Sheridan Douglas - The Queens

Alfred Douglas said:

You are all picking up on these details and deducing what they add to the significance of each card. Fascinating.

Click to expand...

Ha ha, we love picking cards apart and working out what all the little details mean here Alfred

I love the way you have chosen the different thrones for the different queens .
The Queen of Cups looks the most meditative and 'chilled' of all these queens and because of this (or is it?) she has a lovely, squishy, oversized armchair - perfect for snuggling up and daydreaming in or maybe perfect for getting herself comfy as she listens to the problems of her friends or family.
I like to think of the Queen of Cups as a lady who has the gift of really being able to listen to someone else and also of making that someone else feel special.
Her hair looks as if it hasn't been combed and her dress is very simple - she doesn't really seem overly concerned with her appearance.
With her eyes closed, she looks towards the future and offers the cup to us.

The Queen of Swords is blue, she's an ice maiden.. She holds her sword upright just as she holds herself upright in her backless throne.
The throne with no back makes me think that this is a lady who can support herself, she doesn't need to lean on anything or anyone.
The ring on her finger looks to me like a pearl and this makes me think of the Morgan Greer Sword Queen who wears pearls at her throat to signify (in my eyes anyway) that she is wise and is also a good comunicator.
This Sword Queen looks as if she is sitting in judgement but she will be fair.
The fact that she is facing left and so the past tells me that she uses her past experiences in the judgements she makes... she's lived a bit and has learned from her past.... she's a wise lady who looks as if she won't take any nonsense from anyone.
I don't think you'd get much past this lady, she's not easily fooled.

The Queen of Coins looks happy, friendly and approachable.
Her dress is very rich looking, maybe trimmed with fur - this is a lady who knows the value of money but doesn't let it rule her life.
She points at the ground, showing her connection with the element of Earth and that she has her feel firmly planted on terra-firma - she's well grounded.
Her throne is all sensuous curves and looks expensive.
This is someone who would make a good business woman but who would also make a good home-maker and mother.

The Queen of Batons is sexy.
She looks as if she doesn't sit still for long, she's an active one.
She sits with her back arched and her dress is low cut and quite clingy; it's yellow too showing that this is a very confident lady (not everyone feels good in yellow).
The ring on her finger is ruby or garnet, showing that she is confident, passionate and sexual as well as being courageous and a devoted friend and lover.
Red stones are associated with the Base or Root Chakra so are good at balancing the connection between the spiritual and the physical.
Her throne is curvy and sensual (just like she is) but it's also got quite a few sharp, spiky angles.. I think that this shows that even though this queen is attractive, confident and approachable, she also has a sharp side - like all the Batons courts she has a temper to beware of.

Thank you Alfred, I'm glad to see that I'm going along the right lines. I had to have a little break from this deck due to the Aeclectic Travelling deck, but as it's on it's way now, I can concentrate a little more.

I'm now starting to think about the personalities of these Queens and pairing them up as you have done in your post seems to be working for me.

Of the two feminine suits, Cups and Coins, I feel that the Queen of the cups is the one who follows her intuition and her heart more, as shown by the hand she holds the cup, (in fact this seems to fit for them all). The Queen of Coins is happy but more practical and contructive in her way of life. She likes her appearance to show her wealth and status whereas the Queen of Cups has a natural and simplistic beauty.

The two masculine suits of Batons and Swords show two more different personalities. The Queen of Batons is spontaneous and follows her heart but perhaps in a hasty way, she's a little more alert to the real world than the Queen of Cups and not quite as dreamy. The Queen of Swords is tough, independent and can be ruthless in getting what she wants, she is also intelligent and has ideas, spends much time planning.

It's interesting that by playing around with the order of how these cards are laid out, their differences in personality stand out. The Queen of Cups and Queen of Swords almost look like complete opposites!

I had not noticed the differences (and similiarities) in the crowns until I viewed the 4 Queens together.

I find I am constantly going back to the Queen of Swords. In other decks, I have come to associate her with perfection and almost an impatience with imperfection. I notice that she seems to have the most elaborate crown. I immediately attributed her blueness to the perfectionist and stubborn-ness that I have seen other decks portray her with.

The other Queens are all flesh colored and seem to be more approachable (maybe not so much with the Queen of Cups, as she is looking away).

valeria