ACE OF SWORDS

Featured deck: DruidCraft Tarot

and Tattoo on Ravenwood's Arm

 

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

 

I got a new tattoo. Normally I would not post this on my newsletter, but it is important to me.  It is in honor of the Lady of the Lake. She has been coming to me lately, and calling me to truth - the truth of who I am.  She has been calling me to wield Her Sword of Truth. We know the Lady as she who delivered Excalibur to Arthur. To me, this is the rise of the  Divine Feminine bringing truth to the world, to be wielded by the Divine Masculine that Arthur represents. Unfortunately, he could not maintain the balance of this divine union and ended up returning the Sword back to the Lady. I think she is rising again to hand off this great Sword to all of us who will take it on and use it to defend  Truth - our personal Truth - the Divine Truth. We cannot know the full meaning of Truth but, if we take up the Lady's Sword, she will guide us on the Journey. 

In my tattoo, the red cross on the sword's hilt is in honor of the High Priestess card in the Tarot - in the Ryder deck she has this cross on her gown. The High Priestess is also about Truth - she sits between the pillars of the great Tree of Life in the place of neutrality, not being swayed by duality of the black and while pillars. (More on this another time.)

 Below I have reposted an article on the Ace of Swords from 2014.  I hope if the Sword or the Lady is calling to you that this will bring you support. Blessings on the journey...

The Ace of Swords

 

The lake is the element of water.  Water is the primeval, unmanifested, and formless element from which creation began. It is the Nun of ancient Egypt, the waters of chaos, which came before the land and from which arose the god Amun when he created himself. It is the subconscious, the unseen and unknown potential of all that is possible.

In Tarot the suit of Swords represents the mind, thought, ideas. The Ace is that place where we receive a conscious thought from the unconscious realm; when an idea rises from the depths and has its first chance to become a reality. From the chaos and unseen depths of our unconscious we give birth to an idea, an inspiration, a thought. It rises up and grabs us. Many times if we don't write it down or take action we can forget that brilliant moment; the sword sinks back into the lake. But if we grab on to the sword, as Arthur did with Excalibur, we can wield it to create or destroy. 

Swords have a hilt, two sides to the blade, and a point. The blade may be sharp or dull. When we learn to master the sword we learn to use it precisely and carefully. We can defend with it, kill or maim with it, use it to threaten or even to plunge it into the dirt and "draw a line in the sand" of marking a boundary. It is the same with our words and thoughts. There are two sides to a conversation. We try to make our point when we have a discussion.  We deliberate ideas to sort out confusion, coming to that, hopefully brilliant, conclusion. 

All the Aces of Tarot indicate a new beginning of some kind. The Ace of Swords is that great idea that leads to writing a book, making a movie, starting a new course of study, or what just precedes inserting foot into mouth!  We can take that Sword and heft it, measuring its weight and setting an intention for a good outcome or we can drop it and lose the opportunity. 

Intention is the arm that controls the Sword. 

 

The Ace of Swords is also pure cosmic truth. In the Tarot the figures of the Sword Court Cards all wield swords, showing the progressive mastery of and fealty to truth. The Justice figure also holds the Sword reminding us that Justice hears both sides of the story but sticks to the point of truth. 

The Ace of Swords is not in its sheath. It is out, exposed, vulnerable to attack. It can be seen as a show of strength, a challenge, or an act of defense. It is grasped in the hand, at the ready. How do you wield your Sword? Do you parry about with words? Do you miss the point; enjoy the double entrendre, like to make a show of your swordplay?  Do you use your intention and words to control others? Are you constantly jabbing your sword into people causing harm? Or are you a Sword Master, honing your mind into precise and well executed thoughts and articulate skill, speaking and defending the truth? 

The next time that Ace of Swords rises up from the lake of your subconscious, grasp onto it, hold it, wield it.  Use it wisely to start the sequence of thoughts, intentions, and actions to manifest your Camelot.

...Kathryn Ravenwood:  June 25, 2018

 

 

 

Three of Wands

From The Everyday Witch Tarot

At the Crossroads

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

 

The journey never seems to go from Point A to Point B, does it?  We make plans only to discover that situations, people, even ourselves have changed along the way so we no longer are able or feel comfortable going forward from the direction we started. We reach a crossroads.  We know there is no turning back yet we don’t really know which new road to choose. (We could turn back, that is always a choice, but in this card we are reminded that back is really not a positive option.) The Three of Wands is often shown with a person standing on a hilltop, looking out over water, maybe with ships sailing by. The person stands and simply looks out at the world, paused and perspective.

 

This card is always positive to me. Wands are the element of fire, which represent our will power, energy, and vitality. The threes are ruled by the Empress and represent creativity, abundance, and the bringing forth of new things. Many times we face a point where it seems like we have no options at all; there is no clear, defined path with signs pointing the way. But, unlike the Fool card where we take a leap of faith and step out with no agenda, the Three of Wands is a place where we use our own assets to create what we want.  No one is in pursuit behind us forcing us to make an untimely decision based on raw courage (such as the Seven of Wands) nor are we finally facing an emotional loss from which we must painfully move through (as in the Eight of Cups).

 

In the card above, the witch and her familiar have reached a point of decision.  We get a sense that she has taken her time to contemplate throughout the day by the setting sun in the West, the place of sorting through the experiences of life. The witch’s  hat and staff rest on the ground, another clue that she has been taking some time to ponder and consider.   But now, using her wand (energy, will power) she sends her magic out into the unknown to make her intention a reality. She is just in the act of this – the outcome is not yet shown. It is this act of creative intention that opens the new part of her journey to her. That little salamander on her staff represents the fire of transformation.  All the elements are there and the witch knows how to use them.

 

If you are at a crossroads in your journey, be it physical or spiritual, it may be time to stop and look ahead at your options.  Don’t wait for a major fork in the road to use your magic. Every day is an opportunity to create more of what you want, to hone your direction, to choose a path that is more fun, more wise, more directed towards your true desires.  “And as we wind on the down the road,” our perspective changes. We get a different view, learn something new, set new intentions and make new choices. Life is a fluid process. We may sometimes feel like we are sunk in cement but really we are only an intention away from a different choice and a different outcome.  We have multi-directional vision available to us… looking ahead, behind, peripherally, inwardly, energetically, and even hypothetically. But look we must.  If we sit with blinders on, with eyes and minds closed to possibility, a new path is hard to fathom. As we learn to be creative with the smaller crossroads in life, when we find ourselves standing at a big one, or if we are “caught between a rock and a hard spot,” we can handle the challenge with more grace, ease, and wisdom.

 

What viewpoint does your current crossroads offer you? What is your vision?  Where might following your desires lead you? Take a deep breath and move forward. Cast your spell!  Use your magic and go for it!

 

…June 19, 2018  Kathryn Ravenwood