A hand holding an upright Sword appears from a cloud. The halo around the Hand indicates that this is Divine Hand. The tip of the Sword is crowned with a gold circlet, from which hang a palm branch and an olive branch. Six Yods floats above the hilt of the Sword. (Amy M. Wall, The Tarot of Awakening, p. 219) The Ace of Sword is the beginning of the Path ...
Butterflies, seaguls, and hooded falcons abound in Waite’s Knight of Sword, but the Gemini nature of this card is not directly indicated in any of these symbols. Two Golden Dawn symbols from Book T are used by Waite in this card; the driving clouds in the sky and the hexagram decorating the helmet, which is the designated crest for the Knight of Swords. The horse, however, should be brown, but ...
The Queen of Swords in the cardinal Air sign of Libra, as the elemental counterchange of Water of Air. Again, no symbol clearly indicates the astrological nature of Libra. However the card depicts a throned female figure bearing a sword in her right hand, her left hand raised up as if holding the scales. This resembles Key XI – Justice, which is also Libra. Waite uses the specification of Book ...
The King of Sword is the fixed Air sign of Aquarius, as the elemental counterchange of Air of Air. Although most of the imagery in Waite’s version of this key is of a general airy nature, such as the billowing clouds in the sky, there are two symbols which denotes Aquarius. The triangle of butterflies at the head of the King’s throne denote Aquarius in a minor fashion, for in ...
The Page of Swords is the element of Air, as the counterchange of Earth of Air. The billowing clouds in the sky and the flowing hair of the Page all indicate the elemental nature of Air. The tight and tunic of the Page are yellow and mauve, the colors associated with the element of Air. (Hulse, The Western Mysteries, p. 448) The Page holds his Sword in both hands. he ...
A body lies face down, pierced by ten Swords. Dawn breaks over the mountains in the distance. (Amy M. Wall, The Tarot of Awakening, p. 237) In the Ten of Swords, the Path of the Mind comes to rest in Malkuth. The dawn shown here is the dawn of the knowing of awareness and Initiation. (Amy M. Wall, The Tarot of Awakening, p. 237) Throughout most of our lives, this knowing is ...
A figure sits up in bed, hands over eyes, in an attitude of despair. Hanging on the wall – or perhaps in space – are nine Swords. This person has just awoken from a nightmare. (Amy M. Wall, The Tarot of Awakening, p. 235) In the Nine of Swords, the intellect encounters the dream world of Yesod. What happens in Yesod often presages that which will occur in Malkuth, and that’s ...
A bound and blindfolded woman stands surrounded by eight Swords stuck into the earth. The landscape is desolate. (Amy M. Wall, The Tarot of Awakening, p. 233) In the Eight of Swords, the Path of the Mind moves into the intellectual sphere of Hod. This card teaches us that studying and learning can trap the mind in its own fears. Each of the books, ideas and philosophies we study are certain ...
A man tiptoes furtively away from a village, holding five Swords in his arms. Two more Swords stand upright behind him. (Amy M. Wall, The Tarot of Awakening, p. 232) In the Seven of Swords, the Path of the Mind moves reluctantly out of Tifaret and into Netzach, the sephirah of the emotions. Those of us of the Path of the Mind typically have considerable difficulty dealing with our emotions; but ...
A ferryman poles a boat carrying a woman, a child and six upright Swords to the opposite shore. (Amy M. Wall, The Tarot of Awakening, p. 229) The Six of Swords represents the Path of the Mind if Tifaret. On this path, we give everyday awareness (the ferryman) responsibility for guiding us (the boat) on our journey. The boat includes both our subconscious (the cloaked woman) and our awakened awareness (the ...
