Oh, I'm glad some of you have taken a look at the sword hilt "crystals." It was just too much for me today. In the meantime, here is my IDS:
6 of Swords—Science
6 = highest and best (Crowley: “full establishment and balance”)
Swords = thoughts, mind
6 of Swords = The Big Picture
6 swords point to the center of circle. The points meet at the center of a rose cross which is inside the circle. The circle (and entire card) are crossed with lines making geometric figures. The lines within the circle are very organized and regular. As they go to the outer edges of the card, the lines and yellow swastikas/wings become more chaotic. The lines make a square around the center circle. Do you think this is an attempt to square the circle? (But I’m not sure what that means . . .) Crowley points out that the cross is made of 6 squares.
I get the feeling the sword hilts are all different metals, but I can’t quite figure it out. Snuffin to the rescue. He says the 6 swords are different colors for the different planets, and the Sun is represented by the cross in the center. The sixth sephiroth is the sphere of the sun. (This coordinates with the 6 of Disks, my next card, which I have looked at quite a bit because of studying the Lo Scarabeo take on it!) With my magnifying glass, I can see that each hilt is terminated with a faceted point/crystal of different numbers of sides. If you can figure out which is which planet, you can see better than I!
Snuffin says the LWB says that Frieda Harris says the lines is the background are based on a 14th century diagram showing the positions a fencer can take where he is invulnerable. Since swords are thoughts, that would be infallible logic or unassailable reasoning!
When I did my 21 Ways, I came up with the naïve meaning of “getting the point” or “coming to the point.” The rose certainly is getting the point!
Crowley says the Rosy Cross is the central secret of scientific truth, so we better try to figure out what it symbolizes. That means we must consult Mr. DuQuette. In very shortened form, DuQuette tells us that the 6 square cross represents spirit and perfection (as the sixth sephiroth, the place of the savior?) And the five-petaled rose represents humanity (five fingers, five extremities (arms, legs, and head)). The central secret is that we are both simultaneously. There is no difference between the creator and the created. Or as we say in Buddhism, the ultimate and the mundane worlds are the same world. Quite a secret, but definitely an open secret. As Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” This is the secret of the Priestess that is veiled in light. This is indeed the big picture. The VERY big picture.
Now Mercury in Aquarius. Crowley says the planet of understanding and intelligence influencing the kerub of man (the human or angel’s head in the corner of the Wheel and Hierophant symbolizing fixed air—Aquarius) means intelligence and humanity. Banzhaf says “creative thinking, thirst for knowledge, open-minded, excellent abstract thinker, pronounced intuition, humanitarian.” Definitely in the same ballpark.
In a reading: You will have the ability to see the big picture of your situation, be able to get an objective view of what is going on or what you should do. Your thoughts and morals will be balanced, and it will be easy to understand things, including spiritual things.
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I can relate to that totally (yet gardening is very magical in itself) .... sometimes one needs to search, look or expereince the same thing in a varient mode (and get some fresh air and sunshine ).