The Tarot Suite of Swords
To best understand the workings of the Tarot in general, and the
Suites in particular, one should have a comfort level with the
underlying aspects of the divination technique. While it is workable to
memorize meanings of the cards, one does not have a full appreciation of
their workings if the archetypes and metaphysical symbologies are not
understood. There are symbologies of numerology and elements present in
the minor arcana. This set of notes will focus on the specific
suite/element of Air/Swords.
There are four traditional elements in the Western metaphysical
world. These are: earth, fire, air and water. These elements are the
basis of most every magical/metaphysical working and belief. So, it is
not surprising that the elements are also present in the Tarot. The
elements are directly embrace the Minor Arcana, with each suite
representing an element.
All creation starts from a single source, a seed. This is true in the
use of the elements. The entirety of the universe represents the oneness
of the elements. All the metaphysical expressions of the universe are
presented by one, or a combination, of the elements. As thinking
creatures, the idea of an infinite oneness is not palpable to us. It is
said that to name a thing is to both know it and change it. At the risk
of changing the oneness, mankind does name it, divide it into parts to
create a thing that seems finite and understandable.
The oneness of the Universe is then divided by two. A duality is
created. The female division provides the creative potential of live and
the male division provides spark that moves the creation forward. Below
is a chat of symbolic roles:
Female |
Male |
Lasting |
Short-lived |
In Charge |
For Show |
Covering and Hiding |
Revealing and Exposing |
Eternal |
Cyclical |
Passive |
Active |
Inner |
Outer |
Dark |
Light |
Roles of the Genders
While it may seem that the genders contradict each other, they are
actually complimentary. If a system is completely female, it becomes
stagnant fuel/potential with no movement. If a system is completely
male, it burns itself out with no fuel available to maintain the spark.
A mixture of the two is needed to provide the fuel (female) and the
spark (male) to the light of life.
To properly read the both the minor arcana, and their associated
Court Cards, one must have a grasp of these mystic associations of
"male" and "female" energy. Male energies are fast
and sudden. The price for the bursts of energy are paid through short
duration and non-lasting effects. Given their shorter life cycles, male
energy is associated with completion and readiness to let go or move on.
We shall see later that the elements of air-swords attest to this. The
forces of require much energy to maintain. When the energy is removed,
the air no longer exists as a force.
The genders are next split in two, creating four states of being in
the elements. The split represents a duality of Inner and Outer. A male
and female pair embraces an energy that is expressed inwardly, in ways
associated with the single system or individual. The other male and
female pair embraces an energy that servers or focuses on those things
outside of a single system or individual. So, there is defined a
"female-male" element, a "female-female" element,
and so one. This is a very important differentiation, and should be
understood.
As the "male-male" element, Air is always in motion and is
always being spent and then reborn to continue on. Never resting, never
settled, it is no surprise that the suite associated with this element
is seen to be martial and decisive in the majority of its faces.
Divisions of Universal Oneness
Traditionally the elements interact with each other using rigid
rules: Fire and Water are enemies, therefore weaken each other. Air and
Earth are enemies, and therefore weaken each other. The interesting
point with this rule is that elements of the same "gender" don’t
work together. Water and Fire are both female in orientation, and their
combination leads to a passiveness that does not prosper. Likewise, Air
and Earth are both male in orientation, and their combination burns out
and does not prosper.
Below is a chart focusing on the suite/element of
Air/Swords:
Element |
Gender |
Focus/Direction |
Duality |
Expression |
Traditional Meaning |
Air |
Male |
Outer/Others |
Male/Male |
the mind and intellect, communicating, and conflict |
indication of trouble and problems
|
Now that we have an understanding of the origins of Swords, the element can now be correlated to its Tarot suite, and the suite will be examined in detail.
After much discussion, now the Swords of the air element is presented:
Suite
|
Element
|
Gender (Main)
|
Gender (Secondary)
|
Swords
|
Air
|
Male
|
Male
|
Table of Suite Correspondences
EXAMINATION OF SWORDS IN LIGHT OF "GOOD"
AND "BAD" CARDS
The association of a card as being good or bad is a distinction that
I find to be based on a pessimistic approach to the cards. The dualistic
tags of "good" and "bad" are relative sides of the
same coin. It said that all good things must come to an end. When this
end occurs, the "bad" side of the coin appears. The seeds of
the "bad" are present in the "good", just as the
full potential for "good" is present in "bad". When
one operates on the basis of "good" and "bad"
concepts, there exists no balance. There is always striving for what is
not possessed, and sorrow for what is lost.
I instead encourage a holistic approach to the cards that allows one
to accept the "good" cards as a respite, and the
"bad" cards as opportunities for growth and movement. The
nature of the cards is not judged by relative labels of dualism.
Instead, the cards are appreciated individually – moments of being
where only opportunity is present. The idea of non-dualistic
identification of the cards is challenging. To fully examine the
philosophy behind the minor arcana, I will continue to use the tags of
"good" and "bad". When you see these words, instead
think "opportunity" and "opportunity".
I feel that there are two kinds of "bad" cards: challenge
and warning. The first category, those of challenge, contains those
cards that indicate change and spiritual examination. The second
category, those of warning, contains cards illustrating human short
comings. Ironically, these short-comings are promoted when change or
spiritual insight is not embraced
Card
# |
Pentacles |
Wands |
Cups |
Swords |
# of Good |
# of Bad |
1 |
G |
G |
G |
G |
4 |
0 |
2 |
G |
G |
G |
G |
4 |
0 |
3 |
G |
G |
G |
B |
3 |
1 |
4 |
B |
G |
B |
G |
2 |
2 |
5 |
B |
B |
B |
B |
0 |
4 |
6 |
G |
G |
G |
G |
4 |
0 |
7 |
B |
B |
B |
B |
0 |
4 |
8 |
G |
G |
B |
B |
2 |
2 |
9 |
G |
G |
G |
B |
1 |
3 |
10 |
G |
G |
G |
B |
2 |
2 |
# of Good |
7 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
# of Bad |
3 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
|
|
The suite of Swords has traditionally had the darkest of reputations.
There are more bad cards than good cards. It is my belief that this is a
reflection of the turmoil people experience from the stresses of the
mind. Thoughts are egocentric, and cannot join with others. When a
person is operating in the realm of Air, they are furthest from the
soothing womb of the Earth.
THOUGHTS ON MAGICAL WORK:
In the area of magic, it would seem that Earth based workings are
preferable. The suite of Pentacles – Earth – is only seen in a bad
light when there is too much of it (4), and when there is change of a
mundane (5) or spiritual type (7). These are expected, and should be
avoided in the case of the number four, or welcome in the cases of five
and seven.
The other suites begin to exhibit issues when they are worked with in
a magical way. Wands – Fire - have unfocused, non-regenerating
qualities when pushed to an extreme. Cups – Water – suffer from the
unstable nature of the medium. Swords – Air – provide an egocentric
method that gives potential pain for its results.
An interesting note is that general Ceremonial and Enochian magic
focus on the area of Swords. Based on this, I would discourage only a
hearty few from this path. At the other extreme, the neopagan religions
– including Wicca – follow the path of the Pentacle. It is of no
coincidence that the preferred medallion of Wiccans is the pentacle.
Swords
Symbolism/Interpretation :
generally represent courage and
boldness, strife and aggression, even hatred and enemies.
Swords correspond to the element of male air. They represent the mind
and intellect, communicating, and conflict.
The element of Air adds intellect and conscious thinking to the minor
arcana. The mind is sword that cuts through ignorance, and it also slays
a person and others.
The element of air is the most removed from the element of Earth.
Fire is dependent on Earth for fuel. Water is dependent on Earth for a
place to rest. Air can exist without Earth. This nature analogy can be
extended to the realm of our being. One can make decisions, and have
thoughts, that are not based on reality, or grounded in practicality.
Thoughts are like air: invisible, swift limitless. The thought that
begins as a breeze quickly becomes a tornado, or escapes into the
emptiness of space. Air is the most difficult element to contain,
control, and quantity. The more we try to control our thoughts, the
wilder they become. Meditation brings our thoughts back to a stable
form. The purest forms of meditation seek not to contain, control, or
quantify thoughts. Zen meditation instead acknowledges a thought, and
allows for its natural departure. There is no counting of thoughts, no
tally sheet of grievances and hurts.
The suite of Swords has traditionally had the darkest of reputations.
There are more bad cards than good cards. It is my belief that this is a
reflection of the turmoil people experience from the stresses of the
mind. Thoughts are egocentric, and cannot join with others. When a
person is operating in the realm of Air, they are furthest from the
soothing womb of the Earth.
We refer to the air element as the force of the Mind. People who are
strongly influenced by the airy signs can be calm and refreshing as a
cool breeze. But if their temper is raised, they react with gale-like
force, shattering the tranquility of the world around them. Air is
necessary to convey the words which one person uses to speak to another.
It is in its aspect as a communicating and collectivizing agent that air
has its most important function in astrology. Through air, Man can reach
for ideas in the intuitive mind, and apply them in the realm of human
experience. Mind is man’s most important tool and the greatest danger
at the same time.
Meanings of the Numbers
Number |
Meaning |
Ones (Aces) |
New beginnings |
Twos |
Relationships, duality, balancing of two
Swords two opposing forces, stalemate, forces balanced |
Threes |
Synthesis, collaboration, self-expression, expansion,
fulfillment – except Swords where this is missing.
Swords: separation and heart break, crisis in relationship,
deep suffering, lack of harmony, triangle growth through pain. |
Fours |
Foundations, stability, status quo
Swords: rest, respite, period of recuperation, need for
inactivity |
Fives |
Change, instability, volatile, necessary to adapt to unpleasant
changes
Swords: instability caused by betrayal, arguments, battles,
trickery, manipulation |
Sixes |
Assistance, idealism, perfection, and a change for the better
Swords: assistance, turning point, struggle and strife
subsiding, solving problems, passage to a higher state, finding
understanding |
Sevens |
Unexpected change, perception, insight, new awareness and
perspective, change brought about by insight
Swords: mistrust, may mean a need to move onwards and leave
part of past behind, head-on-attack disastrous, care and cunning
needed or mistrust and betrayal |
Eights |
Control, power and mastery over a situation through
self-reliance and autonomy, organization
Swords: restriction, blockage, fear, trapped from
exercising control |
Nines |
Completion and fulfillment of each suit, maximum intensity of
each suit in the cycle, completion, fulfillment
Swords: high anxiety, worry over the outcome, worry,
depression, sleepless nights |
Tens |
Renewal through a new cycle. Many lessons have been learned
regarding the suit in question – mastery.
Swords: disaster, failure, loss of perspective, overacting
to problems, losing one’s mind… insanity |
|