I drew the Queen of Swords for my one card reading today and what an enigmatic figure she is. I’ve heard her given many different names and descriptions; The Grey Widow for instance. Water of Air, the Order of the Golden Dawn called her. She is sorrow tempered by wisdom. She is the human heart, sobered by the trials of life.

One of my favourite descriptions is given by Kate Warwick-Smith in her book, The Tarot Court Cards (Destiny Books. 2003). She calls her ‘The Exactor’, someone who’s accumulated wisdom won’t allow her to suffer fools gladly. Her discernment cuts right through to the quick, brushing aside pretension and uncovering the truth. Following this description, I like to think of her wisdom in the manner of a single word to cut through a thousand lies. She is an honest and kind person but not necessarily a warm and comfortable one. We all need someone like her from time to time, especially if we’re fooling ourselves or running away from something we don’t want to face.

I’ve asked myself two questions today. Who is this person as manifested within my circle of friends? Secondly, do I manifest this character in my own life? These were difficult questions to answer, the second one especially so. To understand the Queen of Swords in the real world you must also understand her dark side. Her painful experiences are the core of Her raison d’être but she can respond to these for good or evil.

We’ve spoken about the virtues of this Queen but there are also her vices. She can possibly become embittered over the lot that life has dealt her. In doing so she festers in resentment or seeks revenge on those who have hurt her. Such a woman, born of the element of air, dwelling in the realms of the mind not the heart can be heartless in her vengeance.

Of course, in real life this character can manifest as a man or a woman. She is merely a symbol of the way that Air, the element of logic manifests through the feminine aspects of authority in our lives. She represents the rational mother figure or wise partner, regardless of actual sex.

In the mediaeval court, Kings made authoritative decrees. Queens were viewed as matriarchs. The Queen of Swords nurtures and advises. She is a wise counsellor. Her own suffering allows her to empathise with you but her steely logic, born of her element prevents her from losing objectivity.

She’s a very pertinent character for me. On the positive side I have several good friends who fulfil this role towards me. Whenever I’m in the dark I know I can turn to them for clear, if sometimes uncomfortable advice. On a darker note, I see my own need to forgive the pain that certain people close to me have caused in the past.

Drawing a card like this becomes a challenge, similar to the sad and happy masks, emblematic of the theatre. “Who will you choose to be?” she asks me. I can forgive, agree to feel the pain and integrate it into myself. By doing this I will grow, move on and become tempered by the same wisdom that she has been tempered by. Alternately, I can turn the card upside down, refuse to forgive and let the pain fester into something far more destructive. I’ve seen people do this and shuddered at what they’ve become. It’s not a road I care to go down.

Difficult card, difficult choices. Isn’t that what makes the Tarot so precious and so irresistible?

Chris.

Chris Butler.
Illustrator for the Quantum Tarot. To be published by Kunati Books. September 2008.

Pre-order the Quantum Tarot from Amazon

Visit me at:
My Website
Kunati.com
Myspace
Facebook

My Blogs:
Chris Butler’s Kunati Blog
Amazon Blog
Chris Butler - Illustrator for the Quantum Tarot
A gay man and a tarot deck
Classical music for idiots by an idiot
Myspace