Navigators of the Mystic SEA: 5 of Swords

[Little Baron]

Once again, we have quite a sharp red landscape here. Possibly the boiling up of Geburah and it's war-like home.

And once again, settling [if that is possible] in its lair, there is trouble for one of the main characters in the card.

One has been seriously wounded. And it may be result in his death. He clutches his chest in pain on the floor. This sword may have pierced his heart. Another stands above him triumphantly. He could be about to finish him off with a second sword.

Like the 'Five of Cups', there are little details here that offer different endings, depending on how you choose to view this card. Even though he has been stabbed, the young man still has a loose hold on his own sword. There is still hope that he will escape this situation with both his life and a good fight. But for now, in this second's snap-shot, we concentrate on the pain and humiliation he is probably feeling.

And I suspect that this pain is mental. Just because someone may have used words rather than an actual sword, does not limit the amount of pain that is inflicted and therefore felt. I have been cruel on many occasions and said things that have hurt others. In turn, I have also felt the blow of conversations geared to attack and hurt. These, of course, do not have have to be arguments. They might be a twist of the knife, not so dramatic in their choice of delivery.

Off to look at the book entry and discover who the little green lizard is.

LB

 

[Papageno]

the 2 crossed swords in the background suggests the St. Andrews Cross, suffering and martyrdom.

the green lizard (to me) is flame, blood lust that wounds but doesn't kill, there is suffering but no death. there's a strong element of sadism here. the tail rests on the victims sword suggesting regeneration. just as a lizards tail will grow back, the blood lust will recycle the hate and rolls may be reversed. it's a particularly disturbing 5 of swords.

 

[rainwolf]

I thought this meditation on her website was particularly interesting. Her views on this card are different somewhat than our traditional views and of views we've said so far:

Accepting constant change makes us flexible and able to make sensible decisions to improve our lives in the here and now.