Margarete Petersen Study -Ace of Feathers - peacock's feather

firemaiden

Translation:

  • Intellectual (geistige) clarity -- One-Being. The peacock feather shows the irridescent composition of your thoughts. It is a symbol of eternity, royalty and alertness.

    A sector of the circle, imagined, yet in truth, unavailable, will be drawn out with the sharp sword of your intellect. The mind mirrors the manifold characteristics of the theoretical world.

    Sharp, crystalline, analytic and fine, extremely sensitive thought-vibrations. Guide your awareness to your breathing in and out and notice that the limits of your ego are no real existing conditions. Notice how you become one with infinite space.

Link to the image: As der Federn



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firemaiden

A pretty picture. I love the colours of the peacock feather. Though I don't think peacocks are normally bright red... it reminds of the blood to be spilled in the later swords cards. I like the association of feathers for air -- although their softness doesn't convey the sharpness of intellect as well as a sword. The feather as quill is at least used for writing - and in that guise is "mightier than the sword".

I like the back drop -- it looks like a frozen and blood-stained landcape...
 

firemaiden

See my discussion of the alchemical meaning of the peacock's tail in the Father of Feathers thread.
 

Little Baron

the a-ha moment ...

Arn't peacock feathers supposed to be unlucky? I was told that it was unlucky to wear them. And when we sometimes think of the 'sword' suit in traditional tarot as obstacles, one might see the more negative slant on this card. Something needs to be overcome.

That background, to me, is a landcape. Amongst snowy hills, I can feel the ice-cold wind on my face and it's chilly voice in my ears. In the distance, the markings look like an aerial view of a town [we are elevated above it in thought and out of the way of the mundane]. And I also see how the red has been linked to blood. It reminds me of the remains of a body being dragged through the snow.

Clarity is produced by the chill. The cold kills all clutter and gives definition in a crystal clear fashion. But realisation can be good and bad. It might be the a-ha moment - the solving of a small crime in your head, a great idea. Or it might be the stomach dropping understanding as two and two are put together.

Thoughts, understanding, and 'coming to a conclusion' all dwell in this cold place. As do problems that need good ideas to be overcome. The eye in the peacock feather makes me think that it sees something that it might not have before. Maybe the card can also work as solution.

LB