Legend: Ace of Spears, The Grail Lance

Sophie-David

The first card of the Legend Minors, the Ace of Spears - equivalent to Wands or Staffs - is the beginning of the adventure of the The Arthurian Tarot.

The gold lance gleams from its offset brackets, a sacred and royal possession of the Fisher King, the guardian of the Grail. The shape the lance forms with its support brackets and the golden dias they rest on conveys the letter "A" turned sideways, also a symbol of Beginnings.

Rich golden draperies cascade from the dias of the Grail Lance, and the assembly is supported by four stone statues of women, one at each corner. Taken together, we see that the masculine activity of the spear is supported by earthy feminine power. A carpet leads across the stone floor and up the steps to the dias of the Grail Lance. The carpet is decorated with yellow flowers, geometric shapes, and perhaps the figures of people - I'm not sure of the intended imagery here.

From a stone window in the wall of the castle, powerful rays of sunlight wash over the lance and concentrate on what could be the figures of people on the carpet. These rays are like the "finger of god" coming down from above, the touch of the divine, spiritual strength and revelation embracing the holy lance.

A Keeper of Words says that "the Lance had the power to heal, avenge, and bring fertility to the earth". This lance may be originate with "the Celtic Lance of Redemption, or the Spear of Lug (Lleu)".
 

RedMaple

Well, the entire card looks like the sacred marriage to me. :) The erect phallus, the aisle leading to the veiled opening, and sacred sexual energy emanating from the clitoris.

If I think of this as the sacred sexual fire -- it works as an introduction to the suit of spears. Not so much if I think air.

The four women -- four aspects of the Goddess. Remember that Arthur is accompanied by four queens on his final journey to Avalon? These must be the same four queens. So this union is blessed by the Goddess.

I would read this as the beginning of a time of great energy, enthusiasm, or passion, sexual or creative.
 

mooncat2

:)
I find this a very spiritual card - I really like it.

Balin discovers it in the inner sanctum of the castle - it rests inactive on the table with the light pouring down on it.

To me this is a card of withdrawal and inner searching. Healing and clarity is found within - the answers are found through intuition and listening to your inner guidance.
 

Sophie-David

RedMaple said:
Well, the entire card looks like the sacred marriage to me. :) The erect phallus, the aisle leading to the veiled opening, and sacred sexual energy emanating from the clitoris.
Perhaps the people (if they are people) that the light illuminates are the progeny, the creative product of the sacred marriage?

RedMaple said:
If I think of this as the sacred sexual fire -- it works as an introduction to the suit of spears. Not so much if I think air.
Although the shaft of light looks misty rather than fiery, perhaps more airy than anything.

RedMaple said:
The four women -- four aspects of the Goddess. Remember that Arthur is accompanied by four queens on his final journey to Avalon? These must be the same four queens. So this union is blessed by the Goddess.
Yes, of course, the four queens!
 

inanna_tarot

I tend to see the light that is coming down to the spear as the light of the Dawn, its weak, and fresh, but the day has a lot of potential, there's a lot of fire and heat to come from that day.
With the dawn, i see the new ideas and passions that come with the suit of fire. I know that often I have mini moments of awe and wonder at dawn (when I'm up, usually after a very sleepless night). Dawn is a very magical time of day I think that just empowers you full of life, full of potential and with blessings on your day and life.

One problem I have about these aces is that they seem so ornamental, they seem so dead and no lifeless (appart from the ace of cups). I'm used to seeing my aces with force and pure power, rather than looking pretty on a bed or on a table etc. I would have though the sacred regalia of the legends would be full of power and energy, but its all too calm.
Maybe Ive just answered my own questions, for the calm before the storm lol.

Sezo
x
 

Sophie-David

Yes, Sezo, I think that's it, the aces express the calm before the storm, the potentials of the suit. I actually like how so many of Anna-Marie's cards are so dynamic, but then she introduces these pauses, like the rests or silences in music, which actually add so much to the interest and tension in her narrative.
 

WalesWoman

Thanks, Red Maple, for this,
Well, the entire card looks like the sacred marriage to me. The erect phallus, the aisle leading to the veiled opening, and sacred sexual energy emanating from the clitoris.

I hadn't noticed that until you pointed it out, so now that's all I'm going to see and I'm still trying not to get the giggles everytime I think of the Sword of Strange Hangings. Now I'm going to see a Shaft of Light...

The four figures, the Goddesses or priestesses or handmaidens, since they are stone and can only remain pure and steadfast...upholding the faith and power and healing qualities of the Lance. I was just thinking that the twisted supports do look like DNA strands. Is the reason they are different heights to mean a constant state of readiness? But with it pointed towards the wall, rather than the window, it seems the energy is contained from within.

The runner seems to symbolize the growth and fertility that comes from the lance, the light shines on the steps and that triangular patch definately looks like a vision doesn't it. Sort of like a projection coming from outside...like a vision of the future? It almost appears to be upside down, the way it would appear on the retina of an eye. (Our brains turn the image right side up again) So the window would almost be the lens and this is the inside of an eye! I've been staring at this, sometimes it looks like one of the larger dark shapes is a rider on a rearing horse, with people spaced out behind and something like a gate. I can't tell, I've got to scan these cards and blow them up larger.