Saturday, October 10, 2015

Ace of Swords: Academics and Angst

While swords have the reputation of signifying misfortune (see the Barbara G. Walker card), they also are about intellect, wit (as in "razor"), and communication skills.  Because they are associated with the element of Air, Swords are also about travel. Ace is the first card of a suit, a fledgling idea, a flickering light.  The Ace of Swords may indicate something profoundly different from gloom and doom.  


Kris Waldherr's Ace of Swords has a certain beauty, even though it is sinister at first glance, all stabbed into a barren wasteland, and all.  Inscribed on the hilt is the Ankh, symbol of everlasting life, and above it is the symbol for Hathor, the cow-eyed Egyptian goddess of the restful arms.  Is the handle of the sword always a fan, or does it fold back? Fans and feathers are symbols of Air, the element of freedom, intelligence, swiftness, travel, and lessons learned.  The Sword as a symbol for medicine also comes into play here, because sharp things can kill but can also be used to excise infection and tumors.  The goddess that Kris Waldherr uses for the suit of swords Isis, who brought her husband Osiris back to life from the dead.  In Inuyasha, Sesshumaru (spoilers) brings the little girl Rin back to life with the power of his sword Tensaiga.

The Ace of Swords for the Celtic Deck looks like an offering on an altar.  During school and other tasks involving brain power, such as writing a book or doing research, a person who genuinely, sincerely wants to reach her intellectual goal devotes her mind to the task.  The laptop, the desks, the lab becomes an altar to the goal.
The Celtic Ace of Swords is also the Sword in the Stone of Arthurian legend.  The gaining of wisdom and knowledge the Swords refer to can be arduous.  If the knowledge gained is a "life lesson," the process of gaining the knowledge will probably be trying at best and absolutely terrible at worst. It takes a strong person to come out the other side with grace.  King Arthur was the only person who was worthy enough to pull the sword out of the stone, and still had to plow through a ton of crap, with a lot of personal flaws.  Life can suck. It takes an amazing person to push through the suckage and come out as good or better than they were.

Barbara G. Walker (of course) comes to the party with skulls and the swirling souls of the damned.  Her Ace of Swords reminds us that all must die, even kings.  We all have shitty days, even if we have a lot of money and power and are personally rather attractive.  We're not alone.  Everyone else is swirling around with us.

Back to happier thoughts.  Robin Wood's Ace of Swords is full of glory and epiphany.  The light of revelation shines through the clouds.  The Sword itself is crowned with laurel.  It is sharp and powerful--check out that gleam.  It soars on golden wings, and it says that you can too.  The questioner is intellectually powerful, and/or has a gift for communication. If travel is in the offing, it will be swift and smooth.  The questioner is ambitious and motivated to accomplish his intellectual goals.

Key words:  intellectual endeavors
conflict
travel
possible medical issues
Accolades for intelligence

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Nine of Wands: Come at Me

I've been feeling like the Julian De Burgh and Mary Guinan's Celtic Nine of Wands lately.  I started my internship at school, and it is intense. Fulfilling, but intense.  It's really made the social work cohort bond together.  
In tarot, the number nine signifies a climax, before the denouement of the ten.  Ten wraps everything up, while nine is a continuation of the heavy action of the situation (represented by the eight), and/or a response to the demands placed by the situation. The Nine of Wands is a call to gather your troops, to hold steady, and to be watchful.    
You don't have to go it alone.  You may be heading towards victory, with support in your corner.  Gather your cheering squad.  Assemble your fleet.  At least you'll know you have people to comfort you if things don't turn out the way you wanted.  

You may be struggling, but you may also feel strong.  You have something to lean on, whether that be  an ideal or a goal.  You've already accomplished quite a bit.  The symbol on the man's pendant is the rune Algiz, which is the rune of protection (a very powerful rune and one of the runes I feel very attached to). The Algiz on the pendant gives a sense of hope. Sometimes,  when I'm looking at the symbol on the pendant, my brain will see the rune Tyr, which stands for steadfastness and strength.  The rune takes its name from the Norse god Tyr, who put his hand in the sun devouring wolf Fenrir's mouth to prove his word.  The Nine of Wands may be telling you to prepare for a similar test.  You may be bleeding, but you will be damned if you let the bastards take you down.  

Freya stands, sharp eyed and determined, before the staves she has erected. What is behind the fence she has made?  On the other hand, she may be standing behind the staves, to protect herself. It does not change her expression.  Sometimes, the best thing to do is watch and wait, and know that you can handle whatever may come.  Like Scar sings, "Be prepared."  
We may be stripped of everything, sitting butt naked in a cell, and still be a BAMF.  Fight the good fight. Anger may be all that keeps you going, but you still have determination, and you still have one weapon left, something that the guards missed.
If you feel everything has been taken from you, what is the one thing you still have? An imagination to help you escape? Righteous anger? You may have more power than you think.
Are you prepared for any eventuality?