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51. Ace of Cups
This card’s number, 51, is 3 X 17, or Libra times Gemini,
relating (3) our liveliness (17) to the world.
It is a card of emotional intensity, which could overwhelm ourselves as
well as other people. It can mean a new
emotional beginning, which can lead to fulfillment.
We contact life through this card in an intense and vivid
manner, and may feel that we cannot resist those things or people to which we
are drawn. Strong psychic messages may
come to us now, and our subconscious may be communicating with us through vivid
and extreme sorts of dreams.
The difference between Pluto Arcanum 22, and this card, numbered
51, is 29, which is the Seven of Wands – the number of magic. Of course the powerful surges of emotion of
this card bring magic, and can color our lives with drama and a mythic aura.
Now is the time to allow old, heavy and worn out emotions to
be cleared away. If we let this happen
it will, for water wants to flow, and the degree to which we let it happen
determines how great the influx of new emotional energy will be.
There can be great clarity now, in terms of knowing what to
do, the next step to take, and where we need to be. But if shadows of the old ways and fears
darken our path then we might feel strong compulsive impulses that are urging
us in the wrong direction. We either
become freer of the past now, or are once again subjugated to our illusions,
but even if it’s the latter that happens we are likely to learn much from it,
and be far better equipped to handle these forces the next time they come
around.
As 51 is 6 on the level of 6 it is pure Venus, so one of the
most powerful and healing activities you can engage in now is sharing with
those you love, and drawing to yourself all that you find beautiful. Buy clothes or objects that you love, beautify
your environment and most certainly do acts of kindness. Let others know you love them, and do not be
afraid to express yourself with all the intensity that you feel. If there are any conflicts in which you are
involved, always remember that love is the universal solvent. If you can find that place of love within you
and allow your actions and words to flow forth from it, it can bring a healing
magic to melt away discord.
52: Two of Cups
This card is about freeing oneself of negative
emotions. If these emotions are
repressed, which they often are, then they may flare up suddenly and in
unexpected situations. They are seeking
release. Sometimes the energy of this
card signifies emotions coming up to be released that are from past lives, and
so since they may have been generated from events we don’t remember, they may
seem inappropriate, or the person having them may be thought of as
over-reacting. 52 adds to 7 on the level
of 6, or the overcoming of difficulties standing in the way of our ability to
love.
The Two of Swords is also the fulfillment (Cups) of our own
unique gifts (Uranus = 2). It is also 4
X 13, or Aries times Scorpio, meaning a reawakening (Aries) of creative
energies. This comes about through the
strengthening of our ability to communicate with ourselves, as 4 + 13 = 17,
which is Gemini.
53. Three of Cups
53
is the 17th prime number on the spiritual scale (which starts with
1). Therefore it signifies a new
manifestation (prime numbers always signify a new manifestation) of
communication. Neptune loves to be in
the suit of cups, as it expands the imagination and allows us to see through
the outer illusions of things so that we can come to love their essence. This card helps us to intuitively understand
how we can help other people, and can assist healers in assessing the needs of
their patients. The difference between
Neptune (11) and the Three of cups is 42, the Six of Coins, which is about
bringing messages (Coins) to light (the 6’s).
Meaningful, purposeful and important (6) communication (Coins) can come
through the intuitive channel of the Three of Cups. 53 is the atomic number of iodine, an element
needed for proper functioning of the thyroid, which is associated with the 5th
chakra of communication.
Negatively the card can signify emotional confusion, which
clears up when we allow our intuition to function. Sometimes the emotional confusion is caused
by feeling two or more feelings at the same time.
54. Four of Cups
54 is 2
X 3 X 3 X 3, those numbers adding up to 11 (Neptune). The difference between 54 and 5 (Jupiter) is
49, The Queen of Coins, signifying that being supportive (Aquarius) equates
with emotional generosity and the expansion (Jupiter) of love (Cups). As 9 X 6 it can mean Aquarius and Venus
energy combined, meaning love and peace in the group,, and or being able to
appreciate the direction that energies are taking. 54 can mean learning through one’s intuition,
which can signify getting an instinctive feel for something one is attempting
to do. It can mean feeling good, and
even feeling good about negative feelings, in that you know they are teaching
you something or that you need to work through them.
It can mean emotional excess, meaning, for instance, that
the mind, objectivity and critical judgments faculties can be clouded by an
excess of feeling.
55. Five of Cups
The
Five of Cups is Saturn (5) expressing through water (Cups), meaning depth of
feeling, as well as getting to the bottom of feelings, meaning that we see
which feelings may be masking other ones.
As Saturn is the densest and most earthlike of the planets Saturn in the
realm of Water can mean ice – frozen emotions.
It can mean emotional frustration, which stems from our needs not being
met. It can mean feelings that have
taken on a pattern, maybe a very old one – from childhood or past lives, and
the gradual and often arduous process of clearing out those feelings. At its highest it means non-attachment to
feelings.
55 is the 6th time that 10 appears in the natural
order of numbers, the cycle being 10-19-28-37-46-55, and so it is what is most
unique and/or original about us manifesting in the realm of beauty and
appreciation. Can we appreciate and love
our own uniqueness? 55 is saying we can,
and that this is a magical goal to move toward.
55 frees us from needing other people, so that then we can truly
appreciate them for who they are without seeking out connection with them
because we feel an inner lack or incompleteness. As you can see, 55 is a very mystical number.
It can also signify the way that our feelings can limit our
vision by creating biases and/or blind spots.
It can also mean a lack of feeling, or not being able to get in touch
with our feelings, feeling depressed, which is emotional numbness – an
inability to get in touch with feelings.
55 is 5 X 11, or Jupiter times Neptune, meaning that when we expand
(Jupiter = 5) our ability to intuitively perceive, we are led to a deeper
understanding (Station 5 on the Tree of Life) of our feelings.
55 is also the numbers from 1 to 10 added together, meaning
that dealing with the challenges of 55 leads to the completion of freedom
(Uranus = Arcanum 10 = freedom).
56. Six of Cups
56 is the fulfillment (Cups) of purpose (6 = Sun). It is emotional vitality coming from feeling
connected to all of life. It is 2 X 2 X
2 X 7, those numbers adding to 13, Aries, meaning that emotional health and
vitality are based on a continual renewal of our feelings by allowing them to
flow and not stagnate. It means the
encouraging and feeding of positive feelings by doing what we love and being
with the people and things that we love.
It is enthusiasm (5 = Jupiter) expanding (5) toward sharing (Venus). It is what the whole Minor Arcana are about,
as there are 56 cards in the Minor Arcana.
56 is 28 (the Six of Wands) times 2 (Virgo), or the
purification and refinement (Virgo) of our spiritual purpose. Negatively it is ego inflation as a type of
self-love that cannot or does not include other people. It is the illusions that we will find fulfillment (Cups) by placing
importance on outer and material things.
57. Seven of Cups
57 is Mars in the realm of water, which is Scorpio, as Mars
rules Scorpio and Scorpio is a water sign.
It means using our instincts and intuition to do things, to accomplish
things. Through doing what we feel like
doing we can get more in touch with our feelings. It can also mean emotional conflict, meaning
that we feel two opposing ways about something, and then often play out that
conflict in the outer world and by having conflicts with other people or with
situatins. 57 is 3 X 19, which is Libra
times Leo, or connecting to others (Libra) in a self-assured and demonstrative
manner (Leo).
At its best 57 reaches out to others in a vibrantly and
energetically loving manner. Negatively
it can mean anger, or coming on too strong to others on an emotional level,
which can drive them away even when we have good intentions. The difference between Arcanum XVI, which is
ruled by Mars and 57 is 41, which is the 5 of coins, meaning that to express
our passions (Seven of Cups) requires a cautiousness (the 5 station on the Tree
of life = Saturn) of communication (Coins).
58. Eight of Cups
58 can be the fulfillment of love. It is 13 on the level of 6, or the renewal
(Aries) of love (Venus). This card means
emotional satisfaction. At its best it
is sincere love, at its worst it can meaning being satisfied with surface
gratifications. It can mean sharing our
feelings with others. 58 is the third
time a number adding up to 13 appears in the natural order of numbers, the
sequence being 13-49-58. And so 58 is a
spontaneous reaching out (Aries) that
links to or relates with (Libra = 3) other people and the world around
oneself.
58 can also mean emotional (water) selfishness (Venus),
meaning that one has an inability to share one’s true feelings with others,
most likely because a person feels emotionally deprived. It can mean that that things look good
(Venus) on the surface (remember that water can be about reflections), but that
beneath that negative emotions could be lurking.
59. Nine of Cups
This card can mean psychic communication. It is about instinctive thinking, and so has
an affinity with the three of Coins. With
the Nine of Cups, though, the focus is more on communications that come through
our feelings, whereas with the Three of Coins it is about our thinking being
open to subtle influences that enter the mind from a source beyond it. In traditional Tarot this card has been
associated with wish fulfillment. This
is because it can make us feel connected (Mercury = Station 9 on the Tree of
Life) and fulfilled (Cups).
60. Ten of Cups
The number is 60, which is the cosmic number of Saturn. It reduces to 6, the number of Venus, and 60
is 6 on the level of 7, the cycle being 6-15-24-33-42-51-60, signifying love
that transcends boundaries to become all encompassing. This card is about allowing feelings, (signified
by the suit of Cups) to flow (signified by the number 10, which on the Tree of
Life is ruled by the Moon – the planet that signifies flowing). When feelings are allowed to flow they
spontaneously cleanse themselves. It is
when the feelings are trapped, stuck, or frozen, that they stagnate and work
against the force of evolution.
Negatively speaking the card can signify drowning in one’s
illusions – being so caught up in pathological subjectivity that you can’t see
a situation for what it really is. This
happens because somewhere you are stuck – there is a lack of flowing somewhere.
The card can also mean emotional vulnerability, and so a
need, possibly, to emotionally protect oneself, to stay away from situations or
people that feel as if they are threatening you, or bringing you down. Feelings with this card may be doing a lot of
changing and shifting around, and different feelings may be happening at the
same time and so be difficult to sort out.
It’s important with this card to allow yourself to
experience what’s going on inside you without jumping to conclusions. It’s can be good now to act on instinct and
immediate impulse, for even if your actions turn out later to have had a
negative impact, you have probably still learned something important from doing
whatever you did.
The card signifies a tension between living through old
tapes which are repeating the same old negative feelings, versus allowing
yourself to experience those same feelings at a deeper level, so that you come
closer to the possibility of resolving them.
Those feelings will continue to cycle through until they wake you up,
which is what they are trying to do.
If we calculate the difference between the number of this
card, 60, and the number of the Moon in the Major Arcana, which is 20, we come
to the number 40, which is the cosmic number of Aries. This means that coming into the fullness of
our feelings, which are all various manifestations of the only real feeling
there is – love – has to do with constant renewal, a constant waking up to the
beauty and aliveness of each moment.
61. Horseman of Cups
This card signifies the energizing of emotions – fire
flowing into the watery realm – which causes feelings to flow more fully and
freely. It can show the need to bring
more passion into whatever you’re doing, as well as the need to be more
unhibited about the expression of feeling.
It may signify a time for repressed emotions to come forth so that they
can be expressed and/or released.
One’s attention is ruled by fire, for attention energizes
anything and everything it touches. So
if you become more aware of your feelings and allow yourself to feel them more
fully it is bound to have a therapeutic effect on you. Being attentive to negative emotions helps to
heal and release them, and being attentive to positive emotions magnifies and
strengthens them.
As fire is creativity and inspiration, this card can signify
a flow of these forces into your intuition, and so this can mean it is time to
allow your spiritual light to guide your feelings and instincts, or, in the
context of creativity, to let the fire of your feelings translate themselves
directly into an artistic form without having to go through the mind and its
reasoning processes.
The Knight of Cups can renew love, which can heal every
aspect of us and our world. The hottest
organ in the body is the blood, which is ruled by Pisces, a water sign, and so
the Knight of cups can generate warmth which can flow into the whole being,
increasing our metabolism, and cleansing, and detoxing as it disperses the
unnecessary shadows we may have been clinging to.
If emotions have been dammed up, held back, or repressed,
this card can melt the ice which has walled them in. If one is afraid of this process or resists
it, then much agitation can result, so it is far better to let oneself align
with the wisdom of the spiritual light, whose goal is always to heal us and
advance the evolution of our consciousness.
62. King of Cups
His number is 62, whose digits add up to 8. He is the nurturer, the defender and home
maker, all Cancerian traits. He is also
a teacher who imparts wisdom that clarifies the world of the student, and which
separates truth from illusion. He is the
most feminine of all the masculine court cards, or we might think of him as being
female, and hence the most masculine of all the feminine court cards.
As Cancer and Capricorn in traditional astrology are thought
of as the mother (Cancer) and father (Capricorn), these two signs signify the
two polar opposite signs of parenting. These
roles in society are no longer as rigidly set as they once were, for more and
more the world is thinking that anybody can take on either role irrespective of
their gender. Cancer is the parent who
ideally helps the child to be in touch with their inner world, whereas
Capricorn teaches the child the nature of the outer world and how to deal with
it. Cancer teaches us how to hold to our
spiritual center, while Capricorn teaches us how to manipulate physical
reality, ideally in a way that contributes to the growth and harmony of all.
The King of Cup’s digits, 6 and 2, add up to 8, the number
of Capricorn, and 62 is the 7th time that 8 manifests in the natural
order of numbers, the cycle being 8-17-26-35-44-53-62. Arcanum VIII is ruled by Capricorn and
signifies karma, meaning that we get back whatever we emanate. Cancer, the sign that rules the King of Cups,
is focused on security, and the fact that his number adds to 8 means that true
and complete security always comes from karma, for the more positive acts we do
the more that positivity will be returning to us and strengthening our
security. The fact that 62 is 8 on the
level of 7 means karma in terms of being able to perceive an overview (7) of
our consciousness and existence.
62 is 31 X 2 meaning the 9 of wands (31) refined and
sustained (2). So as we cultivate (2)
our ability to be in spiritual communication (31) with guides, angels, nature
spirits and our higher self we empower our security. Or put in another way, when we are fully and
security connected to the light we become impervious to illusions.
The way to take the energy of the sign Cancer into our identity
is shown by subtracting the number for Cancer, 18, from 62, which yields 44,
which is the 8 of Coins, or communication (Coins) of love (8). This is what brings security and nurturing
into our outer world.
The negative side of this card is a tendency to be defensive
in a manner that shuts out energies which it would be beneficial for us to take
in. Cancer is often afraid of growth, because
growth requires vulnerability, which could disrupt security. But when it can gain that overview of the
bigger picture signified by the face that 62 is 8 on the level of 7, then it
sees that true security is gained by moving through these periods of
vulnerability and confusion, periods when we are called on to let go of past
forms of security because they are thwarting rather than supporting our
evolution.
63. Queen of Cups
This is the Scorpio court card, and so she plays the role of
the transformer, and of the creator, meaning the artist. The digits of her number, which is 63, add up
to 9, the Major Arcanum known as The Seeker or The Sage. We are all artists. The reality we have created for ourselves is
our art, and it is always in a state of transformation. It is important to remember that we are
always playing all the roles of all the court cards simultaneously, sometimes
focusing more on one than another.
And so the Queen of Cups has at her disposal all the
energies of all the other court cards to use in her creative expressions.
Ideally she does not fear failing, for she knows that all
true creativity requires risk taking, and that sometimes risks do not result in
outcomes that are useable or workable.
All outcomes, though, result in learning if we are willing to assimilate
their lessons.
If this card turns selfish, then she limits herself severely
and unduly. It is true that she is a
survivalist and is intent on overcoming all those forces that oppose her, but
the more she can get in tune with the fact that these opposing forces are
ultimately trying to teach her something she really needs to know, the closer
she will move toward the empowerment she is seeking – an empowerment that now
only empowers her but the whole of life as well.
Her number is 63, which is 9 times 7, merging the energies
of Aquarius and Sagittarius. And so she
is a server of the group (Aquarius, Arcanum IX), and serves in a way that embraces
all of reality, as signified by Sagittarius.
It is of key importance that she see herself as an instrument of
spiritual power rather than seeing power as being her personal and exclusive
instrument.
She has an innate understanding of the nature and purpose of
death. She knows how enriching and
enlightening death can be, and so at best she is fearless when it comes to
moving through changes and letting go of attachments, and has the ability to help
others to find this same fearlessness within themselves.
To bring the pure Scorpio energy into this Scorpio role card
we see that the difference between Arcanum IV ruled by Scorpio, and the Queen
of Cups, card 63, is 59, which is the 9 of cups. And so it is through staying in communicatin
(9) with her own emotions (Cups) that she does not fall into the trap of being
compelled by hidden feelings which she has denied, and/or lost communication with.
64. Princess of Cups
Her number is 64, the number of the I Ching. It is interesting that in the I Ching the 64th
hexagram is called “Before Completion.”
How perfect for this card, since its astrological ruler is Pisces, the
last sign of the zodiac. And 64 is 2 X 2
X 2 X 2 X 2 X 2, the 6 2’s adding up to 12, Pisces being the 12th
sign of the zodiac.
The difference between her number, 64, and the Major Arcana
number for Pisces, 12, is 52, which is the 64Two of Cups. And as the second station on the tree of life
is called “wisdom,” we see that to arrive at the role of the Princess of Cups
is to be able to embrace the wisdom of the intuitive self, since water is the
element of the intuition. Also Uranus, whose
Major Arcana number is 10, and which signifies the freeing of anything, can here
mean the freeing of the emotions from traumas and other karmas which can cloud
and limit the clarity of one’s intuition.
The Princess of Cups is tuned in to the changes happening in
the moment, and can flow with them because she is free of all biases and pre-conceptions. She is able to let go of the need to identify
herself in any limiting and restrictive way, and so her identity has the
capacity to embrace all other identities, and to manifest their energies
whenever they are needed. At her highest
vibration she experiences negative emotions as passing illusions that she lets
go of as soon as she experiences them, thereby continually clearing herself of
karma until it has all been released.
She is released from uncertainty because she is not attached to the need
to know anything. She is certain that
eventually all will be known when it is time for coming into such omnipotence.
This is the card of ultimate and complete liquidity. It
spreads love wherever it goes, as Venus is exalted in the sign of Pisces. If we calculate the difference between
Arcanum 6, ruled by Venus, and the Princess of Cups, 64, we discover the number
58, which is the 8 of Cups, or Venus of Water.
Her loving is complete, and its magic liquidity can permeate anything
and everything it touches. 58 adds to
13, the number of water, and is the third manifestation of 13, the sequence
being 13-49-58. And so her love has
momentum and the power to connect.
The Princess of Cups is an emphasizer, and her empathizing
can heal. Her empathy is complete, like
a mirror’s reflections. You can see
yourself in her, and as she heightens your awareness through connecting with
her you come into a deeper and deeper awareness of your true self.
65. The Ace of Swords
The earth element is the one that moves and changes the
slowest, because it is the most stable of the four, and since all the Aces can
bring about transformation, the transformations signified by the Ace of Swords
can sometimes require much energy and effort to them push forward, often with
seemingly no more speed than that of a glacier.
To transform Earth energy requires patience and
persistence. You need to honor the
stability of it, and not try to push it faster than it is ready to go.
The number of this card is 65. Which adds up to 11, the
number of Neptune. 65 is the 6th
manifestation of 11, the 11 sequence in order being 11-29-38-47-56-65. Neptune (11) is always selfless and desirous
of dedicating itself to spiritual work, which is the main energy it takes to
manifest the Ace of Swords, and this is happening on the 6th level,
6 being Venus, the energy of love. When
we love what we’re doing it can create changes (Pluto=Ace) on the physical
level (Swords), and can transform the manifestation of what is, make it clearer
and truer.
A woman came to me recently for a reading. She told me she had a vision of creating a
healing center, but she did not at the time have the funds to manifest the
extent and complexity of her vision for this center. The Ace of Swords kept coming up in the
reading, and I told her that she needed to start her healing work right now, by
doing things like planting healing herbs, working with them, talking to the
plant spirits, seeking their guidance, asking them what to do next, doing such
things as making her own flower essence remedies, and so on. This is how you work with the Ace of Swords
energy – you start some place definite, gradually moving forward piece by
piece, patiently, step by step, in hands-on fashion.
Virgo is an earth sign, a sign which deeply understands the
value of little steps, and how if little steps are patiently and constantly
taken they can create a momentum that propels you forward, often far faster
than you might have thought you would ever go.
The number 65 is also the Macrocosm (6) flowing its energy
into the Microcosm (5), meaning the universal patterns and perfection of the
number 6 feeding the microcosm (5) that is our individual being with their
divine order and harmony.
The number 65 is generated by multiplying 5 and 13, the two
prime numbers which when multiplied yield 65.
5 and 13 added together yield 18, the card called The Moon, and ruled by
the sign Cancer. This means that the Ace
of Swords requires nurturing and cultivation to attain to the fulness of its
divine harmony. To thrive, its energy
requires a home (Cancer), meaning a context in which it can grow.
The negative side of the Ace of Swords manifests through the
attempt to dominate (Ace) the physical world, by focusing on agendas to
overpower and control it, rather than striving to work with its nature, as we
faithfully attempt to see what its deepest needs are.
As earth is the most yin of the elements, the Ace of swords
is about the power of yin energy, and how we can positively use it if we are
willing to both love and listen to the deep wisdom it has to share with us.
If the Ace of Swords comes up in a reading for you, look
carefully at your problems, and know they are there to teach you something
important, which, if you learn whatever it is they are trying to teach you, it
will support and advance your spiritual growth.
The Ace of Swords compels you to deal with the physical
world and its challenges, to take care of your body, to acknowledge and work
within your limits, exercise, eat vital and nourishing foods, and don’t be
deterred or discouraged by the temporary darkness that may be making it
difficult to see your way forward.
As the Aces are ruled by Pluto, and Pluto corresponds to the
22nd Major Arcanum, 65, the number of this card, minus 22 equals 43
which is the 7 of Coins. This means that
to manifest anything in physical reality (Ace of Swords) we need to build lines
of communication first, or another way of saying it is that whatever we
construct in our mind is then what comes into physical being.
66. Two of Swords
The number of this card is 66, which is 3 X 2 X 11, and 3 +
2 + 11 adds up to 16. So this card
carries an energy of Mars (The Pyramid, Arcanum XVI), meaning that it can bring
up conflicts that we need to work with constructively.
The twos are ruled by Uranus, which
signifies our genius – that which is most unique and creative about
ourselves. At worst the Two of Swords is
about the repression (Earth) of these brilliant creative impulses, maybe
because we fear where they may lead, or that we won’t be accepted or understood
if we express them. Certainly from birth
most of us are taught to repress what is most different and unique about
ourselves. The Two of Swords is asking
us to allow this genius to come forth, to manifest it in the physical world –
and ideally to do so in a way that others can accept and appreciate. To do this takes the assertiveness,
initiative and constructiveness of Mars.
There is tension in this card,
because Uranus is about freedom, and the suit of swords, ruled by the earth
element, can signify restriction. The
earth element is the most conservative of the four, whereas Uranus is unconventional. And so when this card comes up our freedom
may be restricted, repressed, or suppressed.
We may think that such restriction is coming from outside ourselves, but
the truth is that it is always coming from inside. On the other hand Uranus can signify
inspiration, and so often we are inspired by the limitations with which life
presents us. It is like the artist who
draws pictures with a burnt stick on the wall of the cave – because those are
the only art materials he has, or the prisoner in the cell who wants to write a
novel and has only toilet paper on which to compose it.
The twos are always full of surprises, and so the Two of
Swords can mean we become surprised by the manifestation of some sudden and
unexpected limit (earth), or, conversely, it can mean the lifting or changing
of a limit, often in ways we didn’t expect.
It can also mean that we find an inspired, genius way of working with
our limitations, and with the physical world.
It can also mean a unique talent for letting our inspiration cut through
the darkness and illusion of the physical plane, maybe by actually turning
problems against themselves so that they immediately or eventually weaken or
dissolve.
If you get this card in a reading it could signify that you
need to work toward greater freedom, but that you may need to do it in a
careful, gradual, step-by-step way. It
means: don’t give up on your creative
urges, even if they often get thwarted, blocked, or frustrated. It can also mean that you are up against the
limited and restrictive thinking of the world or the people around you, and
that you need to find a way of getting beyond this. It can also mean putting your inherent wisdom
to work to solve problems and overcome the limits of the physical world. It can mean the practicalizing of wisdom.
This card can teach us how physical, material upset can be a
good thing, because a shakeup of this sort can liberate us. The fact that the number of the card adds up
to 12 (Pisces) means that rather than going against challenges and obstructions
it can sometimes be best to accept them and flow with them, that sometimes this
is the way out of the problem. 66 is the
5th time that 12 occurs, the sequence being 12-39-48-57-66, and 5 is
the number of Jupiter which is growth and expansion, so 66 is the growth (5) of
acceptance, also the expansion of one’s intuition. To be able to see that a limit is a good
thing turns it into a source of learning, so that ultimately it is no longer a
limit.
67. Three of Swords
This card signifies the refining (3=Neptune) of the physical
realm. This means such things as
physical detoxing and any sort of purifying that cleans and/or organizes the
material world. It can signify the need
to quit smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, and limit or stop drug use. Eating pure food and drinking pure water, and
imbuing the food and water that we eat and drink with thoughtforms of
nourishment, love and joy means that these are the energies we will be taking
in when we consume it.
The number of this card is 67, whose digits add up to 13, is
the number of Aries, the energy of renewal, and in the Sepher Yetzirah system
signifies water, a cleansing element. 67 is the 4th manifestation of
13, the sequence in order being 13-49-58-67, and four is ruled by Mars, so 67
is renewal that one take the initiative to set in motion.
This card can easily signify frustration, for the physical
world can be dark and dense, and can hold us down and back, and often in ways
that are elusive and hidden, the 3’s being ruled by Neptune which often works
subtly and covertly and in unseen ways.
The earth realm can create illusions which can hide spiritual
energies. The more intuitively perceptive
we become of subtleties the more we can see into the physical world, and see
through the illusions that it creates, and see that its primary purpose is to
be our friend and teacher rather than our oppressor.
This card is asking for the ideal and the real to come
together, which can be a slow process, and which is most likely to happen when
we have dedication and devotion to the tasks and chores of the physical world
and when we listen to what our intuition is telling us. It can also mean that we can have intuitions
about the physical world and its inner workings, which can help us to live more
harmoniously in it. These intuitions can
connect us with the gnomes, who are the elementals of the physical plane.
This card tells us that when we do all our work with love
and joy it can have a profound and positive effect on the physical world, and
hence on our health. So this card has
much to do with energy healing, especially those techniques which work on the
physical self and physical level, such as cranio-sacral therapy, Flower Essence
Therapy, utilizing the energy of crystals and therapeutically working with
visualizations.
This card in a reading may be saying, “it is your illusions
and fantasies which are blocking your way forward.” It can also be saying, “it’s time to take
risks which will lead you toward fulfilling your dreams.”
It may also be telling you that you have been blocking your
psychic energies and need to get more in touch with them, though such
activities as automatic writing, or observing more closely how you are feeling
and what is going through your mind, maybe accessing this through journaling, or
observing more clearly your reactions to your environment, or psychically
purifying your environment so that it becomes a more supportive and comfortable
place for you to be.
Many people repress their intuition because they are afraid
of becoming confused, or uncertain. If
you can learn to become more accepting of not knowing, more accepting of
confusion and uncertainty, you are more likely to be able to enter more fully
Neptune’s realm, and if you focus on your intent to grow spiritually, this
confusion will gradually transmute into clarity and certainty.
68. The Four of Swords
Jupiter wants to grow and expand, but earth is slow, it
tries to hold Jupiter back, slow it down, but Jupiter keeps moving
forward. The Four of Swords demands that
Jupiter’s growth be gradual and grounded – steady, secure, and not too fast,
for when it is too fast there is a danger of burnout. Jupiter is inherently generous and the earth
element is about the conserving of resources, so there can be tension here too. The earth element is here saying, “yes, be
generous, but judiciously so, rather than throwing your resources around in
such a way that they might be taken for granted, or not appreciated.”
When they built cathedrals in the Middle Ages they would not
build the walls higher then 10 feet in a year, so that they would have time to
settle and stabilize. That’s Four of
Swords energy – proceeding in a grounded manner. It certainly is not the current way of our
culture, which prizes swiftness of movement and reaching goals as fast as
possible.
The Four of Swords makes me think of the Great Pyramid, for
swords rule physicality and stone, and Jupiter signifies anything that is
immense — gigantic. The Four of Swords
is encouraging you to go step by step, and to be patient and persevering in
your work.
And as Jupiter signifies learning, the Four of Swords can
mean learning practical sorts of things, wise things you can apply to everyday
life to make it run more easily and smoothly.
Jupiter can be over-optimistic and when it is, it can take
on too much, which can then slow it down.
The Four of Swords is cautioning against this. It is asking you to be realistic about your
expansiveness, to realize your own limits of time, energy and resources, even
as you maintain a steadily optimistic attitude about your efforts and goals, so
that you can keep going. It is like the
tortoise in Aesop’s fable of the Tortoise and the Hare.
The number of this card is 68, which adds up to 14, the
number of Taurus, which rules perseverance and stamina – stubbornness used
positively. And 68 is the third
manifestation of 14, the cycle being 14-59-68.
And three (the third manifestation in any cycle) signifies Libra – how
we relate to things. It’s also
interesting to note that the next number in the 14 cycle is 77, which is the
number of the Queen of Swords, which is the court card ruled by Taurus. And, of course, the digits of 14 add to 5,
which in the Major Arcana is Jupiter, the same planet which rules this card, as
the fourth station of The Tree of Life is ruled by Jupiter.
This card also seems to be asking us to be thorough, for
when we grow gradually we have more time to be thorough. It’s all about pacing ourselves.
The number 68 is generated by multiplying 2 X 2 X 17, those
numbers adding up to 21, the Arcanum called The World, and ruled by the
Sun. That card is about keeping focused
on a purpose, and about always seeing in a situation what is most important, so
that our vision doesn’t become distorted by focusing on details of lesser
consequence. Also 2 X 2 is 4 which is
Scorpio, and so 68 is Scorpio – Arcanum 4 – merged with Gemini – Arcanum
17. Gemini can so easily get out of hand
and wander off into many different places, but Scorpio can control it in a
positive way, reign it in and direct it.
Of course negatively this could mean desires (Scorpio) scattering into
all sorts of various directions (Gemini), and therefore dissipating
energy. This is what we don’t want to
have happen.
68 is also 2 X 34, and 34 is the King of Wands, so when we
blend Virgo (2) with the King of Wands (34) we get the urge to keep beginning
(Aries) over and over (Virgo) as we continually improve/refine/perfect (Virgo)
our project, and work out the kinks of what we’re doing, so that in the end it
is finished, refined, and perfected to
the extent we are able to do so.
As Jupiter rules the 4’s in the Minor Arcana, and vibrates
with the number 5 in the Major Arcana, we can subtract 5 (Jupiter) from the
number of this card (68) and obtain the number 63, which is the number of the
Queen of Cups, the Scorpio court card.
This shows us that the idea way to bring the positive energy of Jupiter
down into this card is through the energy of Scorpio, which signifies
creativity, and a willingness to go through transmutation – to die to the old
and be reborn to the new, and to realize that this is what is happening to all
of us every moment we live – we are all on a journey towards death, which is a
gateway into a realm of regeneration.
69. Five of Swords
Saturn rules obstruction and so does the earth element. This doubling of the energy of obstruction
can mean that the Five of Swords can be a card which could stop us, or hold us
back, like a great stone or locked door standing in our path. The card is about what’s in your way. And, of course, if anything’s in your way
it’s always you, even when it seems to be something outside yourself. Always remember that our life is a projection
of our consciousness, and it is through clearing our consciousness of illusions
that we eventually attain to full liberation.
I feel that this card, more than any other, signifies the
kabbalistic principle of resistance.
Resistance is the limiting, confining or obstructing of a being for the
purpose of giving it something to push against.
For as you push against your challenge you will inevitably magnify your
own light, which means that you grow spiritually.
It is wondrous to me that the number of this card, 69, is 3
times 23, and 23 is the Ace of Wands.
The significance of this is that behind the rigidity and limitations of
this card we see that it is a way of relating to or connecting with (3) a new
cycle (Ace) of creative energy (Wands, which are the element fire).
69 adds up to 15, which is the Major Arcana ruled by
Saturn. The fact that both the arcanum
number of the card’s planetary ruler and its place on the Tree of Life (the
fifth station) are both signified by Saturn emphasizes the Saturnity of this
card. And if we subtract 15 from 69 we
get 54, the four of cups, meaning that the way to utilize this card to the
fullest is to maintain a positive, enthusiastic, and hopeful attitude toward
the obstructions and lessons it may be imposing on us, no matter how hard they
may be. The ultimate solvent that
dissolves all obstructions is love.
This card can signify stoppage, stillness,
non-movement. It makes me think of a
mountain. Sometimes a good way to handle
it is to wait, to become contemplative, to go into the silence and just allow
yourself to be for a while. These can be
marvelous antidotes to frustration.
Certainly the card is asking you to be careful,
cautious. It’s really good to move
slowly now, to become more passive and observant. This card is working to bring spirituality into
the physical world, and often when this happens the world does not understand
or believe that what it is witnessing is of a spiritual nature. The card can mean the hiddenness of
spirituality, and how a loss might actually be a gain, or a seeming tragedy
might be in some ways a blessing.
In terms of 69 adding to fifteen, this is the second term in
the 15-cycle, meaning that this is the first time after the number 15 that we
encounter 15 again, and the number two always signifies refining and
perfecting. So 69 is about refining and
perfecting (2) our spirituality (15), which, given the current spiritual status
of our world, tends to strongly go against materialism and all its beliefs.
A great way to support the energy of this card is to get rid
of things you don’t need, to clear debris from your life, and from your mind
too. It can be good now to disengage
from connections that are bringing you down or which are no longer serving your
evolution. We might say that “no” is a
great keyword for this card. It can
signify economizing, dieting by both eating less and changing what you are
eating, applying more discipline where it is needed, etc.
And of course, the Five of Swords is compelling us to look
at what is truly practical, which often
turns out to be different from what many people think it might be.
For instance, if our primary reason for being here is to
reach enlightenment, then meditation is practical. If we see that the principle of karma is
real, then we can see that it’s practical to not automatically respond with
hostility when someone pushes our buttons, that it’s practical to give away
money to homeless people, and practical to go about spontaneously sparking
laughter and love in others. As we do
these things we are activating and bringing into the world that bright Ace of
Wands energy I told you of earlier, and serving the highest purposes of The
Five of Swords.
70. Six of Swords
Six is the heart of the Tree of Life, and so the Six of
Swords is about the manifesting of purpose, about have a purpose that is
tangible, about bringing purpose down into the physical plane. It’s about defining to ourselves what is mot
important.
Some people who are maybe more intuitive and spontaneous may
do well without having a definite, conscious purpose, because maybe they are
tracking clearly with the impulses of their higher self and are trusting of the
guidance it gives them. But many other
people will benefit more from having well-defined and precise goals, ones that
are realistic and attainable – goals toward which they can move with sure
steps, for this gives them a feeling of knowing their direction. These type of goals are signified by the Six
of Swords.
The number of this card is 70, which is the number of
Arcanum XVI (ruled by Mars) on the cosmic scale. This means that what is needed to reach this
kind of goal is assertiveness, and the ability to take the initiative, to be a
starter, the need to engage in definite and constructive activity. The Six of Swords says that we need to take
charge of how we are going to more forward, and do it for ourselves, rather
than waiting for someone else to do it for us.
Of course the suit of Swords can also mean obstruction, so
the Six of Swords can mean that we are trying to reach a goal but have met with
an obstruction, something is in our way, blocking us, so we have to find a way
around it, or maybe we have to be more careful and patient and move forward
more gradually. Remember that all
obstructions are there to teach us something, so we need to stop and look at
what’s holding us back to see what it’s trying to tell us.
On a negative plane, the seventh station on the Tree of Life
is ruled by the Sun, which can signify ego, and so the Six of Swords can mean
that what is in the way of us reaching our goal or goals may be our own
ego. Our ego may be too rigid, as earth,
which corresponds to the suit of Swords, has a substantial, fixed, and
potentially rigid quality. The number
seventy breaks down into 2 X 5 X 7, those numbers adding up to 14, which is the
number of Taurus and of Alchemy. And as
alchemy signifies transformation, it may be necessary to continually transform
or modify our goals to keep them viable.
Earth, like a garden, always requires tending and reworking.
Negatively Taurus is stubborn. Sometimes when we are stubborn about reaching
a goal it works out for us, we eventually get to where we wanted to go. But sometimes the stubbornness is an ego
manifestation that goes against the flow of where evolution is trying to take
us. We need to look deep within
ourselves to see whether our stubbornness is something we need to persist in,
or something we need to soften or even let go of, as a means of allowing other
energies into our psyche.
Also, sometimes the goals we consciously set for ourselves
may not be the same ones our higher self has in mind for us. We may have goals trying to guide us that we
don’t even know about. Remember that the
digits of 70 add up to 7, the number of Sagittarius, which is about having an
overview, about seeing all the energies around us in a wholistic way. And 70 is 7 on the level of 8, meaning the 8th
time 7 appears in the number series, the series being
7-16-25-34-43-52-61-70. 8 is
appreciation. So 70 is about
appreciating (8) the whole picture (7), about the cosmic vision (7) that is
born out of love (8).
When this card is entrenched in the delusions of the
material world it can make life very difficult for us – causing us to be
focused on material acquisition, outer appearances, and accomplishment in the
physical world only, rather than seeking out and getting more in tune with the
vibrations of the spiritual realm. When
the Six of Swords’ energy evolves spiritually, it understands the true purpose
(6th station of the Tree) of the material realm (Swords), and so is
no longer subject to the suffering that attachments to outer-world illusions
can bring.
If we take the number for the Sun, 21, away from the number
for the Sun manifest on the material plane in the Six of Swords, 70, we arrive
at the number 49, which is the Queen of Coins, which is the Aquarius court
card. So the way to transmute the pure
energy of the 21 down into the 70 is through being supportive of other people
and working with and through groups, friends and like-minded people. Spreading love and encouragement (Aquarius)
to all beings will cure the negative aspects of the Six of Swords, for if we
want encouragement and support, all we have to do is emanate encouragement and
support to the world, for you always and inevitably get back whatever you put
out.
71. Seven of Swords
The Seven of Swords’ number is 71, which is the 21st
prime number, if we count 1 as a prime.
Primes signify a new and unique manifestation of the number they
correspond to in the order of primes, and so 71 is a new and unique
manifestation of 21, which is purpose.
Each one of us has our own unique goals and purposes, and 71 symbolizes
this.
It is wonderful when we are in tune with this purpose, for
then we feel we know what to do, and we do it instinctively, for these impulses
are a natural part of us, and to follow them brings us joy. This is the heavenly side of the Seven of
Swords. The negative side comes up when
we hold back or repress our impulse to act, maybe because we are afraid of
being wrong, or ineffective. Or maybe we
are afraid we will be criticized. For
whatever reason, the Seven of Swords can represent the repression of the impulse
to act. As these repressed impulses
build up this in turn can eventually lead to explosions and outbursts, which is
the result of the energy of Mars being held in too closely or denied too often.
Positively the Seven of Swords can mean that our actions are
effective because we have limited them to just what is needed, in other words
we have concentrated their focus rather than scattering or dissipating our
energies.
A good symbol for this card would be a sculptor at work on a
piece of stone. The sculptor is Mars,
the one who acts, and the stone is the suit of Swords, the material which is
acted upon.
At best this card means handling conflict in a practical way
– being aware of what we are up against and what the difficulties will be, and
knowing also our abilities and resources.
This card can get things accomplished, and often does so by keeping at
it steadily, but moving forward gradually with a workable speed and lots of
stamina. Negatively it might find itself
getting into the same old conflicts it has gotten into before, maybe time and
time again, and find it difficult to overcome these because their patterns are
so entrenched.
When this card
confronts problems it tends to do so in a careful way so that energy is not
wasted. Mars is naturally impulsive, and
so doesn’t particularly like being limited and restricted by the suit of
Swords, with is earth, for this suit compels it to slow down, to pace
itself. I see successful bodybuilders
and athletes in this card, who know how to push themselves in just the right way,
so that their health is maintained and enhanced while they exercise in such a
manner as to nourish and enhance their strength and endurance.
Negatively this card can also mean that you have been
overusing your energy or pushing yourself too hard, and so now are to the point
that you must rest more, must slow down, and maybe address problems that you
have been ignoring, for this is a good card for taking care of practical
issues.
If this card argues it can be frustrating, for you may feel
you aren’t getting anywhere, or aren’t being listened to, might feel like
nothing is being resolved, or at least not very quickly. Mars can be intimidating, so if you take heed
to this card it can teach you how to assert yourself while causing a minimum of
threat to others. 71 is 8 on the level
of 8, and so can mean being cautious and judicious in your actions, since 8 in
the Major Arcana signifies Capricorn, which is diplomatic and circumspect. 8 on the Tree of Live is Venus, signifying
that if you imbue everything you do with love you can’t go wrong. There may be a smoother, pleasanter, and
easier way to get where you are going.
You can serve up whatever you’re dishing out with a good dose of
sweetness in the recipe.
In anything you do, lay the foundations first, make all
needed preparations so you have a grounded platform from which to work. The difference between the pure Mars, Arcanum
XVI and 71 is 55, the Five of Cups. So
at worst aspects of the Seven of Swords come out of emotional frustration. But at best your efforts can be grounded in
deep, steady emotions that are the fulfillment (Cups) of your profoundest
(Saturn) instincts (Cups).
72. Eight of Swords
The number of this card is 72, which corresponds to the 72
names of God encoded in the book of Exodus, Chapter 14, verses 19-21. Each of these biblical verses contains 72
letters, and when the 72 letters of each verse is copied out in order, one
below the other, with the middle line written backwards, and then each one of
the 72 columns is read from top to bottom it spells out those 72 names. And since these names can be used to heal any
and all of our ills on spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels the 8
of swords represents a treasure house, a wealth of support for us. Venus, which rules the 8’s in all suits
signifies value, preciousness, that which is of great worth.
Note how the digits of 72 add up to 9, which is the number
of Aquarius, signifying support, which if we can assimilate it, will bring us
into greater harmony with the process of spiritual evolution.
72 is 2 X 2 X 2 X 3 X 3, these numbers adding up to 12, the
Major Arcana of Pisces, and so to be able to use and fully appreciate all the
healing aspects of God requires commitment and the ability to tune in to and
flow with spiritual energies, to be in sympathetic vibration with angelic
presences and the direction of our own spiritual evolution.
The negative side of this card is about how complacency, a
Venus trait, can create stagnation in our lives. Often times when people have all their basic
needs taken care of and are in adequate health, with no pressing conflicts in
their lives, their tendency is to just coast, to become passive to that state
of being relatively okay with the way things are going. But the strongest force in the universe is
the urge to evolve, and so something in them will always create something to
knock them out of this passive state. It
may be an accident, or a disease, or any other major challenge that suddenly
comes upon them. The best way to ward
off these major challenges is to work on our own evolution, by adopting and
being faithful to a spiritual practice, whatever that may be. Then we are serving our own evolutionary
impulses and we won’t need any further discord.
The Eight of Swords is about love substantiated – expressing
love in real, tangible and physical ways.
This in itself is a fine spiritual discipline. Often to do it effectively we have to go out
of our way, maybe deny ourselves some form of gratification so that we can ease
the suffering of another person, or uplift them in some way.
This card also signifies the conserving of all our
resources, saving money, and conserving our time so that we can spend it on
meaningful endeavors. But, of course, if
this conserving of resources is done solely with the intent of gratifying
ourselves, then it may draw to us the negative karma of this card, for if we
don’t have the intent of allowing our prosperity to flow out to others, then we
will automatically be restricting the flow of it back toward ourselves. Karma teaches us that the best way to be
prosperous is to be generous, for however we treat others will be the way the
universe treats us.
Life is a mirror. If
you want to see something specific in it, then then you need to show the mirror
that thing to have it reflected back to you.
If you reveal the love that you have for the universe and all its
creatures, then I can assure you that you will be opening yourself to the
infinite love that is always seeking to come back to you.
73. Nine of Swords
The nines are ruled by Mercury, and as the suit of swords
signifies substantiation, this card can mean the need for greater clarity and
definition in communication. It calls
for an exchange of ideas that is specific, pertinent, and which addresses
practical issues.
The card’s number is 73, whose digits add up to 10 – The
Wheel. Clearing blockages in thinking
and communicating can be liberating (Arcanum X), and may come about in
unexpected (Uranus=ruler of Arcanum 10) ways.
73 is the 7th time that a number whose digits add up to 10
appears in the natural sequence of numbers, this sequence being 10-28-37-46-55-64-73,
and so the Nine of Swords means liberation through attaining a higher level of
awareness (Arcanum VII), through transcending whatever has been limiting or
restricting one’s thinking and communicating.
The slow, gradual movement of the suit of Swords, which is the
earth suit, can show a need for thinking that might solve problems little by
little, and which may require patience and waiting. This is not so compatible with Mercury, the
ruler of the 9’s, who likes speed, but it harmonizes better with Virgo, one of
the signs that Mercury rules.
Often we can solve problems associated with this card by
looking at the significant details of our situation, much as a detective would
do. Sometimes the problems associated
with the Nine of Swords are caused by two people communicating in different
ways or at cross-purposes, so possibly you will be better understood if you say
what you are saying in a different way – one that is more like the way the
other person thinks and uses words.
Diplomacy strengthens the power of this card, as does conciseness, so
that you don’t bury what you’re trying to get across in a host of minor
details.
As the swords rule physicality this card’s vibration can
make your body more flexible, and you can enhance this by stretching. It can have the same effect on your mind,
helping you to overcome biases that you may not even be aware of.
If you turn your attention to the fact that a sword must be
sharp to be effective, you can see how selecting words that are vivid can concentrate
the message you’re trying to communicate.
On the other hand it will defeat your purpose if you say something
meaningful but in a way that is sharp and cutting in a manner that causes your
words to be taken in a threatening manner.
This card may be telling you that it’s a good idea to
rethink your strategy, and to try again using a different approach. Dogmatism is not compatible with this card,
for overly rigid thinking can lead to a stalemate where nothing gets
communicated or resolved.
Hidden in the number 73 is the idea that what you may have
thought was a problem may not be a problem if you think of it in a different
way. If you can rise above your
situation and get a clearer overview of it, this may be all you need to do to
liberate you from difficulties.
Physically, as the earth sign Virgo rules the large
intestine, and Mercury rules stimulation coming from the nervous system, this
card can be like peristalsis of the colon, which can help to clear waste matter
from your being and alleviate toxicity.
And always remember that these physical correspondences can be seen as mirroring
what is going on in the spiritual realm, so that this card can mean purging
your soul of the waste products of what you’ve already digested.
74. Ten of Swords
The tenth station is the last one on the Tree of Life, and
as such represents a fullness and completeness of expression when its energy is
allowed to flow freely, or stagnation and dead ends when its energy is blocked
or repressed. The number of the Ten of
Swords is 74 which adds to 11, just as the first station on the Tree of life,
which corresponds to the Ace of Swords is 65, which also adds to 11. The Ace and Ten of each suit always have this
property – e.g., that their digits add up to the same number. In the suit of wands the two numbers are 23
and 32, which both add up to 5. In the
suit of Coins the two numbers are 37 and 46, which both add up to 10, and in
the suit of Cups the two numbers are 51 and 60, which both add up to 6.
This card signifies dealing with the physical world in an
instinctual manner, just the way animals do it.
It encourages you to flow with whatever is coming up, whatever changes
are occurring, both within and outside yourself, and to act spontaneously as
your feelings direct you, rather than depending on logic and objectivity to
carry you through. When you become more
in tune with your animal self and its inner knowing you are aligning with the
vibrations of this card.
Many people find it difficult to follow their inner knowing
when their instincts tell them it’s time to cease action for a while, and that they
need to take a break from effort. But if
they can heed that advice they often will find their efforts are far more
effective when carried out at a later time.
Sensing when to act is the foundation for success, and our instinctive
attunement to cycles can help us to refine our sense of timing.
This card is about emotional repression, and the liberation
of feelings that we have been holding in or denying. It is about finding ways to allow those
emotions to leave our system so they will no longer bring harm or oppression to
us. These feelings will dissolve of their own accord once we make contact with
them. An effective way of doing this is
to put attention onto the body — to observe the quality, intensity, and
location of feelings that are going on inside us on a physical level. Attention in and of itself is healing.
This card is about not having a plan, about living life
without an agenda, about living in the moment and tracking attentively with
whatever is occurring. If we do this,
then we are supporting the unfoldment of whatever it is we need to learn, and
supporting as well the purification of our own unconscious, for whatever needs
to come out of it will be encouraged to come out by this simple tracking with
the present moment as it flows through time.
As the 10’s are ruled by the Moon they signify nurturing,
and the Ten of Swords can mean nurturing in an overt and often practical
manner, doing things like providing food and other basic needs for people, or
helping them to cope with life’s practical necessities. Nurturing, too, can come in the form of
words, and the suit of Swords encourages us to actually say those words, to
make them manifest, rather than just thinking them.
I have always disliked the picture on this card in the Waite
deck. The metaphysician who designed
this deck, Arthur Edward Waite, was very focused on the symbology depicted on
the cards of the Major Arcana of this deck, but was
75. Horseman of Swords
In this card fire penetrates into the earth realm, which can
stimulate and enliven it. The card is
about creativity manifesting in a tangible, practical way, or along practical
lines. It is symbolized by such things
as functional architecture that creates comfort and convenience for humans, or
the designing of clothes that are practical as well as aesthetically pleasing.
As the suit of Swords can signify stagnation, the Horseman
of Swords can mean pushing through stagnation, adding heat to something as a
means of waking it up and getting it to move.
It can signify a state of affairs that may have existed in the same way
for maybe a very long time, but which now needs to be taken apart or broken
down so that it can be restructured. If
the people involved are into this kind of creativity, then the carrying out of
it can be exciting and exhilarating. But
so often people fear change, and then the Horseman of Swords can feel
threatening, like an earthquake, or a volcano erupting. And often times, because of this fear, the
needed change never happens because people avoid it, or put it off. But if this goes on for two long the
subconscious of one or more people can brew up energies which bring about some
event that will provoke the change.
Because of the heaviness and density of the earth element,
the changes called for by the horseman of Swords can be difficult, awkward,
inconvenient, or seem to take loads of effort.
But there can be much to gain by making them, often more than you might
have realized at the outset.
This inner fire of the Horseman of Swords may express in a
subtle form, as spiritual light. And so
this card can mean visualizations of color, for instance, or the transmitting
of Reiki energy or engaging in other energy therapies as a means of bringing
about the needed changes. Season-wise,
this card corresponds to the winter solstice, when spiritual forces re-awaken
as the outer physical world sleeps.
It is good to remember here that fire and earth are at the
opposite ends of the elemental spectrum when it comes to density and
movement. Fire is swift and volatile,
whereas earth is slow, sluggish and stable.
So in the Horseman of Swords, which is where fire penetrates earth, the
fire is maybe slowed down, its light possibly dimmed, whereas earth is warmed
and illuminated by the fire, which can awaken and enliven it.
76. King of Swords
In the King of Swords air (signified by all the kings) penetrates
earth (signified by the suit of swords), air being the element that
communicates and makes connections, and so he King of Swords is about the
manifesting of practical connections. We
might also say that it’s about mind and cleverness applied to the practical,
everyday world.
The astrological ruler is Capricorn, the sign that rules
authorities and parent figures. The
purpose of authorities is to bring pertinent information (air) into the realm
of everyday reality. Air always
signifies the go-between, the messenger, and here the messenger brings
information about how to effectively deal with the physical world in which we
find ourselves. Capricorn is the sign of
spiritual technology, meaning that it teaches and invents methods we can use to
support and enhance our spiritual evolution.
The number of the card is 76, which is 4 X 19, blending the
energies of Scorpio (4) and Leo (19), which is blending creativity and
transformative power (4) with expression (19).
The challenge of Capricorn is to uphold and maintain those traditions of
the past which continue to further and support people while modifying their
expression in ways that more fully meet current needs. The less evolved expression of Capricorn
upholds tradition mechanically and blindly, while the higher expression of it
creatively seeks new ways to express timeless truths so that they can continue
to guide people in a style and language that is current.
The digits of 76 add up to 13, the number of Aries. Capricorn cannot function creatively unless
it confronts directly (13) the problems and challenges it’s presented
with. If it avoids or denies these
challenges then it will come to rely on a routine parroting of the traditions
of the past, rather than vitally engaging with the needs of the present.
If you were to draw this card to answer the question, “what
do I need to focus on today?” the card implies the need to be careful, to
proceed objectively, and to think in terms of what actions will achieve the results you desire and which ones won’t,
in other words, what works and what doesn’t.
When dealing with problems it can mean seeking out advice from someone
who has the knowledge you need – if you don’t feel you have it – for although
Capricorn is itself an authority, at its highest it always bases its decisions and
actions on the wisdom and advice of those who have more experience than itself.
If you do not feel that you lack adequate wisdom and/or
power then it can be difficult to relate to this card. But even though Capricorn always seeks
correctness in all its actions it invariably finds itself in situations where
it isn’t completely certain about what to do.
When we think of 76, the number of this card, as 2 X 38, we
see that 38 is the Two of Coins merged with Arcanum II, meaning the sustainment
and refinement (2) of creative (Uranus, ruler of the 2’s) thinking (Coins). This is what is needed to manifest the power
of Capricorn. And just as the King of Coins is the air of earth, its companion
court card is the Princess of Coins, which is the earth of air, ruled by Gemini. So the cleverness and liveliness of Gemini can
imbue Capricorn with a vibrancy that can greatly enhance its effectiveness.
77. Queen of Swords
The number of this card is 77 which is 11 X 7, signifying a
refined and intuitive (11) overview of reality (7). The highest level of Taurus, the ruler of
this card, can intuit the true value of everything because it can see
everything in its spiritual context. Of
course this is a very exalted state to attain to, but since we’re all going to
reach enlightenment, it’s a future reality that is constantly pulling all of us
toward itself.
11 + 7 is 18, the number of Cancer, and so the Queen of
Swords is a nurturer and protector – her wealth of gives can offer spiritual
food and support for those who crave it.
If we find the difference between the Taurus-ruled Major
Arcanum card, Arcanum XIV, and this Taurus-ruled Court Card, we arrive at the
number 63, which is the Queen of Cups, ruled by Scorpio. This means that to fulfill the role of the
Queen of Swords requires the role of the Queen of Cups, which has to do with
identifying with our own personal power and creativity. The Queen of Swords is the embodiment of the
alchemist, and all true artists are alchemists.
Taurus is a sign whose higher meanings have been obscured by
materialism, for Taurus rules money and possessions. What has been ignored by modern astrologers
to a great extent is that Taurus also rules our individuality and its
uniqueness, which is one of our most prized possessions. Negatively speaking, our identity that
expresses through our individuality is something that we tend to be addictively
possessive of, the irony being that when we eventually come to let go of this
we find that we possess it fully without any pathological grasping of it.
If you draw this card in a reading it can show the need to
stand your ground and hold fast to your own principles and reality. It can also be reminding you that you have
much to offer, and what you have to offer may not be limited just to what you
think it is, for so often we are giving other people healing and supporting
energy even when we may not be consciously trying to do so.
78. Princess of Swords
This is the Virgo court card, and its number is 78, the last
card of the deck. 78 is 2 X 3 X 13,
those digits adding up to 18, just like the digits of the divisors of the card
that precedes it, The Queen of Swords.
And so this card also has the nurturing quality of Arcanum XVIII, ruled
by Cancer.
78 can be generated by adding together three perfect
squares, 1 + 4 + 9 + 64, which are the squares of 1, 2, 3, and 8, respectively. When a number is squared it is brought into
tangible manifestation, and so 78 is tangibly manifesting mind (1), service
(2), connection (3) and karma (8), all combined. Note also that 1, 2, 3, and 8 add up to 14,
the number of integration and alchemy.
The Princess of Swords plays the role of server,
administering to the needs of other people and to the world. The number 78 can be derived by multiplying 2
X 39, or Virgo (Arcanum II) and the 3 of Coins, a card which signifies
intuitive thinking and communicating – thinking and communicating that channels
the subtle forces of divine intelligence.
The digits of 78 add up to 15, and 78 is the 3rd
time we find a number adding to fifteen in the natural sequence of numbers, the
15 cycle being 15 – 69 – 78. 15 is the
number of focus, so 78 would then be focus in the realm of relating – libra –
Arcanum III. The Princess of Swords
follows a narrow path as she focuses on what needs to be done and her efforts
aim to relate to others. When others do
not relate to or allow what she is doing she will attempt to adjust her
methods, to find another way that others can relate to.
Virgo is the sign of details, and at worst Virgo might focus
on details indiscriminately, putting as much effort into dealing with the
trivial ones as the important ones. This
can then cause mental confusion, which is a negative meaning of the 3 of
Coins. But as Virgo evolves she learns
through her intuition to identify the truly important details, the ones that
are the key to fixing the situation and promoting healing. Often these may not be the details that logic
would choose, but the Princess of Swords attunes to the 3 of Coins and
perceives with her intuition where her efforts will bring the most benefit.
At her highest she realizes that the only sort of criticism
that is worthwhile is that which will improve a situation and offer suggestions
for refining and perfecting the work. She
needs to always be aware of what underlies criticism, for sometimes it is
self-aggrandizement, or self-vindication, or self-validation. In all those cases it is ego-based and will
inevitably generate discord.
One of her worst enemies is the fear of failure, which can
keep her from taking risks. She needs
always to see all seeming failures as learning experiences, and also to not
judge outcomes, for often a seeming failure will have other and sometimes
hidden implications, and can affect others in ways that open them up or help to
loosen stuck energies.
All angels have in them the energy of the Princess of
Swords, for all angels are helpers – they seek to further our evolution, and to
remove our suffering so that we have more energy to feed into our forward
motion. Among the court cards she has no
companion card, for she is Earth of Earth, pure earth. She brings love to all little, small, and
seemingly trivial things. A Kabbalist
once said, “be kind to all your material objects, for they are all alive and
have a consciousness, and will take in and grow and benefit from the love that
you give them.” I would add to this that
it is a wondrous thing to love those things which we might normally recoil
against or not want to deal with, such as tumors, germs, viruses and other
poisonous things. Loving those things
takes away from them the energy of separation and conflict. It helps to harmoniously integrate them into
our world so that they eventually cease to oppress us and cause us suffering.
78 is also 3 X 26, 26 being the number of the 4 of wands
signifying the expansion of fire and light.
So 78 is momentum (Arcanum III) merging with the expansion of light. As 6 X 13, 78 is love (Arcanum VI) merging
with renewal and rebirth (13), which is another way of expressing the meaning
of service.
And lastly 78 is the 7 moving toward the 8, which is
transcendence coming to deal with the wheel of karma, meaning the releasing of
all negative karma, which is attachment, so that the whole of consciousness can
enjoy everything while being simultaneously freed of all addiction to it.