The Queen of Swords: Mastery of Mind

The Queen of Swords

From The Aleister Crowley/Thoth Deck

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood - 9-29-16

Sometimes I am aware of an acute presence that monitors my thoughts and resulting actions. It is a very precise kind of focus that rises up within me. I pay attention. I notice things. I listen. It is like someone else is looking through my eyes, hearing with my ears, and thinking with my mind. I really like it when this happens because I know I am in charge of my present moment. I tend to make good decisions at these times and I trust myself. 

 

Who is this presence? She is the Queen of Swords. She is that Mastery of Mind aspect that is objective, uncluttered, precise, no nonsense. She has studied, checked the facts, read into the night learning with her avid mind. She holds within her vast knowledge and yes, even wisdom.  She is an advocate of Truth, able to keep herself out of the mundane and in the higher realms where she often sits and ponders it all. She raises the bar then calls us and holds us to our ability to rise up to a higher standard. She is not to be crossed as she stands firm, scrutinizing the situation, wielding her Sword of Truth, unwavering and even relentless – ruthless some would say. Warm and fuzzy she is not. She is often referred to as “the woman alone” and she probably likes it that way just fine, thank you very much.

 

Her lightening quick mind and rapier wit can be the life of the party. Her memory is clear; she can generously and sincerely give a compliment or good advice. You will not find this Queen making simpering gestures or kissing anyone’s feet. She is in command of her mind, her words. She can be the best person in charge, the one who can make quick, objective decisions, the one who can see the underlying order of the situation, and understand the Truth that prevails over even the messiest of conflicts. She carries a big sword (her mind); she can use it to get right to the point, be sharp and concise or, on a bad day, seek to control all who may disagree with her way of thinking. She is not always popular.

 

I love her. I relate to her. Sometimes I feel her advocacy come through me and am able to be discerning and honest with myself to make positive changes in me. She helps me be a more objective listener and counselor without attachment to the outcome of others’ issues. She makes it very clear that is me who must change and not that I may change others. Sometimes she scares me; I can embody her and take her power too far using my big honkin’ sword to off the heads of any and all that would cross me. In fairness, I find she(and me) usually gives people warnings and chances before that sword swoops down and cuts through the BS, severing it once and for all. In that state she is not likely to be apologetic because she acted on what she thought was absolute truth.  She will take responsibility for her action and, if proven wrong, will make amends.

 

The Queen of Swords’ throne is high in the clouds – the realm of thought and mind where she is Master. The Swords of the Tarot are also the suit of Air – of the East – of New Beginnings. The Queen holds her sword in one hand and the severed head of an old man in the other. The severing of the old dogmatic mind allows room for the new to come in, rising up like the child, whose head we see above her throne, above even her own self.  Our Queen is a defender of this child – of this truth – of this ability to bring about transformation through thought and subsequent action.

 

How can the Queen of Swords enhance your life? What old and trite thoughts and dogmas do you perpetuate that really no longer serve the truth of who you are? Whose words and rules overpower your own?  Is it time to cut off a few heads?  If so, speak your truth, be your truth, be open to the Higher Truth where wisdom reigns, and then wield that sword and let the heads roll where they may.

 

…Kathryn Ravenwood 9-29-16

The Four of Swords

From The King’s Journey Tarot

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

We all need to clear our thoughts at times and get regrouped. That is sometimes easier said than done. The mind loves to circle around the same old concepts and worries, attitudes and beliefs. Our thoughts stack up like layers of clouds that fog our mind and thinking process. Some of these thoughts are beneficial and some not. We must learn to the art of self-negotiation to become master of our own mind. 

In the card above we see a person sitting high on a mountain spire. He had to climb up there on a ladder, the rungs of which are swords. Swords represent thoughts. There had to be a conscious thought process to lead him to this place of retreat. From this viewpoint he looks out over layers of clouds -his thoughts - which have pushed up against themselves until there is no space between them; clarity is  concealed. The cave behind our quester represents the empty space available when we can reorganize our mind. I find it interesting that the cave is shaped much like how the man is sitting. Thoughts manifest into form. We become what we think.

The Fours of the Tarot are ruled by the Emperor, number 4 of the Major Arcana. The Emperor ideally represents form, formation, the ability to rule, to delegate and the right use of power. In the midst of all the clouds of the Swords it is good to utilize the Emperor’s tools to re-establish order and take command of our thoughts. The mountain peaks in the card remind us of the grounded nature of the Emperor, that in spite of a messy mind, we have the ability to reform our thinking back into order. The discipline and practice of mental awareness builds over time until we, like the mountain peaks, have a vantage point available for discernment and reflection. The Four of Swords is not so much about emptying our mind but in negotiating a better mind space; a place of truce where we stop fighting with ourselves and sort out the facts, fantasies, and fiction.

In the card shown above, we see a few leaves dropping out of the sky, drifting down to where our thinker is sitting. These leaves are inspiration from somewhere outside the mind, outside the cloudy expanse. Swords are the element of air, which is associated with the East and all things new. The green leaves are the fresh ideas, those “ahas!” that pop into our heads when our mind is clear, not when we are ruminating endlessly on the hamster wheel of linear thinking. Some leaves will drift on by but some will land offering new opportunities for thoughts and action. 

Our minds are incredible tools. We cannot control the world, other people, or events but we can learn to have better control over how we think and therefore react to what happens. We get to choose what we want to learn, to read, to study and gain mastery of.  We can choose to dwell on negative thought patterns or seek out new, stimulating ideas. We might excel in math or music, poetry or prose. How wonderful it is to engage in lively conversations with like minded people. How frustrating it is when our thoughts are so muddled we can’t even recall basic information.

In the Age of Information we are all on overload. Much of what enters our thoughts is simply useless blither. Be the Emperor of your own mind. Take control. Be responsible for  your thoughts. No one lives in your head but you. You have the power to clear your thoughts and bring some blue sky into that cloudy field of vision. Let those leaves of inspiration that find you take hold, root into the foundation of the realm of your own mind.

A beautiful mind is a terrible thing to waste. Your mind is beautiful. If you have forgotten that, please rediscover it and let your beautiful thoughts loose into the world. We surely need them.

…Kathryn Ravenwood  9/16/16

Medicine Woman Cards

9 of Stones (Pentacles)

Sharing the Wealth

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

What do you know that you could to teach? You might be surprised that what you take for granted is a much needed and basic skill for someone else. In the above card we see a woman on her hands and knees planting a garden. A child stands by watching, learning. The woman has done this dozens of times yet it may be the first time the child has had the opportunity to watch and learn. I love this card as it has so many layers of activity.

The woman was once the child who also had to learn. Someone taught her so she, too, could pass the wisdom and skill along. Being an expert, the woman knows how to just do the job, but she takes the time to carefully teach the child all the steps it takes to make a garden. First, the idea of the garden must happen. Then a spot must be chosen based on many conditions such as sunlight, permeability of the soil, water source, the length of the growing season, and of course, what has worked or failed before. The soil must be prepared, seeds brought in and planted at the most opportune time. The seeds must be watered correctly – not too much and not too little. The difference between a seedling and a weed has to be recognized. As the plants grow they may need to be thinned out. And what to do about the inevitable bugs that show up? The woman/teacher knows what works in her garden – she has seen plants fail and plants thrive. She knows when to plant the greens, the corn, or the squash. She knows about the usual growing conditions and has seen the extremes. She knows to plant above a flood line or to avoid the area that is full of stones. To the child, it is exciting, overwhelming, and all new. 

We are each a treasure trove of experience, information, knowledge. Much of it is collective and seems commonplace – we know how to read, do basic math, and drive a car. But not everyone knows even the simple things we take for granted. And, we each hold our own unique mastery representing years of study, commitment and devotion to what we do. We are healers, writers, ceremonialists; we are adepts and masters of The Mysteries. We are parents, friends, teachers, mechanics, bakers, tailors and dancers. We have experienced and survived the painful sides of life as well as learned how to throw great parties in celebration. 

My parents and grandparents planted by the Llewellyn Moon Sign Book and had fabulous gardens. The publisher collected information passed down through the generations and then shared it so that knowledge would not be lost. When we teach what we know to someone else, especially a child or a student, we pass along our wisdom for someone else to have, to explore and to use perhaps in new ways that we did not ourselves know. Even the seeds in the garden are teachers. They hold the secret life of the plant locked within them, yet they teach us that a seed cannot grow unless it is put into the ground where it basically dies- gives itself away - to be reborn as a new plant – Osiris risen in the green field….

This is generosity. This is the great give-away of life. We cannot hoard our resources: if we do not give away what we know it is lost. My grandmother made a killer Hungarian Goulash but she did not write down her special recipe and none of us knew exactly how to make it – grandma’s delicious secret died with her. 

Don’t let what you know be lost. Teach, share, give; celebrate your unique storehouse of wealth, wisdom, experience and expertise. Give it away. It will all come back, renewed, replenished, and your garden will continue to thrive and produce beauty and abundance long after you are gone.

…Kathryn Ravenwood  09/08/16