That's quite a pin you have there, Athena

What can I do today to help keep me on the course that will change my life for the better?

This was a good question the other day, so I think I will ask it daily for a while. Today's answer from Tarot de St Croix (2013) is Queen of Swords. The LWB puts it succinctly: 'Make decisions with clarity and focus.'

The card depicts Athena, goddess of wisdom, with an owl on her shoulder and a brooch of the head of Medusa on her cloak. In mythology, Medusa was killed by Perseus and her head given to Athena to put on her shield, because Medusa's head could turn onlookers to stone and therefore made a handy weapon. The Medusa story is disturbing. In the version by Ovid, Medusa was a beautiful maiden who became a votive in the temple of Athena. Poseidon turns up there and rapes her (the gods do a lot of raping; most of the stories are not very nice at all and in fact I find them quite unfathomable, but then, I'm not an ancient Greek person. Maybe it made more sense to them. Though actually, Ovid was Roman, so this later retelling probably reflects the mores of ancient Rome rather than ancient Greece.) For being raped in her temple, Athena turns Medusa into a monster with snakes for hair. Medusa flees to live in a cave, pregnant by Poseidon. When Perseus chops off her head, Pegasus and Chrysaor spring from her headless body. Nice.

Some feminists have taken on Medusa as a symbol of 'female rage', saying that female characteristics have been 'demonised' in her. Shrug. Don't know. It would make for an interesting evening of Google searching to pursue this line of thought, I bet.

My advice for today is to stay clear and focused. Got it. Do I get to turn people to stone? We'll just have to wait and see. 

Tarot de St Croix, Devera Publishing 2013

Sherlock Holmes Tarot Week - Lady of Observation

The Queens in the Sherlock Holmes Tarot are called 'Lady' and this is the 'Lady of Observation' -- Queen of Swords. I think it's pretty interesting that the star of the card, the Lady, is so tiny and Sherlock himself is so prominent. I couldn't tell you, though, what is happening in this card. It looks like Sherlock is turning disdainfully away from the lady, while either handing her something or accepting something from her. Maybe he's showing her disdain because she isn't impressed with him. 'The Lady for this suit could be any one of Holmes' more determined clients,' the companion book says, 'Though these redoubtable ladies seek assistance from Holmes, they do so much as one who employs a servant. If they are astounded by the great detective's skills, they often show it less than the police or others dazzled by Holmes' abilities.' Ah, well, we know Holmes wouldn't appreciate that kind of treatment. He does like to have his abilities dazzle.

I consider the Queen of Swords my significator, so it looks like this will be 'my' day, which is good. Let's hope there will be no misunderstandings today and all goes smoothly. If the Queen of Swords has anything to do with it (and it looks like today she does) communication will be clear and unmistakable, and there will be no room for being 'dazzled' by anything. Time to get down to brass tacks!

Awakening compassion

Ah, my favourite tarot queen, the Queen of Swords. I could use all the advice in the companion book, so I will give the whole thing here:

'You have two sides to your character; you can choose to let your beautiful aura of serenity shine around you or be harsh and judgemental. You are funny and intelligent, but sometimes your humour can hurt others, so avoid being judgemental and don't be harsh on your opponents and enemies in your time of victory. Be merciful; carry or wear verdelite to bring you compassion in all you do. It will also promote your mind power; place your verdelite crystal on your brow chakra to release your intellectual force.'

I feel quite convicted by this reading of the Queen of Swords card. I wish I had a verdelite crystal to carry with me to remind me to dial it down a notch for a change. I am also struck the fact that so far this week I've drawn green stones. I wonder if there is any significance to this.

I found this beautiful description of green tourmaline (verdelite) at Healing Crystals for You:

'This lovely crystal is a strong heart chakra stone with a masculine or yang energy. It is a powerful aid for self healing... and its vibration is notably compassionate especially towards yourself. This compassionate vibration resonates strongly within the thymus or higher heart chakra as this is one of the primary energies that this chakra governs.

The energy field of Green Tourmaline will entrain and harmonize with your personal energy, inducing within you a deep calmness, equanimity and feeling of completeness. Through its action within the third eye chakra... it brings through stronger visualization abilities. Green Tourmaline may stimulate a stronger connection between the heart and the mind... allowing you to feel the power of Divine love.'

May I soften my heart today and get in touch with the gentlest aspect of my Queen of Swords nature.

Helper Bee

Servants of the Light Tarot, Aquarian Press 1991

I was going to do just a one-card draw today, but as soon as I turned over Giver of Staves in the Servants of the Light Tarot (Aquarian Press 1991), I had a strong impression that this reading is about Hubby's mum, and so I turned over the next two cards. The Giver of Staves in Servants of the Light is equivalent to Queen of Swords in regular RWS decks. This is because the elemental attributions of Swords and Wands (Weapons and Staves in this deck) have been switched, and with them, the traditional card means. Queen of Swords traditionally means a widow, so I thought of Hubby's mum. I turned over 5 of Spheres (5 of Pentacles) -- just this morning we learned that she fell yesterday and may have broken her hip (Hubby has dashed off to help out today). I turned over the next card, for outcome, and 10 of Staves is there. MIL is 89 years old, and we all know what a broken hip and that age can mean. It is very troubling.