Queen of Swords

She is the Queen of Swords--calm, cool, and utterly collected. Don't stare too long into her eyes, unless you want them to pierce right through the pith of you, for this queen is perceptive and very intelligent. Even if she does take your measure, her understanding of what she sees is unbiased and intellectual, and you can expect her to be honest.

I have included in my design many creatures of the air, the element of the swords suit, including the snowy owl. The owl is a well-known symbol of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom who popped right out of Zeus's head fully grown and armed. The snowy owl in particular hunts using what is called the "sit-and-wait" method, relying on its own patience and astuteness to catch its meal.

I have also drawn a number of nests with eggs in order to indicate the latent power that is inherent in all queens. Like Joan Bunning says, queens express the qualities of their suits from the inside. In a sense, the eggs within the nests symbolize the birthing of ideas.

The flowers at the queen's feet are anemones, or windflowers. Anemone is Greek for "daughter of the wind," which is very fitting in the case of the Queen of Swords.

Eight of Swords

As I started using my Tarot cards more and more, this card frequently reared its head. I'd ask what to do about my flagging self-motivation and finishing a project, and *ta-daaaaaah*, there it would be. And the Eight of Swords reflects how I feel about my seeming inability to finish anything--it really is all in my head.

The woman in the picture is all tied up in briar, trapped and confined, and added to that, she's blindfolded. She cannot see what options are open to her in order to get out of this unfortunate situation. She cannot see that there is a sword at her fingertips, if only she would let go of the fear, unclench those fists, and extend her fingers. Alas, she feels helpless, a victim of circumstance unable to do anything about it, and so she feels the best thing to do is wait to be rescued.

But while the sweetbriar is spiky and prickly, it is also sweet, giving off a fragrance reminiscent of apples and is quite beautiful in bloom. There is a promise in the single rose blossom. I've also drawn a raven perched on one of the swords. A raven is a creature of the air, the element of the swords suit, and I like this page on raven symbolism. These birds normally bring to mind death, but they are also known for their intelligence and in many traditions symbolize knowledge and wisdom and can even be taught to speak. As Avia Venefica says, they can often be heard croaking out sounds like cras, cras, which in Latin means "tomorrow." I like to think of that when I look at this card: the bird is telling the woman that this period of helplessness and sorrow will not last forever. This, too, shall pass.