firemaiden
Severed head notwithstanding, the character description Crowley gives for the Queen of Swords is, of all the court cards, the most kind:
In my spoof reading A scourge of gnomes I used only one card -- the Thoth Queen of Swords. Playing a very long time with the images on the card, I eventually came to see therein an association with the mandrake plant, especially when the card is reversed.
Now this was meant initially as a volontarily preposterous but humourous camel-through-the-eye-of-a-needle series of associations with the card imagery, however, in the process, I fairly convinced myself that there was some correlation of the card to the mandrake.
I began to see the green geometric shapes above her head as leaves, and the baby's head rising above hers, as a the mandrake fruit. The rays of light emanating from her, began to look like the pullies used to uproot the mandrake.
In the Thoth-based Tarot of the Hidden Folk, the Queen of Swords is directly inspired by Crowley's - a queen with a severed head on her lap, she is crowned by a crescent of white flowers, identical to those of the mandrake in this famous engraving
Whether or not any correlation of the Queen of Swords to the Mandrake was intended, it makes a marvelous joke with his flattering character analysis of the card. I think it has been said that he considered himself to be a queen of swords --
The mandrake however, is mythologically a foul-smelling poisonous plant which screams when uprooted so terribly that it drives the hearer insane if it does not kill him, and can only be harvested by black dogs .
A supreme joke, if this describes what Crowley truly thought of the Queen of Swords - as a poisonous bitter woman whose constant shrieking will to drive you insanity ...
The person symbolized by this card should be intensely perceptive, a keen observer, a subtle interpreter, an intense individualist, swift and accurate at recording ideas; in action confident, in spirit gracious and just. Her movements will be graceful, and her ability in dancing and balancing exceptional.
In my spoof reading A scourge of gnomes I used only one card -- the Thoth Queen of Swords. Playing a very long time with the images on the card, I eventually came to see therein an association with the mandrake plant, especially when the card is reversed.
Now this was meant initially as a volontarily preposterous but humourous camel-through-the-eye-of-a-needle series of associations with the card imagery, however, in the process, I fairly convinced myself that there was some correlation of the card to the mandrake.
I began to see the green geometric shapes above her head as leaves, and the baby's head rising above hers, as a the mandrake fruit. The rays of light emanating from her, began to look like the pullies used to uproot the mandrake.
In the Thoth-based Tarot of the Hidden Folk, the Queen of Swords is directly inspired by Crowley's - a queen with a severed head on her lap, she is crowned by a crescent of white flowers, identical to those of the mandrake in this famous engraving
Whether or not any correlation of the Queen of Swords to the Mandrake was intended, it makes a marvelous joke with his flattering character analysis of the card. I think it has been said that he considered himself to be a queen of swords --
The mandrake however, is mythologically a foul-smelling poisonous plant which screams when uprooted so terribly that it drives the hearer insane if it does not kill him, and can only be harvested by black dogs .
A supreme joke, if this describes what Crowley truly thought of the Queen of Swords - as a poisonous bitter woman whose constant shrieking will to drive you insanity ...