Libra in the court cards

I’m taking a break from the Minor Arcana today. Instead, I’m looking at Libra in the court cards. But which one – or ones?  Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards. For instance, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn chose to assign cardinal attributes (initiating things) to the Queens, fixed (maintaining order) to the Kings, and mutable (being able to adapt and transform) to the Knights.  Each court card is also linked to the elements, with Pages with Earth, Knights being associated with Fire, Queens with Water, and Kings with Air. 

Queen of Swords (trimmed):

© Secret Tarot

Following this system, we end up with Cardinal Air sign Libra being associated with the Queen of Swords (Water of Air). What qualities do we associate with this Queen? Extremely perceptive and observant, quick-witted, confident. She’s often seen as a figure who’s been touched by sorrow, who’s learned to accept and assimilate her experiences with grace and dignity – a fine balancing act, bring that Venusian ruling of Libra into play.  The peacemaker, perhaps?

Queen of Swords (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes’ Queen of Swords holds two (duality and balance again) curved swords to cut through deception, to see the issue clearly.  The white chrysanthemums symbolize purity, clarity and honesty; the purple lilies inner strength (so says the deck’s creators in the accompanying book; details below).

Queen of Swords (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The Thoth deck follows the Golden Dawn convention. Here we have the Queen, sword in hand, having cut away the mask to reveal the reality – or to see more clearly.  Her sword liberates, allowing us to move out of the clouds and into a clear, open sky.  There’s a sense of the balance of Libra, too, I think, in the way she sits on her throne – a bit like the figures seen in Justice cards in other decks, perhaps?

King of Swords (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

If you work with a system that assigns cardinality to the Kings, you’re looking at the King of Swords.  In the image from Juliet Sharman-Burke’s Beginner's Guide to the Tarot, we see the King on his throne, wearing blue (Air) and purple (wisdom). Two birds fly above his head; the number ‘two’ reminds us of the Libran theme of balance and choice, as well as the Air-like quality of the mind being able to rise above things.  The King of Swords is sometimes associated with the legal profession, particularly in terms of truth and social justice.  As in the Adjustment card of the Thoth deck, we’re always having to make adjustments in order to keep things in balance.  This King appears calm and in charge of things – everything’s in balance, in order.  As Libra is an Air sign, that balance and order is likely to be maintained by words, rather than by physical force.  The pen may be mightier than the sword, but here I think the sword represents the pen!   I could certainly see him as a mediator.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Secret Tarot created by Marco Nizzoli, published by Lo Scarabeo, 2004

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

The Hermit: Virgo in the Major Arcana

The Hermit IX (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

Let’s start our exploration of Virgo in the tarot with the Major Arcana.  In the system I follow (which uses some but not all of the attributions of the Golden Dawn), the Hermit is associated with Virgo.  Not the most obvious association, perhaps, given what we know about Virgoan qualities.  Of all the images of the Hermit that I’ve come across, the one that gives me clues on the Virgo connection is the one from the Thoth – specifically, in the sheaves of grain in the background. The sheaves have ripened; we can see the Hermit’s harvest. It’s become visible to the world - it’s seen ‘the light of day’.  This begins to sound like the Hermit now – casting a light so that we can find our way.  More traditional images of the Hermit often include a lantern as the sole source of illumination.

 

Virgo is the sixth sign in the zodiac.  All the signs up to this point have focused on the individual and our inner world.  Virgo is the last of these; after her, the emphasis turns to the outer, public domain. The word ‘completion’ is sometimes used as a meaning for the Hermit; we can see this in the harvest, but also in the ‘completion’ of the first half of the zodiac – the part of the journey around the wheel dealing with ‘self’ is complete, opening the way to a bigger arena to nurture and eventually harvest.

The Hermit IX (trimmed):

© Secret Tarot

Virgo can be introspective, with much of its analytical and/or critical nature directed at the self, not others.  There’s a taste of the Hermit here, particularly in terms of introspection – one of the traditional meanings associated with the card.   The journey is taken alone, requiring courage and trust in oneself.  Many decks show a lone figure journeying through the dark, with a lantern as the sole source of light - although in the Secret Tarot, we see the glimmering of the light of dawn as well - the illumination we seek.

In the Thoth deck, we see aspects of the ‘shadow’ side of the card in the three-headed hellhound, Cerebus.  See how one head looks back? For me, that’s a Virgo trait – looking back to make sure everything’s been dealt with, all the details tidied up, before moving further along that contemplative path. The Hermit keeps his eyes down, watching the path for potential difficulties that might lie ahead.

The Crone 9 (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

The Hermit is also associated with meditation - withdrawing, even if only for a short time, from the outer world and turning our attention inwards.  It's not a selfish desire, but a genuine need for solitude so that we can look at where we are and what we've learned.  The female equivalent of the male hermit, historically, was the crone - the wise, older woman, who draws on what she's learned from her experiences. Margarete Petersen has chosen The Crone archetype for her deck - a very earthy crone, in keeping with Earthy Virgo.

The Hermit IX (trimmed):

© Haindl Tarot

When we think of the archetypal hermit, we often associate such withdrawal from society with self-denial. Hermann Haindl's Hermit focuses more on the joy that can come through closer contact with ourselves and the natural world. A winged creature appears in the background, while several owl-like birds surround the hermit on the ground.  Apparently Haindl was thinking of St Francis of Assisi spending time in the wild with animals and birds, later dedicating himself to serving others. In astrology, Virgo rules the 6th house, the house of service - and of small animals!

The Hermit IX (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes’ Hermit also depicts withdrawal from the world; here we see a figure poised on a rocky pinnacle (representing Earth), “clear of the smog of humanity...the air attains...a purity he does not know he has missed until he breathes it for the first time” (Shadowscapes Companion, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, Llewellyn, 2010). As we complete our harvest and begin the introspective part of the year, our eyes will become accustomed to the darkness and we will be able to continue our journey.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my new e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Haindl Tarot, created by Hermann Haindl, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Secret Tarot created by Marco Nizzoli, published by Lo Scarabeo, 2004

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Tea with the Ancestors

Previous | Master | Next

Welcome to Alison’s Alembic!   You may have arrived here as a stop on the Tarot Blog Hop from either Inner Whispers' or Ania M's blog.  Or you may have found this through TABI’s Facebook page, or though one of the many wonderful tarot bloggers in the ether... It doesn’t matter – what does matter is that you’re here! 

It’s the time of Samhain (“summer’s end”), a luminal time, a time when the veil that separates us from those who are no longer walking in this world is thinnest. The Day of the Dead, a time to honour the ancestors - and, in the old Celtic tradition, the end of the year.

There are many traditions that have been passed down through the years surrounding Samhain. One of these involves the souls of the dead re-visiting their old homes. To this end, rituals are performed, inviting them in, and places are set at tables for them.  Food and drink would be left out for them.  It’s the likely origin of the tradition of dressing up at Hallowe’en - based on the mumming and guising of older times, with people going around their neighbourhoods in disguise, reciting verses or performing in exchange for food.  I have fond memories of All Hallows Eve as a child, dressed up as a witch or ‘gypsy’ (complete with crystal ball, of course!), having to recite something in order to receive my ‘soul cake’, baked by one of our neighbours...

Secret Tarot

With this in mind, our wrangler for this particular Blog Hop, Louise of Priestess Tarot, has asked us to write about who we’d invite to afternoon tea on the Day of the Dead. After much deliberation, I've decided to invite my grandmothers.  My maternal grandmother died when my own mother was still a child, so she’s a complete mystery to me. My paternal grandmother, on the other hand, survived to the age of 86 – but in many ways I feel I don’t know much about her, as she could be very secretive.  So, my table’s set for three, the tea’s in the pot and the soul-cakes are laid out carefully on Mum’s best china.

I already knew I wanted to use the Queen of Swords to represent Mum’s mum.  She died from TB at the age of 41, when Mum was only 13, so I associate a sense of having to accept loss and sorrow with her.  She was born with the sun in Aquarius (one of the astrological associations for the Queen of Swords), reinforcing my choice.  

Thoth Tarot

I was tempted to use The Devil for Dad’s mum – she had a wicked sense of humour, as well as holding many qualities associated with Capricorn (a stellium of planets in that sign, including the sun), but decided to use the Thoth’s Queen of Disks instead.  That, to me, represents the struggles my grandmother had to overcome in her life - and the expression on that mountain goat's face rather eerily reminds me of one of her expressions!

Strangely, when I looked at their charts I discovered that their Moons were in the sign of the other one’s Sun – Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Capricorn for Cissie, Sun in Capricorn and Moon in Aquarius for Alice. Connections?
 

But what to ask?  Both sides of my family seem to be shrouded in secrecy – ‘black sheep’ who no one would ever talk about, things that were never spoken of, an unexpected legacy from a great-great-aunt we never knew existed. It’s no wonder that my family has never been very good at communicating with each other, especially when it comes to feelings (both sides show a preponderance of Earth – and I’m the only one with any Water in my chart).  There’s so much I’d like to know...  and of course, Samhain falls in Scorpio, associated (through its affinity with the 8^th house) with family secrets and power struggles within relationships!

I’ve chosen the Wildwood Tarot, as it’s the ‘earthiest’ deck I own. I’ve laid a card out for each grandmother, to represent what they’re bringing with them to my tea party.

The Journey: Wildwood Tarot

What Cissie, Mum’s mum, has brought is represented by (I kid you not) The Journey (13), the Wildwood’s version of Death, located on the Wheel of the Year at Samhain.  As I never met this woman, it seems even more fitting.  She brings me a reminder that it’s time to face my fears – that change is not to be feared.  It’s time to let go of what I no longer need, but also to celebrate or acknowledge what’s past. Time to withdraw, to reflect, to make way for the new.  All true – so much change going on for me these days....

Knight of Bows: Wildwood Tarot

What Alice, Dad’s mum, has brought is represented by the Knight of Bows, symbolized in the Wildwood by a fox.  More of a surprise, initially, but as I think about it, I’m reminded of her quickness, her shrewdness – and her playfulness. I tend to remember her sternness mostly, but it’s true, she did have a great sense of fun; we just didn’t see it that often.   There’s a sense of leaving the past behind here, as well – that Sagittarian quest for new adventures. She was an avid traveller, a love that I’ve inherited from her.

Now that they’re here and sipping their tea, I draw another card to see what I can give them in return – it’s the custom, after all, to offer gifts to our otherworldly visitors at this time.

Six of Bows: Wildwood Tarot

The Six of Bows for Cissie. A celebration – perhaps even this tea party!  But apart from the tea and cake, I can acknowledge the abundance of love I’ve received from my family – whether or not I ever met them in this life – and continue to share this gift with others.

Four of Bows: Wildwood Tarot

For Alice, the Four of Bows. Another image of celebration – also representing this occasion, this sharing of tea...but also health, wealth and security, all things that meant a great deal to my Capricornian, earthy grandmother.  It’s not unlike the message of the Six, in this context – sharing my good fortune, my inheritance from my ancestors, with those around me now. The image reminds me of dancing around the Samhain bonfires, another tradition that's still with us today. The ashes of the fires would later be spread over the land as protection - as well as fertilizer. And now that I think about it, the ashes of both my grandmothers were spread over the earth...

Hmmm...after tea, perhaps I'll see if my grandmothers would like to join me in a dance of celebration around the fire.

Thank you for stopping off here on your own journey through this Samhain Tarot Blog Hop!  Please do come back and read some of my other posts, looking at astrology in the tarot.

The next stops on the Tarot Blog Hop are - depending on whether you’re moving backwards or forwards through the list -  Inner Whispers’ or Ania M's blogs.

Previous | Master | Next

Secret Tarot created by Marco Nizzoli, published by Lo Scarabeo

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by US Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections