Phantasmagoric - Knight of Swords

Maan

The knight of swords

The LWB says" Here we meet Tom Tom, who is a naughty nature. He is the Knight of sowrds, a character who steals toys from those who are weaker than he. He gains power by manipulating others and forcing them to obey him. The knight of swords warns us notto let go of our rights too easily. When we meet a character like determination and much courage, but it is our only way of protecting ourselves.

Divinatory meaning: Tom Tom, the knight of swords represents omportance of balancing power and confronting negativity.

reversed meaning: Angry, aggressive"

____________________________________________________

In my readings the knight seems to show up if i hace to stand up for myself. But it has warned me of people who want to control me too.

There are various symbols on the card like the spikes on his elbows like he is not affraidto use them ;)

There are some toys on the table before him, A litte train and a bear. Futher more this guy is looking very sweet at the reader with his big blue eyes

any thoughts?

Love and light
Maan
 

rostie

this one is a special one for me, he always comes when i'm feeling unsure, weak or as a warning to look out, to be on the alert
when he comes up he always looks naughty with a deep intense strong look/eye, he challenge me like heh you know i'm stronger than you, what are you gonna do about that! but then he makes me angry! hah, you think so, you will see! }) i know then i have to be strong and don't let people walk over me, i tend to let do that too much sometimes, or challenge people by myself who are trying to do that with me, he's my special warning,
now i don't need him and he looks so peacefull, like an angel, but i know better, lol...steeling the toys of other people, tss! not mine!!! :D


edit: that is why i love this deck...the figures are really real to me, when they come up they can have a totally different look than an other moment when they aren't so important for me at that stage of my life...
at this moment he looks peacefull, kind, you should not think he's a meany boy, only the pins on his outfit can suggest it, but when he shows up his look/gaze change, it becomes very intense, challenging: i want to steel your toys what are you gonna do to don't let me do that...looking how far he can go...thinking he can dominate me...but no way ;)!!!

nice card, my little devil!!!
 

Maan

Oke here is a pic of the kniwght of swords thanks rostie :* is must have taken you alot of work!
 

Attachments

  • knsw2.gif
    knsw2.gif
    57.1 KB · Views: 620

Little Baron

Tom Tom!

He is surely one of my favourites from this deck. The courts are so expressionate and have such personality, unlike a lot of decks. I just finished another thread, where somebody asked about Courts to meditate over, and I suggested this pack.

I see a lot of myself in Tom Tom and I see others in my life. It is funny how sometimes, I can only see a certain person in him and not see myself. Then, on another day ... I do see the warning in him as well, so in that sence, he is not the naughty boy, but the friend that is keeping an eye out for me. Did you ever have a friend like that? The naughty one that helped you out of trouble? That's Tom Tom for me ... I know the boundries though!!!!!

These cards are certainly underrated. I don't think that people give them enough of a chance as they see them as flat and not connected so much with the historical associations of tarot.

I love them.

Yaboot
 

Maan

Always nice to see more people fall in love with this deck. Its one of my altime favo decks. You recognized the same depths in this deck as i did.
And indeed like you say Yaboot, Tom Tom is the naughty friend. I think the next time he survaces i will get that sentence in my head!

Love
a happy
Maan
 

Little Baron

Phantasmagoric - Knight of Swords (thread 2)

Hi. Well after todays card, 'The Magician', I put all of the skills I had into the work I was doing and I now feel that I am on the way .

My card for tomorrow is ... (picks card) ...

The Knight of Swords - Tom Tom.

I have been waiting for him to make an appearance! For many reasons. Firstly, because of the conversations I have had with Maan recently about this Knight. Secondly, I wanted him to show up because he is my favourite in the deck. Thirdly, he reminds me of a new friend that I have made - you must think I have some freaky looking friends! - well, in this instance, the guy is a little on the odd side and this card resembles him pretty well (even down to his favourite shades of clothing).

I have only met him twice but we got on well. I sense that he can be a little prickly and that possibly, trouble could follow him around bit, which are all contributed to the essense of this card.

What do I see? I see an attractive young man in this card; he is a bit of a 'pretty boy' and I imagine that he could be prone to immature tantrums, should he not get his way. I see a sword on his t-shirt, what looks like barbed wire on his neckline, spikes protruding from his cardigan/jacket. He wears a spade tattoo on his head, wears a crown. Infront of him are toys - a train and a bear. The bear has been cut open and a pin has been aimlessly thrust into it. Tom Tom holds his head. His eyes are an innocent shade of green; his lips, a suculent purple. The background is a red and black check.

Graham Cameron says of this card -
"Here we meet Tom Tom, who has a naughty nature. He is the Knight of Swords, a character who steals toys from those who are weaker than he. He gains power by manipulating others and forcing them to obey him. The Knight of Swords warns us not to let go of our rights too easily. When we meet a character like Tom Tom, we must learn to challenge him. To do so requires adetermination and much courage, but it is our only way of protecting ourselves.
Tom Tom, The Knight, represents the importance of balancing power and confronting negativity".

I can see the naughty nature of Tom Tom, but the vulnerability in his gaze endears me to him (and I am sure he endears others too). I wonder if this is how he uses his powers of manipulation. The sword on his vest shows communication; a person that can communicate well can often overcome others. Does he charm people into taking their toys? Does he then turn nasty when they want them back? His beauty may then turn ugly.

It is interesting that Cameron looks at the negative side of this card by using 'Angry' and 'Aggressive' as keywords for a reversed meaning. In this Knight, and also in my new found aquaintance, I can see this side - an aggression and anger that may be fought by words. I also see that this anger, aggression and negativity, as well as hurting others, can also hurt Tom Tom, which is why he is possibly barricading himself under his hands. He is similar to a porcupine, that puts out their spikes when they feel threatened.

The carelessness of the pins that have been stabbed into the bear and the table suggest a boredom in Tom Tom; that he doesn't really need the toys. He only took them because he knew he could. In this light, I see tomorrow as a day to stand up to opposition, to only do what I need to do and to not take from others things that may cause them stress - whether that is relying on them too heavily or borrowing their 'shoulder' when I can try to lift my spirits by myself.

Joan Bunning says of the 'Knight of Swords' - "Direct/Blunt, Authorative/Overbearing, Incisive/Cutting, Knowlegable/Opinionated, Logical/Unfeeling". As well as being aware of these traits in other people, a lesson is also to be aware of the negative aspects in 'my' interaction with others. Sometimes I can be cutting and rude. I can be tackless. If I am being unbearable and critical, then I need to bring some balance into tomorrow, and my life in general.

Even though I have rambled a lot here (sorry - this is my fave of all the Courts in this deck), I still havn't scratched the surface, I am sure. I look forward to when Tom Tom visits again to see if he shows a different side. I will enjoy his energy tomorrow and keep my eyes (and ears) open to whether he is a facit of myself or somebody else that enters my day.

Thankyou for listening.

Best wishes to you all.

Yaboot
 

Attachments

  • tom tom.jpg
    tom tom.jpg
    16.8 KB · Views: 590

Maan

Hi Yaboot
You said something about Tom tom that made me think...i noticed that he is a little bit manipulating.
But i never considered that he can do this so wel couse he is a 'pretty boy' like you say.

Whole new way of seeing Tom tom. His pretty blue eyes could be easely be used to convice some one that he RALLY did not do it LOL

Thanks
Love
Maan
 

Hedera

:D That is funny.... I always saw him as rather helpless, with those big, hungry eyes!

Your description sure put him in a different perspective...;)

Just reading Maan's post: yes, perhaps he uses his sweet, good looks to get what he wants. Pretending to be helpless, so that someone will help him out and give in to him.
 

Little Baron

You are right, Mann.

I have got him propped up infront of my monitor as I type. As I was waiting for the page to refresh, he looked up at me - those little eye-lashes twinkling. He has got that 'don't hit me' look; 'don't mess up this pretty little face', 'you know it would hurt you more than me', 'you don't really think that I did it ... do you?".

There is something about that face that makes you want to forgive him straight away. I think that is the key to this card - don't let that innocent face fool you because in the end, it will be the spikes you begin to feel because Tom Tom will be off - WITH ALL YOUR TOYS!!!

I am so enjoying reading this deck daily, Mann. I never managed to get to grips with it at first. I had waited so long for it to arrive (it got delayed about twice) and when I opened the pack, I absolutely ravished it. As much as I continued to look at it though, and enjoy the art, I couldn't get inside it. Now, I feel like a door has opened.

Just a question - somebody (maybe Hedera) said that you use this as your main deck. Is that for personal readings or for others? If you read for others do you read generally - for example, 'This is The Knight of Swords, be careful etc etc' or do you go into the whole Phantasmagoric World and say 'This is Tom Tom, he steals from others in the Air Sword Labyrinth so be careful of those pretty boy eyes'. I just wondered because as much the latter is more appealing for me, i cannot imagine reading in this way for some people. Maybe a different deck is better for them. With a deck this intense, I think that to not read in the Phantasmagoric World would be a disservice to the cards and the characters that live within them.

Thanks for contributing. Are there many other Phantasmagoric readers on the boards? I wonder, because I feel a tad lonely in my discoveries. LOL.

Best wishes

Yaboot
 

Maan

Hi Yaboot
Yes i know how lonely this feels :( I just so glad that an other phantasmagoric theater lover has appeared

This decks is my main deck but wen i read for others i always let them pick one of my reading decks that appeals the most to them. Somehow they have never picked this one .... From all my friend and family my brother is the only one who likes it...but the day that he will ask for a reading is the day that the sky will drop on my head LOL

O and Hedera...if you keep up long enough with this we soon have you reading with this baby ;)

Love
Maan