Musing on the Couple of Swords...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 May 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Mr. Sluagh	14 May 2004
I'm in the process of reading The Book of Thoth alongside Understanding the Thoth Tarot, and I've just finished reading the stuff on the Knight and Queen of Swords. My head is a bit foggy at the moment, so I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around them. However, I have come up with this image in my head of how the two might interact, as follows: The Knight and Queen of Swords are at a party. The Queen is socializing gracefully, making polite conversation, keeping up appearances, etc., while at the same time tapping the rumor mill, issuing baleful innuendoes and planning her coming social conquests. Presently, she sees a small crowd gathering towards the center of the room, and goes to investigate. She finds that the crowd is concerned with her husband, who stands before a terrified, meak-looking man of small stature. The Knight is ranting ad nauseum about how only fools and liars purport to think that way, and how dare he say such a thing, and rattling off quotes from a book he's read far too many times that prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that only a childish, ill-mannered, lax-moralled, dim-witted, wretch who probably has bad handwriting, too, would hold such opinions. Stoically maintaining her composure, the Queen walks hastily to her Knight's side, gently but firmly puts her hand on his shoulder and laughingly comments on how heated today's ideological arena is getting and don't we live in exciting times with so much controversy about. She continues to irreverently lighten the situation as the victim looks relieved and the crowd starts to dissipate. The couple exchange annoyed glances and resume their previous activities. Soo... What do you think? Any ideas on how their kids might figure into this? I'll probably come up with something in that area once I finish their descriptions. Thoughts??

firemaiden	15 May 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Mr. Sluagh The Queen is socializing gracefully, making polite conversation, keeping up appearances, etc., while at the same time tapping the rumor mill, issuing baleful innuendoes and planning her coming social conquests. Makes me think of Lady Macbeth at the banquet scene. So - a politician? A conniver? working the network... planning her next murders? Quote: The Knight is ranting ad nauseum about how only fools and liars purport to think that way, and how dare he say such a thing, and rattling off quotes from a book he's read far too many times that prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that only a childish, ill-mannered, lax-moralled, dim-witted, wretch who probably has bad handwriting, too, would hold such opinions. Okay, so are you saying the Thoth knight is a hot-tempered pedant/bore with a superiority complex? Hmmm. Don't forget he is a leader too. I don't see him as so socially inept. --- although he is depicted as lying flat out on his horse, and has those funny dragonfly wings, which does make him look sort of helpless... But you might also see this flat-out on his horse person as being one-with-his-horse. Perhaps it means he is one hundred percent dedicated to his cause. Perhaps he is a "centaur?" I prefer to think the Fire of Air court stands for a more a more graceful and socially compelling, person, than a pedant. Quote: Stoically maintaining her composure, the Queen walks hastily to her Knight's side, gently but firmly puts her hand on his shoulder and laughingly comments on how heated today's ideological arena is getting and don't we live in exciting times with so much controversy about. She continues to irreverently lighten the situation as the victim looks relieved and the crowd starts to dissipate. The couple exchange annoyed glances and resume their previous activities. Lady M does precisely this in the Macbeth Banquet scene!! She (and I do take her for a model of the Queen of Swords) reacts to her husbands distress at seeing the ghost of the murdered Banquo, by offering a toast to lightness and love -- and to Banquo! (oh soooo terribly cynical!!!). Banquo has just been murdered! (it was her idea!) and she says: Quote: Come, love and health to all; Then, I'll sit down. Give me some wine; fill full: I drink to the general joy o' the whole table, And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss; Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst, And all to all. So, yes, as a matter of fact, I can see your point. :) As for the royal sword children - I would see both of them as purely idealistic, entirely lacking in the cynicism, and the political savvy of their parents. The Prince of swords reminds me a little bit of Hippolite in Phèdre, crushed under the wheels of passion.

Mr. Sluagh	15 May 2004
Yeah, I suppose it was really more about the Queen than the Knight. I didn't really mean to portray the Knight as that bad a guy. I was sort of assuming that he isn't always like this and something had just set him off at the time, probably when he was in a bad mood to begin with.

The Musing on the Couple of Swords... thread was originally posted on 14 May 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.