped out of the first cave, which, by the way, is also the first card of the Major Arcana of the Tarot deck, a series of card that also outlines the entire dramatic structure of the Hero's Journey. (The "Fool" is Luke/Dorothy/Frodo. The "Magician" is Obi-Wan/Glinda/Gandalf. Etc.) You've stumbled onto storytelling. It's like you discovered that falling down is funny.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fool_(Tarot_card)

Everyone starts out a Fool, but not everyone manages to become a Magician.

Once you do become a magician, you start the journey all over again, this time at a higher level.

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Heather

Cheryl's/Heather's Tarot Card: The Fool

The Fool - “I Become” - Heather Mason

The character is represented by the Fool card in Silent Hill's Tarot symbology.

Cheryl Mason

Heather Mason

Creator's Commentary

The fool card in the game suggests Heather.

This card means departure, potentiality, and recklessness.

I think that her recklessness in fighting against Claudia and, in a certain sense, her genuineness are applicable to 'the fool'.

-Hiroyuki Owaku

HEATHER (Cheryl) MASON

Age (registered): 24

Occupation: various part-time jobs

Lives in: apartment 102 of Daisy Villa Apartment Building

In 2003, Cheryl is like any other seventeen year old girl. She goes through various part-time jobs, is into much of the same things Cheryl and Alessa were into - but really is just your normal teenage girl, whose very protective of her past. One afternoon, after falling asleep in the local mall's Happy Burger, she makes a call to her dad before heading home. She meets up with Douglas Crevant, a Detective hired by the Claudia, Alessa's old friend and now a Priestess of the Order, some months ago to find Heather and remind her of her true past. Getting spooked, she runaways from him and hides out in the bathroom before climbing out into the alleyway behind the mall. When she heads back through a backdoor, she steps into the alternate plane that Claudia created to nurture the god fetus within Cheryl - the same Alessa created to protect herself from Dahlia. After fighting a few monsters Claudia had created, the two meet in a hallway. Claudia only gives her an enimatic explanation before leaving Cheryl to deal with the pain (headsplitting migraines) of the god fetus growing inside of her. Fighting through the mall, she is able to escape the alternate world briefly, meeting up with Douglas, who is also trapped in the alternate world with her. She deserts him though, fighting through the mall subway and the buildings she is forced to travel through alone. Before freeing herself again, Cheryl meets up with Vincent, the Order's Priest. Even though she can't tell what his intentions are and becomes confused by his story - she does feel that he is more trustworthy than Claudia.

When she arrives back at the apartment, she discovers the body of her father mutilated in his chair. Following the bloody footsteps up to the roof, she discovers that Claudia ordered a cult missonary to kill her father (who becomes affected by Claudia's powers so that he appears monstrous) and vows to kill Claudia. But the Priestess escapes back to Silent Hill, leaving the missionary to be dealt with, as a way to nuture the god fetus. Killing the cult missionary, Cheryl returns to the apartment to grieve and plan her next move. Douglas arrives and she blames him for Claudia finding her and killing her father. He doesn't disagree, but offers to help her. At first she declines, but after helping her with placing her father in his bed and creating a small burial for him, she agrees to let him drive her there. Before they leave, Vincent meets up with Douglas, who is waiting for Cheryl downstairs. He gives him Harry's old notebook to give to Cheryl, who, after reading it in the car, begins to remember the two halves she had repressed for so long.

When they get to Silent Hill, Douglas rents a room at Jack's Inn for them and they get some sleep. The next day, Douglas, by Cheryl's request, leaves her to look for Claudia on her own while he searchs the town himself. Getting a tip, she goes to the Brookhaven Mental Institution, where she deals with Leonard Wolf, Claudia's father, and later kills him - taking the Seal of Metatron to use again Claudia. As she closes in on Claudia, she finds out more and more about her alterego, Alessa and meets up with Douglas again after he is attacked by the Priestess. Before she finds her way into the Order's Chapel, she fights the memory of Alessa's obsession, her want to die so that the god inside of her could not be born. When she arrives in the Chapel and makes it through the Priestess' twisted vision, she and Claudia come head to head. In the course of their fight, Vincent is stabbed to death for interfering and Cheryl realizes that she must throw up the god-fetus or she would die. Using the tablet of Aglophotis inside the pendant her father had given her to her, she throws up the god-fetus. A desperate Claudia swallows the fetus, merging herself with the Incubus and falling into the Chapel's blood chasm. Without hesitation, Cheryl leaps down into the underground room and kills Claudia, halting the Order's prophisized ascension. Returning to the surface, Cheryl meets back up with Douglas, who waited for her in the amusement park. They return to her apartment, where they bury her father and she drops her "Heather" alias. She was later put on trial for the murder of her father, but was proven innocent with the help of Douglas. She likes cookies, Chocolate, Silver rings, fairy tales, "The Lost World" by Conan Doyle, drawing, and playing cards. She dislikes mirrors, big dogs, bugs and snakes, adults, and being teased. She carries a pocket knife with her.

Heather

A summary of the reincarnations of Heather, who has the memories of three people

Heather, who obtained an immortal body as a result of being impregnated with God,

possesses the memories of three people: Alessa, who received severe burns due

to Dahlia's ritual; Cheryl, who was separated from Alessa as a result of the

ritual and raised by Harry; and Heather (real name: Cheryl), who was born as a

result of Alessa's and Cheryl's return to a single body.

SECTION TWO: A murder case that Harry was involved in twelve years ago?

After the first game, Harry lived an ordinary life in Portland with his

daughter. Twelve years ago however, the religious organization, which had

regained influence, formulated a plan to abduct the young girl who had been

reincarnated. This ended in Harry killing a cult member. Thereafter, in

order to hide from the cult Cheryl was called by the assumed name "Heather"

and her black hair was dyed blond.

Douglas' notebook

The "murder case of twelve years ago" is mentioned in Douglas' notebook, but

it doesn't relate all the particulars of the case.

SECTION THREE: Heather is awakened by the religious organization =

Alessa's abilities

Heather, the protagonist of Silent Hill 3, is the reincarnation of the two

young girls who appeared in Silent Hill, Alessa and Cheryl. This girl,

who carries God inside her body as a result of the ritual that Dahlia once

conducted, assumed an alias and dyed her hair to conceal her whereabouts.

However, seventeen years later, because her body had matured enough for

her to take on the role of the mother, her existence was perceived by the

religious organization.

One can think that Vincent's line, "the time has come" also signifies the

fact that Heather's body has matured as the mother of God.

Additionally, Heather's abilities as the mother of God are awakened as she

regains her past memories in the game, and a premonition of this is already

apparent even in the bad dream that immediately follows the opening. What

becomes the scene of the beginning of her nightmare is the amusement park

that also appears in the latter half of the game. One can think that

Heather is endowed with precognitive abilities and that this dream was a

warning that she sent to herself.

Creator's comment: Cheryl- Originally we wanted to call her Dolores for the same reasons as Harry's character, but this met with fierce opposition and was rejected. The name originates from Sheryl Lee, but there is no particular significance.

Heather- Her name comes from Miss Heather Morris, who did Heather's voice and motion in the game. At first we had chosen the name "Helen," but it was pointed out that this name is old-fashioned and so it was changed. French actresses such as Charlotte Gainsbourg and Vanessa Paradis were her models. "The Fool card in the game suggest Heather. This card means departure, potentiality and recklessness. I think that her recklessness is fighting against Claudia and, in a certain sense her genuineness are applicable to "the fool." - Hiroyuki Owaku

Lost Memories: Heather, the protagonist of Silent Hill 3, is the reincarnation of the two young girls who appeared in Silent Hill 1, Alessa and Cheryl. This girl, who carried The God inside her body as a result of the ritual that Dahlia once conducted, assumed an alias and dyed her hair to conceal her whereabouts. However, seventeen years later, because her body had matured enough for her to take on the rol of the Mother, her existence was percieved by the religious organization. One can think that Vincent's line, "the time has come" also signifies the fact that Heather's body has matured as the Mother of The God. Additionally, Heather's abilities as the Mother of The God are awakened as she regains her past memories in the game, and a premonition of this is already appparent even in the bad dream that immediately follows the opening. What becomes the scene of the beginning of her nightmare is the amusement park that also appears in the later half of the game. One can think that Heather is endowed with precognitive abilies and that this dream was a warning that she sent to herself.

Her Monsters: Air Screamer - born from "The Lost World" by Conan Doyle. Groaner and Doublehead - born from her fear of large dogs. Mumbler - born from menacing animals and small demons from fairy tales. Puppet Nurse/Doctor (or just "Nurse") - born from her stay in the hospital. Larval Stalker - born from being teased by her peers at school. Romper - born from her fear of adults. Bloodsucker - born from dislike of worms, snakes and the like. Creeper - born from dislike of insects. Hanged Scratcher, twinfeeler, and floatstinger - born from her insect collection. Splithead and Splitworm - born from a fairytale about a great lizard. Missionary - born from Claudia's powers effecting her eyes so that the Cult Member that killed her father resembles a monster. Scraper - born from Claudia's powers effecting her eyes so that Cult members resemble Monsters. Memory of Alessa - "Alessa's Obsession". Alessa's 'other mind' that was seperated seventeen years ago, it is a memory that clings to Silent Hill. Valtiel - not a monster, but her guardian; dirived from "valet", it is the attendant of the god and observes her in order to ensure the birth of the god.

Quote: 'I know there’s something... Something I’ve been running from and forgot for a long time...'

Metaphor: Walking on the rails of life with a heavy burden

Symbol: The Fool; Tarot card

Music:

 

You're not here,

 

end of a small sanctuary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va96oxS6DPY...ted&search=

Letter from the lost days,

 

I want love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFIHUQ1Rung...ted&search=

Night wind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K2WDt3p_Ro

Short Story

SH-S0undtrack-d0wnl0ads

http://shm.silenthillfever.com/

Name: She was originally to be named Helen, but the name was deemed to old-fashioned (or a potential reference to Clock Tower). Since they had

little time, the developers quickly renamed her after Heather Morris, the actress who did her voice. Also, the name may be a possible part of some sort of color code: Black Dahlia -White Claudia - Pink Heather

Appearance commentary: She was supposed to be the epitome of innocence, but players prefer non-ideal character, who have flaws - in appearance, in character (Maria would be a good example)... That is why the innocent

Helen was given a more earthly appearance: spots under her eyes, dirty clothes and a somewhat greater sexuality. Additionally, she was supposed to be wearing jeans at first, but the women of Team Silent convinced Shingo Yuri to change that to a skirt. A matter of great discussion was

her hair - as a result, Heather's hair became a little curly, although

that wasn't in the original artworks.

According to the developers' actresses such as Charlotte Gainsbourg,

Vanessa Paradis and Sophie Marceau greatly influenced the early sketches of Heather's face.

Actress: Heather Morris. Little is known about her.

-You can see her in the Making of SH3& movie.

-She isn't a blonde.

-John Anthony Mathewson (known for his fan-soundtrack Broken Notes)

wanted to marry her.

THE FOOL

Basic Tarot Symbols

The fool in colorful motley clothes, pack tied to a staff, a small dog, a cliff.

Basic Tarot Story

With all his worldly possessions in one small pack, the Fool travels he knows not where. So filled with visions and daydreams is he, that he doesn't see the cliff he is likely to fall over. At his heel, a small dog harries him (or tries to warn him of a possible mis-step).

Basic Tarot Meaning

At #0, the Fool is the card of infinite possibilities. The bag on the staff indicates that he has all he need to do or be anything he wants, he has only to stop and unpack. He is on his way to a brand new beginning. But the card carries a little bark of warning as well. Stop daydreaming and fantasising and watch your step, lest you fall and end up looking the fool.

Thirteen's Observations

In the Tarot, cards like The Magician or The Hermit can often stand for the Querent or for someone in the Querent's life. The Fool, however, almost always stands for the Querent alone, no one else. In standing for the Querent, the Fool represents a time of newness, a time when life has been "re-started" as it were. The person feels that they are back at Zero, whether that be in romantic affairs, or career, at their job or intellectual persuits. Far from being sad or frustrating, the Querent feels remarkably *free*, light hearted and refreshed, as if being given a second chance. They feel young and energized.

In addition, they likely have no idea where they're going or what they're going to do. But that doesn't matter. For the Fool, the most important thing is to just go out and enjoy the world. To see what there is to see and delight in all of it.

Unfortunately, in this childlike state the person is likely to be overly optimistic or naive. A Fool can be a Fool. This is the card likely to turn up when a Querent is thinking of investing his money in a new, "sure fire" business. Or when the Querent is sure that it's "love this time!" Like the Fool, they're so busy daydreaming of what might be that they're ignoring what is. They're about to fall right off a cliff. Time for them to listen to that watchful little dog, which might be a concerned friend, a wise tarot reader, or just their instincts.

As a card, the Fool ultimately stands for a new start. When it turns up the Querent might be about to make a move, not just to a new home, but new job, new life. There's more than just change, renewal, and a brand new beginning in the Fool, there's also movement, a fresh, exciting new time.

This card is attributed to the letter Aleph, which means an Ox, but by its shape the Hebrew letter (so it is said) represents a plough- share; thus the significance is primarily Phallic. It is the first of the three Mother letters, Aleph, Mem, and Shin, which correspond in various interwoven fashions with all the triads that occur in these cards, notably Fire, Water, Air; Father, Mother, Son; Sulphur, Salt, Mercury; Rajas, Sattvas and Tamas.

This card is attributed to the letter Aleph, which means an Ox, but by its shape the Hebrew letter (so it is said) represents a plough- share; thus the significance is primarily Phallic. It is the first of the three Mother letters, Aleph, Mem, and Shin, which correspond in various interwoven fashions with all the triads that occur in these cards, notably Fire, Water, Air; Father, Mother, Son; Sulphur, Salt, Mercury; Rajas, Sattvas and Tamas.

The really important feature of this card is that its number should be 0. It represents therefore the Negative above the Tree of Life, the source of all things. It is the Qabalistic Zero. It is the equation of the Universe, the initial and final balance of the opposites; Air, in this card, therefore quintessentially means a vacuum.

http://altreligion.about.com/library/texts/bl_thoth15.htm

In the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, the Fool is shown as a young man, standing at the brink of a precipice. With him is a small dog. He has a rose in one hand and in the other a bindle.

As Card 0, the Fool lies at the beginning of the major arcana, but also somewhat apart from the other cards. In medieval courts, the court jester was someone who was not expected to follow the same rules as others. He could observe and then poke fun. This makes the Fool unpredictable and full of surprises. He reminds us of the unlimited potential and spontaneity inherent in every moment. There is a sense with this card that anything goes - nothing is certain or regular. The Fool adds the new and unfamiliar to a situation.

The Fool also represents the complete faith that life is good and worthy of trust. Some might call the Fool too innocent, but his innocence sustains him and brings him joy. In readings, the Fool can signal a new beginning or change of direction - one that will guide you onto a path of adventure, wonder and personal growth. He also reminds you to keep your faith and trust your natural responses. If you are facing a decision or moment of doubt, the Fool tells you to believe in yourself and follow your heart no matter how crazy or foolish your impulses may seem. [1]

Commonly used interpretative meanings

The Fool is frequently interpreted to represent one or more of the following concepts:

* Beginning ------ Inconsequence ------ Innocence ------ Freedom

* Spontaneity ------ Originality ------ Happiness ------ Non-criticism

* No attachment ------ Initiative ------ Adventure ------ Irresponsibility

* Inexperience ------ Immaturity ------ Optimism ------ Boldness

* Carpe Diem ------ Creative Chaos ------ New Beginnings ------ Foolhardiness

Symbolism

The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. Many symbols of the Instituted Mysteries are summarized in this card, which reverses, under high warrants, all the confusions that have preceded it.

The Fool represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us.

The number 0 is a perfect significator for the Fool, which can become anything when he reaches his destination. Zero plus anything equals the same thing. Zero times anything equals zero.[2] This card is associated with the star sign Aries.

History

The Hermitage tells us that in the decks before Waite-Smith, the Fool is almost always unnumbered.[3] There are a few exceptions: some old decks (including the 15th-century Sola Busca and the Rider Waite) label the card with a "0", and the Belgian Tarot designs label the Fool as "XXII". The Fool is almost always completely apart from the sequence of trumps in the historic decks. Still, there is historic precedent for regarding it as the lowest trump and as the highest trump.

L'Excuse from the French Tarot card game

In the game of tarot, the Fool has a unique role. Playing the Fool momentarily exempts the player from the rules of the game.

Interpretations

Le Mat from the Tarot of Marseilles

The Fool is usually interpreted as the protagonist of a story, and the Major Arcana is the path the Fool takes through the great mysteries of life and the main human archetypes. This path is known traditionally in Tarot as the Fool´s Journey, and is frequently used to introduce the meaning of Major Arcana cards to beginners.

In his Manual of Cartomancy, Grand Orient has a curious suggestion of the office of Mystic Fool, as apart of his process in higher divination; but it might call for more than ordinary gifts to put it into operation. We shall see how the card fares according to the common arts of fortune-telling, and it will be an example to those who can discern the fact, otherwise so evident, that the Trumps Major had no place originally in the arts of psychic gambling, when cards are used as the counters and pretexts. However, we know very little of the circumstances under which this art arose.

The conventional explanations say that The Fool signifies the flesh, the sensitive life, and by a peculiar satire its subsidiary name was at one time The Alchemist, as depicting folly at the most insensate stage. When The Fool appears in a spread, he would be a signal to strip down to the irreducible core, and interrogate whether the Querant's self-vision is obscured. It may also be a warning that significant change is coming.

Another interpretation of the card is that of taking action where the circumstances are unknown, confronting one's fears, taking risks, and so on.

Some literary comparisons can be made. In universal literature, The Fool would be considered the youngest son or daughter who accomplishes great feats despite the apparently better position of older siblings. Examples include Cinderella, Psyche, Cordelia (from King Lear), all the third sons of kings in fairy tales who succeed when their older brothers do not, the Grail Knight who may be destined to locate the Holy Cup where greater and wiser men have tried and failed, the one teetering at the edge of Nietzsche's abyss, at the cusp of dreadful knowledge that will pull him or her out of the cave, or even Hamlet before he decides to embrace his destiny.

A dog appears on most versions of the card. Some versions of the dog depict him biting at The Fool. The dog symbolizes the natural world, one path to knowledge and a valuable ally; he can be seen as providing The Fool with a "reality check," a link to the everyday world.

Although it cannot be seen in all modern cards, The Fool is often shown walking off a cliff. This raises the question "Is The Fool making a mistake, or is The Fool making a leap of faith?"

Gandhi once said, "If you would swim on the bosom of the ocean of Truth, you must reduce yourself to a zero." The Fool can be seen as that Zero who can swim in the deeper waters of truth.

Another issue surrounding The Fool is his definition. Who is calling him The Fool?

The archetypal potency of the Fool as zero embodies the enhanced potential and summation of all Major and Minor Arcana: as is denoted by 'fool', the near English homonym of 'full'. The Fool is the period, the pregnant pause.

Alternative decks

* The Vikings Tarot portrays Loki as the Fool, with a mistletoe in one hand and a fishing-net in the other.

* In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Fool is Saya Monou who is pictured as a mermaid under water.

The Fool in popular culture

* A boss character in The House of the Dead III is named after this Tarot card.

* The ending of Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy shows Billy as The Fool.

* In the James Bond film Live and Let Die, the Tarot card representing James Bond is The Fool.

* In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX The Fool represented Judai in Saiou's Tarot deck.

* According to the Silent Hill supplement Book of Lost Memories, the character Heather is representative of The Fool.

* In the role playing game Persona 2, tarot cards are used to summon personas, beings that grant the protagonists statistic changes and skills when equipped. The Fool card is the rarest of all, and the personas that require them are extremely powerful at their level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fool_(Tarot_card)

The Fool represent zero.

Thematic Meaning:

Heather wakes at the star of the game in a fast food restaurant at the shopping mall

We know this is merely the beginning of Heathers’s journey, later when she sets off she is still quite naïve about the perils that she will eventually face. She is begining her quest of self discovery.

Literal Meaning: This card stands for beginnings and the unexpected. The essence of chaos, rashness, innocence and the unconventional.

Notes: Anyone who has read the Magic of Mythbook and lost memories will know that Heather is compared to The Fool when she begins her journey to learn about the past and regain her powers.

This first stage of the mythological journey—which we have designated “call to adventure”—signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred her spiritual centre of gravity to a zone unknown. – Joseph Campbell, ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’

According to Hiroyuki Owaku's commentary, each major SH3 character had a personal Tarot card assigned to them. In Alessa's sick room. Heather

finds her own card - 0, The Fool. What does this card symbolize? Possibly,

by associating her with a fool, the authors tried to show, that despite

her age (24), her psychological development is more suitable for a

17-year-old? Or it could be reference to her obscured consciousness. Well,

not exactly. Let us look closer at the card.

The Fool represents the power of Fate. It symbolizes that the outcome is not controlled by the person - practically, the heroine in SH3 had no choice, everything was predestined, she was doomed to suffer Alessa's rebirth (remember the closed cycle of the rollercoaster track).

So, what do we see in the Fool of SH3? A man, blindly marching forward

(traditionnaly, he is depicted as going towards a chasm - i.e. the Fool

doesn't see where he's going). He is going in the direction of the sun - towards God. He is followed by a DOG, that is constantly biting at his

feet, not letting him stray from his way (constant follower = Valtiel) and on the Fool's back is a bag, which is always interpreted as the burden of past mistakes and delusions, which must be worked off to open the eyes and see the road again. To gain the ability to choose.

Appropriate for our heroine, no?

In a personal sense, The Fool symbolizes a simple soul (remember Heather's outlook on life) and signifies naivete (thus,power of Fate, innocence,

but at the same time great potential, great beginning, change.

I think, the parallels are more than obvious.

The really important feature of this card is that its number should be 0. It represents therefore the Negative above the Tree of Life, the source of all things.

The Fool/Heather also represents the complete faith that life is/can be good and worthy of trust. It represents innocence, Some might call the Fool too innocent, but his innocence sustains him/her and brings him/her joy.

He/She reminds us of the unlimited potential and spontaneity inherent in every moment. There is a sense with this card that anything goes - nothing is certain or regular. The Fool adds the new and unfamiliar to a situation

the Fool can signal a new beginning, departure or change of direction -

the Fool is reckless and believes to follow their heart no matter how crazy or foolish their impulses may seem.

iin Spiritual matters, represents ideas and thoughts, which endeavour to transcend the earth.

In material matters, reveals folly, mania, a sudden,unexpected impulse.

Heather's Tarot Card: The Fool

Within the shaman's journey, this is the supreme path, in which the magician dissolves his very being in the void of the final mystery.

The Fool is Air or Vacuum or Puissant Innocence.

Emptiness, also Potential Purity

He hold the male element of fire, the female element of water, the sword of air, and the disc of earth. He is the Green one of spring, the great for of the Celts,Daluah and Parsifal. He is also Zeus, Arrhenothelus, Dionysus, Zagreus, Bacchus Diphues and Baphomet.

He holds the wand of fire, the cup of water, the sword of air, and the bag of of plantary disks. Round him is the rainbow issuing from returning to his heart, he wears the fools cap, the horns of Bacchus, he stands on Haprocrates, the egyptain symbol of adolescent Fertility, he is unconscious of the tiger tearing at his side He is the green on of the celts, Daluah and Parsival.

This is the moment of divine awaking and consciousness.

Book of Thoth

Aleister Crowley

=

Edited September 18, 2007 by Hugh Bliss

[Hagakure]

now this is a thread topic i never would have predicted.

[nabraxas]

now this is a thread topic i never would have predicted.

Obviously you weren't using the "Silent Hill" TM. tarot deck.

Who gets 'The Hermit' card in this scenario?

[Hugh Bliss]

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Valtiel

Valtiel Tarot Card: The Magician

The Magician “I am” - Valtiel

The character is represented by the The Magician card in Silent Hill's Tarot symbology.

Valtiel

Valtiel is a fictional monster in the Konami's survival horror video game Silent Hill 3, as well as a governing angel in the religion of Silent Hill. His name means "attendant" by the way of the French word "valet", his existence as an angel is derived from suffixing "-el.". Thus he is "Attendant of God".

History- Valtiel was first mentioned in the third installment of the Silent Hill series. Because of its passive role in the game and its designation as a servant, it is thought that Valtiel is the subordinate of another dominant supernatural presence in Silent Hill. In the long standing tradition of Silent Hill, the Valtiel is a saintly being corresponding to an angel. Possibly, Metatron.[1]

In the religious tradition of Silent Hill, Valtiel was one of the beings said to be created by God in order to lead people to obey her. It is worshipped as the one who is closest to God. A special sect was made in the honor of the Valtiel, founded by Jimmy Stone, called the Valtiel Sect. In it this angel is venerated as a way to get closer to God. Likewise, the Pyramid Head wears similar ceremonial robes, gloves, and appears to have cloth stitching, all in homage to this being.

Whenever a shift in the Otherworld occurs, Valtiel appears before Heather, the protagonist from Silent Hill 3. In many instances Valtiel is seen turning a valve, this is both a symbolic gesture of the cycle of rebirth, which he governs, and an implication that Valtiel has some control over the shifting to the Otherworld that takes place throughout the series. If Heather were to die in certain locations, Valtiel can be seen dragging her corpse, intending to resurrect the holy "Mother of God". Valtiel has little or no actual concern with Heather, but rather for the God that sleeps within her.

Heather first encounters Valtiel when going down an elevator in the shopping mall. It appears to be hanging another monster. Heather sees the creature behind a fan.

Her next major encounter with this creature is in Brookhaven hospital when Heather is climbing up a ladder. Valtiel is seen turning a valve in the background. After that, Valtiel can be seen several times in the chapel hanging nurses and crawling around in vents.

Physical appearance

It is humanoid in appearance, but its head vibrates and twitches rapidly, obscuring its facial features. It's garbed in ceremonial robes and wears gloves. It bears two Seal of Metatron tattoos on each of its arms, while its skin is pale and takes on the "blood and rust" look, classic of Silent Hill.

The famed Pyramid Head is modeled after this being, both of them are described as taking different forms depending on the person. [2] In further connection, they both stalk the protagonist profusely, wear similar garments, and it is said that if the Pyramid Head were to take off the helmet, these two would be surprisingly similar in appearance.[3]

Valtiel is usually seen crawling along the ground, up walls, or across ceilings. An interesting feature, is that Valtiel has the seal of Metatron on both of his shoulders, Metatron and Valtiel are both considered the "Agents of God" (Although this mark suggests that Valtiel is in Metatron's servitude or that he himself is actually Metatron.)

Valtiel

A mysterious creature that is always lurking near Heather. What is his true

purpose?

While this strange creature observes Heather, he makes no effort to inflict

harm upon her; the truth is that he has a unique purpose, a role he plays

which enters into the game.

The fact of the matter is that in the religious tradition of Silent Hill,

Valtiel is a saintly being corresponding to an angel.

Concerning that complex and profound reason for existence, let us consider such things as his design and behavior from various angles.

Valtiel

SECTION TWO: Watcher

To ensure the protection of the unborn deity, he watches Heather, mother

of God

Since the name Valtiel means "attendant" by way of the English word

"valet," his existence as an angel is derived from suffixing "-el." In

short, he is the being that attends to and watches over God. For the

purpose of carrying out his duty of watching and protecting the mother

until the time comes for God to be born, he does not harm Heather.

SECTION THREE: Messenger

An angel in the town's religious organization that governs the cycle of

rebirth, he appears as a symbol of the otherworld

Valtiel's intentions have little to do with Heather; his concern is

primarily with the god that sleeps inside her. It can be thought that in

order to restore God to this world, every time Heather (Alessa) dies, he

is the one responsible for resurrecting her many times over. Additionally,

the valve handle that Valtiel turns with his left hand represents the idea

that "God can be reborn any number of times," which can be thought of as

having significance to the basis of the sect's doctrine.

If Heather should die, Valtiel takes action to resurrect the mother of God.

Heather stands opposite Valtiel in the church

In many places Valtiel is seen turning the handle, which signifies the cycle

of rebirth.

SECTION FOUR: An explanation of the meaning hidden in the design of the being that ties together the three works of the series

In the long-standing religious tradition of Silent Hill, Valtiel is worshipped

as a way to become closer to God. And so even in the previous works of the series, Valtiel has appeared in different forms. In other words this is why Valtiel ties together various events that have taken place in Silent Hill.

In the case that any events transpire in Silent Hill in the future, that

distinct shape may again appear before players.

Creator's Commentary: The connection to the first game is quite clear, but the relationship with the second isn't so obvious. I wanted to give relevance to the creatures of the series because it motivates me to continue the creative process. In the religion of Silent Hill, those who are close to God through Valtiel borrow his form as Pyramid Head. That is to say, Pyramid Head was born from the towns peoples' ideas about showing devotion to God. In the first game, the ceremonial robes were an homage to Valtiel.

-Masahiro Ito

Making of Valtiel

turning the valves

One of the early designs of Valtiel turning the valve handle. The central hole closely resembles the one in the final church.

Symbol: Tattoo - The Halo of the Sun. - It represents the deity known as "The Halo of the Sun". In heraldry, symbolizes a religious group. The two outer circles are charity and resurrection; the three inner circles are present, past, and future. Usually drawn in red. Occasionally drawn in black or other colors, but blue reverses the meaning into a curse on God and is therefore forbidden.

This symbol was used by Alessa to represent herself, her other self Cheryl, and the combination of selves, Heather. Walter Sullivan used it to represent his and his mother's rebirth, after performing the The 21 Sacraments.

Music-

 

Prayer

 

Rain of Brass Petals

Hobbies: include valve turning, getting it on with dead nurses and landscape painting.

The Magician, The Magus, or The Juggler(I) is a "Major Arcana" Tarot card.

MAGICIAN

Basic Card Symbols

Red & White coloring, the lemniscate (infinity symbol), a small wand, a table displaying a chalice, a pentacle, a staff (wand) and a sword.

Basic Tarot Story

Traveling on his way, the Fool first encounters a Magician. Skillful, self-confident, a powerful magus with the infinite as a halo floating above his head, the Magician mesmerizes the Fool. When asked, the Fool gives over his bundled pack and stick to the Magician. Raising his wand to heaven, pointing his finger to Earth, the Magician calls on all powers; magically, the cloth of the pack unfolds upon the table, revealing its contents. And to the Fool's eyes it is as if the Magician has created the future with a word. There are all the possibilities laid out, all the directions he can take. The cool, airy Sword of intellect and communication, the fiery Wand of spirituality and ambition, the overflowing Chalice of Love and emotions, the solid Pentacle of work, possessions and body. With these tools, the Fool can create anything, make anything of his life. But here's the question, did the Magician create the tools, or were they already in the pack? Only the Magician knows - and on this mystery, our eloquent mage refuses to say a word.

Basic Tarot Meaning

At #1, the Magician is the male power of creation, creation by willpower and desire. In that ancient sense, it is the ability to make things so just by speaking them aloud ("And God said 'Let there be Light!' and there was Light"). Reflecting this is the fact that the Magician is represented by Mercury. He represents the gift of tongues, a smooth talker, a salesman. Also clever with the slight of hand (Mercury *was* the god of thieves!) and a medicine man - either a real doctor or someone trying to sell you snake oil. The 4 suits laid out before him remind us of the 4 aces, which in the Tarot symbolize the raw, undeveloped, undirected power of each suit. When the Magician appears, he reveals these to you. The reader might well interpet this card as telling the querent that they will be given a vision, an idea, a magical, mental image of whatever it is they most want: the solution to a problem, an ambitious career, a love life, a job.

Thirteen's Observations

If any card in the Tarot is the Tarot, it is the Magician. He's one of the most recognizable cards, always a favorite. He's also the only card in the Majors that refers to the minors with the "trumps" displayed upon his table. If the reader believes the Magician stands for the Querent, then the Querent either is, or is currently finding himself eleoquent and charismatic at this time. Both verbally and in writing, he is clever, witty, inventive and persuasive. People listen and agree with him. He also has an interest in science. He might be, in fact, a doctor or scientist or inventor.

Standing for someone other than the querent, the Magician could be a skillful doctor, scientist, inventor lecturer, salesman, or con-man. It's important to remember that the Magician can as easily be clever as skilful, a trickster as well as a magician. This is someone with a magnetic personality, someone who can convince people of almost anything. For better or worse, his words are magic.

Most importantly, the Magician card stands for the "reveal" - as in a magic trick. The handkerchief is draped over an empty box, the Magician waves his wand, *presto!*--now there is a dove in the box. The Magician card does the same for the Querent--only what it reveals is not birds or rabbits but NEW ideas. Emphasis on NEW. When the Magician card appears, the Querent is likely to say: "Now there's an idea! Why didn't I think of that before?" Truth is, the Querent had that idea in his head all along. The Magician merely revealed it to him. But what will the Querent do with this idea? That's a question for the High Priestess...

Description and symbolism

This illustration for the Tarot card "The Magician" is from the tarot deck developed by A. E. Waite for the Order of the Golden Dawn in 1910. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretation. However, though not all interpretations follow his theology,all interpretations using Tarot decks for divination are based upon personal experience and standards of the card reader.

Some frequent keywords are:

* Action ----- Consciousness ----- Concentration ----- Personal power

* Practicity ----- Energy ----- Creativity ----- Movement

* Precision ----- Conviction ----- Manipulation ----- Self confidence

* Being objective ----- Focusing ----- Determination ----- Initiative

A youthful figure in the robe of a magician, having the countenance of a divinity Apollo, with a smile of confidence and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the infinity symbol. About his waist is a serpent-cincture, the serpent appearing to devour its own tail (ouroboros). This is familiar to most as a conventional symbol of eternity, but here it indicates more especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit. In the Magician's right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, while the left hand is pointing to the earth. This dual sign known in very high grades of the Instituted Mysteries, shows the descent of grace, virtue and light, drawn from things above and derived to things below. The suggestion throughout is therefore the possession and communication of the Powers and Gifts of the Spirit. On the table in front of the Magician are the symbols of the four Tarot suits, signifying the elements of natural life, which lie like counters before the adept, and he adapts them as he wills. Beneath are roses and lilies, the flos campi and lilium convallium1, changed into garden flowers, to show the culture of aspiration.

History

In the so-called "Marseilles" woodcut images that precede the overlay of occult imagery of the 19th century, The Magician is identified as Le Bateleur ('The Juggler'), and is represented as a stage magician rather than a figure of real power. The 18th-century woodcuts apparently reflect earlier iconic representations and can be compared to the free artistic renditions in 15th-century hand-painted tarots, many made for the Visconti and Sforza families.

Later occultist images have read curves of the magician's hatbrim in this image as the mathematical sign for infinity and have added other symbolisms, in accordance with changing taste. The essentials shown here (illustration, left) are that the magician has set up a temporary table outdoors, on which are displayed items that represent the suits of the Minor Arcana: Cups, Coins, Swords (as knives). The fourth, the baton (Clubs) he holds in his hand.

Interpretation

Qabbalistic Approach

Le Bateleur from the Tarot of Marseilles

This card signifies the divine motive in man, reflecting God, the will in the liberation of its union with that which is above. It is also the unity of individual being on all planes, and in a very high sense it is thought, in the fixation thereof. With further reference to the "sign of life" and its connection with the number 8, it may be remembered that Christian Gnosticism speaks of rebirth in Christ as a change "unto the Ogdoad." The mystic number is termed Jerusalem above, the Land flowing with Milk and Honey, the Holy Spirit and the Land of the Lord. According to Martinism, 8 is the number of Christ. In other traditions this card can refer to scholarly knowledge. The Fool (card 0) has now learnt something and now sees themselves as powerful. Perhaps the reputation of the Magician is derived from the Fool misunderstanding what is happening while the High Priestess (the next card) is looking back thinking the Magician is missing the point of spiritual knowledge.

Mythopoetic Approach

Some schools associate him with Hermes, especially Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic Egyptian/Greek figure that came from combining Hermes and Thoth, a god of the moon, knowledge, and writing. In this aspect, The Magician guides The Fool through the first step out of the cave of childhood into the sunlight of consciousness, just like Hermes guides Persephone out of the Underworld every year.

He represents the potential of a new adventure, chosen or thrust upon one. A journey undertaken in daylight, in the Enlightenment Tradition. He brings things out of the darkness into the light. He explores the world in order to master it. He is solar consciousness.

He's associated through the cross sums (the sum of the digits) with Key 10, The Wheel of Fortune (Tarot card), picking up on Hermes as a Trickster figure and a god of chance, and Key 19, The Sun, bringing us back to Apollo and to Enlightenment.

He embodies the lesson of “as above, so below.” The lesson that mastery in one realm may bring mastery in another. He also warns of the danger of applying lessons from one realm to another.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith card, he is crowned with the lemniscate, the infinity sign. He transcends duality. He’s learned the fundamental elements of the universe, represented by emblems of the four suits of the tarot already broken apart and laying on the table before him. Similarly, in the Book of Thoth deck, he is crowned by snakes, another symbol of both infinity and dualism, as snakes have learned from Gilgamesh how to shed their skins and be reborn, thus achieve a type of immortality, and blind Tiresias split apart coupling snakes and as a result became a woman, thus transcending the dualism of gender.

When this card appears in a tarot reading it can mean a manipulator is floating around. Hopefully, he's a beneficent guide, but he does not necessarily have our best interests in mind. He may also represent the Querant’s ego or self awareness. He can also represent the intoxication of power, good and bad.

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.

The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into the main text and removing inappropriate items. (June 2007)

* In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Magician is Kamui Shirou (the main character of the story).

* According to the Silent Hill supplement, Book of Lost Memories, the character of Valtiel is representative of The Magician.

* A boss character in The House of the Dead is named for this tarot card. It is the Masterpiece of Dr. Curien.

Alternative decks

The Vikings Tarot depicts Tyr as the Magician, he is lifting his arm that was severed by the Fenris wolf.

The Osho Tarot calls this card Existence and depicts it as a naked figure viewed from the back sitting on the lotus of perfection, gazing at the beauty of the stars.

1This is a reference to the Song of Solomon, Chapter 2, verse 1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magician_(Tarot_card)

Valtiel - the Watcher and Messenger of God

I – The Magician

Thematic Meaning: Valtiel at this stage is a mysterious figure, we aren’t exactly sure who he is or what his plans are. He of course ensures the protection of the unborn deity, he watches Heather, mother

of God.

Right hand of the Order's god, Valtiel (considered an angel of rebirth and the otherworld) is a being who protects the unborn deity and watches over whoever plays the role of the Mother of God, he is God's left hand. Valtiel's name comes from the English word, meaning "attendant" and the used for angels.

Literal Meaning: This card stands for the imagination as well as creativity and the strength of will. It also shows that things aren’t always as they appear and there is more to be revealed.

He still is very much a figure of mystery and awe.

The first card, "The Magican," signifies creation, wisdom, beginnings, or destruction and fraud.

As The Magician, Traditionally, the figure of The Magician is held to be the same character portrayed in the card of The Fool, only at different stages of his development. Wheras The Fool shows a person at his most vulnerable, weak and devoid of reason, The Magician shows him at the pinacle of strength, power and knowledge. The tools at The Magiciani's altar (the wand, the sword, the cup/flask and the pentacle/coin) are the contents of The Fool's sack. He is unaware that he carries with him the tools of his own enlightenment, and must experience a fall in order to learn how to survive.

Skill, wisdom, adroitness, elasticity, graft, cunning, deceit, theft, wisdom, power, messages, interfering with matters.

Valtiel Tarot Card: The Magician

The Magician is the male virgin who has not had contact with the female polarity in order to reproduce and bring about form. He is pure energy and like the High Priestess remains transcendental and essentially unknowable.

Mercury, who is Wisdom, will, and word, by whom the world is created, symbolises the fluidic, basis of all transmission of activity.

Behind him and and trough him is the Ape, Hanuman, which is a Hindu conception. The Egyptain counterpart, Thoth, is also always followed by the Cynocephalus Ape

He is Mercury, the messenger of God, and juggles and turn the four symbols of the elements, and the papyrus or wood, the will, or pen, the wan or wisdom.

He represents the creative force in action. As Thoth in Egyptian tradition, his attendant and shadow is the Ape.

The Book Of Thoth

Alister Crowley

Edited September 15, 2007 by Hugh Bliss

[devance]

In a the religious tradition of Silent Hill a game I actually played.

A pathetic attempt to find meaning in tarot cards.

I didn't say not a brave try, confused, and even demons are more confused.

[Hugh Bliss]

In a the religious tradition of Silent Hill a game I actually played.

A pathetic attempt to find meaning in tarot cards.

I didn't say not a brave try, confused, and even demons are more confused.

What makes you the expert on the Tarot, Silent hill, confusion and demons ?

Did you bother reading the thread or are you just flapping your lips?

Is not Tarot every thing? therefore anything can relate ?

[devance]

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Amber-Roger-Ze...y/dp/0783892942

'complex background of tarot, alternate worlds, Olympian gods, and a magic so neat and clear that computers can learn it'

Silent Hill tarots were vastly outdone more than 30 years ago.

And of no more of worth than now.

Reading might be of more interest than flapping of gums.

[devance]

http://www.xs4all.nl/~rnuninga/NovCol/NCbtwot.htm

PHILIP JOSE FARMER

'Behind the walls of Terra lay a secret no man could be allowed to learn. But Kickaha - the Earthborn adventurer of the tiered worlds - had to uncover that secret, or watch his home world destroyed. Kickaha was returning to Earth from the World of Tiers, the many-levelled universe of the god-like Lords, that he had entered many years ago as Paul Janus Finnegan. Now he had returned to a world he no longer knew, to find it ruled by Red Orc, a Lord jealous of his personal domain and hostile to intruders. Yet Kickaha had to stay alive in order to defeat the deadly enemy that threatened Earth and the other worlds of tiers - the 'Beller', the malignant creature that was the mind-essence of a rebel Lord.

(Sphere editions.)

'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps more than any mind would dare to comprehend.

[Hugh Bliss]

amazing!i still cant conprehend it? shall I dare!?

but why tell me now!? am i your hero or

something to that effect?but you have

caught my attention many times and then lost it other times with the

different comments you have made about different topics?this can only be

attributed to the fact we all seek perfect advice from a completely perfect

guru to give us the strength to finally believe in the miraculous/magical?it

seems lately like i am wanting to give up on tarot because it is not

leading anywhere and it takes up too much of my thoughts and time?looks like

i am not the only 1 feeling this way?If I want a complex background on the tarot I would read the good of thoth!?

just got thru another cycle of

stay/quit as i have seen others go thru?always darkest before the dawn?As silent hill deals with the darkside of the human psych!?

Its some thing I am intersted in!? and

Its not a competition!?

But I hope you're enjoying doing this. It is usually enriching to be creative!?

i am still realling over your post?i cant decide if it's true?i dont want it

to be?why?Who is doing the measuring ?is this part of the plan?what plan?real change is never/seldom

easy?make me laugh!hehe!!....on with the show!.....

Edited September 14, 2007 by Hugh Bliss

[Hugh Bliss]

I think it's great that I am trying to learn the Tarot. I have of course thrown myself into the deep end of the water, seeing as I am to this new. But then, even some babies know how to stay afloat and swim, don't they?

maybe you want me to drown?

I would be happy to read through your book and make some comments, but you will have to wait a while, as I have some other priorities at the moment, which will keep me off-line a lot for the next few days.

If I can get these books if I have the cash, hopefully I will be able to give you some quality answers.

Please don't hesitate to challenge. It is the questions and the challenging that lead us to the answers we are seeking. But one has to be prepared, when it comes to studying Tarot, to sometimes throw out all our misconceptions out of the window, and start anew.

The Tarot is a great teacher, and it requires of us to question our ideas, our pre-conceived ideas, and our views constantly.

[Hugh Bliss]

2. The High Priestess “I Believe"- Claudia Wolf

The character is represented by the High Priestess card in Silent Hill's Tarot symbology.

Claudia Wolf

Creator's Commentary: The High Priestess card in the game suggests

Claudia. This card means mystery, faith, and dogmatism. Doesn't it seem

that the self-righteous way that Claudia behaves as a consequence of being

too genuine is in accordance with the meaning of the card?

-Hiroyuki Owaku

CLAUDIA WOLF

Age: 29

Occupation: Order priestess

Lives in: Cult church

Claudia Wolf's childhood was one full of pain. Her father, a member of the

cult, forcefully tried to instill his beliefs of &salvation for the

chosent; in her. Leonard did not love his daughter. Putting religious

ideals above everything else, he did terrible things to her (;the memories

of his cruelty is forever burned into my mind;) trying to bring up the

ideal believer, who would build a Paradise for the chosen.

But Claudia was not completely alone in her misfortune. One day she met a

girl name Alessa Gillespie, who was also mistreated by her mother, who was

trying to raise a Mother of God (their meeting was probably a result of

Dahlia and Leonard's friendship). The soon became best friends. Whenever

Leonard decided to visit his fellow cult member, Claudia never missed a

chance to see Alessa and spent a lot of time at the Gillespie home.

Alessa's room is a place of bright memories for both girls. It was their

own corner, their own Paradise. Together they could forget about their

suffering for a while. The played cards (Claudia's inherent honesty

prevented her from cheating, so she always lost), read fairytales, played

with dolls, imagined their ideal parents, a school, where they could have

fun, an ideal world, where everyone would be happy. Together they dreamed

of what they would never have and they were like sisters to each other

(;To little Claudia. Happy 6th Birthday I love you as if you were my real

sister. Here's to you!). Alessa meant everything to Claudia, the only

person who understood her. But one day a fire burst out in Dahlia's house.

It took Alessa's life and left Claudia with only memories. The Paradise

was gone. Claudia couldn't accept the fact that she would never again see

her beloved sister. Listening to Dahlia's preachings (She was totally

brainwashed by that crazy old hag), she began to believe that Alessa

really did carry God inside her and cannot die. Then the happiness can

still return. And the events that happened seven years after the fire only

served to reinforce Claudia's faith.

As time passed, though, nothing changed. Leonard's beatings continued, but

Claudia could endure anything to meet with Alessa again. Her faith was the

only thing that kept her going, kept her from falling into despair -

without her faith her life would lose all meaning. She never felt hatred

towards the world that couldn't understand her. She knew that compassion

is born of suffering. And knowing suffering, she did not want to hurt

anyone, even her sadistic father. She wished only for her sister's return,

which would make everyone happy, not just Claudia, by creating Paradise,

where everyone would be happy, never in pain, never suffering (it could be

that she delberately formed her beliefs to be the opposite of her elitist

father, but it is also undoubtedly evidence of her compassionate nature).

In short, Claudia believed that Alessa's return would bring happiness to

humanity.Could she know what was really going on inside her friend's head?

Could she know that the Paradise she so longed for was a bloody nightmare?

Several years before the events of SH3, Leonard was taken to the

Brookhaven mental clinic for murdering a man in a religious discussion.

His post in the Order is taken by Claudia. Along with a young priest named

Vincent, she reforms the Silent Hill religion, adding to it Christian

elements, which makes the cult much more popular.

-----------------------

a) Saint Alessa

As we learn from the cult library, Claudia has changed the image of the

cult's deity. Now God has taken the form of Alessa, because the priestess

believed in her sister's divinity and that in the Mother of God will

carry not a hairy evil demon, but Alessa. This is reflected in the

portrait - St. Alessa. Mother of God, Daughter of God. The portrait

depicts Alessa holding an child. The child is supposed to be God, but if

you take a closer look you will see that it is also Alessa (Alessa=God).

Also, according to the plaque, Alessa is the daughter of God, but at the

same time Her mother. This is a result of God merging with Alessa in

Claudia's mind.

-------------------------

The religious organization began to grow and prosper, bringing great

riches to its founders. But money didn't interest Claudia. All this time

she had lived in a small stuffy room in the church, leading an ascetic

life and keeping the old postcard from Alessa (;So she was still hanging

onto this...). Remembering her hard childhood and knowing of the world's

horrors, she spent her time reading books (I was free all day, so I read

'A Modern History of Refugees' and 'Young Slaves: Child Exploitation'. I

don't want to be a mere bystander in this world. I can't do anything now,

though, and that's what's hard). Claudia's desire to change the world for

the better shows her altruistic side.

But despite Claudia's high position and her almost maniacal kindness,

nobody fully understood her, fearing the purity and strength of her faith.

There were even rumors that she had the same powers as Alessa (I don’t

have powers like you two).

Unable to abandon her childhood dream, Claudia does all she can to find

her ;sister. She hires a private detective named Douglas Cartland to

search for her. Surely, Alessa didn't die, she was just reborn. But even

if she find the Mother's new body, what would she do? How would she make

her remember who she really is and take a step towards Paradise? This is

where Father Vincent came along, giving her ;The Book of Praise, which

contained a way to make the process of the Mother's rebirth faster. The

way was to make her feel pain and hatred. Claudia is shocked (It's much

too cruel), but it is the only way. When Paradise comes, she can be with

her sister forever. Claudia's was much reinforced by Alessa's apparent

desire for the coming of Paradise. Once, she told Claudia that she wanted

the world to be purified in flame (she probably meant burning all people,

whom she hated, but Claudia would never think THAT of her sister. Yes,

seeing Alessa once again and making everyone in the world happy was worth

it. Claudia makes her decision.

Finally, the detective finds Alessa. Claudia is overjoyed. She has been

waiting for this more than 20 years. All this time, the Holy One has lived

not far from Silent Hill - in Ashfield. With the man, who took her from

Claudia. Overwhelmed with hope, Claudia leaves for Ashfield to meet with

her sister.

Claudia first meets Holy Mother outside in the hallway outside the book

store. But it turns out that the Mother of God neither remembers her life,

nor understands her purpose. Claudia's face expresses her pain at seeing

that Alessa forgot. She gives her her name (I am Claudia) hoping that

she will remember, but Heather is only annoyed - So what!?. However,

when she mentions God, Heather is overtaken by a sudden bout of headache,

caused her resurfacing memories of her past life. Claudia is visibly smiling when

this is happening - she has succeeded in awakening the Lost Memories; in Heather's

subconscious. Alessa's return and universal

happiness grow ever closer. With these thoughts Claudia makes her way to

the Masons' apartment, to fill the Mother's heart with hatred.

-----------------------------------------------

c) Claudia's influence on the Otherworld.

We know that both Claudia and Alessa were trained to take the role of

the Mother of God. Thus, both experienced great pain and suffering in

their childhood. In the library Vincent mentions that they both have

powers and in his talk with Claudia he even theorizes that the nightmarish

world is her own (Isn’t this nothing more than your own personal

nightmare? Just like Alessa 17 years ago). Claudia also had the gift of

premonition (she predicted the coming of Paradise when she was a child

and Vincent says that her sight rarely fails her) and could manipulate other

people's perceptions (It seems that she can manipulate the hearts and

minds of believers ). These could all be manifestations of her

psychic powers.

It's not hard to conclude that both Alessa and Claudia had an inner world,

which could affect other people (just like all characters in SH2 had inner

wrolds) and these worlds merged, so what we see in SH3 is not just a mix

of reality and AlessaHeather's world, but a mix of reality and both of

these inner worlds.

f) How does Claudia see the Otherworld?

According to Hiroyuki Owaku's commentary, one of the main themes

of Silent Hill is subjective perception. Basically, every person sees the world

differently. So, how does Claudia see the world around her? It is pretty

obvious that she and Heather do not see the same things, otherwise

Claudia would've quickly realized what kind of Paradise she's trying to create.

One could say that the subconscious world is a reflection of the human soul

and Claudia's soul bears no darkness - thus, her inner world would probably

be similar to her conception of Paradise. It is unknown how she sees monsters

- she says that They've come to witness the beginning and never calls them monsters.

Maybe she sees fantastic creatures of Paradise or, like Vincent, normal people?

-----------------------------------------------

Claudia doesn't kill Harry herself (even though she probably could do

that, considering her powers) and orders the cult member -- Missionary --

to do it. Later it becomes clear that she only did that because a murder

is too great a sin for her. She felt mustn't kill anybody, but had to do

it for the good of all. Which doesn't make her any less guilty.

After killing Harry, she awaits Heather's arrival to tell her that she

killed her father (to fill her heart with hatred) and remind her of her

former identity (You must try to remember me, and your true self as well.

You will birth a God and build an eternal Paradise) and to lure her to

Silent Hill (because in her hometown, old memories would awaken faster).

She leaves the Missionary to be slaughtered by the enraged Heather and

leaves for Silent Hill.

---------------------------------------------

g) Conversation with Vincent

After defeating Leonard, we see a cutscene of a conversation between

Claudia and Vincent. This serves to better flesh out their relationship

and reveal their conflicting beliefs. We see that Claudia, even having

suffered throughout her childhood, didn't want her father to come to harm

(Why did you send her to my father? It’s your fault that he...). A

conflict becomes imminent: Claudia believes that the real world brings

only suffering and God is needed to make everyone happy. Vincent, on the

other hand, is satisfied with the world as it is (I know about the

pleasures of this world. And I want to find my happiness while I’m still

here) and, having seen the reality of Alessa's nightmarish world, opposes

the coming of Paradise. He also tells Claudia that her desire for Alessa's

return is akin to a child's desire for love (which is true). Claudia's

last phrase (You don’t understand. None of you do) serves to show her

loneliness in the world.

--------------------------------------

Tragedy of true faith

The cruelty of her father, loneliness and pain of her childhood and strong

religious influence became the deciding factors in forming Claudia's

idealistic and altruistic nature, her wish to make the world happy. But

why was she so misunderstood? Heather, Vincent, Douglas and even her

father - none of the realized the nature of her dream and wanted her to

die. What is the reason? Where is the line, beyond which an innocent girl

dreaming of a perfect world turns into a religious fanatic, capable of

murder for a foggy goal?

Brought up in strict religious tradition, Claudia has always felt isolated

from the world - Alessa was her only friend and after losing her Claudia

couldn't get out of her cage of loneliness and misunderstanding. Her

fervent desire to bring her sister back mixed with her strong religious

faith - she spent days and nights in her room reading scripture, which she

hoped would help her bring Alessa back. Even holidays were spent in her

room, dreaming of making the world a better place and remembering the

happiness of days past (her diary really is somewhat sad to read). Again,

like in previous installments, we see a desperate attempt to find the

long-gone past. Once feeling nostalgia, one will never be able to stop

searching for the ghosts of the past. And the more Claudia reached out to

her past, to God and Paradise (to Alessa), the more she isolates herself

from the world and from the people she wanted to make happy. Her faith

became the reason for her loneliness.

We also see that her beliefs constantly come into conflict with other

characters. Who is right? Such truth are always subjective, because every

person has their own system of values. But Claudia was brought up by

Leonard, who always tried to impose his ideals on others (which finally

led him to his demise) and Claudia inherited her father's character. This

is most prominently seen in her reformation of the religion - the change

in scripture was her attempt to make everyone accept her view of the

nature of God (Who do you think you are? Claiming to know God’s will!?).

Another indication of this trait of characters was her delusion that if

whatever's good for her is bound to be good for everyone. That way she

began to see the resurrection of her childhood friend as a universal good.

As a result, Claudia is so blinded by her faith that she cannot think of

every turning back. Her unflinching faith in her sister prevents her

from ever understanding her mistake. Moreover, she is fanatical - in a fit

of self-sacrifical madness, she takes up the role of the Mother of God. It

may even be that Claudia WANTED to sacrifice herself - that is common

among religious fanatics. Self-sacrifice satisfies one's desire to

believe, that his or her life wasn't in vain.

Obviously, Claudia Wolf is not your common villain. When writing SH3, the

developers tried to get as far away as possible from your typical bad guy

(the one who wants to conquer the world and laughs maniacally)

and create a more realistic image, that would combine light and dark sides. A

character who would have their own truth, their own reasons and who could

be understood and forgiven. And they succeeded in that - the charismatic

and idealistic Claudia, who suffers for her faith, may inspire more

sympathy that even the protagonist.

l) Appearance analysis

The designers tried to make Claudia look unnatural and out of the

ordinary. Her clothing is limited to a black cloak and such minimalism can

be seen as another expression of her isolation from the material world.

The dark color of her cloak against her light beliefs is also

appropriate. She walks barefooted, preferring religious ascetism to

comfort. As we know, Dahlia Gillespie also didn't wear any shoes.

Her bright hair may look gray, which generally makes her look older than

her real 29. Her light-green eyes give the impression of blindness and

that wouldn't be far from truth - she really is blinded by her faith. She

also tends to roll her yes while speaking (especially of Paradise), but

her eyelids stay still. I leave interpreting this peculiarity to you. Also

interesting is the fact that she has no eyebrows. According to the

developers' commentary, this doesn't let us read her emotions and makes

her more mysterious. The very idea of a lack of eyebrows was inspired by a fashion magazine.

The early sketches of Claudia face were inspired by Julianne Moore.

m) Early sketches

Claudia was one of the hardest characters to develop. There were several

early versions of her appearance, none of which made it into the final

release. But still, they are intersting. Let us look at each variant:

- One of the sketches has Claudia bald and naked from the waist up,

wearing only a black skirt and a pair of gloves. Her body is covered in

tattoos. A disturbing and agressive look, appropriate for a satanic

priestess. It wasn't really fitting for a character like Claudia and was

scrapped.

- Another had her wearing a long red dress and a hood. The train of her

dress resembles a bloody trail. Now recall the image of God in the myth.

Yes, She is wearing the same blood-red dress. Such clothing would

symbolize Claudia's wish to be closer to God.

- The last sketch in our analysis depicts Claudia wearing a golden dress,

while her head is encircled by a halo. She is almost radiate peace,

kindness and holiness. Of course, Wolf's faith was influenced by

Christianity, but such an idealized priestly image is taking it too far.

Tarot Card: The High Priestess

Claudia Wolf

A faith which is too pure invites a new tragedy

SECTION TWO: An unhappy connection with Leonard, her father, which is the cause of her self-righteous personality

The one who guided Claudia to the town's indigenous religion was her father, Leonard. It seems that Leonard, who held strict religious views, forced his beliefs onto his daughter and inflicted physical punishment upon her for irreligious behavior. From an episode in which he stabbed a patient because of a religious dispute and from the radical memo in which he calls himself a protector of the seal," it can be surmised that Leonard possesses extremely elitist ideas. Claudia has come to hope for a salvation in which not only the chosen ones but everyone is saved, which is completely opposite from Leonard's ideas. One can think that in the background, there were feelings of repulsion and hatred towards her strict father.

Creator's comment: Her name comes from an Italian actress from the 1960s, Claudia Cardinale. Originally we had named her "Christie," but it was pointed out that this name is too "cute" and so we decided to change it. The model for her was Hollywood actress Julianne Moore. The High Priestess card in the game suggest Claudia. This card means mystery, faith, and dogmatism. Doesn't it seem that the self-righteous way that Claudia behaves as a consequence of being too genuine is in accordance with the meaning of the card?" - Hiroyuki Owaku

Quote: Oh, Alessa, the world you wanted is nearly here...

Metaphor: Unreasonably strong faith brings tragedy

Symbol: High Priestess Tarot card

Music:

http://shm.silenthillfever.com/sh3/audio/o...UpFromDream.mp3

Float up from Dream,

http://shm.silenthillfever.com/sh3/audio/o...VanityRuins.mp3

Walk on Vanity Ruins,

http://shm.silenthillfever.com/sh3/audio/ost/SH3-22-Sun.mp3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxQSfTp2aVA

Sun

Name: The name was borrowed from a 60s actress Claudia Cardinale. She was originally to be named Christie (maybe for the pronunciation similar to

Christ or christianity), but the name was deemed to cute for a

priestess of a religious cult. Her surname she inherited from her father,

Leonard Wolf.

Actress: the voice of Claudia was provided by Donna Burke, whom some may remember as Angela in SH2. Donna Burke is a very experienced and

professional actress, so she gets the roles of key characters

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

Basic Card Symbols

Blue, white and black colors, pomegranates, Isis moon crown, veil, solar cross, crescent moon. Black & white lotus, pillars (B stands for Boaz, signifying negation, J stands for Jachin, meaning beginning). Scroll with the word Tora on it (either the Jewish Torah or an anagram of Tarot, where the final letter is left unseen).

Basic Tarot Story

Continuing his journey, the Fool comes upon a beautiful and mysterious veiled lady enthroned between two pillars and illuminated by the moon. She is the opposite of the Magician, quiet where he was loquacious, still where he was in motion, sitting while he stood, shrouded in the night where he was out in the bright of day. She is the High Priestess and she astonishes the Fool by knowing everything about him. "Since you know me so well, perhaps you can help me," says the Fool, laying out his sword, chalice, staff and pentacle. "The Magician showed me these tools, but now I'm in a quandry. There's so many things I could do with them. I can't decide." In answer, the High Priestess hands over to him a pair of ancient scrolls. "These will teach you how to decide." Seating himself at her feet, the Fool reads by the light of her crescent moon. Finally, the Fool knows enough that he can now decide what he wants, where he will go, and what he will do. Though he suspects that the High Priestess has even more secrets she could teach him--like what lies behind the pomegranate curtain--he is focused and ready to be on his way. Thanking the High Priestess, he heads off. But as he leaves he hears her whisper, quiet as the waters which bubble up from beneath her throne, "We'll meet again...when you're ready to travel the most secret path of all."

Basic Tarot Meaning

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know in order to make a decision about a problem or a job, an investment, love, career, family, etc.

And, finally, there is, behind her throne, the curtain that leads to the deepest, most esoteric and secret knowledge; the pomegranates that decorate it remind us of Persephone, who was taken down into the land of the dead, ate its fruit, and became the only goddess allowed to travel to and from that strange land. Which indicates that when you get the High Priestess, you're going to be learning some very odd things. Very odd.

Thirteen's Observations

If there is a card that symbolizes the tarot reader is it the High Priestess. A woman (or man!) of psychic powers, intuition and secret knowledge. Where the Magician is about revealing, the High Priestess is about keeping things hidden behind the curtain. Things you know, but don't tell.

If the reader feels the High Priestess stands for the Querent, then this is a time of solitary investagation and the passing on of secret knowledge. The Querent might find themselves spending time in old libraries, reading through dusty documents and letters, or studying old religious texts. Things kept secret will be revealed to them. Likewise, these secrets might come to them psychically by way of visions or powerful instincts. Insights may be found in crystal balls, tea leaves, dreams or conversations with spirits.

Standing for someone other than the Querent, the High Priestess is usually read as a spiritual woman, a nun or astrologer, a teacher of archaic knowledge, or just a reclusive relative who knows a lot of family secrets. She is a repository of obscure knowledge, a walking library with uncanny instincts and insights. She may, as well, come across as cold, unpredictable, even scary.

As a card, the High Priestess is about knowledge. "I've a new idea," says the querent--thanks to the Magician. Maybe they've realized they want to be an painter or run for office or open their own business. But how do they decide what they want to paint? How do they decide which public office to run for? How do they find out where to start their new business? Knowledge. Insider knowledge from some old expert being the best. The more secrets the querent knows, the easier it is to know what to do with the idea. This is the job of the High Priestess, to offer secret knowledge, like the moon on a dark night, so that the querent can find their path. She sits between the pillars of dark and light, existance and negation, wax and wane. All secret knowledge is hers.

The High Priestess (II) is a trump card in the tarot deck. In the first tarots with inscriptions, the 18th-century woodcut Marseille Tarot, this figure is crowned with the Papal tiara and labelled "La Papesse", the Popess. For historians or heresiologists, such a figure suggests the female equality practiced among the Cathar perfect, who had been extirpated from Northern Italy and Southern France, where the Tarot first appeared.

Description and symbolism

A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretaions. Wood, 1998 However not all interpretations follow his theology. Please remember that all Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted up to personal experience and standards.

Some frequent keywords used by tarot readers are:

* Intuition ----- Nonaction ----- Mystery ----- Calmness ----- Silence

* Inner voice ----- Deep understanding ----- Discretion ----- Sensitivity

* Distance ----- Stability ----- Wisdom ----- Unconscious knowledge

* Patience ----- Looking inward ----- Contemplation ----- Subjective mind

In the modern Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck many occultist symbols have been applied to The High Priestess (illustration). She now has the lunar crescent at her feet, a horned diadem centering a globe on her head, and a large cross on her breast. The scroll in her hands is inscribed with the word Tora, signifying the Greater Law, the Secret Law and the second sense of the Word. It is partly covered by her mantle, to show that some things are implied and some spoken. She is seated between the white and black pillars—'J' and 'B' for Jachin and Boaz—of the mystic Temple of Solomon, and the veil of the Temple is behind her: it is embroidered with palms and pomegranates. The style is influenced by Art Nouveau.

Divination

Kabbalistic Approach

She has been called occult Science on the threshold of the Sanctuary of Isis, but she is really the Secret Church, the House which is of God and man. She represents also the Second Marriage of the Prince who is no longer of this world; she is the spiritual Bride and Mother, the daughter of the stars and the Higher Garden of Eden. She is, in fine, the Queen of the borrowed light, but this is the light of all. She is the Moon nourished by the milk of the Supernal Mother.

La Papesse in the Marseille Tarot: the originals were coloured by hand

In a manner, she is also the Supernal Mother herself—that is to say, she is the bright reflection. It is in this sense of reflection that her truest and highest name in bolism is Shekinah—the co-habiting glory. According to Kabalism, there is a Shekinah both above and below. In the superior world it is called Binah, the Supernal Understanding which reflects to the emanations that are beneath. In the lower world it is MaIkuth—that world being, for this purpose, understood as a blessed Kingdom that with which it is made blessed being the Indwelling Glory. Mystically speaking, the Shekinah is the Spiritual Bride of the just man, and when he reads the Law she gives the Divine meaning. There are some respects in which this card is the highest and holiest of the Major Arcana.

(Binah and MaIkuth are two of the sephiroth in the gnostic belief.)

On a more mundane level, the High Priestess is a figure who has passed through most of life. She started as a novice when a child. Now She has grown and governs the convent which is Spiritual Reality. She knows God. She knows what we go through because She has been through it Herself. But She is also very strict. Laws are in place to stop the new set of novices from hurting themselves.

Mythopoetic Approach

Other schools of thought associate the High Priestess with intuitive knowledge. The water that flows from her gown is the collective unconscious, and flows through most of the cards of the Pamela Coleman Smith Tarot.

The bow at her feet explicitly evokes with Artemis. Artemis is not merely the Moon, twin sister of Apollo, the Sun; she may be one of the oldest goddesses in Europe. Her name comes from a root word meaning “bear,” and may be linked to the divinity on the oldest cave paintings we have. It is also connected to Arthur, King of the Britains, the once and future king, marking her as another consort of the divine king.

She is often shown wearing the crown of Isis and Hathor; the waxing, full, and waning moon. This demonstrates one of the ways life survives death; through taking on new forms.

She is often shown sitting between two columns, one black, one white. This represents all dualities, light and dark, good and evil day night, summer and winter. She knows that dualities are useful abstractions but can blind us to the underlying wholeness of reality and the need to integrate them.

In some decks, the columns are labeled “B” and “J.” These letters were inscribed on two columns of Solomon’s Temple. The original meaning is controversial, though there are some who say that on the tarot card, they represent Baal and Jehovah; two paths to wisdom. If that is true, Baal may bring back in the Moon, as he was the spouse of Astarte, the Queen of Heaven, and a moon goddess. Jehovah was a god of light; Baal a lord of the night, another duality the High Priestess stands athwart.

As mentioned above, the High Priestess is Shekhinah, the female indwelling presence of the divine.

The High Priestess is associated with Key 11, Justice and Key 20 Judgement through their cross sums (the sum of the digits). There are those who say that the columns represent Justice and Mercy, reminding us that justice is not merely the imposition of the judgment of the powerful onto conflicts, but must be levied with mercy to deserve the title of Justice.

Typically, the High Priestess holds the Torah on her lap. She is not merely the mistress of hidden wisdom, she has read the words and knows their deeper meaning. Generally, unlike The Magician, she does not explore the world in order to master it, but in order to understand it. That understanding often leads to the temptation of mastery.

She is also associated thematically with The Moon. She can lead to deep wisdom, but can also lead to madness.

The pomegranates associate her with Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld and another example of the Dying God whose annual rebirth renews the world. From time to time, Persephone intercedes on the part of visitors to the Underworld, embodying Mercy.

Note that the motif that hangs behind the High Priestess’s throne, veiling what ever mysteries she guards, is suggested in the pattern of The Empress’ gown. The two are sisters, one bringing life into the world, the other inviting the living to the esoteric mysteries.

When she appears in a spread, she typically counsels the Querent to seek new paths and hidden paths to wisdom. She can also be a warning to interrogate the lessons of the unconscious. It does not always lead us to wisdom.

She also warns the Querent to question how he or she has divided up the world; to test the judgments made in the past against the world as we have come to know it.

Alternative decks

In the Vikings Tarot the High Priestess is Frigg, the wife of Odin. She is sitting on a throne in a swamp, with her golden slippers omitting a blinding light from the hem of her dress.

In the Golden Tarot the High Priestess is portrayed as Pope Joan with reference to the older tradition of the card being called The Papess (The Female Pope).

In the Mythic Tarot, created by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene, the High Priestess is portrayed by Persephone, descending a staircase into the Underworld, with the Earth behind her, dressed in white, and holding falling, white flowers. She holds up a pomegranate, both seen in her most famous myth and the Rider-Waite deck. The pillars beside her are the standard black (left) and white (right), and she also wears a crown, being the Queen of the Underworld.

The Osho Tarot calls this card Inner Voice and depicts it as a quiet person with a circle face in her center, holding a crystal in both hands and surrounded by two dolphins, a crescent-moon crown, and water.

Trivia

* In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The High Priestess is Princess Hinoto.

* In Live and Let Die (film), the Tarot card representing Solitaire is the High Priestess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Priestess

Thematic Meaning: In her robes, Claudia almost resembles a goddess, she appears aloof and virginal.

We find this card on Claudia's bed in her room. just like Her remarks

Heather, looking at the image. What is the card's meaning? According to

the cult library, this card symbolizes intuition, faith, dogmatism.

Surely, it is Claudia Wolf. Let us now look at the Tarot puzzle. Your

Excellency, praying to God most high Do you think you can tell me why You

always look up at the night sky? - writes Alessa.

Looking up at the night

sky can be interpreted as dreaming, nostalgia and religious faith.

the priestess is alone - there is nobody around her and only the Eye

of Night (symbolizing God) is looking at her from above. This signifies

her closeness to God.

Literal Meaning: This card usually means a strong feminine influence, particularly for men. It represents the unconscious mind, psychic ability and instinct.

‘Woman is the guide to the sublime acme of sensuous adventure. By deficient eyes she is reduced to inferior states; by the evil eye of ignorance she is spellbound to banality and ugliness. But she is redeemed in the eyes of understanding. The hero who can take her as she is, without undue commotion but with the kindness and assurance she requires, is potentially the king, the incarnate god, of her created world.’ – Joseph Campbell, ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’

The second card, "The High Priestess," denotes intuition, harmony, faith, or dogmatism and arrogance.

secrets, mystery, the future unyet revealed, silence, wisdom, passion, coceit, surface knowledge.

Claudia Wolfs Tarot Card, The High Priestess

The shaman here enters sublime, virginal ground: the very essence of the Universe before its fall into form. This region is the first symbolic domain which will take him undifferentiated into the Void of Space.

The Preistess, She is Isis, the eternal virgin, and again she is Artemis. It is for this reason she is clothed in the luminous veil of light, light being viewed not as the manifestation, but as the veil, of the spitit.

She is spiritual Isis and a virgin Artemis. With her veil of light, she is weaving, the crystals and fruits of the earth. She carries the huntress bow and the musical sistrum.

The Book Of Thoth

Aleister Crowley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Priestess

Edited September 16, 2007 by Hugh Bliss

[devance]

You would make great screenwriter, maybe even a movie director like Tarintino.

A interest in plays is the first step as a actor in a play, one can fine tune ones perfomance because theres many repeats.

I like his movies because he has fun.

He just joking with the audience with surprises [like Tarintino.].

But merryment and light comedy is my style.

[Hugh Bliss]

You would make great screenwriter, maybe even a movie director like Tarintino.

A interest in plays is the first step as a actor in a play, one can fine tune ones perfomance because theres many repeats.

I like his movies because he has fun.

He just joking with the audience with surprises [like Tarintino.].

But merryment and light comedy is my style.

Funny that you say that.

I was think about the relationship with tarot and screenplay.

And yes, tarot does add more insight in screenplay

With all the crap movies out these days with shallow plot and character development.

maybe screen writers should be sent to do Tarot lessons.

I think in creating a deck it's helpful to perceive myself as the writer, director, producer and cast of a play. Keeping a somewhat detached role of a director and identifying with each card and seeing how they respond to their themes in the story.

I was trained in the use of Plot Analysis,

while studying Dramatic Structure in my screenwriting classes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alessa is the Empress - “I Conceive”

The character is represented by the Empress card in Silent Hill's Tarot symbology.

 

Alessa Gillespie.

Creators Commentary

Alessa, Who lies dormant inside Heather, makes appearances in various places as her memories are revived. The reason why her behavior differs depending on the place is in accordance with what's written in the occult magazine that was dropped in the subway. The principle behind her behavior is that she desires to escape from suffering. It will become easier to understand if I say 'to die'

-Hiroyuki Owaku

Alessa Gillespie

Age - 14

Social Status - Victim of fire

She (17 year old or 31/38 in collected years) is the third incarnation of Alessa Gillespie. Alessa was born in 1972 to Dahlia Gillespie and an unknown father (though some believe it was Michael Kauffman), in Alchemilla Hospital. She was suppose to follow her mother's footsteps, but when the Order discovered her powers, they decided she would be the perfect host for their god. The Order believed that the only way to achieve paradise was to ensoul a girl with the spirit of the Order's god so it could be reborn. This honor was given to Alessa, who soon became known as 'The Mother of God'. At a young age, the god-fetus inside her made her powers strengthen (she was able to use her mind to create and control things such as appariations and contort the world), causing her grief in school. Her homelife was no better. Dahlia cared only to nurture the god-fetus by treating Alessa harshly and when Alessa acted out, she was either tied to her bed or locked in their home's attic where she wrote and drew on the walls all her frustrations. Even though both her homelife and her school time were hard on her, she was as carefree as a girl could be in her situation. She enjoyed collecting butterflies, reading fairytales, drawing pictures, and playing with her rag doll Scarlett. She was also close friends with Claudia Wolf, the daughter of Leonard Wolf, another cult member, who was two years younger than her. They use to sit in her room and play cards and draw.

In 1979, when Alessa was seven, Dahlia realized that her daughter's powers were intensifying and believed that was a sign that the Order's god was ready to be born. The cult believed that only through fire can a person be purified, so to release the god within her daughter, Dahlia locked her in her room and set the house on fire. Alessa begged her mother not to do it, but she was left alone in her room to die. With the god-fetus inside her protecting her from cremation, she split not only her own soul but the soul of the old god, creating herself again in the form of a baby girl. With the last bit of strength she had, Alessa transported the baby to the side of the road where she knew Harry Mason and his wife would find her and give her a better life. As Alessa's other half was was taken back to the Mason home, Alessa was pulled from the wreckage of the house and rushed to St. Alchemilla Hospital where she was treated for third degree burns and placed under the care of Dr. Kauffman and Nurse, Lisa Garland. Dahlia discovered what her daughter had done and suggested to the Doctor that Alessa be placed in isolation in the Hospital's basement until Alessa's other half returned to the town. Kauffman agreed and placed Lisa in charge of her care.

While the other half of Alessa was imprisioned in her own charred body, the other half became a part of the Mason family. She was named Cheryl and given everything a daughter needed. For three years she was raised with love by Harry and his wife, who she was very close to (a bond she wanted but could never have with her mother Dahlia), but that all changed in 1982, when Mrs. Mason became ill and died. Traumatized by their loss, Harry (28) and Cheryl became inseperable for four years. She was a happy and carefree child who loved to draw (Harry had bought her a sketchbook when she was five (1984), her first drawing in it was of him). In Silent Hill Alessa's other half was kept company by her Nurse, Lisa, who she became close to depite her situation.

April 15th 1986, Cheryl turned seven, Harry suggested that they go on a vacation - he let her pick the place. In Silent Hill, Lisa gave the fourteen year old Alessa a diary to celebrate the removal of her bandages. Alessa remembered the man she had given her other half to and wanted to meet him. Sensing her other half, she unconciously called to her. Cheryl, still deciding on the vacation, felt the pull towards Silent Hill. She asked Harry if they could go and he agreed. That week, while Cheryl and Harry planned their vacation, Alessa waited, writing in her journal, desperately wanting to leave her confines. There had been a fight outside her room and she had heard the next day that someone who was suppose to be dead had comeback to life, but she didn't realize that she had unconciously resurrected her Nurse, Lisa, who had been beaten to death by Dr. Kauffman. Friday evening, the doctor gave Alessa a necklace with a special pendant with a tablet of Aglophotis locked inside. That Saturday, April 20th, Harry and Cheryl left town and drove down to Silent Hill. Alessa wanted to leave the basement, but feared she would be tied up to the bed for misbehaving, so she used her powers to remove her spirit from her body so she could walk around the town as an astral projection. In the middle of the night, Harry and Cheryl arrived on the highway outside of Silent Hill. Alessa wandered out into the road, not noticing the jeep hurtling towards her until it was too late. When the car made contact with Alessa's spirit, the two halves of Alessa's spirit combined and Dahlia became aware of the god's return. When her split spirit combined, Alessa realized that her mother would come to get her before she could even meet Harry. She used her powers to effect the town so that she could hide herself away, summoning the Olympic Spirits to protect herself while she waited for Harry. When Dahlia started using Harry against her and Alessa used Lisa to keep him away from her while he had the Flauros. In the end, it was no use, Harry was able to use the Flauros to break through Alessa's world and Dahlia brought them to the Chapel's altar, where she performed the ritual to combine them so the god could be born. Alessa becomes the "Mother of God" ("Holy Woman in White", "Incubator" or possibly "Lobsel Vith: the Yellow God"), before Dr. Kaufmann throws his bottle of Aglaphotis onto her and causes her to transform into what Dahlia envisioned as the Order's god, in the image of Samael ("God" "Incubus" or possibly "Lobsel Vith: the Yellow God"). When Harry destroys the Incubus, the soul becomes trapped inside the dying Alessa once again. Combining the two alteregos of her body, Alessa creats her third incarnation, transfering all three souls into the baby girl's body and giving it to Harry. Before she died, Alessa tells him he is a good man before letting Cheryl say goodbye.

Harry left with the baby girl, adopting and naming her Cheryl. He moved to Portland, Maine so Cheryl could live out a normal life without worrying about anyone from Silent Hill finding him. Harry and her grew close, sharing a very strong father-daughter connection, much like her past incarnation had - even though she was unaware of Harry secretly feeling conflicted on what Cheryl was and if he should kill her. In 1991, a member of The Order came to the Mason home looking Cheryl (5). Harry shot and killed the man, pleading self-defense in court, which won him the case. Both legally took up different aliases, Cheryl becoming "Heather", and moved to a town outside of Silent Hill. They started anew on the first floor of the Daisy Villa Apartments, room #2. 2001, Harry gave Cheryl the pendant Dr. Kauffman had given Alessa for her fourteenth birthday - for Cheryl's fifteenth birthday.

Alessa

The suffering of a young girl who is unable to die as a result of being

impregnated with God

From "Silent Hill:" In order to escape from her suffering,

she attempts to return to a single body

In order to understand Alessa's situation, it is necessary to look back

at what happened in Silent Hill seventeen years ago.

Alessa, who received extensive burns as a result of the ritual that

brought about the descent of God, finds her other self in order to escape

from her eternal suffering and, because of God's revival, attempts to

destroy herself. However, Dahlia uses Harry to prevent her from carrying

out her plans.

Dahlia apprehends Alessa at the amusement park

Alessa's power grew to the extent that it exceeded Dahlia's control.

For that reason, Dahlia uses Harry.

The church that materializes as a guide for Heather =

Alessa as a young girl

In the church that is the final stage of the game, a young girl's crying

voice and footsteps materialize, as well as a map that is reminiscent

of childlike scribbling. Although these phenomena act as a guide for

Heather, the simplistically drawn map and forlorn sobbing are not there

to lead her-- rather, the explanation comes to light if one imagines

that Alessa's thoughts from her childhood linger in the church. It may

be that the younger version of Alessa who was teased and called "witch"

is wandering aimlessly about the church.

While the Alessa that appears at the amusement park is an entirely

different person, if it's the younger version of Alessa from before she

encountered the fire then there is no need to destroy "herself" who is

suffering from the pain. In this way, one can imagine that Alessa's

purpose and the form that she takes differs greatly depending on the

place.

To end her perpetual suffering, Alessa's obsession

materializes

At the merry-go-round in the amusement park, the "memory of Alessa

(Alessa's obsession)" appears. In accordance with her name, she is not

Alessa herself but her profoundly dark emotion that clings to this place.

Her intention is to escape from the pain in which she was perpetually

made to live by destroying herself. And so, for that reason she acts

out of a sense of kindness in that she wants to spare Heather from

that same suffering.

In the first game, Alessa's aspirations were never realized and her

obsession adhered to this place for a period of seventeen years.

the mirror room

The event that occurs in the hospital's storeroom in which Heather's

reflection in the mirror freezes in place is an omen embodying Alessa's

obsession.

the memory of Alessa

The fact that she comes to attack many times over with different weapons

indicates the depth of her suffering.

Creator's comment: Alessa- In the initial stages of development we used the name Asia, which is taken from the daughter of the Italian film director Dario Argento. However, because it's such an uncommon name, we decided to rename her. Alessa, who lies dormant inside heather, makes appearances in various places as her memories are revived. The resaon why her behavior differs depending on the place is in accordance with what's written in the occult magazine that was dripped in the subway. The principle behind her behavior is that she desires to escape from suffering. It will become easier to understand if I say "to die"."

Her Monsters: Air Screamer - born from "The Lost World" by Conan Doyle. Groaner and Doublehead - born from her fear of large dogs. Mumbler - born from menacing animals and small demons from fairy tales. Puppet Nurse/Doctor (or just "Nurse") - born from her stay in the hospital. Larval Stalker - born from being teased by her peers at school. Romper - born from her fear of adults. Bloodsucker - born from dislike of worms, snakes and the like. Creeper - born from dislike of insects. Hanged Scratcher, twinfeeler, and floatstinger - born from her insect collection. Splithead and Splitworm - born from a fairytale about a great lizard. Missionary - born from Claudia's powers effecting her eyes so that the Cult Member that killed her father resembles a monster. Scraper - born from Claudia's powers effecting her eyes so that Cult members resemble Monsters. Memory of Alessa - "Alessa's Obsession". Alessa's 'other mind' that was seperated seventeen years ago, it is a memory that clings to Silent Hill. Valtiel - not a monster, but her guardian; dirived from "valet", it is the attendant of the god and observes her in order to ensure the birth of the god.

Metaphor: 'Oh the sweet sugar saves me, it's the room that confines me'

Symbol: Wheelchair

Music:

http://shm.silenthillfever.com/sh1/audio/o...7tGonnaRain.mp3

Ain't gonna rain

http://shm.silenthillfever.com/sh1/audio/ost/SH-21-Far.mp3

Far

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2y3LGld1Mo

Tender Sugar

Name: She was originally to be named Asia after the daughter of the

aforementioned Argento, but was finally named Alessa. IMO, this name is

derived from Carrol's Alice in Wonderland (in many languages the spelling of

her name was close to Alessa For example - in Japanese Alice and Alessa

are pronounced like Areesa and Aresa. Just like Alice, Alessa is drawn

into the world of her subconscious. What's interesting is the fact that

despite it being wide-spread, this book is not recommended for children of

early age by some psychologists because it supposedly distorts the world so

much that it could make the child perceive the world inadequately which could

result in mild schizophrenia. At least that's what my psychology professor

told me - he's obviously never seen the Dog ending of SH2.

THE EMPRESS

Basic Tarot Symbols

A gown decorated with pomegranates, a crown of stars, a rod, a heart-shaped shield with the symbol for Venus, a field of ripe wheat.

Basic Tarot Story

Having decided what shape his future will take, the Fool strides forward. But he is impatient to make his future a full-grown reality. This is when he comes upon the Empress. Hair gold as wheat, a crown of stars, a white gown dotted with pomegranates. She rests back on her throne surrounded by an abundance of grain and a lush garden. It is possible that she is pregnant.*

Kneeling, the Fool relates to her his story. And she, in turn, smiles a motherly smile and gently gives him this advice: "Like newly planted grain or a child in the womb, a new life, a new love, a new creation is fragile. It requires fertile soil, patience and nurturing, it needs love and attention. Only this will bring it to fruition." Understanding at last that his future will take time to build and create, the Fool thanks the Empress and continues on his way.

* Pregnant. Well, not in the Rider-Waite deck she isn't. But she is in early decks, and it is an apt symbol for this card.

Basic Tarot Meaning

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

Thirteen's Observations

The Empress card is one of the easier trumps to read. She's Mother. Generally, Mother in a good sense. Patient, loving, giving, generous. If defining her as the Querent, you can say that they are currently feeling like a mother hen, worried about their children, new business, new creation, new romance. Male or female, they want to dote and hover and fret over every little sneeze and problem. If defining the Empress as someone related to the Querent, well, it might well be the Querent's Mom, or a woman who's very motherly toward them.

Of course, the Empress can also be the worst aspects of an attentive Mom; she can smother, not know when to let go, be possessive and jealous of those who would take away her "baby." It is important for the Querent to realize that plants can die from over-watering as easily as neglect.

This card tells the Querent that if they want their new romance, new career, new business, new creation to grow into all it can be they have to pay attention to it, baby it and be willing to let it take those first steps when it is ready. Most of all, like any pregnant mother or good gardener, they have to be patient. All things need time to gestate and sprout.

Description and symbolism

A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations.</ref> Wood, 1998 However not all interpretations follow his theology. Please remember that all Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted up to personal experience and standards.

Some frequent keywords are:

* Mothering ----- Fertility ----- Sexuality ----- Abundance

* Material prosperity ----- Pleasure ----- Comfort ----- Power

* Nature ----- Delight ----- Desire ----- Physical attraction

* Health ----- Sensuality ----- Beauty ----- Satisfaction

She sits on a throne wearing a starry crown, holding a sceptre in one hand. The Sceptre is representative of her power over life, her crown has 12 stars representing her dominance over the year, and her throne is in the midst of a field of grain, representative of her dominion over growing things.

History

The Empress from the Tarot of Marseilles

The Empress has had a rather uneventful five centuries. Waite and other occultists are responsible for the starry crown, the emblem of Venus, the waterfall, and the vegetation and wildlife. The Hermitage informs us that in historical decks the Empress sits on a throne, almost always holding a shield or orb in one hand and a sceptre in the other. The shield typically bears an eagle as the heraldic emblem of the Holy Roman Empire.

Interpretation

The Empress is mother, a creator and nurturer. In many decks she can be shown as pregnant. She can represent the creation of life, of romance, of art or business. Associated with the Empress are the Magician and the High Priestess. The Empress can represent the fecundation of an idea before it is ready to be fully born. The Empress is symbolized by Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more aptly interpreted to be Demeter, goddess of abundance. She is the giver of Earthly gifts. At the same time, she can be overprotective and possessive. In anger she can withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. According to mythology, due to fury and grief, Demeter keeps the Earth cold and barren until Spring when her child is returned to her.

Mythopoetic Approach

She is the Queen of Heaven, as shown by her crown of stars. She is the Great Goddess, the consort of the dying god. She’s associated through her cross sum (the sum of the digits) with Key 12 The Hanged Man, the Dying God, her Son (or daughter) and Consort, who dies at Autumn Equinox or Winter Solstice, and is reborn with Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, or Beltane. She’s also associated with Key 21, The World, the final card of the Tarot. Through death, rebirth, and reproduction the world is renewed.

She is associated with Isis, both as the mistress of heaven and as the Ur-Poisoner. According to some tales, Isis achieved the queen ship of heaven by poisoning Ra with a serpent and refusing to heal him until he told her his secret name. Isis’s consort was Osiris, who is about as good an example of The Hanged Man as one can find in world mythology.

The Empress is closely associated with the suits of Disks (Earth) and Wands (fire/masculine generative force). She is the mistress of the Knights (12th cards of the Minor Arcana), who as Grail Knights are in some sense searching for her, and, like their counterpart in the Major Arcana, the Hanged Man, may well die for her.

She is also associated with Ishtar and Inanna, who went alive into the underworld and came back. She is sometimes associated with Demeter, the mother of Persephone. When Hades, the lord of the underworld, kidnapped and raped Persephone, Demeter stopped everything from growing until a deal was struck whereby Persephone spends part of the year with her, part of the year dead.

The fruit on her gown suggests a pomegranate. The pomegranate, of course, is the fruit that Persephone thoughtlessly or hungrily ate in the underworld, which binds her to it for part of every year. It also suggests the wall hanging behind The High Priestess’s throne, veiling us from the greater mysteries.

When she appears in a spread, she may represent life itself asserting itself through our attempts to master it. She can also represent the smothering of a blanket of ivy as it paralyses and chokes the forest. She often represents mothers, good and bad, or the demands of the real world. She also represents blood flowing through all living things, the womb and the tomb.

The Empress may also represent the Object of Desire. Most obviously, the love of the beloved, the love and approval of parents, especially (but not solely) mothers. While this may be healthy, over attachment to the object (or to the idea of the object) can be a danger sign.

If the Empress is the Object of Desire, the Hanged Man (or a Hanged Man substitute from the Minor Arcana) is the one who desires. This can inspire Great Works, or trap the Querant in pathology. Attachment can lead to death, metaphorically or otherwise. When The Empress kills (again, metaphorically or otherwise), it is usually by consuming, suffocating, or poisoning.

The Empress may represent the veil of illusion, Maya (illusion). In the Book of Thoth deck, she holds a lotus in her hand, associating her with the mother of the Buddha, the mother of the knowledge that transcends the world.

In her beneficent aspect, she gives, nurtures, and/or celebrates life. In her negative aspect, she takes it, either literally or figuratively.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empress_(Tarot_card[/url])

Thematic Meaning: A young girl who is unable to die as a result of being

impregnated with God

She is "Mother of God" "Holy Woman in White" "Incubator"

Holy Mother

According to belief of a cult, originally the God is in a womb of Holy

Mother (as in original incubatort), and it's known by the myth, that God

has been given birth from people. It is easy to guess, that the person who

has believed in the God and given birth to him with the force of the

belief, can be named the Holy Mother. For example, in SH1 Alessa was as

Holy Mother (in record of the dialog in SH3 Alessa was named Holy Mother),

and the Holy Mother in SH4 was Walter Sullivan, the maniac, who has given

birth to his own world and his own God.

Cultists trusted, that the Holy Mother, who contains God, cannot die and

will be reborned unlimited amount of times (the Mother shall be reborn

as like Alessa's soul reborned into Cheryl) due to force of the angel -

keeper named Valtiel. She will continue her existence in Paradise (as

Alessa and Walter continued their existence in their worlds even after

their death) and will descent into our world at the same time with arrival

of Paradise and the God on our Earth (Descent of the Holy Mother).

Literal Meaning: The Empress is numbered three and symbolises one half of a perfect polarity - the Emperor being the other side of the balance. From the purity of the High Priestess we move naturally onwards to the Empress' sense of bounty and fertility.

In her beneficent aspect, she gives, nurtures, and/or celebrates life. In her negative (dark) aspect, she takes it, either literally or figuratively.

She represents the Mother Goddess, fulfilling her part in the eternal cycle of creation.

She represents, Love, beauty, pleasure, fruitfulness, grace, influence, promiscuity, Sensuality, the unknown, ignorance, doubt, obsession, light, truth, the unraveling of involved matters, vacillation, cladestine and difficulty.

Alessa's Tarot Card: The Empress

The Empress is the supreme representation of Mother Nature, the great womb of all manifested forms, and to encounter her is to return to the very source of created being. It is a reaffirmation of the process of life and fulfilment itself, the home of the River of Life. The shaman surrenders himself to the source of his form.

She is seated in traditional posture, This posture represents salt, the inactive principle of nature. The lotus typifies the feminine or passive power. The Bees on the may be compared with the Fleur de lys, suggesting the french origin of the symbol; the belt is the zodiac. The Pelican may be identified with the great mother and her offspring. It represents the continuity of life and the inheritance of blood uniting all forms of nature. The white Eagle typifies Alchemical Salt, and the White Tincture, of the nature of silver

Represents, Venus, Daleth. This women in her all-embracing receptivity, incarnate womenhood, holding the lotus, wearing the belt of the the Zodiac surrounded by her Venus bird, the pelican of self surrender and heraldic white eagle salt.

Aleister Crowley

Edited September 18, 2007 by Hugh Bliss