The Ace of Swords would represent a single, uncluttered idea or truth. The idea of the Ace is best defined as a crack of light piercing the darkness as a blade is sliced through the side of a very dark tent which represents the inside of your mind.
If you draw the Ace of Swords it can mean a sudden flash of clarity or clarity in general, truth, honesty, decision, direction, the spoken word, or a new idea.
The Two of Swords indicates two opposing ideas held in balance. It therefore goes to suggest that although a balance has been achieved, a resolution is still withstanding. The individual ideas represented by the two swords are usually holding two truths and at this time there is not a clear idea how to integrate them.
If you draw the Two of Swords it can mean a temporary truce is in place, hesitation, delicate balance, mild conflict, misunderstood intentions and/or debate.
The Three of Swords represents the first painful clash caused by misunderstandings, conflict of interest, or opposing ideas. Not all truths support each other and sometimes it can hurt to know the truth.
If you draw the Three of Swords it can mean finding out the one you love does not love you, or that although your intentions are good, they are not suitable for the purpose you intended. or betrayal.
The Four of Swords represents the mind at rest. It can indicate a calm environment void of distraction or outer influences where the mind finds a harmonious way to contemplate opposing ideas.
If you draw the Four of Swords it means peace of mind, rest, quiet, calm and/or constructive thinking.
The Five of Swords is about the struggle of the mind to dominate and prematurely overcome difficulty without fully integrating all the facts. It often indicates a fight or struggle of some sort.
If you draw the Five of Swords it can mean arguments, defeat, hopeless battle, jumping to conclusions, seeing red, or strife and conflict.
The Six of Swords is about the mind settling and attempting to integrate facts. It usually means a stretch of time where the mind moves from one point of view to another. There is an ability here to see both sides of an issue or to walk in an others shoes.
If you draw the Six of Swords it can mean taking some time to think about past occurrences and the effects they are having on you now, gaining a new point of view or taking a different position on a subject than you had before, changing one's mind, or changing sides.
The Seven of Swords is about defining one's own path, of taking matters into one's own hands The number seven represents personal quests and the swords deal with matters of academic interest, the intellect, clarity of thought, truth, and personal belief, even if those beliefs stray from commonly held thought. For this reason the Seven of Swords is often associated with thieves..
If you draw the Seven Of Swords it can indicate stealth and/or avoidance, taking the road less traveled, trickery lies subterfuge and dishonesty, defining personal boundaries, or simply making a decision to think act or behave outside the realm of common thought.
The Eight of Swords defines peace taken to an extreme; it represents restriction and limitation, being bound by one's own conviction, being pinned in a corner so to speak. If your thinking limits your ability to function, you've found yourself trapped by the essence of the Eight of Swords.
If you draw the Eight of Swords it can mean limitation, restriction, confusion, stalemate, or critical thinking that defies logic.
The Nine of Swords represents our worst imaginable fears coming to haunt us, literally or figuratively. It is the imagination run amok. Left unchecked the mind will call its worst fears into being. This card is one of the most dreaded of the tarot cards to receive.
If you draw the Nine of Swords it can mean confusion, stress, nightmares, extreme negative thinking or excessive worrying.
The Ten of Swords represents the end of conflict. It also brings with it much grief for letting go is never an easy thing to do. It has a sense of relief embedded within its difficulties and usually indicates a quiet acceptance of loss with a modicum of hope on the horizon.
If you draw the Ten of Swords it can mean loss, grief, sadness, the end, difficult endings, nothing left to lose and/or acceptance, sometimes accompanied by new hope.
The Knave of Swords is often depicted as having a youthful and fresh outlook combined with lack of confidence. This often manifests in quiet observant behaviour which can be misconstrued as stealth. Sometimes the Knave of Swords is mistrustful or simply overcautious.
If you draw the Knave of Swords it can represent a person with a cautious nature or an attitude of mistrust, being watched, or academic investigation.
The Knight of Swords represents a confidant and often intensely expressive intellect in person or attitude which may be accompanied by rash or righteous outlook. Warriors, activists, zealots, writers and promoters with the essence of this Knight in their characters can be quite persuasive.
If you draw the Knight of Swords it can indicate intensity, activism, persuasion, boldness, innovation, and/or rash judgment.
The Queen of Swords is often considered a wise, yet cold woman. The Queen of Swords can represent man, woman or attitude that possesses quiet resignation, confidence and wisdom. There is little to no emotional nature, but the calmness indicates stability of emotion.
If you draw the Queen of Swords it can mean a person or attitude of a calm and collected nature, mature wisdom, and/or dignity tinged with a touch of bitterness.
The King of Swords represents a person or attitude that is clear and decisive, possessing good judgment and aloof. The King of Swords is often accused of being too cold and logical but is often depended upon to make a rational decision in an emotionally turbulent atmosphere due to his fairness in judgment.
If you draw the King of Swords it can indicate a man, woman or attitude of fairness, logic, dependability, aloofness, and/or detachment.
The cards depicted above are from The Vampire Tarot by Robert M Place.
5 comments:
Has this tarot something to do with Tim Powers' "The Stress of Her Regard"?
I only know the Rider Tarot. My fav sword card there was always the ten of swords. I dunno, the image just spoke to me, and filled me both with longing and with anguish, but the short of anguish that comes from life, not from death.
I think that's a pretty correct reaction to the Ten of Swords.
I don't believe these cards have anything to do with the novel but I can't say for sure.
Wonderful art work :)
I agree with the comments about the Ten of Swords card here. That really is provocative. Almost like life is pinning us down but we can escape it if we react in time.
Ten Swords of Damocles in a way.
The portrait cards are really beautiful.
Thanks all for your comments.
Post a Comment