Experiments with "Eye Rhythms" in the Dodal

[Le Fanu]

I rather like the pose of the King of Coins. There is something comforting, homely about it, not defensive or suspicious at all (like the King of Swords), rather like daddy at home in his slippers. Not cocky exactly, but someone entirely at ease with himself, at ease in his body...

 

[Herzog]

November 21st

 

[Herzog]

Borrowing from the brilliant observation made by Enrique Enriquez, the floral arrangement that surrounds the woman rhymes with the scimitars in the nine swords. So what does this say about the red sword that pierces through the cage? Is she finally exerting herself? has she figured out a way to use all her surrounding means; creativity, intellect, emotion and material well being, to push through a barrier?

I see a naked woman who is preparing to fight. There is distance between the two flowers on the six batons. The woman seems interested in the thick weave which separates them. The flowers look like two people who have been separated and the woman is alone now and reflecting on how to close the gap or break it down. She needs to step out out of the enclosure which isolates her. By force if necessary.

 

[Le Fanu]

That analogy between the wreath of the world and the enclosure made by the swords says it all, really, doesn't it? And with the sword bursting out and the parted wings over the world wreath and the flower bursting, pushing up into the top of the 6 of Wands, we have a perfect rhythm here, don't we?

Something forced through - gently at first. Or blossoming. Some boundaries broken through and I get the sense that maybe there is something triumphant about a breakthrough.

(I do love that furry sword blade).

Or...

She holds a wand and has her eyes set on the wand, while turning away from the swords. Does she contemplate a more stealthy way of doing something than the forceful puncturing which the Sword implies? As if the flower is mightier than the sword. If this were asking for advice, the answer would be; don't use force, perhaps?

I do love the way we have a flower and a sword point symmetrically placed at the top of the flanking cards.

 

[Herzog]

I do love the way we have a flower and a sword point symmetrically placed at the top of the flanking cards.

I didn't notice that... good call


Looking at it again, she may need to be more flexible. Notice how stiff those wands are and how the swords curve.

It's a flexing motion and it feels like a deep breath being taken.

 

[Le Fanu]

That's nice, I like that... she has her gaze set on stiffness, and grasps stiffness, when what may be required is the flexibility (I'm thinking whippy, rapier-like blades) of the sword.

I'd love to know what the question was!

 

[Le Fanu]

Another spread...

Swords dominate, especially the juxtaposition of the erect sword and the inclined sword. I think the movement of the spread, the movement of a potential reading would be centered on this juxtaposition. Sword upright and motionless, sword leaning and in movement, away from the Cups. Thought inclining away from feeling? The Cups are neat and tidy and very well organised, very well divided up into their respective spaces, like animals in a pen, so no cup interferes with another cup.

One pair of eyes is fixed on the organisation, the order, while the Knight turns his back and moves away. I cannot pinpoint it exactly but the yellow of the central King's tunic, the bending patterns on his shoulder, upper arms, lower chest, seem to echo the controlling vines of the 9 of Cups (and a little flower on his right shoulder confirms this, and he has his own little vine at the base of his throne. Perhaps we see the controlling element of the King of Swords bleeding into the suit of Cups here?)

There is bending and floridness - floridity? - which contrasts with the straightness of Swords. The Knight of Sword's shoulder pad has that intriguing face which has its eyes fixed on point of the King's sword. Much going on here. A lot of interaction.

The overall feel of the spread is one of rejecting order, rejecting control, inclining away from these things and heading off into the unknown.

 

[Herzog]

 

[Herzog]

One man moves forward, and another sits. Action and inaction. Let's say the man moving forward is determined and on a mission while the seated man reflects on say a group of people. This seems to suggest two opposing viewpoints concerning the "party". We can say the King is more sympathetic toward the group as his crown and armor rhyme with the flowers of the nine cups. The Knight assumes a more antagonistic stance, ready to fight or handle the situation more aggressively. The young knight looks for alternate solutions while the older king, being more experienced decides to handle things diplomatically.

If we are looking at aggression verses diplomacy then diplomacy may stand a better chance at resolving the issue. The "flower" rhymes seem to suggest this.

 

[Herzog]

Those warm friendly cups really stand out against those normally cold, detached men. And why so many cups? The king throws up his defenses and the knight attacks, but in the opposite direction... where?


had the knight turned up to the right of all those cups we'd be looking at something entirely different like fighting off an "infection."