Ace of Swords - #TarotImageTuesday
Good morning!! it's #TarotImageTuesday
This week, it's the Ace of Swords, and I've selected the Alexander Daniloff Tarot deck
Firstly, I love the colours in this deck - for the most part, they're muted shades with the occasional "pop" of surprising colour use!
The Ace of Swords in the deck is RWS sympathetic in it's presentation, utilising mostly standardised or associated images and icons to present the cards meaning.
Centrally we see the Sword, point upright, with the hilt being reached for by a hand rising from the clouds...and this reminds me of a line from the poem Andrea del Sarto, by Robert Browning - "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" - it has a feeling as if the hand is reaching for the sword, rather than releasing it, stretching to achieve those things that the Sword represents.
The ring of clouds surrounding the sword hilt, from where the hand is rising is interesting in itself, being half rolling while clouds and half roiling black, suggesting that not everything with the mind is always rosy or bright, but that there is a balance of the positive and negative thoughts to form the whole loop of experience.
The sword spans upwards, passing through a crown, reinforcing the need for clarity, logic and clear thought when in positions of authority and responsibility; and also passes in front of a hunting bird - reinforcing the air element aspects of the sword suit, and the connection with swift thought, clear-cut action and that directness of connection between the two.
The upper background is very interesting, with the sword tip passing beyond the mountains, through the various layers of the sky and cloud, almost to the heavens themselves, reminding us that our intellect, reason and problem solving abilities can overcome any obstacle in our path, helping to elevate our thoughts, and give them the clarity of that 'top down' perspective, enjoyed from the heavens, if we allow ourselves to see the bigger picture.
The lower background is also quite telling - what happens when we allow our thoughts to sink to their baser form, turning inwards, and chasing dark thoughts into isolation, withdrawal, and potentially to destruction.
The imagery is simple, and yet it combines very effectively into a clear message about the power and potential of the Ace, and what it can bring if we are bold and fearless in welcoming its influence into our lives!
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!
The Alexander Daniloff Tarot is (unsurprisingly!) by artist Alexander Daniloff, and the image is courtesy of, and ©, Alexander Daniloff 2012, and the deck is available from his website, or your local Tarot stockist
