NUL // 003 — THE RITUAL
THE ARCANA
ANCIENT SYMBOLS. MODERN MEANING.
Twenty-three cards. Zero through XXII. The deck ends one card later than it should.
23 / 23 ILLUSTRATED
03 / 23 TRANSMITTED
0
THE FOOL
ACTIVE
Hooded figure stepping off a black cliff into the void, bindle over the shoulder, small dog of light at the heel, white sun of concentric rings above. The cliff edge is a circuit trace.
ACCENT // ONE NODE AT THE CLIFF EDGE
NS-T00
I
THE MAGICIAN
SIGNAL PENDING
Hooded figure at a stone altar, one arm raised with a wand of light, the other pointing down; lemniscate above the head. Chalice, blade, wand and disc on the altar, drawn as instruments.
ACCENT // THE WAND TIP
NS-T01
II
THE HIGH PRIESTESS
SIGNAL PENDING
Veiled figure seated between a black pillar and a white pillar, a veil of geometry between them, triple-moon crown, crescent at her feet, sealed scroll in her lap.
MONOCHROME // NO ACCENT
NS-T02
III
THE EMPRESS
SIGNAL PENDING
Crowned figure enthroned in wheat drawn as fine lines, shield bearing the Venus symbol, river of light behind, crown of twelve stars.
ACCENT // THE CENTRE OF THE VENUS SYMBOL
NS-T03
IV
THE EMPEROR
SIGNAL PENDING
Faceless emperor on a monolithic black throne with ram-head nodes at its corners, ankh sceptre and orb, angular geometric crown, wall of concentric rings behind.
ACCENT // THE ORB CORE
NS-T04
V
THE HIEROPHANT
SIGNAL PENDING
Robed figure with a triple-tiered crown, hand raised in blessing, triple-cross staff, standing between two pillars. Two small kneeling initiates. Two crossed keys at his feet.
ACCENT // THE TEETH OF THE KEYS
NS-T05
VI
THE LOVERS
SIGNAL PENDING
Two figures facing each other beneath a winged figure and a white sun, hands almost touching with a thin line of light between them. A tree of light behind one, a tree of flame drawn as circuitry behind the other.
ACCENT // THE POINT WHERE THE HANDS MEET
NS-T06
VII
THE CHARIOT
SIGNAL PENDING
Crowned charioteer in a cubic chariot beneath a starred canopy, drawn by a black sphinx and a white sphinx, wheels as orbital rings, city of monoliths behind.
ACCENT // THE WAND TIP
NS-T07
VIII
STRENGTH
SIGNAL PENDING
Hooded figure calmly closing the jaws of a lion made of radiating lines, lemniscate above, garland of geometry.
ACCENT // THE EYE OF THE LION
NS-T08
IX
THE HERMIT
SIGNAL PENDING
Hooded figure alone on a black peak with a staff and a lantern whose light is a six-pointed star, fog below, sky a grid of faint stars.
MONOCHROME // NO ACCENT
NS-T09
X
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
SIGNAL PENDING
Eight-spoked wheel of rings and nodes turning in space, alchemical glyphs at the four quarters, sphinx on top, serpent descending one side, figure rising the other.
ACCENT // THE HUB
NS-T10
XI
JUSTICE
SIGNAL PENDING
Crowned figure enthroned between pillars, sword raised in one hand, scales in the other with pans of light, veil behind, perfectly balanced.
ACCENT // THE SWORD EDGE
NS-T11
XII
THE HANGED MAN
SIGNAL PENDING
Figure hanging upside down by one foot from a T-shaped gallows of living wood and cable, other leg bent, hands behind the back, halo of concentric rings around the head at the bottom of the frame. Calm, not suffering.
ACCENT // THE KNOT OF THE ROPE
NS-T12
XIII
DEATH
ACTIVE
Skeletal rider in black armour on a pale horse of lines, black banner with a white five-petalled rose, fallen figures below, two towers on the horizon with a white sun rising between them.
ACCENT // THE CENTRE OF THE ROSE
NS-T13
XIV
TEMPERANCE
SIGNAL PENDING
Winged figure pouring light between two chalices in a continuous arc, one foot on stone and one in water, triangle on the chest, sun rising over a path.
ACCENT // THE TRIANGLE
NS-T14
XV
THE DEVIL
SIGNAL PENDING
Horned, winged figure seated on a black half-cube holding an inverted torch, inverted triangle above its head, two chained figures below with chains loose enough to slip.
ACCENT // THE INVERTED TRIANGLE
NS-T15
XVI
THE TOWER
SIGNAL PENDING
Black tower struck by lightning, crown blown off, sparks falling as nodes, two figures falling from the windows, cracks running like broken circuit traces.
ACCENT // THE LIGHTNING
NS-T16
XVII
THE STAR
SIGNAL PENDING
Kneeling figure pouring from two vessels, one into a pool and one onto land, beneath one great eight-pointed star and seven smaller ones, a tree with a single bird.
MONOCHROME // NO ACCENT
NS-T17
XVIII
THE MOON
SIGNAL PENDING
A faceless crescent inside a full disc dripping nodes of light, two towers at the horizon, winding path from the water, a dog and a wolf howling, a crayfish rising from the pool.
MONOCHROME // NO ACCENT
NS-T18
XIX
THE SUN
SIGNAL PENDING
Great sun of alternating straight and wavy rays over a garden wall of sunflowers drawn as radial geometry, small child-figure with open arms on a white horse holding a banner. The brightest card, still monochrome.
ACCENT // THE BANNER
NS-T19
XX
JUDGEMENT
SIGNAL PENDING
Winged figure emerging from cloud and static blowing a trumpet with a cross-marked banner, figures rising from open rectangles with arms raised, mountains behind.
ACCENT // THE CROSS ON THE BANNER
NS-T20
XXI
THE WORLD
SIGNAL PENDING
Dancing figure holding two wands inside an oval wreath of geometry, one leg crossed, the four fixed signs at the corners as glyphs in circles.
MONOCHROME // NO ACCENT
NS-T21
XXII
THE HOURGLASS
ACTIVE
Ornate hourglass of glass and black metal, sand falling as nodes of light, a loading ring of segments orbiting it.
ACCENT // THE LAST GRAIN OF SAND
NS-T22
THE DECK — COMPLETE TWENTY-THREE CARD PRINT SET — IS NOT YET TRANSMITTED.