Ace of Swords

The Aces are often seen as beginnings and gifts, receiving a gift or chance as it were. Having a gift, and not using it is futile, but it is also important to know that once we have done what we must with the help of this gift, we should return it to the world.

The Ace of Swords is reminiscent of once such gift that was given to a man named King Arthur of Camelot. In some legends it is told that the Lady of The Lake gave it to him, in others that he extracted it from a stone.

This legendary sword was named Excalibur, attributed with magical powers that protected King Arthur when he went into battle. Legend tells us that whomever possessed the Excalibur sword and scabbard would not bleed or suffer from a wound inflicted upon them.

Armed with this sword Arthur created a world called Camelot, with all its lessons, legends, magic and myth. 

At some point he lost the scabbard, it is said that Morgan Le Fey stole it and threw it into the lake, never to be seen again. With the scabbard lost, Arthur was eventually wounded in battle. He died from these wounds but not before he returned the sword named Excalibur to its rightful owner, the Lady of The Lake. He had completed his mission, used the gift given to him in a manner that was righteous and good, and when the time arrived he returned it to the world by giving it back to the Lady of The Lake.

Arthur was given an opportunity to make a difference when he was entrusted with Excalibur. Once he was done he did not keep the gift out of greed, he gave it back to be given to the next worthy recipient.

Similarly when we are gifted with an idea, for example, we should not keep it to ourselves, instead we should give it back to the world – the Universe – so that the next one can take the idea and improve on it. Thus we become part of the natural evolution of this gift.

King Arthur could have held onto the sword and not done anything with it, instead he created a world called Camelot. A world that taught and still teaches many lessons, and is still kept alive in legend and magic.

Likewise, the gifts we receive should be shared with the world. A baker does not grow his own wheat he adds value to the gift of wheat that is grown by another hand.  So too a racing car driver does not build the car, instead he makes it fly…

The lesson in today’s card is to remind us to honour the gifts we receive. To not jealously possess them for ourselves alone but to share them with the world, to recognise that by passing this gift along to others we are keeping it alive, and becoming a part of the natural evolution of the gifts we receive.

The Buddha said “The greatest gift is to give people your enlightenment, to share it. It has to be the greatest.”

Ace of Wands

'This card represents fire in its purest, simplest and most unstable form.' It is raw energy, boundless and unlimited. It is the root driving force of all action. The basic drive of the will, which must be carefully focussed and directed. This force motivates new beginnings, ideas and changes. Like any fire it is to be treated with respect and handled carefully lest it become a destructive force or wasteful frustration.

'The Ace of Wands shows that the will of the individual is an immeasurable, powerful force. However, this blind force requires understanding before it may be applied appropriately. The symbol is one of potential but it is totally ambivalent, it may be the drive that goads the scientist to a new discovery, or the despot to seek the position of tyrant, or the healer to find a successful cure. Fire, whether real or symbolic, must be respected and handled with care.' As an example of ‘playing with fire’ and suffering the consequences thereof, we look to Greek mythology where we learn of Icarus, Son of Daedalus who dared to fly too near the sun on wings of feathers and wax. Daedalus had been imprisoned by King Minos of Crete within the walls of his own invention, the Labyrinth. But the great craftsman's genius would not suffer captivity. He made two pairs of wings by adhering feathers to a wooden frame with wax. Giving one pair to his son, he cautioned him that flying too near the sun would cause the wax to melt. But Icarus became ecstatic with the ability to fly and forgot his father's warning. The feathers came loose and Icarus plunged to his death in the sea.

Source: http://space.balettie.com/IcarusRising.html

Being the first card in the suit of wands that represents the element of Fire, it would be appropriate to read a section from Glennie Kindred’s book ‘The Alchemist’s Journey’ as she writes of the alchemists use and understanding of fire. She says ‘As an alchemist, I seek secret fire, hidden fire or sacred fire, the fire that lives within me and helps me to be in touch with what is truly important for my spiritual journey.  I aim to unite my inner fire with my outer fire, so that everything I do in my everyday life, and in the world, is a reflection of this union.

By uniting the two I create a doorway, an interface where my inner and outer fire can fuse together. Their union releases spontaneity and trust in myself, a clarity of inner strength and true integrity. I picture the opening this united fire energy brings and jump right in. A new part of my journey has begun.’

When this card appears to us we might ask whether there are aspects of our lives that we need to fire-up in order to create focus and direction? What projects have we allowed to cool down and stagnate that need to be ignited again so that we can bring them to completion? Is there an aspect of our lives that is in need of transformation? What action do we need to take in order to make necessary changes in our lives?

None of these can be successfully addressed without a commitment to action – which is what the element of fire symbolizes. Now may be the time to re-commit and to trust ourselves so that our inner strength and integrity can shine thru as we direct our will in a manner that will transform those elements of our lives that are in need of change.

So too is it necessary for us to take responsibility for what we have created. Just as one who builds a fire for warmth needs to take responsibility for it, ensuring that it does not become a raging fire that burns down the forest.

Reference

Personal Development with the Tarot, Catherine Summers & Julian Vayne - ISBN 0-572-02462-2

Ace of Cups

The Ace of Cups show us that potential is in abundance, but how this will formulate and manifest itself is still unknown.

In this card we are confronted with the element of water. This however is a card that illustrates the element of water in its primordial form. Emotions & intuition in their primitive form.  Water as the emblem of the unconscious. In Christianity, the Spirit of God moves over the impenetrable depths of the waters, before creating life.

In their book “Personal Development with the Tarot” by Catherine Summers and Julian Vayne, the following observations are made:

The chalice represents the womb from which all creation is born. Yet, in the act of creation, the power of water has yet to be reacted upon by outside forces. Historically cups are associated with the church and love. Cups receive the impulse and respond to it. Cups represents love, relationships and imagination. Cups can open you to your inner feelings and the connections you have with others. Choices on this level seem intuitive.

As an image of the unconscious, this card shows the need for evolution of consciousness. For, this process is necessary in order for individuation to occur. The Ace of Cups demonstrates that the unconscious must interact with the conscious mind before it can create.

This card shows a period in which great potential exists, but no direction or fertilization is yet apparent. If the seeds of wisdom sown are the sound seeds of personal discovery, then the harvest will be rewarding and fulfilling.

Imagery in this card includes an equal-armed cross, suspended above a large golden cup. In their book “The Secret Language of Tarot,” my tarot mentors Ruth Ann & Wald Amberstone describe the cross as a symbol of distilled human consciousness, being a symbol that is born of the human mind rather than directly from nature.

They continue to say that crossroads are places where all important decisions are made! Cross-examinations reveal hidden personal truths and motives.  Strangers become friends when their paths cross. Crossing the ocean is as far as one can physically travel. And crossing swords is a joining in battle.  Double crossing is the essence of treachery.

When the cross is tilted it becomes an X. An X in a ballot signifies a choice that has to be made. An X on a signature line is the universal sign of human identity. And X marks the spot on every map of buried treasure!

 

The cross is the symbol of all that changes and all that remains the same.  It is the relationship between the stable state of things, represented by the horizontal line, and the dynamic state of things as they might become, represented by the vertical. It is the symbol of the creative potential of absolute difference.

In an equal-armed cross stability is suggested as all arms have equal length – thus significance. It is the sum total of all there is, and it’s a universal symbol of serenity.

The cross reveals dimensions, offers fresh perspectives, and opens a whole new possibility for creativity, personal refinement and spiritual elevation.

Most important about the equal-armed cross is that each of the four arms are equal. North is as good as south, winter as good as spring, old-age serves as great a purpose as childhood. Pain and pleasure, fullness and emptiness, even life and death are equal. A hard lesson to learn, but it’s the one that brings serenity and balance into our lives.

 In closing we might ask ourselves what potential lies dormant within that is ready to emerge? How can we uncover our creative potential and thereby manifest serenity and balance in our lives? What aspects of our lives are in need of equality? Do we acknowledge the lessons of our pain as we revere the joys of our pleasure?