u/octopolis_comic

The Anchored One - My interpretation of The Hanged Man tarot card.

Part of my Octopolis tarot series. Loosely based on a Caribbean reef octopus, but with mantle fins. Description of details and symbolism here.

This is part of my ongoing 'Octopolis Tarot' series. I’ve chosen to represent the Hermit not as an old man but as a brooding female octopus. Octopuses are notorious for their terminal reproductive cycle: towards the end of her life the female will lay her entire clutch of eggs in a den, never to leave. Hermitage isn't just about solitude, it’s about isolation with purpose: It's is a mechanism for reflection and self-discovery. In a deeper sense the card represents Fertility: the gestation of the self. Full writeup on the card and its symbolism here: https://www.octopoliscomic.com/octopolis-tarot/the-hermit

Microeledone galapagensis

Observed this shore diving the Red Sea this morning on the way to a deep wreck. Could have watched this for hours! Didn't stick around long enough to see how it ended.

Predating a mosasaur, naturally

The Chariot represents progress, steady forward movement, tenacity, discipline. There is a feminine aspect to the card, invoking the evolutionary drive to reproduce, so I filled the card with aspects of reproduction. The chariot itself is the egg casing of an argonaut octopus, and the streamers flying off the back are reminiscent of the blanket octopus, both species whose females carry their eggs through the pelagic.

Two tuna pull the chariot forward. They are tuna, notoriously some of the most voracious animals in the ocean. To maintain their massive metabolism they require never ending supply of food, and are constantly swimming through the ocean searching for prey. These tuna have been harnessed to swim in balance with one another, and drive forward an emissary of Octopolis. 

Mention you saw this on Reddit and get a free sticker!