madhavendra
After a long break new cards from Harmonious deck! I tried to analyze sevens and now I know why this study group got stuck after six. These are really difficult cards, specially Swords and Pentacles. I tried to do some researches on the net, to find some more information about Walter Crane’s art but it didn’t help much. I try my best and maybe while writing I will get some ideas. So here we go-
(Amongst other meanings Sevens are telling us about loosing control over some aspects of our lives)
Seven of Wands- Two man clearly feeling the combat spirit. Right side man is dressed in white 16-17 century cloths. He is waving white handkerchief in the front of the other man’s face. It looks quite challenging. He seems to be very proud. You can see the sword sticking out of his white coat. The other man is dressed in red (well-reddish, but usually in this deck colors are not striking your eyes, they are soft and subdued.) His face is expressing anger in more clearly and straightforward way then the other guy’s expression. He is throwing away the flower he was just holding and he is showing the ground with his index finger. Over their heads you can see seven wands situated vertically, all going in one direction- towards two people. You don’t see much of the environment; in some distance the grass is merging with the sky. Could it be misty morning? As I remember from movies often the duels were taking place in early morning, to avoid problems with the law. Well-this is the movie knowledge so I don’t know how accurate it is
The message of this card is very clear- you are challenged. Now I can see that the white handkerchief could be actually not handkerchief but the glove! This is the way how you were inviting your opponent to the duel- throwing at his face your glove. My sympathy here is on the side of “red” guy. He seems to be the one who has to stand for his honor.
In RWS deck the combat is uneven. One person has to fight with 6 enemies. Here there are only two persons, but under careful observation you can see that the “white” man looks richer and stronger. His cloths, coat, hat, everything looks wealthier. He even has the spur. The “red” man (who in my opinion represents the querant) is not that well equipped, still he accepts challenge without hesitation. This is how I would interpret this card- you are going to be challenged and though your opponents, or the situation seem to be stronger then you, still you don’t refuse to fight.
That was easy
Lets go to Seven of Chalices. Card rather faithfully fallowing RWS version. Instead of young man we see as a main character young lady sitting together with young man on the soft sofa, covered with blanket. As looking at the mirror in the hand of her friend the women is arranging her hair. However the mirror instead of showing her real reflection shows reflection of old woman. It seems to me that the women doesn’t realize what she sees, somehow she is blind to the truth. The young man holding mirror sits in quite frivolous, relax manner. There is a rose laying on the grass, and behind the sofa we see lily. Then over their heads we have familiar 7 cups containing head, jewels, laurel wreath, dragon, castle, snake, and mysterious figure covered with white shroud.
Main message of this card is to be trapped between different choices, not to be able to make one. Other meaning speaks about illusion, self-deception. The girl looks at the mirror but she doesn’t see what it tells her. Probably she sees only what she wants to see. How can you be in control of the situation if you don’t accept the reality? First you have to face it, see clearly, and only then you can make the proper choice.
One more thing- in some book (I cant remember the title) I read that the 7 of Chalices is about spiritual awakening, finding the enlightenment. In the beginning this is how I was reading it, until I found other explanations that in my opinion were closer to the spirit of sevens in general. I don’t know if this interpretation is grounded in tradition, but if it is, it goes really nicely with the picture; young girl in spite of her beauty and age sees herself as a spiritual being, understanding that this material body is just a short dream, so it doesn’t really matter young or old, “vanity of vanities” …
And now here we go:
Seven of Swords and Seven of Pentacles, and I’ve got no idea how to figure them out.
Seven of Swords shows two girls facing the same direction, each of them holds in her hand lily of the valley, and they are wrapped in huge leaves. Over their heads there are 3 swords (horisontal position), and at their feet we see remaining 4 swords, scattered randomly on the ground. Traditionally this card tells us about someone stealing something from us; our ideas etc, we’ve been cheated. I’m blocked here- I don’t see it, and I need help. Maybe someone could link some other known meaning of this card to the picture?
Seven of Pentacles… I don’t even try. For that I think you’ve got to have some basic Greek mythology knowledge. I attach the pictures of cards, so if you don’t have a deck, you could still help with interpretation…please!
7 of Wands
7 of Chalices
7 of Swords
7 of Pentacles
(Amongst other meanings Sevens are telling us about loosing control over some aspects of our lives)
Seven of Wands- Two man clearly feeling the combat spirit. Right side man is dressed in white 16-17 century cloths. He is waving white handkerchief in the front of the other man’s face. It looks quite challenging. He seems to be very proud. You can see the sword sticking out of his white coat. The other man is dressed in red (well-reddish, but usually in this deck colors are not striking your eyes, they are soft and subdued.) His face is expressing anger in more clearly and straightforward way then the other guy’s expression. He is throwing away the flower he was just holding and he is showing the ground with his index finger. Over their heads you can see seven wands situated vertically, all going in one direction- towards two people. You don’t see much of the environment; in some distance the grass is merging with the sky. Could it be misty morning? As I remember from movies often the duels were taking place in early morning, to avoid problems with the law. Well-this is the movie knowledge so I don’t know how accurate it is
The message of this card is very clear- you are challenged. Now I can see that the white handkerchief could be actually not handkerchief but the glove! This is the way how you were inviting your opponent to the duel- throwing at his face your glove. My sympathy here is on the side of “red” guy. He seems to be the one who has to stand for his honor.
In RWS deck the combat is uneven. One person has to fight with 6 enemies. Here there are only two persons, but under careful observation you can see that the “white” man looks richer and stronger. His cloths, coat, hat, everything looks wealthier. He even has the spur. The “red” man (who in my opinion represents the querant) is not that well equipped, still he accepts challenge without hesitation. This is how I would interpret this card- you are going to be challenged and though your opponents, or the situation seem to be stronger then you, still you don’t refuse to fight.
That was easy
Lets go to Seven of Chalices. Card rather faithfully fallowing RWS version. Instead of young man we see as a main character young lady sitting together with young man on the soft sofa, covered with blanket. As looking at the mirror in the hand of her friend the women is arranging her hair. However the mirror instead of showing her real reflection shows reflection of old woman. It seems to me that the women doesn’t realize what she sees, somehow she is blind to the truth. The young man holding mirror sits in quite frivolous, relax manner. There is a rose laying on the grass, and behind the sofa we see lily. Then over their heads we have familiar 7 cups containing head, jewels, laurel wreath, dragon, castle, snake, and mysterious figure covered with white shroud.
Main message of this card is to be trapped between different choices, not to be able to make one. Other meaning speaks about illusion, self-deception. The girl looks at the mirror but she doesn’t see what it tells her. Probably she sees only what she wants to see. How can you be in control of the situation if you don’t accept the reality? First you have to face it, see clearly, and only then you can make the proper choice.
One more thing- in some book (I cant remember the title) I read that the 7 of Chalices is about spiritual awakening, finding the enlightenment. In the beginning this is how I was reading it, until I found other explanations that in my opinion were closer to the spirit of sevens in general. I don’t know if this interpretation is grounded in tradition, but if it is, it goes really nicely with the picture; young girl in spite of her beauty and age sees herself as a spiritual being, understanding that this material body is just a short dream, so it doesn’t really matter young or old, “vanity of vanities” …
And now here we go:
Seven of Swords and Seven of Pentacles, and I’ve got no idea how to figure them out.
Seven of Swords shows two girls facing the same direction, each of them holds in her hand lily of the valley, and they are wrapped in huge leaves. Over their heads there are 3 swords (horisontal position), and at their feet we see remaining 4 swords, scattered randomly on the ground. Traditionally this card tells us about someone stealing something from us; our ideas etc, we’ve been cheated. I’m blocked here- I don’t see it, and I need help. Maybe someone could link some other known meaning of this card to the picture?
Seven of Pentacles… I don’t even try. For that I think you’ve got to have some basic Greek mythology knowledge. I attach the pictures of cards, so if you don’t have a deck, you could still help with interpretation…please!
7 of Wands
7 of Chalices
7 of Swords
7 of Pentacles
