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THE SWORDS SUIT
from .
The four Suits of the Minor Arcana in The Kingdom Within Tarot correspond to a particular season in the year’s cycle: Pentacles are set in Winter, Wands are set in Spring, Cups are set in Summer, and Swords are set in Autumn. On the Wheel of the Zodiac, the Sun enters the constellation of Aries (the Cardinal Fire Sign) at the start of Spring, travels through Cancer (the Cardinal Water Sign) during Midsummer, journeys through Libra (the Cardinal Air Sign) during the season of Autumn, and enters Capricorn (the Cardinal Earth Sign) in Winter; thus, each Suit is set in its corresponding Astrological Season of the year.
Wands are fiery, for Spring is a time of resurrection and rebirth as the sleeping Earth awakens and bursts forth with new life and promise.
Cups are watery, as Summer is a time for the fecund Earth to present us with her bounty as we vacation, relax, and celebrate all the riches that the year has produced, heavy with our treasures.
Swords are airy, for with the coming of Autumn we face shorter days, beautiful endings in both gorgeous sunsets and multi-colored falling leaves, and the destruction of the Earth’s excesses.
Pentacles are earthy, as the Sun is little with us and the Earth withdraws into herself for her Winter hibernation as she awaits the returning strength of the Sun in the Spring.
The four court card characters correlate to the time-honored events and significances that represent the seasonal celebrations and customs attributed to their Suit. With the coming of Autumn we face shorter days and beautiful endings, from gorgeous sunsets to multi-colored falling leaves.
The Swords Suit of the Minor Arcana is the transmissive Air element. To understand the logic behind the choice of this symbol, one has only to look at it: a sword is a phallus crafted for combat. Its sharp blade slices through the insubstantial air and penetrates to the heart of the matter, giving you the upper edge. Battles have been won or lost, agreements made or broken, by the strength of the Sword. The Swords Suit rules those arenas that are combative, sharp, penetrating, and interested in winning the upper edge—conflict, reason, the mind, and communication. Any matter decided by the Sword (or by conflict, reason, and communication, for that matter) by its very nature is impermanent; it takes constant vigilance to maintain a superior position. Is there perhaps a higher Path that transcends the inherent transience of the Sword?
If you look at the hilt of your average sword, you will probably see that it forms a cross. In his text on the Grail myth, Frater Achad calls this the Sign of the Cross, “from which the creative Word issued at the birth of the dawning universe.” According to Achad’s Qabalistic interpretation of the Parzival story, we begin our Quest for the Grail (Understanding) with the Sword of Reason, a lesser skill that is needed until we transform it into the Holy Spear of Will and Wisdom (Chokmah). Only with Wisdom (in contrast to Reason) may we regain awareness of our True Selves, which in turn enables us to directly perceive truth without the fallible structures of inference and deduction.
Setting and Color Scheme: Autumn, as darkness falls; dark, Halloween colors
Astrological Correlation: The Air signs Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Seasonal Celebration: Halloween, The Day of the Dead, Samhein, Autumnal Equinox
Cycle Story: When the old God dies and the Goddess mourns
Court Card Characters: Mictlantecutli, Hecate, Lord of Misrule, Persephone |
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