Arcana V - Shanahan / Bafomitras’ Grimoire of Arcana

From the book Bafomitras’ Grimoire of Arcana. 

Design by Dražen Pekušić based on my sketch.

If you want to buy this book (and deck), write to dorijan.nuaj@gmail.com

 

The fifth arcana, Shanahan, comes from Amhazar and has subarctic origins. The predominant color of this card is blue, gradually transitioning to gray and black at the bottom. Shanahan represents the guardian of the Earth, the lord of gnomes. The presence of the waning Moon on the card indicates his chthonic nature. He is massive and dormant, but when awakened, his heavy, clumsy steps shake the ground. However, Shanahan is also the voice of prophecy. We briefly awaken him to hear prophetic words. He speaks on behalf of the Earth. The sword guarded by the adepts from the second arcana serves the purpose of awakening the guardian of the Earth, who then rises and utters what the initiate should hear.
The Kabbalistic connection of this card is to the sephiroth Malkuth and Yesod, although the lord of gnomes bears a solar symbol on him. However, his solar nature is that of the underground Sun. Mysterious forces express themselves in riddles, so one should carefully ponder the answers received, neither dismissing them nor accepting them lightly. The initiate receives the help of this force when in search of fateful answers. The spirit of this card can also assist the initiate in delivering a blow in a magical duel.

The card advises that one needs to dig deep and uncover something hidden and buried. In a divinatory sense, this card indicates the need for essential and deep reflection on our goals, self-examination, as well as re-evaluation of a situation we are in. It also tells us to wake up, follow our instincts, and take matters into our own hands. The spirit of this card appears as a massive, humanoid stone figure, or as a group of grotesque dwarfs armed with swords. His words are... (The words are given in the book).