Can anyone tell me about the Finger Gesture?

I would like to know about a couple of cards in the RWS The Hierophant and the 10 of Swords in both cards the figure are holding up 2 fingers, can anyone explain to me the meaning of it or what the 2 fingers stand for.
Thanks.

It's a sign of blessing priests make.

My understanding is that it symbolizes what is known (the two extended fingers) and what is unknown (the two lowered fingers). I don't know if it's the "official" explanation, but it's fitting in my mind with the meanings of the Hierophant and 10 of Swords. I think there's an explanation of it in 78 Degrees of Wisdom.

the finger gesture and palmistry

In palmistry the two raised fingers come from the concious side of the hand...the two lowered fingers come from the unconcious.

This may also indicate the gesture indicates there is both much known and much unknown about the topic at hand....

Just a thought.

The Hierophant's right hand also bears the sign of the cross which surely are symbol's of commitmetrnt and the ability to bring the teachings of heaven down to earth.and to raise the consciousness of those on earth up to heaven. The fingers of the same hand point up and below to reiterate this.

As others have said it is a sign of Benediction/blessing. The Blessing hand also appears in the V1 Pentacles. Prayer in what ever form one prays (work is a prayer) it goes up and blessings comes down. The reason it appears on the 10 of Swords is apparently the slain man is making the sign of Benediction as a sign of forgiveness in the light that now it is 'time to heal' and forgiveness is a part of that process. ~Rosanne

I've seen this hand sign referred to as both the sign of blessing, and as the sign of esotericism. Both examples are used in the Tarot. As a sign of blessing the palm is out; as a sign of esotericism the palm is concealed.

The origin of the sign used in the RWS comes from the ancient Romans, from whom the Roman Catholic Church adopted it. It was originally known as the hand of Jupiter, and was used to avert the evil eye. It had three raised fingers and two lowered. If you look carefully at all three cards mentioned from the RWS deck, you can see that three fingers are actually raised - the thumb, index finger, and middle finger - and the last two are lowered. From the church's standpoint, the three upraised fingers represent the 3(Trinity) which triumphs over the 2(Duality).

-fof

Thanks everybody for clarifing to me what the 2 finger gesture stand for. I have to admit that sometimes when i look at the gesture in the cards it make me feel uncomfortable.

The gesture of the RWS Hierophant has several meanings to it:

• I swear I have spoken the truth
• You are benedicted through the powers of the Lord above
• Friendship or Relationship
• Sword fingers (martial arts): Energy discharge

On RWS Ten Swords I cannot find any gesture but a twisted hand



maya

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T A R O C C H I
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In Sandra Thomson's Pictures From the Heart-A Tarot Dictionary she writes under the ten of swords..

" The man's right hand forms the Japanese " kichijo-in " mudra ( symbolic finger position ) symbolizing good fortune of joy. " She goes on to explain that in Japanese mudra theory that the fingers represent chakras.

I always explain that to the seeker when this card comes up on the spread.