Let\u2019s talk about another Six card this month, the Six of Swords.\u00a0 In the Tarot Minor Arcana, the Six cards are kind of unique, in part because of the properties of the number 6, and in part because of the properties of the Sephira corresponding to the Tarot Sixes on the Tree of Life.\u00a0 Before we talk about the Six of Swords, if you haven\u2019t read October\u2019s essay on the Six of Pentacles, and in particular the information regarding the number 6, please do so now.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Six cards of the Tarot offer the concept of forward momentum achieved through victory over the obstacles presented by Four (in the case of Swords cards, security that is temporary and tends to become stagnation) and Five (uncomfortable movement or actions that end stagnation).\u00a0 These victories are met with the healing achieved through negotiation (and thus, the Sixes of the Tarot Minors often present such concepts as equilibrium, peace, comfort, and ease, as well as stubbornness, excessive worry, and harmful gossip). Of course, this means that acceptance is a part of these Six cards, self-acceptance and the acceptance acquired through effective interactions with both friends and enemies. \u00a0This is particularly true of the Six of Swords, which tells of balance and healing that can come from logic and analysis.\u00a0 Remember, the Six cards often present the corresponding element and suit at its practical best, and since the suit of Swords is generally uncomfortable, we could say that the Six of Swords presents a best case scenario for this suit. \u00a0In most cases even a reversed Six card has many benefits to offer a Seeker, and the meanings of the reversed Six of Swords are similar to the upright interpretation, just less intense.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tiphareth or Beauty is the sixth Sephira on the Tree of Life, the second on the Pillar of Balance (which is the \u201ctrunk\u201d of the Tree), and it represents harmony, equilibrium, and the epitome of balance. \u00a0Above Tiphareth are the top three Sephiroth of the Tree, the Supernals, representing God\/Source\/the Higher Self.\u00a0 Below the Supernals and above Tiphareth is a void known as Da\u2019at or the Abyss; the Abyss separates (and also bridges) Deity\/the Higher Self and the rest of our life experiences. \u00a0For more detailed information about the Tree and the number Six, please see October\u2019s essay on the Six of Pentacles. Traveling upward through the Abyss is usually an uncomfortable but in the end beneficial process, for it involves coming to know our Shadow Self, and thus our entire awareness. \u00a0This knowledge is terrifying to our conscious mind (the realm of the Swords cards) and empowering at the same time, for it is the source of our personal ethical code and our ability to tell right from wrong. The knowledge and awareness associated with the Abyss are not about the outside world, for the Abyss is connected directly to the one who is doing the knowing, the Self. \u00a0The Six of Swords represents that moment when we decide that traveling upward through the Abyss is worth the discomfort, mainly because we have received a glimpse of what could be on the other side of the void.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now that we\u2019ve talked about the number 6 in a general fashion as it connects to the Tarot and the Six of Swords, let\u2019s begin the process of breaking our Six of Swords card down even further.\u00a0 The Six of Swords is a Minor Arcana card, so we know right away that the message offered by this card will most likely be more immediate in nature, or will most likely be connected to more day-to-day issues.\u00a0 Remember, while on the surface a Minor Arcana card can appear insignificant or mundane, it can also possibly be a symptom of a deeper or wider issue.\u00a0 Nothing in the Minor Arcana is in any way minor in nature.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We already know that the easiest way to get a decent understanding of a Minor Arcana card is to examine its number, or in the case of Court Cards, its rank, and to examine its suit.\u00a0 In this case, we are dealing with the number 6, and the suit of Swords.\u00a0 These two ingredients could actually give you enough information about this one card to offer a useful interpretation, especially with all the cool information out there regarding the number 6.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The suit of Swords corresponds with the playing card suit of Spades, the cardinal direction of East, and the element of Air.\u00a0 In its natural state, the element of Air is hot and wet.\u00a0 It tends to expand or separate, is quick and animated, and adapts to its environment. Air is intellectual in nature, and infuses everything in our world; Nature abhors the lack of Air and will attempt to remedy that situation at all costs.\u00a0 In the Tarot, the element of Air is associated with problems or challenges (usually presented through the quick and animated energy associated with Air), and the solving of those problems or challenges through growth . . . sometimes uncomfortable growth (uncomfortable because it involves upsetting the status quo).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Swords represent our mental state, our intellect, the way we respond to challenges, and our capacity for logical thought.\u00a0 This suit often represents the focused intent necessary to bring forth manifestation through struggling against the odds, a striving to bring balance between the mind and the heart, and an attempt to perceive and understand spiritual guidance.\u00a0 A sword is a double-edged blade, and thus a fitting metaphor for the energies of this suit, which can represent attacking ~or~ defending.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Astrologically speaking, the Six of Swords represents Mercury when it is in the sign of Aquarius. \u00a0In Roman mythology, Mercury is known as the messenger of the gods and is known for his ability to move fast. The planet Mercury echoes this, circling the Sun quickly, taking only 88 days to orbit the Sun, spending about 7.33 days in each sign of the zodiac. Mercury is so close to the Sun that it has no atmosphere of its own; it can only be seen in our skies with the naked eye right after the Sun has set.\u00a0 Astrologically, Mercury represents the principles of communication, mentality, thinking patterns, rationality and reasoning and adaptability and variability. Mercury is connected to schooling and education, research, moving over short distances, as well as email, telephone and snail mail.\u00a0 Mercury connects learning with communication by also being connected to newspapers, journalism and writing. In medicine, Mercury is associated with the nervous system, the brain, the respiratory system, the thyroid and the sense organs. It is linked to the animal spirits.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Sun sign Aquarius is connected with those who have humanitarian and philanthropic tendencies, and are interested in making the world a better place. Aquarians spend a lot of time visualizing a perfect future, but they are also ready to share their dreams with others, and take steps to make the world a better place. Luckily, they are intelligent and inventive and they work well with others, although they can be impatient, even temperamental, with those who disagree with their ideas. Even though Aquarians are happy to give, and they do give a lot, the giving is usually on their terms and within their comfort level, probably because Aquarius is a Fixed sign. \u00a0Aquarians are also into technology of all kinds, and they use modern communication apparatus and social networking with ease.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When we combine these ingredients together, we end up with a pretty nice Swords card!\u00a0 The Tarot of the Sephiroth sees the Six of Swords as representing the appropriate use of mind over matter.\u00a0 The energies of the card are used to integrate the right and left brain, and to align the heart and the mind.\u00a0 The Shadowscapes Tarot describes this card as representing a passage away from difficulties, a chance to recover from trials or tribulations, and a way to rise above the confusion for a bit in order to seek clarity.\u00a0 The Llewellyn Welsh Tarot qualifies that definition even further, by reminding us that while we are moving toward a better place or away from an unhealthy situation, the final destination is still unknown at this point.\u00a0 The Legacy of the Divine Tarot reminds us that the change the Six of Swords is talking about can happen because we choose for it to happen, or because circumstances dictate it to happen.\u00a0 The Legacy Tarot also reminds us that we should be open to assistance from others during this time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The number 6 tells of the vertical and horizontal balance that is achieved through negotiation and acceptance; even the reversed number is still beneficial.\u00a0 The Sixes of the Tarot correspond with balance and beauty, a child\u2019s ability to find innocent joy in simple things, and the ability to remember and understand events of the past, whether pleasant or uncomfortable or challenging, in order to be a better person.\u00a0 The suit of Swords is about the workings of the intellect, our capacity to analyze, our mental state, and our ability to deal with problems and challenges through growth and learning.\u00a0 The energies of this suit are hot and wet, they tend to expand or separate, they are quick and animated and tend to adapt to their environment.\u00a0 Mercury is about movement and communication of all kinds, thinking patterns, logic, education and learning, and technology.\u00a0 Aquarius is about having a social conscience and being able to act in accordance with it, and about desiring a better world.\u00a0 Aquarians are able to not only take their own actions to make that happen, but also act as an example that encourages others to also strive in the same way.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This means that the Six of Swords represents starting anew in order to move away from a situation that is not serving us.\u00a0 This is a card of recovery, of getting over a tough time and beginning the process of picking up the pieces.\u00a0 My favorite trait of this card is that it is also about learning the science behind things that work, because understanding why they work makes them more effective. This card is about healing by achieving a better understanding of a situation, so that we can better cope with problems or challenges.\u00a0 And it is about making use of all the tools available to us, even the internet and social media, in order to move on to a better place.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A reversed Six of Swords could indicate delays in beginning the recovery process, or any anxiety or delay regarding a journey or trip of any kind.\u00a0 It could tell of changes in plans that might unsettle us at first, or even of an inability to accept the assistance and support of others.\u00a0 It could even tell of issues with a computer or an internet connection, and the effects of those issues.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Not a bad Swords card at all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Let\u2019s talk about another Six card this month, the Six of Swords.\u00a0 In the Tarot Minor Arcana, the Six cards are kind of unique, in part because of the properties of the number 6, and in part because of the properties of the Sephira corresponding to the Tarot Sixes on the Tree of Life.\u00a0 Before we talk about the Six of Swords, if you haven\u2019t read October\u2019s essay on the Six of Pentacles, and in particular the information regarding the number 6, please do so now. The Six cards of the Tarot offer the concept of forward momentum achieved through victory over the obstacles presented by Four (in the case of Swords cards, security that is temporary and tends to become stagnation) and Five (uncomfortable movement or actions that end stagnation).\u00a0 These victories are met with the healing achieved through negotiation (and thus, the Sixes of the Tarot Minors often present such concepts as equilibrium, peace, comfort, and ease, as well as stubbornness, excessive worry, and harmful gossip). Of course, this means that acceptance is a part of these Six cards, self-acceptance and the acceptance acquired through effective interactions with both friends and enemies. \u00a0This is particularly true of the Six of Swords, which tells of balance and healing that can come from logic and analysis.\u00a0 Remember, the Six cards often present the corresponding element and suit at its practical best, and since the suit of Swords is generally uncomfortable, we could say that the Six of Swords presents a best case scenario for this suit. \u00a0In most cases even a reversed Six card has many benefits to offer a Seeker, and the meanings of the reversed Six of Swords are similar to the upright interpretation, just less intense. Tiphareth or Beauty is the sixth Sephira on the Tree of Life, the second on the Pillar of Balance (which is the \u201ctrunk\u201d of the Tree), and it represents harmony, equilibrium, and the epitome of balance. \u00a0Above Tiphareth are the top three Sephiroth of the Tree, the Supernals, representing God\/Source\/the Higher Self.\u00a0 Below the Supernals and above Tiphareth is a void known as Da\u2019at or the Abyss; the Abyss separates (and also bridges) Deity\/the Higher Self and the rest of our life experiences. \u00a0For more detailed information about the Tree and the number Six, please see October\u2019s essay on the Six of Pentacles. Traveling upward through the Abyss is usually an uncomfortable but in the end beneficial process, for it involves coming to know our Shadow Self, and thus our entire awareness. \u00a0This knowledge is terrifying to our conscious mind (the realm of the Swords cards) and empowering at the same time, for it is the source of our personal ethical code and our ability to tell right from wrong. The knowledge and awareness associated with the Abyss are not about the outside world, for the Abyss is connected directly to the one who is doing the knowing, the Self. \u00a0The Six of Swords represents that moment when we decide that traveling upward through the Abyss is worth the discomfort, mainly because we have received a glimpse of what could be on the other side of the void. Now that we\u2019ve talked about the number 6 in a general fashion as it connects to the Tarot and the Six of Swords, let\u2019s begin the process of breaking our Six of Swords card down even further.\u00a0 The Six of Swords is a Minor Arcana card, so we know right away that the message offered by this card will most likely be more immediate in nature, or will most likely be connected to more day-to-day issues.\u00a0 Remember, while on the surface a Minor Arcana card can appear insignificant or mundane, it can also possibly be a symptom of a deeper or wider issue.\u00a0 Nothing in the Minor Arcana is in any way minor in nature. We already know that the easiest way to get a decent understanding of a Minor Arcana card is to examine its number, or in the case of Court Cards, its rank, and to examine its suit.\u00a0 In this case, we are dealing with the number 6, and the suit of Swords.\u00a0 These two ingredients could actually give you enough information about this one card to offer a useful interpretation, especially with all the cool information out there regarding the number 6. The suit of Swords corresponds with the playing card suit of Spades, the cardinal direction of East, and the element of Air.\u00a0 In its natural state, the element of Air is hot and wet.\u00a0 It tends to expand or separate, is quick and animated, and adapts to its environment. Air is intellectual in nature, and infuses everything in our world; Nature abhors the lack of Air and will attempt to remedy that situation at all costs.\u00a0 In the Tarot, the element of Air is associated with problems or challenges (usually presented through the quick and animated energy associated with Air), and the solving of those problems or challenges through growth . . . sometimes uncomfortable growth (uncomfortable because it involves upsetting the status quo). Swords represent our mental state, our intellect, the way we respond to challenges, and our capacity for logical thought.\u00a0 This suit often represents the focused intent necessary to bring forth manifestation through struggling against the odds, a striving to bring balance between the mind and the heart, and an attempt to perceive and understand spiritual guidance.\u00a0 A sword is a double-edged blade, and thus a fitting metaphor for the energies of this suit, which can represent attacking ~or~ defending. Astrologically speaking, the Six of Swords represents Mercury when it is in the sign of Aquarius. \u00a0In Roman mythology, Mercury is known as the messenger of the gods and is known for his ability to move fast. The planet Mercury echoes this, circling the Sun quickly, taking only 88 days to orbit the Sun, spending about 7.33 days in each sign of the zodiac. Mercury is so close to the Sun that it has no atmosphere of its own; it can only be seen in our skies with the naked eye right after the Sun has set.\u00a0 Astrologically, Mercury represents the principles of communication, mentality, thinking patterns, rationality and reasoning and adaptability and variability. Mercury is connected to schooling and education, research, moving over short distances, as well as email, telephone and snail mail.\u00a0 Mercury connects learning with communication by also being connected to newspapers, journalism and writing. In medicine, Mercury is associated with the nervous system, the brain, the respiratory system, the thyroid and the sense organs. It is linked to the animal spirits. The Sun sign Aquarius is connected with those who have humanitarian and philanthropic tendencies, and are interested in making the world a better place. Aquarians spend a lot of time visualizing a perfect future, but they are also ready to share their dreams with others, and take steps to make the world a better place. Luckily, they are intelligent and inventive and they work well with others, although they can be impatient, even temperamental, with those who disagree with their ideas. Even though Aquarians are happy to give, and they do give a lot, the giving is usually on their terms and within their comfort level, probably because Aquarius is a Fixed sign. \u00a0Aquarians are also into technology of all kinds, and they use modern communication apparatus and social networking with ease. When we combine these ingredients together, we end up with a pretty nice Swords card!\u00a0 The Tarot of the Sephiroth sees the Six of Swords as representing the appropriate use of mind over matter.\u00a0 The energies of the card are used to integrate the right and left brain, and to align the heart and the mind.\u00a0 The Shadowscapes Tarot describes this card as representing a passage away from difficulties, a chance to recover from trials or tribulations, and a way to rise above the confusion for a bit in order to seek clarity.\u00a0 The Llewellyn Welsh Tarot qualifies that definition even further, by reminding us that while we are moving toward a better place or away from an unhealthy situation, the final destination is still unknown at this point.\u00a0 The Legacy of the Divine Tarot reminds us that the change the Six of Swords is talking about can happen because we choose for it to happen, or because circumstances dictate it to happen.\u00a0 The Legacy Tarot also reminds us that we should be open to assistance from others during this time. The number 6 tells of the vertical and horizontal balance that is achieved through negotiation and acceptance; even the reversed number is still beneficial.\u00a0 The Sixes of the Tarot correspond with balance and beauty, a child\u2019s ability to find innocent joy in simple things, and the ability to remember and understand events of the past, whether pleasant or uncomfortable or challenging, in order to be a better person.\u00a0 The suit of Swords is about the workings of the intellect, our capacity to analyze, our mental state, and our ability to deal with problems and challenges through growth and learning.\u00a0 The energies of this suit are hot and wet, they tend to expand or separate, they are quick and animated and tend to adapt to their environment.\u00a0 Mercury is about movement and communication of all kinds, thinking patterns, logic, education and learning, and technology.\u00a0 Aquarius is about having a social conscience and being able to act in accordance with it, and about desiring a better world.\u00a0 Aquarians are able to not only take their own actions to make that happen, but also act as an example that encourages others to also strive in the same way. This means that the Six of Swords represents starting anew in order to move away from a situation that is not serving us.\u00a0 This is a card of recovery, of getting over a tough time and beginning the process of picking up the pieces.\u00a0 My favorite trait of this card is that it is also about learning the science behind things that work, because understanding why they work makes them more effective. This card is about healing by achieving a better understanding of a situation, so that we can better cope with problems or challenges.\u00a0 And it is about making use of all the tools available to us, even the internet and social media, in order to move on to a better place. A reversed Six of Swords could indicate delays in beginning the recovery process, or any anxiety or delay regarding a journey or trip of any kind.\u00a0 It could tell of changes in plans that might unsettle us at first, or even of an inability to accept the assistance and support of others.\u00a0 It could even tell of issues with a computer or an internet connection, and the effects of those issues. Not a bad Swords card at all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/190"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9477\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}