the king of limbs
Here, the King of Limbs looms, mouth wide, holding the moon upon a stick in a hand of indecision, and holding himself in his own arms, before many things, separating the fractured landscape; his melody is being stolen; his head is open, many limbs pouring out and a Lotus Flower rising from them. There is an empty space inside his heart. Mr. Magpie’s sunrise is in progress, beneath it, the ocean blooms. Jellyfish go by. Just dragonflies to the side. A Feral child running in the background. Also, a figure falling from the giant bird carrying it, another falling out of bed, and a figure dancing around the pit, and another diving into an eye.
Divinatory Notes:
A sudden awakening. Evolution in thinking.
Awareness, invulnerability, endurance, sublimation. Responding to indignation.
Action after much inactivity. Opposition to tyranny.
Aspiration. The underdog undermining the mad-dog.
Reversed:
Rude awakening resulting in finding one’s self out of one’s element.
Isolation, vulnerability, misdirection, being bereft, and cultural differences.
“This card was not my own idea. Before I moved to Switzerland in 2011, on one of my weekends hanging out with my closest friends, Kevin, he has this outburst. Since Radiohead’s album, ’The King of Limbs,’ had come out that February, he’d had this thought and finally remembered to tell me about it.’It sounds like one of your tarot cards!’ I thought it was a great idea, to draw a card surrounding one of my favourite band’s albums with a title that – Kevin was positively correct – sounds as if it had stumbled out of my deck. I spent about a month, between April and June, in my new home in Switzerland, listening to, reading, analyzing and dissecting the lyrics and the album. Over and over.
That summer, I had to return to the U.S. to complete my visa process, before my wedding in Switzerland. Auspicious timing and events have been constant, in relation to the Sickly Tarot. This card was no exception. I felt quite honoured to have completed the drawing in Loveland, in Kevin’s spare room, where I was staying for a great deal of my time back in the states.
One of these days, I will get around to bugging Donwood or Yorke to see if they are interested in having the original of this card. After Mister Tom Waits, Radiohead, along with Nigel Godrich and the band’s art crew, have probably been the largest influence in my art, as well as in other aspects of my life and philosophy. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for them and their work.
Yorke, Radiohead, Dr. Tchock, & Donwood: If you’re out there reading this, get in touch. I would be honoured to get this drawing to you.“
- jack f. raymond sickly
