Five of Swords - #TarotImageTuesday
Good morning!! it's #TarotImageTuesday This week, it's the Five of Swords, and I've selected the Legacy of the Divine Tarot.
The RWS-trad image of the Five of Swords, with its profile shot of the man collecting the swords of his foes, and the feelings of conflict and people having to lose in order for one person to gain or profit, the Legacy of the Divine version shows a man in leather armour picking over the battlefield for the spoils of war. Swords hang from his belt, but without the figures in the background, the card has less of a sense of 'loss' than its counterparts. Instead, the figure is rogueish, potentially to be lauded for taking advantage of those things left behind rather than allowing them to go to waste.
The fires in the background have yet to burn themselves out, and so it's clear that the battle has only recently ended, and from the equally tattered green and blue pennants, it's not clear who was victorious...except of course for the lucky survivor, or opportunist, who is able to scour the battlefield and select the swords of those who have fallen.
There is a blue sky, suggesting a fresh start or clear opportunity ahead, with no clouds to speak of, and there is a golden glow on the horizon behind the figure, and it's not clear whether it's more fire in the distance, or the sun rising on a new day, but it promises light and a fresh start, whether rising from the ashes of the conflict before it, or by shining that new dawn upon it.
What do you see in the image? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, and we can share the similarities and differences between the images in the various decks!
