Wednesday, April 27, 2016

A Closer Look: Queen of Swords

Key words and concepts


  • Reflection
  • Wisdom
  • Mental acuity
  • Impartiality
  • Wit
  • Experience
  • Articulate speech
  • Sorrow
  • Pain

The Queen of Swords is an intriguing card with a lot of depth. I used to see her as cold and critical, using her intelligence to make fair but merciless decisions. My feelings towards her became more nuanced when I found suggestions that her wisdom and intelligence is a result of painful experiences in her past.  The Queen of Swords is well acquainted with sorrow, and if her judgments seem harsh, it's because life has left her with a clear sense of realism. 

She's not all judgment and criticism, though.  She's often described as witty and articulate; I think of her as having a silver tongue to go with her shiny sword, which is pointed skyward with calm confidence. She is a leader, and though she expects much from her followers, she gives back in wisdom and reflection. She always considers all sides of an argument or decision, no matter how difficult. 

I see the Queen of Swords as the Minor Arcana counterpart to Justice.  Whereas Justice is the pure form of the ideal, the Queen of Swords embodies fairness in the ways we encounter it in everyday life. She's the friend who isn't necessarily warm and fuzzy, but is always there for you when real disaster strikes.  She's the boss that makes a decision that is harsh, but takes the time to explain to her employees why it is necessary and helps them through it. She looks at life unflinchingly, unafraid to see things as they truly are, bringing wisdom, fairness, and measured consideration to a situation.  Ultimately, her goal is justice in service to her subjects.

Are there people in your life (not just women) who embody any of these aspects?  Have there been times in your life when you have drawn on your own internal Queen of Swords?  Be sure to share your thoughts in comments!

8 comments:

  1. Lately I've been drawing this card quite often, in my personal "tarotscopes" I do for myself. It was even personal card for this month. Becoming more realistic, disillusioned perhaps, has become a necessity as of late. Also, my mind is very busy with a number of projects/commitments, and I have to be as lucid as possible if I want to make sure I succeed in all of them. Drawing on my inner Queen of Swords indeed! Not exactly fun, but it helps you advance.

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    1. Love this insight. You're right, she's not as "fun" as some of the other ladies in the tarot, but she can be a source of strength, as you are finding!

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  2. Whoops, I meant to say *my personal card. Sorry. :D

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  3. Recently my boyfriend and I did a sort of "couple's spread" that I found in the Holistic Tarot. This spread unfortunately seems only to have been designed for monogamous couples, but I think there are probably cool ways you could adapt it for poly relationships as well. It can also be used for platonic relationships as well. Anyway, one part of it involves each participant drawing a card which represents the future in regards to the relationship. I pulled the Nine of Swords and my boyfriend pulled the Queen of Swords. I unfortunately identify a lot with the Nine of Swords as I am frequently bogged down by anxiety, circular thinking, and worries about the future. My boyfriend tends to not be the best at planning and saving which frustrates me sometimes, but I think him pulling the Queen of Swords shows two things. One, that in the future he's going to learn better skills in that sense. And two, that his presence in my life will (continue to) be to help give me direction and reassurance when I'm in a nasty nine of swords spiral. I remember there being something about the Queen of Swords maybe being tough to get close to, but very fiercely loving and protect of those who are. I loved your take on this card!

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    1. Oooh, that is so interesting, and I really like your interpretation of those two cards. A lot of times, the suit of swords is about what we learn from painful experiences, and that can obviously influence our romantic partnerships. I love your optimistic reading!

      Also, you've inspired me to look for spreads that address poly romantic issues; you're right, it's usually about a monogamous partnership. I will have to do some research and maybe see if I can get a focus group with some poly friends.... I will be sure to post what I come up with!

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  4. I know this is off-topic so I apologize, but I was wondering if you have seen/heard about the Ostara Tarot? If you do a quick google search you will find the tumblr and images for the upcoming deck, supposedly it is maybe being published this year? I am eagerly awaiting it as I think it will become my second deck. I believe it's a collective of artists.

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    1. Yeah and I am waiting for it with baited breath!! I have a lot of its images pinned to my tarot pinterest board. (: I'm pretty sure it's still in production, but I will definitely share as soon as I hear anything!

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    2. I saw something on their tumblr posted March 15 that showed what looked like a finished deck with packaging, etc. and one of the tags was "preorder" so I sent them a message to inquire =D

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