Swords, Knives, Arrows and Other Sharp Objects

Correspondences:
Element - Air
Direction - East
Astrological sign(s) - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Planet(s) - Mercury, Uranus, Saturn
Mineral(s) - Blue tourmaline, blue kyanite, sodalite, lapis lazuli, labradorite, amethyst
Season - Autumn
Chakra(s) - Crown, throat and third eye
Major Arcana -  0/22, The Fool; 1, The Magician; 6, The Lovers;  17, The Star; 20, Judgement

Overall Theme/Correlation: Communication. Mental energy, rationality and reason, speaking/seeing truth, fearlessness, freedom, harsh reality; can indicate aggressiveness, lack of emotion.

This suit has always seemed to me the most difficult as I am by nature a very positive person. Some of the cards appear to depict violence and/or very negative energy because such are harsh realities of life. So for me, the challenge of reading swords is to first understand that it always seems darkest just before the dawn, acknowledge the truth of that darkness without getting bogged down in it, and then find the way to the light. That said, the suit does have some inherently positive aspects; one just has to look harder to find them.

Pip and court cards of the Suit of Swords:
Ace: Gift or *Crown - Powerful intellect, cutting through the abstract to the truth. Double edged sword of emotion vs. rationality; clarity of thinking, commitment to truth. Planning, goal setting, high principles.

Two: Balance or *Wisdom - Conflict in communication; avoidance of conflict or communication; defensiveness; closing off outside stimulation so as to seek ones own truth.

Three: Synergy or *Understanding - Knowledge and contemplation of deep sorrow. Understanding and/or acceptance of sorrow. Working through pain or trauma; healing.

Four: Stability or *Love - Preconceptions, isolation or hiding from pain, sorrow or something that does not fit preconceived ideas. Thinking inside the box; need to open ones mind, open to healing and/or need to withdraw in order to process new ideas, thoughts and/or to heal.

Five: Opportunity or *Judgement - Dealing with defeat or humiliation; need to recover, rethink, regroup and rebuild to fight again with renewed perspective. Need to cease negative self talk.

Six: Peak Experience or *Beauty - Science/knowledge/discovery illuminates connectedness of all life; freedom of thought; joy of discovery. Gaining strength through trauma. Forward motion in spite of carrying a burden or secret.

Seven: Inner Work or *Victory - Called to service; need for fearlessness or boldness in order to achieve victory; strategizing a win-win; a scheme, manipulation or trickery proving futile; recklessness for excitement and thrills.

Eight: Change or *Glory - Confusion preventing forward motion or achievement; possibilities not realized; bound by thoughts or ideas only. Finding inner strength to push forward; nothing holding one back except the self.

Nine: Completion or *Foundation - Extreme pain, anguish; situation that can no longer be ignored or denied; need for change. Facing fears with intellect in order to turn them into assets.

Ten: Fulfillment/New beginnings or *Kingdom - Extreme conflict and mental difficulty. The mind has gone as far as it can go; release rationality and look to the heart or universe for answers.

Page/Princess/Prince/Child: Childlike energy - Vigilance, quickness, intelligence, success through love, dedication and courage.

Knight: Adolescent Energy - Bravest of Knights; stand up and express beliefs; fearlessness; may indicate thoughtless or foolish action; Think before you act.

Queen: Maturity, thoughtfulness, expression of power, inspiration, gratitude - Queen of sorrow; total lack of self pity; believer and seeker of truth and justice; total honesty; expressing hearts desire and helping others do the same.

King: Wisdom, Maturity, Responsibility for the greater good - High intellect, clarity and spiritual insight; judgement, forcefulness. Strong minded, overwhelming person. Idealistic; fair. Above all, rational; little regard for emotions.


_____
*From Kaballah - Each pip card in the minor arcana is represented by a number. I've included the numerical meaning (consistent for all suits) before the card meanings in this listing. The first overall numerical association is the more traditional one. I will be looking at origins more closely later, so simply a reference.

Welcome to ArcanA!!

This is a tarot discussion forum. My intention is to post my own thoughts, intuitions and insights based on my own background studying tarot. It's as much a learning tool for me as I hope it will be thought provoking for you. 

A new friend of mine has recently begun to study tarot, which I, of course, think is awesome, and in my opinion, he is going about it correctly; pulling a card each day, writing out its correspondences and general meaning, meditating on it for a day or so as he goes about his active life, and moving on to the next. His adventure has inspired me to this one.

My interest in tarot goes back many years but up until recent years it was little more than being enthralled with the art and symbolism in the decks. I knew little to nothing about any of it until I began to dabble and then study, taking classes and practicing with friends over the past five years or so.  During that time, in many ways, my intuitive gifts have grown from the finally fertile soil of my realization that they had been hidden and denied for so many years. I was just always the odd one; the one who didn't fit in, and I now know that I was not the only one who felt that way. As I become more one with my spirit, I find that I am drawn to others like me and they're drawn to me as well. It's wonderful to finally find my tribe!

So as my faith in the universe and so in myself grows, so does the knowledge that I know very little about anything really, but some things I do know as far as working with energy are, that 1) each reader may interpret the same card uniquely, seeing and intuiting meanings and ideas that others may not; 2) that it is imperative that the reader not project their own issues into a reading; and 3) always read to the positive. There are many cards that represent difficulties and challenges, but none that can tell anyone they are going to fail at a task, meet a tall handsome stranger or that they're going to die unexpectedly. All this to say that tarot is a tool that, like any tool, is only as good as the skill of it's wielder. 

A tarot reading is never incorrect. It is the energy of the questioner, the cards and the reader in the moment that helps them in some way. The cards, through questions and discussion during the reading, may help the querent see a situation in a different light, or bring up an aspect of a situation that they were not aware of or had not considered significant, and/or possibly offer a path to resolution or greater peace of mind.

Learning the cards initially can be overwhelming. There are as many different decks and styles of cards as can be imagined and more are being imagined every day. Each suit and each card has correspondences with the elements, astrology, creatures, symbolism, numerology, journeys..... I doubt if there is anyone who knows even close to all there is to know about these cards and that is what makes them mysterious and magical and what makes the discussion and study of tarot so rich!

There are 22 cards in the major arcana. Some readers only use those cards, but I find that a good understanding and use of the other 56 brings a more down-to-earth, esoteric feel to a reading, and when the major arcana cards appear among them, they grow in significance within the layout.

So, all of that said, I was a surprised to find I have concerns around the deck my friend is using. At first glance it is a pretty standard deck with the usual cards, but the minor arcana cards are labeled. The first one I saw that I was disturbed by showed the word 'Failure' printed on the bottom of the nine of swords. 

Now the nine of swords is not a favorite card of mine by any stretch, or the ten for that matter. The entire suit is difficult for many reasons. Specifically the nine and ten represent difficulties and significant challenges, but no card in any suit equals one word or should be labeled as meaning this or that. In my experience the energy or meaning of each card can change based on the query, the layout, other cards in the layout, the reader and other intangibles. I also just really, really dislike labels of any kind, especially when dealing with energy or people, both of which tarot would be meaningless without. 

Next up - The suit of swords. Yikes!!