The Other Two
4 of Wands
This seems to invoke initiation, ceremony, with mysterious ether rising from obelisks. A phoenix rising from the eternal flame, rebirth, and a long. tiled path. Journeys and rites of death and birth.
Okay, it's not a phoenix, it's a Ba Bird symbolizing the soul freed at death to wander. My mysterious ether is Geb's semen streaming upward to impregnate Nut and create stars. So much for my theories, no wonder my husband looks at me strangely some days. More fertility, she loves to get these fertility references into the cards which I find one of the interesting points in her work.
Lots of symbolism with 4, including 4 sides to the obelisks which I missed. Order and ceremony, but a great sense of the sacred because of the 4: 4 seasons, 4 directions, 4 suits of tarot, 4 elements, and the square form of Sacred Geometry. The road of time with stones representing the 4-cornered world--I like these as symbolizing individuals fitting together in the natural order and a common direction of humankind.
The altar means undying creativity of the Universe which I like. This is one of her big themes in the deck which is why I bought it--creativity. Sex, fertility, creativity and lots of energy, it's a wonderful deck, people that don't have it are missing something pretty neat I think. (Enabling comment #456.78.)
This imagery of stepping through into new beginnings is very haunting here. This seems very hushed and meditative compared to the R-W card and yet they are saying much the same thing.
You know how sometimes in ceremonies we will bustle along with the crowd and get caught up in the community of exuberance? Well here. it's like you are stilled, and before an individual can rush along with the crowd, they have to stop and have some awareness of themselves. It's like you are suspended in one hushed portal of time so you can get the message and then swooosh, the crowd rushes in to take you up and carry you forward. Something about this hushed suspension really hit me with this card. I can't quite explain what I mean, perhaps someone else can articulate that better?
4 of Swords
(I had a few miscues here and above when looking at the symbolism but I thought I'd leave it in just to show how the visual exactness of these cards is not always discernible to older eyes.)
A wooden Egyptian sarcophagus surrounded by urns with lids in the shape of jackal, owl, human, and dog against a sky of symmetrical stars; 4 jewelled daggers meet over the centre of the coffin and light, energy, and electricity is emitted.
I get a sense of pain, of being trapped and waiting, of the continuity of the Universe and guardians. Energy rebuilding after death. The book says it symbolizes the independent hero on a courageous journey of symbolic death. We've all had periods like that, whether withstanding situations at work, home, or with our friends. Then we see public figures who testify against injustice and sufer for it. I like the look of the restful, if unhappy, visage, and all that energy igniting in his heart.
I didn't get the protector's heads right. They are a man, baboon, jackal, and falcon (owl, falcon, what's the diff!), and are the sons of Horus (I always remember Horus from the Wheel of Fortune in some decks.) 4 jars, 4 directions, 4 sons representing the 4 suits of tarot and the 4 elements.
What struck me here is that she's got the symbolism of the 4 suits tucked in here, rather like the Magician. Maybe this guy is the Magus taking a break for a time and re-energizing? Gives the card a bit more oomph doesn't it?