The four black corners narrow and cut down on the space on the card. you see the motif is if you were looking through something - a frame, a window, a hole in the wall. These four black triangles change the rectangular shape of the card.
When children around age four paint and draw, they often make little dots in the four corners of the paper they draw an, as though to acknowledge the borders of the format - in the first scribbling stages, they draw freely over the borders, but now they understand what a format is and how to keep inside the boundaries. Some children fill the corners with color or paint a frame. Sometimes, the frame nearly takes over the picture.
In this card, I feel the black corners are more than a sign of boundaries - the frame seems to move towards the swords, to put on additional pressure from all sides. The two swords at the side point into the corners, and from there, the black corners seem to press on them.
To me, it looks as though the swords were struggling to get free and while struggling, cutting their own life cord and losing blood. they have so little free space around them - they won't be able to free themselves.
It is a very difficult and strong image. Very expressive. The swords are definitely anthropomorphic.
What a wonderful and strong deck. Oh I love it. I had some of my most poignant readings ever with the Wild Unknown.
