by estellew | Sep 20, 2015 | Minor Arcana, Swords, Tarot
Known also as the Lord of Defeat, and aligned with Venus in Aquarius, the Five of Swords represents discord, anxiety and failure. Venus is the yearning towards love and connection, and Aquarius tends more towards detachment and looking at a bigger picture which is more objective than intimate. Poor Venus! There is a fear of losing something precious and of losing control of a situation. The Fives always introduce instability to the perfect harmony that was realised in the Fours, and yet without the movement forward as it were, there would be no progress. Something of the previously realised harmony must be destroyed in order to bring in the new, in order to experience growth, and life is always seeking more growth - it is nature. And just as in nature, forms must break down and dissipate before they can regenerate into something new and improved. And so there must be a reorganisation of energies before the new way of being can settle and become tolerable. Sometimes you will be required to cut your losses and salvage what can be salvaged so you can live to fight another day. You will emerge from this situation much wiser and with a new determination to succeed. There is an indication that your thinking has been faulty - what you believed to be true was not what it seemed, and when what you thought was real dissolves into the fog, you are left feeling somewhat dejected and betrayed. You can be thankful that this has happened now, and so gives you the opportunity to progress further along the right path for you...
by estellew | Sep 20, 2015 | Minor Arcana, Swords, Tarot
The Eight of Swords is the Lord of Shortened Force and is aligned with Jupiter in Gemini. It represents scattered energy and focus, overthinking and inability to make a decision.When the Eight of Swords turns up in a reading, it brings an element of confusion, self-doubt and the erroneous belief that there is no way out. You will feel trapped, powerless and somewhat frustrated in your efforts. Jupiter is about expansion, and placed in Gemini means that there are important choices to be made that will lead to growth which will take some effort and time, since when presented with two equal choices, the twin devils of doubt and indecisiveness step in and halt any progress you might have made. Look at the card - the woman is trapped in a spiderweb surrounded by eight swords all pointing towards her. But she is blindfolded and the blindfold is of her own making. Do the swords threaten or offer a way to cut the web that binds? The woman doesn't know, she just perceives a threat and is in a state of fear. This is very much what the swords suit is all about - we always have a choice in which direction we direct our thoughts, and the meanings that we make out of circumstances. On the surface this card looks very menacing, but if she would remove the blindfold from her eyes she would soon see a way out of this dilemma. The Eight of Swords indicates that the woman is unable to make a choice and therefore is hindered or blocked in her progress. The thing is,...
by estellew | Sep 20, 2015 | Minor Arcana, Swords, Tarot
The Ace of Swords is the Root of the Powers of Air and has affinity with the energy of Air. It represents inspiration, brilliant ideas and a new mental direction. Out of all the Aces, this one is the one that tends to come up the most in my readings. It really underlines to me the importance of our thoughts - my own belief is that it is our thoughts that create our reality, and so the other suits naturally follow from this one; the Cups tells us that out of our thoughts about how loveable we are, we create the experience of love in our lives; out of our thoughts about what is possible for us, we create opportunities, adventures and experiences and so we have the Wands to inspire us; out of our thoughts about how valuable we are, we create value for ourselves and the Pentacles will count this out for us. The Swords Suit brings in the element of Air and the mental realm. The Ace is the powerful upsurge of ideas, thoughts and decisions that guide our direction. With the Ace we have the most potency and potential, so this is the stage where you need to set and guide your thoughts to create in your life everything that you want to experience - it is the Seed that will be fulfilled by the energy that you pour into it. The Sword is a tool and it is also a weapon. Talk about duality, and balancing on the edge of a knife! Know that your primary focus is what determines the good or ill...
by estellew | Sep 20, 2015 | Minor Arcana, Swords, Tarot
The Ace of Swords is also known as the Root of the Powers of Air and is representative of the powers of thought, clarity and the world of ideas. As an Ace it holds tremendous power and potential, and has the ability to bring victory and success and also triumph over past difficulties. The Sword is a metaphor for the double-edged power of the mind. Thoughts can build worlds, but they can also destroy them. It is not the Sword itself but the intent behind it. As Swords are ruled by Air, which is the most intangible of the Elements, the speed at which thoughts can change indicates that thoughts can be tricky and hard to grasp and therefore hard to control. So in order to control our thoughts, we need to be aware of our intent at all times - this is the key to managing your experience with the often troublesome Suit of Swords. This card indicates that new ways of thinking and therefore new ways being are possible for you. There is a saying that goes "Change your thoughts, change your life" and this has the power to completely transform your experience. But there is a conflict inherent in this. In order for you to change your patterns of thinking, you will need to overthrow certain of your old beliefs, those that no longer serve you. This is a difficult thing to do, because tied in with those old beliefs is your history, your relationships to others who hold the same beliefs, and your world-view in general. However, the rewards for embarking on a new intellectual...
by estellew | Sep 20, 2015 | Minor Arcana, Swords, Tarot
Known also as the Root of the Powers of Air, the Ace of Swords represents original thought, mental clarity, and the potential of new ideas and idealogies. Your ability to see things clearly and call them by their true names will make friends from some and enemies from others. Not everyone is ready for the truth, so as with all cards in the Suit of Swords, it is a double-edged gift. Words can heal and words can wound, same as ideas really. This card therefore calls for you to use the potential inherent in the Ace, in a responsible way and to trust your judgement in matters where there are two sides calling for your support. All of the Aces have the most potential for power and manifestation - the Power of Air governs the mental realm and therefore speaks to the power of words and ideas. Right now, you have the ability to influence and persuade with your ideas and words, so make good use of this time to work towards and achieve your aims. The Ace of Swords brings to mind the sword of Arthur, Excalibur, which symbolises the responsibility inherent in power. On one side of the sword were engraved the words "Take me!" and on the other side "Cast me away!" So there is a time to take power and a time to walk away from it, because power is not constant but is a fluctuating energy and it can as easily turn against us as it can empower us. What does this mean for you when this card is turned? It means that you...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Minor Arcana, Swords, Tarot
The Root of the Powers of Air, the Ace of Swords represents justice, power and an upsurge of mental energy. The Ace of Swords is a powerful force for original ideas, creative energy and a renewed sense of clarity and purpose. The Aces in all of the Suits contain the most potent energy in the pip cards, and this energy must be sufficiently strong to kick-start the positive focus that each Ace represents. As pure potential, the results can go either way and the most positive potential is here, at the beginning. Use the energy wisely and don't waste it. This card will cut through those patterns in your life that have outlived their usefulness, and it brings a renewed sense of vigour, energy and a eagerness to move into new territory. You have felt stultified and stuck in certain areas of your life and you wake up one day soon to realise that the thoughts you have been thinking have all been thought before and they are not even yours. It is as if you awaken from a dream, like the Sleeping Beauty and now need to make up for lost time and opportunities. The energy in this card can move mountains, and it all starts with an idea, a change of focus and a willingness to put one foot in front of the other in the right direction. Your enthusiasm and confidence will enlist others to encourage and support you, as your energy towards an exciting future change is infectious. Traditionally this card refers to legal matters, new contracts or other documents that bring in a new...
