by Brian Clark
Underlying the Three of Swords may be a pattern of denial in relationships. However, the appearance of the card implies that the individual is ready to confront the situation. The truth of the situation has been realized, the betrayal has occurred, the lie uncovered, the secret revealed. Astrologically, Mercury rules the third decan of Libra, the sign of relationship. Mercury’s penchant for gathering the facts and details suggests that the truth is out in the open. This message is implied both by the crown and through Ariadne’s archetypal journey. On a divinatory level, the Three of Swords augurs the release of painful memories, incomplete feelings, and grief. The individual needs to consciously cooperate in the process of healing through severing the ties that enmesh him or her in the painful relationship.
The Four of Swords: Pisces Australis
The Four of Swords represents the first decan of Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, and introduces the constellation of the southern fish, the first of a trinity of fabulous animals. Pisces Australis is the great southern fish located below the ecliptic. The northern fishes of the zodiacal constellation of Pisces are occasionally identified as its offspring, and together they represent the mystical and sacrificial symbol of the fish. In ancient Mesopotamia, the constellation was a seasonal signpost, as its alpha star Formalhaut heralded the winter solstice. A quaternary of bright stars, known as ‘watchers’ or celestial markers, including Regulus in the constellation of Leo, Antares in Scorpio, and Aldebaran in Taurus, Formalhaut, were recognized as the four royal stars of Persia. Each star marked a celestial direction, a change of season, and a turning point in the year. Similarly, when the Four of Swords appears, it heralds a change of direction, a new season, or a different passage of time. Formalhaut was the ancient celestial signal for the arrival of winter, and like the Four of Swords, suggests the soulful onset of a more internal period.
Below the Water Bearer of Aquarius, the Southern Fish swallows the waters being dispensed from his urn. As creatures of water, fish are one of many images that symbolize the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. When the Four of Swords appears, it signifies the time in this cycle when the waters or emotional reactions from the past need to be digested. While brilliant and forward thinking, Uranus, god of the airy element, also represents hyperactive and disconnected mental activity. Its association with the southern fish suggests the need to take a break from the stress of mental activity and exertion. Without this necessary respite, Uranus forewarns of a mental collapse due to nervous exhaustion.
As the first decanate of Aquarius, the fish symbolizes the vessel for this eclectic and highly charged energy. On one hand, it contains the floodwaters from the deluge of feelings released over the past period. Uranus and Aquarius suggest erratic energy or anxiety as a result of an emotional reaction. The fish vessel illustrates the necessity to channel these feelings or at least contain them. In response to emotional trauma, Uranus’ reaction is generally to split off or to disengage from the feeling response by being rational, intuitive, or inspired. A split between the heart and head occurs. The fish reminds the individual to be attentive to one’s own feelings, even if they are disruptive and conflicting. While the nature of this watery creature is at odds with Aquarian ideals, the card suggests it is time to contain and absorb what has passed. Through reflection and retreat, energies can be redirected toward a more coherent and organized plan. Meditative time is needed to assimilate the disconnected threads left hanging after a stressful period. Rather than continuing at a frantic pace, it is necessary to take time to recuperate and bathe in the waters of the unconscious.
Uranus and the fish are intimately connected for the seven-year period from 2003-2010 as the planet Uranus transits the tropical zodiacal sign of Pisces, the fish. As the awakener, Uranus suggests the awakening of the imagination and breakthroughs in understanding the unconscious after a frenetic pace of technological advancement. After an arid period, there is a revival of the imagination. However, in order to take advantage of the new possibilities, reflection and quiet are first needed. When the Four of Swords is drawn, the unconscious is resonating with this time of withdrawal, and revealing the need to retreat from the present stressful and conflicting situations, so new resolutions and outcomes may be considered. On a divinatory level, the card’s imagery reveals the need to organize the thoughts and prioritize what is important.
The Five of Swords: Pegasus
The stars of Pegasus lie next to the constellation of Andromeda, both mythological figures connected to the hero Perseus. Later variations of the Perseus myth suggested that he rode Pegasus when he rescued Andromeda from the clutches of the monstrous Cetus. The stars’ arrangement looks as if the winged horse Pegasus is emerging from the head of Andromeda. The fixed star Alpheratz marking the head of Andromeda once occupied the constellation of Pegasus. It was also known as Sirrah, or the navel of the horse, linking the head of Andromeda to the navel of Pegasus, a mythic image reminiscent of the divine horse springing from the head of the goddess. However, in the Greek myth, Pegasus sprung from Medusa’s head after Perseus severed it with his scimitar. The brilliant white-winged horse miraculously rose up from the bloody wound.
Pegasus was conceived after his father Poseidon, the god of horses, had seduced Medusa in the temple of Athena. Being winged and divine, Pegasus was a contrast to the chthonic and wild horses, which roamed the ancient world. Nurtured by the muses, Pegasus matured in an atmosphere of creativity and inspiration. As a winged horse, he came to represent spiritual values and the facility of the imagination to elevate the soul. As a young colt, he struck his hoof into Mount Helicon and out of the rock gushed the fountain Hippocrene, which became known to the ancients as the source of poetic inspiration. Emblematic of the soul’s urge to embrace creative imagination and poetic inspiration, Pegasus remains an eternal symbol of the human desire for spiritual creativity.
The myth of Pegasus also reminds us of the dangers of letting the imagination run wild and the perils of inflationary thinking. On the advice of the oracle, Bellerophon tamed Pegasus, and with his help, the hero was able to slay the monstrous Chimaera. Bellerophon’s success convinced him he could ride Pegasus into Olympus and take a place next to the gods. Outraged at such arrogance, Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus. As the horse reared up from the pain of the gadfly’s bite, Bellerophon fell crashing to the ground, crippled and blinded by the gods. Not content with his victory, Bellerophon overextended himself. The myth of Pegasus lifts and inspires us, but also cautions us to be aware of spiritual arrogance, and suggests the necessity to establish realistic goals and boundaries.
Pegasus later entered Olympus where he drew Zeus’ chariot, bringing the god’s thunder and lightening. Linked to storms, Pegasus was often seen to be the cloud carrying the fertilizing rains. Zeus elevated Pegasus into the heavens as the northern constellation with four bright stars, which form a great square. With the Five of Swords the celestial square of Pegasus depicts the temporality of the present situation. On an oracular level, the card reveals the necessity to ‘square off’ the situation, and see it for what it is, not what one imagines it to be.
Released from the curse Athena had placed upon his mother, Pegasus accepted his place with the immortals on Olympus. Underlying this myth is the conflict between Athena’s rational intellect and Medusa’s vulnerability. Similarly, the card’s astrological correspondences, Mercury and Aquarius, suggest far-sightedness and enlightened perceptions. This clarity often eclipses feelings of uncertainty and resignation. The card suggests that both clarity of thought and spiritual creativity could emerge out of the present situation. However, if the darker feelings of conflict or uncertainty are not first experienced, our creative ideas may fall on barren soil and our successes may feel empty.
When the Five of Swords is drawn, Pegasus emerges as a divine omen of innovative thinking, new and exciting contacts, creative ideas, or spiritual adventures. But Pegasus has been freed through the annihilation of his mother, whic
h psychologically suggests the need to be attuned to the ambivalent feelings underpinning the current situation. Without awareness of the undercurrents or the conflicting points of view, the individual may be headed for an argument, separation from a group, or fragmentation in the current situation. Severing the head of the complex is important in order to free the creativity underneath. However, the card also cautions not to split off from the difficulties or disengage from the conflict. Through facing past turmoils, Pegasus can be freed.
The Six of Swords: Cygnus
A complex cross-cultural symbol, the swan also appears as a celestial image in the constellation of Cygnus. To the Greeks, this image recalled the myth of Zeus, who shape-shifted into a swan to ravage Leda and father the beautiful Helen and her twin brothers, Castor and Pollux. Before the Greeks imagined their celestial swan, other cultures had also portrayed this cluster of stars as a great bird. The Hebrews also visualized it as a swan, the Egyptians a hen. The original heavenly bird may have first appeared in Mesopotamia. The Six of Swords constellates the image of a great bird, a creature of the air, symbolic of the linking object between heaven and earth. The bird is emblematic of the soul free of the body, as well as a higher form of intelligence. Representing the great bird, the card clarifies that it is time to see things in perspective, to brainstorm, solve problems, and set the soul free from the danger of becoming stuck. Therefore, the card implies movement, most often disengaging from a difficult and anxious situation.
The Six of Swords card focuses our attention on the luminous image of the swan. Like a swan gliding across a lake, the Six of Swords augurs a more harmonious journey across troubled waters. However, it is wise to be aware of the turbulence and conflict stirred by separation. Radiant, graceful, proud, the swan has been characterized in many ways. As the swan maiden she is the heavenly virgin who becomes mother of the human race. In ancient Greece, the beauty of the male swan was akin to the beauty of Apollo, linking the swan with the god’s realm of poetry. On the day Apollo was born, sacred swans encircled his native island of Delos, heralding the birth of the solar god. An earlier cosmological theme in Indo-European myth depicted the swan as laying or brooding the ‘world egg’, linking the swan to the theme of birth and regeneration. It was these mythic threads that the Greeks used to weave together their story of Cygnus, immortalized in the heavens as the swan, and much later in da Vinci’s painting “Leda and the Swan”.
Disguised as a helpless swan, Zeus sought refuge in the Queen of Sparta’s embrace. Safe in Leda’s arms, Zeus revealed himself as the great god, and then seduced her with his persuasive charm, inseminating her with his divine seed. Another version has Zeus in the shape of a swan mating with Nemesis in the form of a goose. The egg produced from this union was then nurtured by Leda. What the Greek myths did agree upon was that Zeus elevated the swan into the heavens to commemorate the mother of the beautiful Helen, again linking the swan with beauty.
The swan is sacred to Venus, who is associated with the card as the ruler of the last decan of Aquarius. Venus’ beauty and grace are embodied by the swan, yet it was the goddess’s scheming and plotting that enabled Paris to abduct Helen, the event that instigated the Trojan War. While the swan (like Venus) appears tranquil and peaceful, there is also an aggressive side that may lash out. The Six of Swords reminds us to be aware of the aggressive and combative sides of our relationships and situations.
The combination of Venus and Aquarius suggests a separation or disengagement with past values or relationships, in order to move forward. Therefore, when the card is drawn, a journey is implied, a voyage away from either past values and ideals, or from overly dependent relationships. Mental confusion and anguish may be beginning to subside, however, as with all swords, conflict is probable. Conflict is what we are moving away from in search of a more balanced and fulfilling state.
To the alchemists, the swan was emblematic of mercury, the quicksilver metal aligned with the planet Mercury. The convergence of the astrological symbols of both Mercury and Venus suggests the union of minds, the resolution of conflict, or the easing of mental tension. This is the potential outcome once the journey across troubled waters has been completed. The Six of Swords marks the final decan of Aquarius, and augurs an ending of an old way of thinking, as well as a journey to a more tranquil and supportive shore. On an oracular level, the Six of Swords heralds the passage across stormy waters, leaving behind a conflicted or troublesome situation. It is important to remain balanced and graceful, like the swan, until the storms have settled and the new harbor is visible.
The Seven of Swords: Lepus
Although Lepus has been identified as a variety of images throughout different cultures, its contemporary association with the hare has been known since Ptolemy. The constellation is located near the feet of the great hunter Orion and its neighbor is Canis Major, the hunting hound that eternally chases the hare, its celestial prey. Lepus is crouched, alert, and motionless, trying to escape the detection of the hunter and his dogs. One of his advantages is speed, enabling him to sprint away in the opposite direction, unnoticed by the hunter. If discovered, the hare also has the ability to outwit its opponents with the element of surprise, darting in and out of sight. In mythology, hares are often able to outmaneuver their more powerful adversaries with their cunning and agility. Because of its swiftness and sporadic movements, the hare has often been associated with the trickster, the archetypal figure that hovers on the threshold of awareness, darting in and out of consciousness. Traditionally, the Seven of Swords is associated with this trickster figure. In the Rider-Waite deck the wily schemer sneaks away from the enemy camp holding five swords.
As a subliminal presence, the trickster awakens new possibilities and strategies. Since his existence is not quite at the conscious level, the trickster often brings an element of surprise, deceit, trickery, and even theft to the situation. At times, the trickster’s plans can backfire. The Seven of Swords crosses the cusp into the mutable air sign of Gemini, where a phantasmagoria of stratagems emerges to deal with the current situation. As the first decan of Gemini, Lepus reminds us of the hare’s trickster side and its ability to dash in and out of the nocturnal shadows, vanishing then reappearing. In this way the card prepares us for a surprise or shift in perspective. When the card appears, it is time to use intelligence, wit and cunning in a current situation in order to accomplish the task at hand.
Hares are lunar creatures. Nocturnal, they become playful during the night when consciousness has fallen asleep. Associated with both the moon and the Great Mother, some cultures believed hares made the marks on the moon or that the ‘man in the moon’ was a rabbit. Sacred to Hecate, the mistress of the crossroads and goddess of thresholds, hares are part of the nocturnal landscape of the psyche. Because they are prolific, hares represented a symbol of feminine fecundity and were associated with the rites of spring. The lunar hare would lay eggs during the vernal equinox each year, ushering in the fertility of the New Year. Woven together with the mythic thread spun from vestiges of Egyptian beliefs, the ritual of Easter, the spring equinox, and the hare became intertwined. Pagan roots link the modern custom of the Easter bunny with the lunar goddess and the fertility of the new cycle. As the nocturnal surrogate of the moon, the hare symbolizes subliminal complexes that need to be made conscious through the facility of the trickster. The card may reveal obsessive thoughts, incomplete ideas, subversive tactics, or unfinished plans that are interfering with the success of the current project. Therefore it is important to question your goals and what it may take to achieve them. What may be necessary is intellectual agility and wiliness. While we may even be uncomfortably aware that we are cleverly manipulating the situation, it may be the necessary move.
Mercury rules Gemini and its first decanate. Therefore, in ushering in this new phase, it is imperative to be clear and articulate about your goals. However, it is equally as important to use discretion in revealing your schemes and p
lans to others, especially those who may hold an opposing viewpoint. Outwitting your opponent may require the agility and swiftness of the hare. The card reveals the necessity of thinking on your feet and acting with your wits. On an oracular level, the card suggests the finalizing of a project, for which it may be necessary to muster enough guile to disarm your opponents. Ultimately the appearance of the rabbit suggests that strategy, craftiness, and even slyness may be of service in the larger scheme of things.
The Eight of Swords: Canis Major
The Eight of Swords depicts Canis Major, the larger of the two hunting dogs who accompany the celestial hunter Orion. On the heavenly stage, this hound is forever chasing Lepus the Hare, the constellation associated with the previous card. The Seven, Eight, and Nine of Swords are associated with the three decanates of Gemini, and also reflect the neighboring constellations of the hare and two dogs. Like Gemini, the hound of Canis Major is twinned with another dog, Canis Minor, the smaller constellation that rises earlier. The Greeks borrowed another stellar motif involving a dog at the heel of a giant to depict the constellation of a hunting hound accompanying the hero Orion. Later mytho also suggested it was a hound of Actaeon, the hunter who accidentally came upon Artemis bathing naked in a pool in the forest. Outraged at being observed, she turned Actaeon into a stag that was then torn to pieces by his own hunting dogs. Distraught at not being able to find their master, Chiron made a life-like statue of Actaeon to appease the mournful dogs that unknowingly had killed him. In his ignorance Actaeon had transgressed the sacred boundary of the goddess thus precipitating her rage. Even Actaeon’s dogs, his faithful companions and guides, were unable to prevent his fate of being torn apart in the process. The card issues a strong warning to be conscious of the choices being made, aware of the their consequences, and mindful of the boundaries in the situation.