[Centaur]

On this card, a sword appears to have been thrust into a large stone. On the stone, there are various carvings. What is actually going on in these carvings? On the right side of the stone, there is a bird-like human creature feasting on a fish. On the left side of the stone, there is what appears to be a head. There is something wrapped around the head, and I think that this might be a snake, but I am unsure.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to what this stone might be? It looks almost like some sort of sacrificial altar?

Also, is it just me, or does the sword look as though it is fashioned out of stone also?

[mj07]

this one confuses the heck out of me, the sword is stuck in the stone, is it waiting for King Arthur? *big confusion* hope someone else can shed some light!

[Centaur]

Originally posted by mj07
this one confuses the heck out of me, the sword is stuck in the stone, is it waiting for King Arthur? *big confusion* hope someone else can shed some light!

Hi Mj07! I too thought that. It reminds me of the story of the sword in the stone.

[hyatt]

I wish I could shed more light on the card! I pulled it last night in a reading. Interestingly I was doing a double horse shoe spread and the first card was the ace of wands and the shadow card for it was the ace of swords.
In most of the ace cards the cards seem to be a gift presented to you. But in this one, the sword being stuck in stone seems unusable. You can't swing a sword with a big block of rock on it.
I can see the rock being an alter. Perhaps where a sacrifice took place. Perhaps the sword if left from the last sacrifice - so powerful it stuck.
It also looks like a corner stone or part of a temple to me. A ruin from a distant religion.
Any thoughts on the carvings and what they are suggesting?

[MareSaturni]

My take: if you see the rock, you'll notice there's an animal eating a fish in it...well fishes live in the water and water is usually the element related to feelings, 'deep' things. But the fish is being eaten! All the emotional side in this suit is too being 'eaten', possibly by the necessity of having to be much more rational here, since it's the suit of conflict.

And the sword...well, it's daring you. If see the all cards of the suit, holding the sword is something powerful but also dangerous. Not all are willing to go to the battle...the sword is saying "will you hold me and 'gulp down' your feelings, in order to fight for what you want/those who are against you/etc.?" Or "will you there to cut this or that from your life?". I can think of many things

Anyone else?

Yuko

[aaquwaa]

This is definitely a strange card. That stone sure looks like an altar of maybe its a tomb. I would really like to know what type of creature that is and also the face. The sword itself does look like it could be carved out of stone. For some reason it makes me think of a cross, maybe this sword was someones cross to bear.
aaquwaa

[Cerulean]

The Little White Book tells the story of the suit from the King to the Ace.

Pull the King, Queen, Knight and Knave out and then from 10 down backwards to the Ace...then

"The sword in the stone will remind your sons tha nothing but violence can be bread by violence and nothing but sorrow can be bred by sorrow..."

I take the sword in the stone as the laying down of swords, a reminder and a marker and the soft filtering of light that was promised to the 'sorrowing maid' . The ace is triumph of a different sort, a mental strength, an awakening of a different kind of power...or awareness of grief, perhaps, on the other.

While it's not a happy suit, there's recognition here of human circumstances...thanks for reviving these discussions, as I'm getting more out of this deck this time around.

Best regards,

Cerulean

[MareSaturni]

Originally Posted by Cerulean

I take the sword in the stone as the laying down of swords, a reminder and a marker and the soft filtering of light that was promised to the 'sorrowing maid' . The ace is triumph of a different sort, a mental strength, an awakening of a different kind of power...or awareness of grief, perhaps, on the other.

Great one Cerulean! Thanks for helping in these threads...i thought everybody had forgotten this wonderful deck!
You saw the card in the way the story in the LWB goes - kinda backwards (from 10 to 1). Really amazing, as my interpretation was always, let's say, from 1 to 10...so the ace would be the beginning - instead of laying the swords, you are taking it from the rock. I had never thought about this Ace from that point of view, thanks for bringing it
But you see, it can be a cycle...you take the sword, you fight, you realize that violence only brings violence, you get wiser, you realize it's time to lay
down the sword...until you are once again called for a battle you can't escape.

I really love this deck!

Yuko

[Cerulean]

...where the hero playing the young Arthur grabs his father's swords on his grave, but is too late to save his mother...but before he grabbed the sword, it stood in respect for the warrior, buried on top of the turf as a kind of respect for the fallen already...I wonder if this was only a movie version, of if the sword were buried, blade-first for some fallen warriors, leaving the cross-symbol handle
upward to signify hope of rest, resurrection for eternal life?

Best regards,

Cerulean