Wisdom of the Queen of Swords

Date: Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Querent: StaceyUK
Question: Help me see the face that I already know in my heart (question by moonanstars @ Live Journal)

Deck: Mystic Faerie
Card: Knight of Cups

A sweet sensitive spirit who likes to communicate through creative mediums, such as writing and art. Can be quite shy but also alluring. Gives off an air of hiding secrets, but may share if you earn her trust unto her inner circle. Able to protect oneself from attack with concealed weapon.

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I didn’t think I would get a lot of answers from this deck as it is slightly whimsical. As being a deck depicting faeries, it does not give clues to the Goddess’ physicality, unless the Goddess is a faerie. but it does offer me an insight to the facets of her personality that she chooses to show to me. I shall regard this as a first clue.

It’s been over a year since my last post. A lot of things have changed. I’m currently unemployed and looking for a new job. On the tarot front there have been big changes too. I’m now a lot more comfortable working with the symbolism in my Universal Waite deck. The breakthrough came by doing exercises in Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card, specifically activity 2:2.

I’ll provide an example to illustrate what depth this method gives me.

Daily Reflection: Woah! What needs reigning in? (question by Igraine)

Date: Late August
Deck: Universal Waite
Card: Six of Swords

Symbols worth of further investigation:

- Wooden stick = wand = passion, aggression and creative energy.

- Hilt  poining upwards, blade pointing down = thoughts need to be grounded.

- Position of swords = protective barrier. Swords in front of figures represent fear and uncertainly. Theyare physically going to a better place but are they mentally prepared?

- Water = emotions. Ripples in water = events, movement, unsteadies our emotions.

- Wooden boat = Conduit for wand energy (see above),

- People = Taking what you treasure. Have decided what’s important in life. No material possessions except for what they are wearing.

- Trees/land = earth= a foundation.

- Man with pole = Protecting those he loves. Pole can be used as a defensive weapon, as well as an instrument to move things forward.

- Colour of man’s clothes. Yellow tunic = air = thoughts, overall element. Blue top = water = emotions. Contrasts with tunic, secondary element. Green trousers = earth = reason to do this = to create a solid foundation. Red boots = fire. His passion grounds him and prevents him from becoming too overwhelmed. The wooden pole and boat add weight to this.

To answer the reflection, my fear and doubt need to be reigned in if I’m going to get to a better place. Protecting myself is one thing, hiding away is another.

As you can see breaking down the symbols has enabled me to look at the cards on a deeper level, and make the cards more accessible.

One of the most common questions that is asked by many is what is a good deck or book for a beginner? There are so many to choose from it is hard to know where to start. One of my own personal favourites is The Complete Tarot Reader by Teresa Michelsen. I like it because the information that it gives you can be applied to any deck and not just the Rider-Waite-Smith and clones thereof. It gives you a good grounding in all the skills you need to start reading. I especially like the appendices in the back as they give you extra information that is really useful like the glossary of symbols. I personally find the symbols used in the RWS hard to get to grips with, and that has helped to break down some of the barriers.

In this column I want to focus on the problems one can face when you have passed the beginners stage. To my knowledge, there are very few books that deal with this. When I was originally planning to write about this issue around March/April this year I was going to argue that there should be more books available to those who want to progress to more intermediate and advanced levels working with tarot. In essence I feel that argument still stands but I have had time to reflect on why this is the case.

I don’t believe tarot can be studied in the same way someone studies a subject at school. Of course basics need to be covered like those covered in books for beginners but as I am discovering not only can tarot be an in depth subject it is broad too. There are so many avenues one could choose to study: tarot and elemental dignitaries, tarot and astrology, doing an integrated reading, tarot and numerology, symbolism in tarot, meditating on the cards; and that’s only the ones I have come across. No one book could contain that information, not unless it was big and heavy thus making too inconvenient for most people.

There is a second significant factor that needs to be mentioned here. Tarot study is heavily influenced by one’s own personal experience. Tarot takes our mind’s subconscious messages and presents them for our conscious mind. Every experience that we have shapes the communication between us and the cards. Thus, the avenues we decide to follow in tarot study are also personal choices that each of us make.

The now defunct Barnes & Noble University Tarot for Beginners course was a significant development in my own tarot study. The exercises served a purpose but the most useful thing I gained from that course was sharing experiences with others. It was there that I no longer felt isolated in my tarot study; that I almost felt part of a collective. In this collective I had access to different ideas and approaches I hadn’t heard of before like elemental dignitaries; which offered me a viable alternative to reversals which I had never felt comfortable using. Most importantly I discovered that I could create my own methodologies and rituals when using tarot. There was no single right way of doing things when it came to tarot. That was just a myth. I felt liberated with that knowledge and began travelling on my own path in earnest.

I believe the greatest resource that a tarotist can have is access to other tarotists so they can share in the collective knowledge and add their own personal experiences to the melting pot. Probably without them realising someone will benefit from what they shared. This collective also provides support as we all look inside ourselves as we strive to be better people and to make better decisions. We all have personal journeys that we have to make but hearing of others struggles and triumphs gives us strength to carry on when we reach a bump in the road.

If I believe that this collective is so great, why am I advocating the need for more books and resources? It’s simple not everyone has access to a great group like Tarot for Life. It can be quite difficult to meet other people with an interest in tarot where you live. In the world outside cyberspace there are still strongly held misconceptions about what tarot is, and what functions it can perform. It may not be wise for a person to admit they have an interest in it. Besides not everyone has access to the internet. Books are part of the collective knowledge. When an author writes a book about an aspect of tarot they are effectively sharing a part of their personal experience and can offer the reader the chance to become part of this collective experience.

Tarot is a life long study. It isn’t possible to learn everything about it. As we travel along our different paths in life, our relationship with the tarot changes with us.

This column is dedicated to my tarot twin Val, who knows what I am going to before I do. Thank you sweetie for being a great friend and mentor, and inspiring this month's column.

Now I've got the sappiness out of the way I must apologise for my long goodbye. It was never my intention to disappear for four months. I managed to get a really good job and that has been taking up most of my time and energy so tarot was put on the back burner for a while. It was necessary but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't feel guilty about it. Once again my career took centre stage and everything else suffered a bit for a while. I definitely had Temperance issue, but now I think I have achieved a better balance. I've also had to make changes regarding the publication of this column. Instead of writing a column every week I am going to write one at the beginning of the month probably on the first Sunday, my work schedule permitting.

When I was unemployed I promised myself that once I got a job I would buy myself the Tarot of Dreams, which I duly purchased after passing my probation period. Now I had said to myself that I would not need any more decks after buying that one. Yes I can hear you all chuckling in the back row at that… I even posted on how it was a strange feeling not to have any decks on my wishlist… That lasted about ooooh two hours until I found some books and a deck. The deck in question is the Bright Idea deck.

This is proof positive if any were needed that I suffer from Tarot Mania Syndrome or TMS. Possible symptoms of this affliction include always having decks that you want to purchase, decks screaming BUY ME!! in shops and running out of space to store them. A sufferer is always on the look out for new decks, and it is also a common feature of this syndrome that you may purchase more than one deck at a time. It is not solely confined to decks it may also apply to bags and tarot related books as well.

A tarot mentor or buddy is a very good thing to have but for a TMS sufferer it can have far reaching consequences. A friend may innocently show you pictures of a deck that he or she may have acquired and it almost instantly ends up on your wish list. Of course one can exert some degree of self control but once you have TMS, you have it for life. I know it happened to me today with the Hanson-Roberts deck now also appearing on my list.

As well as the inevitable consequences for one's bank balance, there are also other things TMS sufferers have to negotiate such as the reactions of their family and friends on hearing you may have purchased another deck. Reactions vary but common ones include 'Not another deck!' or 'Why do you need another one for?' For those who suffer from Tarot Mania Syndrome the answer can be quite simple. For each tarot deck that we own, it is like having another friend to consult and confide in. Each deck provides with a valuable different insight into our lives, and helps us make better decisions. To us, each new deck gives us a better understanding our ourselves. That alone is worth the occasional strain on the bank balance.

I leave you now with my own wishlist.

Decks

The Bright Ideas Deck

Hanson-Roberts Deck

Books

Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack

The Forest of Souls by Rachel Pollack

Mary K. Greer's 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary K Greer

Putting the Tarot to Work by Mark McElroy

What's in the Cards for You? by Mark McElroy

In Mary K. Greer's book Tarot for Yourself she gives a good first exercise to do when first learning the tarot. The first question is 'What is tarot?' Easy question you might assume but not when you start thinking about it. This is what Google has to say:

A set of 78 cards used in divination or to explore the unconscious. The 56 cards in the “minor arcana” are divided into four suits: wands (symbolizing action); cups (emotions); swords (intellect); and pentacles (material concerns). The 22 cards of the “major arcana” depict archetypes and elemental forces.

Taken from http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/022103/022103k.htm

My own response to this question is this:

Tarot is a set of seventy eight cards that allows someone to communicate with their subconscious mind more easily. It can offer insights into relationships, events or problems in your life. These insights can give you the knowledge you need to make better decisions.

I would say that the first definition is better than mine because it briefly explains the structure of the deck and gives explanations of the major and minor arcana. However, I feel I should explain my choice. Part of the exercise is to consider your response as if you were explaining to a friend and I wanted to explain what the tarot is in a physical sense but also what the tarot is because of what the tarot can do. I was trying to get away from the perceptions that persist with the tarot, especially from people who have had no contact with tarot personally and only have the information presented in the media to base their assumptions.

Sometimes I find that it is easier to explain what tarot is not, than what it is as each person's relationship with the tarot is different and not everyone has the same experience. In my case I own several tarot decks and my relationship with each deck is distinct from the others. I chose the word relationship deliberately as I feel I do have connections to, and with, my decks. Some are stronger than others.

The second question that Mary poses in her exercise is 'What is the purpose of the Tarot'? My answer is a personal one since I believe that the purpose of the tarot can vary depending on what you are using it for. The answer I used was:

I feel that the purpose of the Tarot is as a tool to aid in self knowledge and empowerment; to provide insights that you may not be aware of on a conscious level.

I also use tarot as a divination tool but I think my original comment still stands as I approach readings that I do for others in the same way I do when I am reading for myself. When I read for others I try to convey that the tarot is a tool of empowerment and that they are the ones who have the power within themselves to solve a particular issue and not the cards. I try and use spreads where the tarot provides the querent or seeker information about their particular circumstances. By giving querent this information they can hopefully decide for themselves what they want to do. The tarot can of course advise a seeker or querent but I am wary of saying that it provides answers as I am not sure that it does. Well at least not in my case. Maybe it does give answers but not the concrete ones that most people are used to in their everyday lives. Rather, it gives people options to consider.

The last question I am going to discuss here is 'What do I want to learn from the tarot?' When I did this exercise my response was:

I would like to develop my intuition skills and deepen my relationships with my tarot decks; enabling me to gain insights into my life.

Since I did this exercise on 26^th January 2007 the tarot itself has given me new things to think about. Often I do daily reflections that are posted to the Tarot For Life message boards. One in particular stands out. The reflection was 'What needs clarification and what motivations underlie it?' I drew the Queen of Swords and the Queen of Cups from the Druid Craft deck. My first impression was that it related to the relationship between myself and my mother as I associate my mother with the Queen of Cups and if you hadn't already guessed, myself as the Queen of Swords, although at the time I wasn't sure why it needed clarifying except to remind me to stop acting in haste and drawing my sword in attack which I am prone to do. However, several of my fellow members thought that the Queen of Cups might actually refer to me as I was discussing my belief in tarot, paganism and spirituality. It made me sit up and think that sometimes I over identify with the Queen of Swords and forget about the less dominant aspects of myself. Therefore, the two cards did show what needed clarifying. My relationship with my mother, but also on a more profound level of how I see myself That the two Queens are two aspects of who I am.

The tarot also indicated this message to me when earlier this month when doing a full moon reading. In that reading I got the Princess of Swords and the Princess of Cups. In essence the reading told me that to work out where I needed to go I have to start embracing the Cups aspect of my nature and give recognition that it does exist. To be honest I think the Queen of Swords tries to keep her fellow queen in shadow so that she, or rather I, doesn't get hurt. I need to learn how I can get these two aspects of myself working together and not be afraid to let the Queen of Cups show herself once in a while.

To answer the question posed. It's ok to decide what you would like to learn from the tarot but be prepared for the tarot to show you what lessons you really need to learn and give you messages on different levels. Some of which may not become apparent until later. I don't think there is such a thing as a simple question when it comes to the tarot.

Some people say that I am an argumentative person and I am going to prove them right by disagreeing with my own title. I believe that rational thinking and intuitive thinking are not in opposition with one another but have the potential, if nurtured, to compliment one another so that the picture becomes bigger and the understanding fuller and deeper.

The key words in that first paragraph are 'if nurtured'. I don't believe society as a whole values intuition and the insights it can bring. That is why I believe many struggle with the tarot when they start out learning, as not only are you learning how to listen to the cards but also how to use your intuition; in effect you are learning two skills at once and it becomes very frustrating at times. I gave up the tarot for about a year because I felt I wasn't getting anywhere. I have been using tarot regularly since 2004 when I picked it up again after having several dreams seeing my tarot cards. I decided the universe was trying to tell me something. I believe that a lot of people fall into the trap of believing that somehow that you are going to instantly succeed with the tarot, that as soon as you see the cards everything becomes clear and you learn the answers to the universe. In my experience, and others I have spoken to, you don't. I gave up because I was fed up of drawing a blank. Seeing just the picture and not the meaning. If I am being really honest I was one of those people who fell into the trap.

I don't know what other people expected when they started to use the tarot. I expected a big bang and the lights to come on and for me to suddenly gain a deeper understanding. Why did I have so unrealistic expectations? Reflecting on it I think it was because I didn't know how it was supposed to feel. A lot of us have gut instincts that we may have chosen to ignore because it contradicted rational thinking, but further along the line turns out to be correct. Why are we so mistrustful of this gut instinct or intuition?

A lot of it has to do with how a person is brought up by their family and/or conditioned by society. Children tend to be a lot more intuitive than adults. For example, they are more likely to sense a person in spirit than an adult. However, this maybe because in a child's formative years they can express their intuition more freely by being creative through art, music and other mediums by using their imagination. In fact, children are encouraged to express themselves in this way. As children grow older they are expected to adopt a more rational approach to the way they see the world via language and knowledge so that they begin to assimilate the behaviour of adults. I don't have a problem with this as a rational approach should be involved in a good decision making process, but I do have a problem with the emphasis that is placed on it at the expense of intuition.

A person is not encouraged to develop their intuition after they have left those formative years. Creativity for example, is not encouraged unless someone is talented in that area. I am not of course saying that adults are barred from creative endeavours but the way creativity is viewed is different. Instead of a way for them to express their intuition, they become hobbies; ways to pass the time, unless of course they can make money out of it.

Rational and intuitive thinking become two separate things. Intuition almost exclusively becomes for children only. Society impresses on people that an adult should only adopt a rational approach in their way of thinking. An notable exception is 'mothers intuition' but the cynical side of me believe that society allows this as it connects mothers to their children increasing the ties between them. Someone commented on a friend's journal recently with 'What is a rational woman like you doing believing in the tarot?' I may be paraphrasing, but only slightly. This comment reinforces the view that rationality and intuition don't mix which I don't believe is true. I maybe generalising here, but people who stand and say that they believe in the value of intuition are often characterised as flaky, needy or gullible. Which brings me full circle to last week's article.

Because we are not encouraged to use it intuitive thinking often becomes dormant. It isn't until we take up a creative hobby, start interpreting our dreams or using the tarot that we begin to hear the inner voice again. It also explains why it is hard to trust what it is telling us because it requires us to use skills that we have lost as we have become adults. When you use intuition effectively, it often tells you what you already knew, but were afraid to voice rationally. Sometimes though it offers you new paths that you can travel on, that were hidden from, or drowned out by the rational part of your brain.

Not only can intuition strengthen your rational mind but the rational approach can improve your intuition, but only if your intuition is no longer ignored and is actively listened to. Tarot cards often use a lot of symbolism, and by understanding what those symbols mean your intuition can become stronger.

If people were actively encouraged to develop their intuition throughout their life it would give them a deeper understanding of their lives and enable them to make better decisions? Surely, that can only be a good thing.