Renaissance Tarot

4 of Wands

2009-10-24T19:55:00.002+01:00

Against the fiery orange background of the Wands suit we see a bundle of 4 wands neatly tied together with a green ribbon. The wands are budding and at the sides of the cards are 2, ripe stems of golden wheat.

This is a card of harvest. It's a 4 so it's about rest and consolidation. This card says that the initial work has been done and it's been done successfully so now is the time to pat yourself on the back and take a well earned break. The potential for more growth and success is there as shown by the buds on the wands and also by the green ribbon. This is a time of celebration, for the work you've done and the good things that you've started and also for the anticipation of further success in the future.
It's a pause on the journey, a time to get your breath back and get ready for what's coming next.
Fire can't be contained for too long so this really is a short respite.

5 of Cups

2009-10-24T19:40:00.003+01:00

A figure stands straight on but looks to his right or our left. His hands are held by his sides and in each hand is a golden goblet. In front of the figure lie 3 more cups in a row, one of them between the figure's feet, the other 2 just to the outside of each foot. These ones are upturned.

He almost looks as if he's managed to catch the 2 upright cups before they fall. He looks to the left and to the past; maybe he's still focusing on the upset that has caused the cups to spill, he hasn't had chance yet to focus on the 2 cups that he's 'saved'.

Fives are cards of upset and change. They're related to The Hierophant and Temperance (also 5s), so not only do they speak of upset and change but they also speak of learning experiences and of spiritual growth.
I like to think of the 5s in tarot as 'blessing in disguise' cards. They're awful to live through but without them we'd be stuck in the stability but also the stagnation of the 4s.
Fives are spiritual lessons.

So here we have the 5 of Cups. 2 Cups have been saved but I get the feeling that the guy who has saved them is still focusing on the cups that he no longer has. He will eventually realise that all is not lost.
This is not just a card of disappointment and loss to me, it's also a card which speaks of scattered emotions.

8 of Wands

2007-10-16T14:50:00.000+01:00

Against the usual burnt orange background of the suit of Wands we see a stack of 7 horizontal wands.
In front of the wands is the figure of a man who is looking upwards and has his arms raised towards an eighth wand which he seems to be manouvering into it's place at the top of the pile.

The first thing I thought of when I saw this card was that things were falling into place. The man looks as if the wand is actually going to fall on his head if he isn't careful.

Eights are also about organising and sorting things out after the challenges of the sevens. They are about finding a balance again and this is also what this guy could be doing - he's sorting out the wands that were crossed behind him in the seven.

Often this card is about things speeding up and rushing to a close but I don't really get that RWS style meaning from this card at all, although if the wands were falling down upon him then that could give some impression of speed.

The Tower XVI

2007-09-30T17:35:00.000+01:00

The dreaded Tower card.

I actually really like this depiction of The Tower, I find it very easy on the eye.

Once again we see the theme of symmetry that seems so prevalent throughout this deck.

Against a deep brown background we see a golden tower. Lightning strikes the top of it which appears to be blown almost completely off and fire emerges from what's left of the tower.
On top of the tower (the bit that's being blown off) is a small purple flag with the symbol of Mars on it.
Falling from the tower are a golden female and male form, their bodies are curved and their arms are outstretched towards the floor.
They are surrounded by tiny spheres of black, red, white and gold - maybe a meteor shower, maybe the rubble from the stricken tower.
On the side of the tower is a large cross which looks a little like one of those slits used to fire arrows from but the sign of the cross brings to mind the notion of divine intervention or a sign or revelation sent from God or the Heavens.

I find it significant that in this depiction of The Tower there is no door so I presume that the people who are now falling from it's battlements were in fact prisoners inside.
Did they construct the tower themselves? Is it a prison of their own making which now they are free from?
It's this notion that makes me see The Tower as quite a positive card.
Yes, the tower has been destroyed by something completely out of the blue and it's occupants are now plummeting towards the earth but maybe The Tower needed to come down so that they could finally be free of it's constraints.

This then is numerically linked to The Chariot (they are both sevens), yet The Tower seems to be the antithesis of The Chariot which is a card about taking control. In The Tower control is taken away and we are in the hands of the gods....
Maybe this is why it's seen as such a scary card, as being out of control is the utmost in scariness for many people.

Comments about the significance of the Mars symbol are appreciated as astrology is not a strong point of mine.
Mars is a planet of war methinks...

The Wand Court

2007-09-30T17:18:00.001+01:00

As promised, I thought it may be a good idea to compare the court cards and see if we can see any progression through them
I've laid them out in a row and the first thing that I notice is that the Princess/Page and the Knight face each other yet the Queen and King face away from each other.
Looking at this another way, the two female courts, the Princess and the Queen look at each other and so do the two male courts, the Knight and the King.
I'm not sure of the significance of this or even if there is any significance but I did notice it straight away.

The female courts are decorated with sunflowers whilst the male courts have some bell shaped flowers, maybe fresias decorating them.

In my thinking the Princess becomes the Queen and so is a younger, less mature version of her and the Knight becomes the King so he has kingly qualities that maybe aren't yet apparent.

The king and queen are both pictured with dragons, maybe to symbolise their maturity whilst the Princess and Knight are pictured with lions heads, linking them to the astrological sign on Leo.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the similarities, differences and progression of these courts...

Queen of Wands

2007-09-07T13:32:00.000+01:00

Well I thought that I'd take a look at the last of the Wands Court cards then maybe do a thread comparing the 4.

The keywords I tend to use for Queens are 'understanding, reflective, nurturing and balanced'
I think that in all of the suits, the queen is the most balanced of the courts. She has a deep understanding of her element and uses that understanding and knowledge wisely for both herself and for others.

Here we have the Wand Queen.
As usual with the Wands suit, she's pictured against a burnt orange background (fiery and hot).
Behind her are sunflowers - again making me think of heat and summer. Sunflowers are also happy looking flowers which grow to a great hight and so are strong and stand out from the crowd.

This lady holds her wand in her right (active) hand and her breast in her left hand.
She is looking closely at her want and I think that this reflects her ambitious and goal oriented nature.
I think that the hand cupping her breast is a very sexual gesture and makes me think that this is a lady who is confident and completely in tune with her sexual nature. She's a sexy woman and she knows it... Maybe this scares some men off - I'm sure it attracts plenty though.

She's pictured with a dragon who's tail turns into a flame.
Dragons are mythological creatures who are brave and daring and are closely associated with the fire element (due to them being able to breathe the stuff).
The little white book says this:
'Legends involving the slaying of dragons describe the triumph of the conscious mind over unconscious fears and behaviour patterns'
I like that and I think that it shows well the personality of this queen.

Princess of Wands

2007-09-02T12:50:00.000+01:00

Against the burnt orange background of the suit of Wands we see a young fire spirit who could be male or female.

Behind her head at the top of the card are sunflowers which makes me think that she is a Princess who will later grow into a Queen (the Queen also has sunflowers decorating her card whilst the male Wands courts have bell shaped flowers that I can't identify).
Below her is a lion's head breathing fire - linking the card to the fire element and also to the astrological sign of Leo..

She holds a large 'wand' above her head with both hands and to me it looks as if she has just discovered the wand and is holding it jubilantly as if to say 'look what I've got'.

Pages and Princesses show beginnings so this could be the beginning of action or the thought that precedes the action - she's deciding just what to do with the wand she's found.
She could also indicate the beginnings of the qualities of the wands suit.
She is courageous, adventurous and quite fearless.
She's a child of action and probably enjoys the outdoors and gets involved in all sorts of active games and adventures.
Like all of the Fire courts, she has a short attention span and gets bored with things quite quickly.
I can imagine her to be popular but she has a quick temper - quick in that she blows up quickly but she'll quickly forgive and forget so doesn't hold grudges.
She's one of those children who can be a bit of a handful.

8 of Swords

2007-08-27T13:04:00.000+01:00

This card reminds me very much of the Rider-Waite-Smith version of the card.

Against the violet background of the Swords suit we see a person surrounded by swords.
His hands are behind his back, presumably they are bound together and around him are eight downward pointing swords.
Two of the swords are embedded in the ground right in front of his feet.
He looks downcast.

I think of this card as the 'white noise' card.
This is a card about being and feeling trapped, trapped by one's thoughts.
Eights to me are related to Justice and so are about balance and in the Eight of Swords we see thoughts or communication that is out of balance.
This card is about having so many thoughts in your head (white noise) that you don't know which way to go and so are paralysed by your own sense of indecision.
The advice of this card then is to try to still your mind so that movement towards some sort of balance can be achieved.

6 of Cups

2007-08-18T13:55:00.000+01:00

When I first got this deck and was looking through the cards, this card really struck a chord with me, it made me say 'Ahhhh'.

Here we see the unconditional love that a parent has for their child.
Surrounded by 6 golden cups we see a very young child hand in hand with an adult. To me this looks like father and son. The adult's hand rests lovingly on the child's head and the child gazes up into his fathers face.
There is a real innocence and trust in this card, it's lovely.

Sixes are about balance, harmony and sharing. I think of the sixes as a sort of plateau that comes just over half way through the suit and directly follows the upset of the fives.
The sixes are stable yet not as static as the fours. The sixes are a good place to be and it's not every really necessary to move away from the sixes (unless you choose to).

Sixes are related to The Lovers and are about our relationships with others. They are about communication and interaction and they are also about choices.
So amongst it's other meanings of emotional well-being, sharing feelings and love, nostalgia and tenderness, the Six of Cups is about the choices we make to re-establish emotional stability following the grief and disappointment of the Five of Cups.

The Star XVII

2007-08-09T19:58:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favourite cards in the deck, it's beautiful and it's no wonder it was chosen as the card to grace the deck's box.

Against a deep blue sky we see a naked young woman standing on what looks like a rock. She is slim, long-limbed and willowy, her long hair hangs loose around her face.
In her hands she holds two golden, jewel-encrusted goblets and from each goblet pours a stream of liquid.
The liquid from both goblets meet on the rock's surface where it becomes green and leaves seem to to grow from the stream.
Above the woman's head is a circle made up of seven small stars and an eighth larger star shines brightly in the centre of the circle just behind the woman's head.

I've never really thought of the significance of eight stars in most Star cards but I feel as if I should know what that significance is as I look at this card.
The Star to me is the light at the end of the tunnel. It comes straight after the destruction of The Tower and so signifies hope.
Stars are those magical things that we wish upon and they have guided many a sailor or traveler on his way.
The Star says that everything will be ok if only we believe that it will.

The Star is also a card of healing.
Here we see a young woman or maybe she's a Goddess, pouring liquid onto a barren and cold looking rock. The liquid is sprouting leaves, it seems impossible but it's true.
The star maiden pours out her life giving fluid with great generosity. It seems as if the goblets will not run dry.
The Star has appeared in readings for me and it's message has been to give of myself freely and I will get back what I give out.
It's number is seventeen - 1 + 7 = 8 the number of Justice - a card that also tells you that you will reap what you sow so if you want the Universe and the people in it to treat you well then you should give out what you want to get back.
The Star says to be gentle with yourself and with others, be generous and folks will in turn be generous to you.

So any ideas about those eight stars?

9 of Pentacles

2007-08-03T16:14:00.000+01:00

I LOVE this card.

Here we see 2 branches cut from a tree, both in full 'flower' with the flowers being coins or pentacles. There are 9 of them.
The branches are held together but not tied together at their base by a golden ribbon and are joined at the top by a single pentacle which seems to be cradled by leaves from both plants.

Nines are about completion and to me speak of the pause before the push into the next cycle, ended and begun by the Ten.
Nine is when we stop and look back at where we have been and at how we have got to where we are. They are related to The Hermit and show the accumulation of a cycle of events or knowledge.
Because they are related to The Hermit they are often quite lonely cards and are about a sense of completion and maturity that comes from within.

So here we see the near culmination of the Pentacles suit.
After the movement towards balance and progress shown in the eight we now see the blossoming of the nine.
This is a time when we have what we need and what we've worked for in the previous cards. Often in this card we see a lady in a garden. She is wealthy and disciplined and has all she wants yet she is cut off, perhaps by the very things she has worked so hard for.
This is a card then of looking at what we have and at what we've worked for and for assessing how we got these things and how we got to the point we're at now.
A time for looking back and also for looking forward.
The single Pentacle at the top to me is the lady in the garden. She has everything she wants and needs, physically but she is separated from others by her very success.

This card came up as an advice card for me recently and it clearly told me to stop worrying about others and what they have and focus on myself (that single pentacle at the top).

I've included images of the lady in her garden from the Rider-Waite-Smith card and also of the 9 de Deniers from the Heron Conver as this TdM version really reminds me of the Renaissance Tarot version in the way it cradles the central coin.

Death XIII

2007-07-26T12:24:00.001+01:00

The dreaded Death card.
I like this version a lot, mainly because I love the phoenix and it makes it a lot less scary when reading for other people.
I don't think I've read for anyone who hasn't turned pale at the site of the skeleton with his scythe.
With this Death card, I don't think that folks would even notice it too much.

Against a deep purple background we see a very large golden phoenix. It's emerging from flames with it's wings unfolded and a very impressive sight it is too.
He looks to his left (our right) and to the future.
Below the phoenix is a sort of pewter coloured plinth which is engraved with a central skull and cross-bones flanked by 2 griffins, each one looking towards the edge of the card and away from the skull and cross-bones.
It almost looks as if the plinth is a coffin or sarcophagus and the phoenix is rising from it.
The physical body may be dead but the soul lives on.

The phoenix is a symbol of rebirth and tells us that things have to die and to come to an end before rebirth and new growth can happen.
Death is the one certainty in life and without it, there would be stagnation.

I'm not too sure about the significance of the griffins (will have to go and look them up) but the other card that features griffins in this deck is The Chariot.

The skull and cross-bones is a sort of warning sign to me as it's usually seen on the Jolly Roger, the pirate flag. Here I think it's just a reference back to the traditional skeleton usually seen on Death cards. I have a feeling there is more significance to it than that but it's escaping me.

Griffins anyone?

OK griffins.
In the thread about this card on ATF, Enchanted has mentioned that griffins having the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle make her think of the qualities of bravery, strength and courage - all qualities needed to meet death (as we've just seen in the finale of the Harry Potter books).
This also ties the griffins in with The Chariot card which also contains griffins and is also about strength, bravery and courage.
I like that, especially the connection to Harry Potter and Griffindor House.

2 of Pentacles

2007-07-25T15:18:00.001+01:00

Against the usual lush green background of the Pentacles suit we see a golden figure with arms outstretched diagonally.
He holds a coin or pentacle in each hand and his right hand (which he is looking towards) is higher than his left.

If he just had the one coin he would look (to me anyway) like a basketball player when they do that trick of rolling the ball from one hand to the other.

This certainly looks like a difficult posture to hold. He really is balancing those coins, unable to put either one down for fear of dropping the other and that reflects very well the meaning of this card.
Two's are about balance, choices, the coming together of 2 things and here he could be choosing between one physical thing and another, deciding which is the most important or he could be carefully balancing both things.

I like the way his feet are planted very firmly on the earth - that's the way I see them anyway.
This tells me that even if he is balancing the 2 coins and this is taking great skill, he's coping with it well and he's well grounded.
He doesn't look like he's going to drop them.

This card turned up in a reading for me last week and the meaning was one of those strange, literal meanings that come straight from the image.
I asked 'Why is my husband late' - he was on his way back from woriking in Prague and I pulled this card.
I took it to mean he was still flying and he was... The image just made me think of a plane... Don't you just love it when Tarot does that?

The Wheel of Fortune X

2007-07-24T15:21:00.000+01:00

I really like this Wheel card.

Against a pale blue background we see a golden eight spoked wheel.
The spokes in the middle look almost like an eight pointed star.
Around the outside of the wheel is a black serpent which forms a perfect circle, it's mouth is open and it appears to be swallowing it's own tale.
As well as the snake, two figures appear to be attached to the wheel, although no ropes bind them to it. There is one person on either side (once again there is perfect symmetry here - this seems to be a theme in this deck). The two figures make me think of the two pillars that we often see in the Tarot's Major Arcana.
Both figures are blindfolded and the one on the left has his head upward whilst the one on the right seems to be heading towards the bottom of the wheel and has his head facing downwards - I say 'his' but it's impossible to tell the sex of these two people.
In the top corners of the card we see an angel and a golden bird and in the bottom corners we see a bull and a lion. All of these creatures are pictured with red ribbons - I'm unsure as to the significance of these ribbons and the exact meaning of the four creatures also seems to be evading me.

I really like the way the wheel has a star at it's centre. It makes me think of hope: Even when things are getting very bad, the wheel will keep turning and things will get better.
The eight-spoked wheel makes me think of The Wheel of the year and so reminds us that time is never ending and that everything has a beginning and an end.
The snake reinforces this message.

Some more thoughts:
I knew that the significance of the creatures in the corners of the cards would come to me and they have
I have a feeling that they represent the elements and also that they represent the 4 fixed signs of the Zodiac (although my knowledge of astrology is minimal to say the least )
Bull / Taurus - element - Earth
Eagle (the little white book says it's also a phoenix) / Scorpio - Fire and I would also say representing the element of Air
Man / Aquarius - Water and I would also say representing the element of Earth
Lion / Leo - Fire

'Spiritual Tarot' by Echols, Mueller and Thomson says that 'they represent the unchanging reality in which the rotation of events takes place' - I quite like that.

King of Pentacles

2007-07-16T15:09:00.000+01:00

Wow what a lovely card.
I think that all of the Pentacles courts are gorgeous in this deck and like the courts in the other suits, they appear simpler than they actually are.

The background of this card is the deep, rich green of the Pentacles suit. It instantly makes me think of the Earth element and so of new growth, fertility, luck and money.
The King of Pentacles looks straight out of the card at the reader and he holds his coin or pentacle firmly yet gently in both hands.
He wears the crown of kingship on his head and is surrounded by mature oak leaves and acorns.
Below him are 2 mythical creatures that I can only imagine are supposed to be some sort of earth spirit.
I usually think of gnomes when I think of the elemental creatures of earth so I'm not too sure about these but their bull-like heads make me think of the astrological sign of Taurus so they do seem quite 'earthy'.

The Golden Dawn system for the courts sees the Kings as fire.
I have a system that works well for me and I think of the kings as representing the Earth element. They are experienced and mature and manifest the qualities of their suit in the real world.
So to me this king is Earth of Earth and this card conveys that very well.

The acorns and oakleaves show maturity. This is a guy who knows the value of a buck and he's successful too. All that dedication, stubbornness and grafting of his days as a knight have paid off and now he can reap the rewards.
He's not only a successful businessman, he's also a family man and like all the Pentacles courts, he enjoys the outdoors and loves being physical and getting out into the real world.
He is practical, good with his hands but also enjoys the finer things in life.
He looks kind and fatherly to me and I think he would be one of the more approachable kings in the Tarot.

The Hermit IX

2007-07-13T14:44:00.000+01:00

The Hermit is one of my favourite cards in most decks and this one is no exception.

This Hermit looks quite mysterious as his face is only just visible underneath the hood of his cloak and his cloak seems very, very black.
He stands facing left which I always associate with the past beneath a bare and spindly tree.
In his left hand he holds a staff which he leans on and in his right hand he holds a lantern.
I love the way the inside of his cloak is silver suggesting a light shining from within to lead the way.
On the tree sits a bird with a white head. The little white book describes it as a white headed raven (never heard of one of those) and it is said to represent the enlightenment and wisdom to be gained through what may be a challenging and lonely time.

The Hermit is both a seeker and a guide.
He has age on his side and has gained much experience during his lifetime. He is the wise old man who keeps himself apart from society so that he can concentrate fully on his search for enlightenment or on his own spiritual quest.
Despite being a loner and obviously preferring to be alone, The Hermit is not averse to guiding others who stray into his wilderness and in most cultures the figure of The Hermit is seen as kindly and as someone who is quite willing to share his knowledge if you ask nicely.

The number nine comes right at the end of the one - ten number sequence and to me it signifies completion or almost completion.
Nine speaks of a time when we look back at our journey (just as the hermit does) and assess how we got to where we are and also look forward to the future and plan how we're going to progress to the next phase of our journey.
This is a time of pause, of aloneness and of looking within. A time to feel proud of where you are now and also a time of planning for the future.

Judgement XX

2007-07-10T14:25:00.000+01:00

This is one of the simpler Major Arcana cards in this deck.
Against a pale pink / lilac background we see an angel. The angel is blowing a large trumpet shaped horn and a pale blue flag hangs from the horn.
The flag has a golden symbol on it which the little white book says is the symbol for Pluto - "the planet of rebirth and transformation".
Below the angel are 4 winged hearts.

The hearts seem to represent souls answering the call of the angel and replace the people emerging from coffins that most Judgement cards depict.

So this is a time to answer a call.
A new beginning.
A turning point or crossroads.
A time to look back and decide what you want to leave behind and what you want to take forward.
Could it also be a time when you will need to atone for sins of the past?

The Lovers VI

2007-07-07T14:34:00.000+01:00

Well for such a minimal deck I'd say that a lot of the majors are packed with symbolism and this card is a prime example of that.

Against a black background we see 'the lovers'.
The man is golden and has a sun as his head and the woman is silver and has a moon for her head.
The sun-man wears a silver moon pendant around his neck and the moon-woman wears a golden sun pendant around hers.
They are holding hands; her right hand is holding his left and her left hand is holding his right.
She is gazing at him whilst he looks ahead and out of the card.
White and red roses grow up the sides of the image and flying above them both is a golden cherubic angel with a bow and arrow which is aimed somewhere between the two of them.

This card makes me instantly think of yin and yang.
In the yin-yang symbol which symbolises the universe the black yin side holds a seed of the white yang and the white yang side holds a seed of the black yin.
Neither can exist without each other and they complete each other.
The same with this image.
She has his solar symbol around her neck and he has her lunar symbol around his neck.
They are a union of male and female, of opposites.
The white and red roses make me think of spirituality and physicallity united too.

What a lovely card.

3 of Swords

2007-07-05T19:20:00.000+01:00

Hurray a 3 of Swords card without rain or a bleeding heart pierced by swords.
Ooh I really don't like that RWS image that seems to have found it's way into so many other Tarot decks.
I dislike it because it is so one dimensional. It shows one meaning for the 3 of Swords but there are so many more and they don't all involve heartache and sorrow.

So here we have the usual violet background of the Swords suit and against it we see three swords with their blades pointing upwards.
2 swords are crossed and the third crosses them both.
To the left of the swords we see a blue heart and to the right of the swords we see another blue heart but this one is upside down.
What an interesting image.

The stalemate and peace of the two has been broken by the third sword so this card could simply mean that a decision has been reached.
The balance has been broken and this could be happy or sorrowful.
The two hearts tell me that the emotions which were blocked or ignored in the Two are involved again.
Threes are related to The Empress and are expressive, expansive and productive.
This card could be advising us to say what we think, stop holding things in, even if it hurts.

Enchanted on ATF has noted that the 2 hearts are different colours.
It looks to me as if the 2 hearts are trying to come together but they are being prevented from doing so by the three swords.
Could this signify a love triangle which is how I've seen others interpret this card?
I also think that it could show that before the 2 hearts come together the 3 of Swords has to happen, something has to be said or brought out into the open.
The tentative peace or stalemate of the 2 has to be broken by that third sword.

2 of Swords

2007-06-30T16:31:00.000+01:00

Against a violet background we see a set of perfectly balanced scales. Below the scales are two upward pointing swords with their blades crossed.

This is one of those cards that (to me anyway) seems to have a few different meanings and this card shows them all very well.

This could be two points of view coming together, it could be two ideas in your head together.
We have these two points of view or two sides of an argument or discussion held in perfect balance creating a stalemate. This is something that can't go on forever, the scales will have to tip one way or the other sooner or later.. It's a delicate balance creating a time of peace (for now) but not a peace that can last.
Once again, as a two the card relates to The High Priestess and shows us a time of pause and of introspection, that time just before a decision is made when it is still held in balance.

As well as showing 2 points of view or 2 thoughts this image could also just simply show the time when we decide what to do with the energy presented to us in the Ace.
The Ace is the 'light-bulb moment', the moment when we become conscious of a new idea but also see it's potential for success, it's all there in front of us, if only we can decide what to do with it.
And this card is that process, the decision making.
It's a time when we weigh up our various options before we finally make the decision that then becomes the three.

I think that it's also possible to relate this to the RWS image where we see a blindfolded woman holding two crossed swords with her back to the ocean. The RWS image speaks not only of stalemate and of an uneasy peace but also of a refusal to see the emotional side of something. The blindfolded woman refuses to acknowledge the emotional issues and focuses just on logic.
The fact that the two swords in this image are crossed could also point to something being blocked out too although not so much as with the RWS version.

Just to add to this, the crossed swords blocking out those emotions could also be seen in a protective way. They are shielding us from our emotions.
This links this card well with the Marseilles version of the card in which we see two curved swords, interlinked at either end and creating an enclosure in which a beautiful flower blooms. The swords protect the flower just as the crossed swords protect the initial idea or even protect us from our emotions which could interfere with the decision making process.
Does that make sense?

7 of Cups

2007-06-28T12:38:00.000+01:00

I think this is the only Minor Arcana card (apart from the courts) that depicts a mythical being and not a human.

Against a blue background we see a mermaid.
She is surrounded by golden cups and has her arms raise so as to encompass the 4 upermost cups. She seems to be holding 2 of them.

I'm thinking that the mermaid links this card to the realms of fantasy and that's why she is there instead of a human being.
The sevens to me are about overcoming obstacles. They relate to The Chariot and to me they often speak of turning the obstacles we come across into stepping stones.
The sevens are also very magical numbers and are about looking within and testing ourselves - initiation if you like.

So here we have an emotional challenge and the challenge seems to involve a choice.
The challenge seems to me to be to keep things real and not get lost in the land of fantasy.
This card is also about looking within, to see how you really feel and so discover what you really want out of something.

I have had this card show up in readings before as a card of advice and I have taken the image quite literally and advised the person I was reading for to visualise what they want, as if it has already happened (a little bit of magic here).
I like the fact that there is a mermaid on this card as mermaids are very magical creatures so that re-enforces that meaning for me.

4 of Swords

2007-06-26T14:21:00.000+01:00

Against a violet background we see 4 horizontal swords.
They are are arranged so that the first one pints to the left, the second to the right, the third to the left and the fourth to the right.
Each sword blade is wrapped in blue ribbon.

This is a peaceful card that to me, signifies a time of pause. It's a time to get your thoughts in order and to rest before you decide which way to go next.
This is a time to still the mind and recover after the action or upset of the three.
It's a card of rest and recuperation and sometimes meditation.

The ribbons tell me that the swords are at rest and are not being used.
Swords represent the mind but also communication so I think that this card could also show a pause in communication.

King of Wands

2007-06-24T15:22:00.000+01:00

Well here we see The Knight of Wands all grown up (I like to think that the princesses grow to become queens and the knights grow to become kings).

Like the knight he holds his wand in his right (usually active) hand but instead of the raised fist sign, his left hand is pointing towards the future.
He wears a crown and the flames which emerge from his tail seem bigger than the small flames surrounding the knight. I take this to be a sign of his maturity whilst the crown is a sign of his leadership qualities.
Once again we see the summer flowers at the top of the card but there are more of them.
Instead of the 2 lions there is a dragon with the king and their tails are entwined together.
Dragons are fiery but I generally think of them as representing Earth energies (ley lines are often referred to as dragons or the paths of dragons).

I see the Kings as being the earthy courts (once again differing with the Golden Dawn system that thinks as Kings as fire).
The kings are mature, they have taken the lessons of the suit they represent and can manifest the qualities of that suit in the real world.
The pointing finger shows him to be a leader, this is a guy who directs the action and tells others what to do.
He's successful (as are all of the kings), he still has the charm of the knight but it's a little more refined now; this guy is less likely to shout and stamp his feet to get what he wants but although he has his temper more under his control, it's still there so it's best not to get on the wrong side of him.
This guy is ambitious and expects others to be ambitious too.
Get involved in a project with this bloke and he expects you to put 100% of your energy into it (because he will).
He's the management type, I can see him on team building exercises doing his best to motivate those who work for him and I think his energy is infectious.

Knight of Wands

2007-06-24T14:14:00.000+01:00

The Knight of Wands is presented as a fire spirit, I'm not quite sure of the name as I usually think of the elemental spirits of fire as being salamanders. Wikepedia refers to them as 'Vulcanus' which I presume is the singular noun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elemental

He appears to be rising from flames and holds a large wand in his right hand. His left hand is raised as a clenched fist which I associate with a positive feeling or a feeling of victory or even solidarity (old socialist that I am :))
Flowers which I presume are associated with summer bloom at the top of the card and at the bottom of the card are 2 lions heads, facing away from each other. The lions appear to be breathing out the fire in which the knight dances.

There is a lot of energy in this card and that's what I associate most with this knight.
I think of the Knights as fire so this guy (to me) is fire of fire... I know that the Golden Dawn system is a bit different, I think that knights are air in that system.

He's filled with fiery energy and because of this his concentration span is not great. He's the type of guy who starts something off with great gusto and enthusiasm but gets fed up quickly and moves onto the next great thing. His staying power is also not great.
He's sociable and enthusiastic though and probably has loads of friends.
He's a go-getter and like all the Wands courts is ambitious and goal oriented.
He's charming but (again like all the Wand courts) probably has a fiery temper but I don't think he's one to bear grudges, his rage burns out as quickly as it arrives.

The knights serve the Queen and are often involved in quests so this guy also signifies movement and travel.
I think that this knight would be a passionate quester.

3 of Wands

2007-06-22T10:43:00.000+01:00

This card is gorgeous. I think it's my favourite card from the Wands suit.

When I first saw it the first thing that came into my head was 'the future's bright', I'm tempted to add 'the future's orange', but I won't })

So you've accepted the energy of the Ace, you've decided what you're going to do with it and you've gathered your personal power and courage in the two and now, in the three you've directed that energy into something that looks as if it's going to be successful.
The sun is rising on your venture and it certainly looks (at the moment) as if things are going well.

Threes are the culmination of the one and the two together. They are expansive, creative and productive, they're related to the Empress.
They can be about community too, about moving out of your direct sphere of influence into the world at large.

The man in the RWS version of this card stands on a cliff and this gives him the bigger picture, the larger view.... He can see for miles and so is focusing on the whole thing and planning into the future. I think that this depiction of a rising sun gives that same sense of space, forward planning and foresight.

What a lovely card :)

2 of Wands

2007-06-21T15:03:00.000+01:00

I find this card very uplifting.
It's a very simple image but once again for this deck, the simplicity speaks very loudly.

In the centre of the card, against the usual burnt orange backdrop of the Wands cards we see a human figure. He stands between two wands which he holds off the ground so that they hang vertically a little like a doorway. He looks towards the wand on his right.

He looks to me as if he's saying 'hey look what I've got, now what do I do with them?'
He's taken the energy that the Ace offered and now he has a moment of pause (2s are related to the High Priestess) to decide upon his next move.
He's in a position of power, standing on the threshold (or in the doorway) of adventure. He can do whatever he likes but he just needs to be brave enough to go for it.

Ace of Wands

2007-06-20T12:10:00.000+01:00

I love this card.

Against an deep orange background we see a wand with 2 small leaves on it.
The wand appears to be standing in a fire and on either side of the wand are 2 salamanders.
Across the top of the card we see some flowers and the astrological fire signs of Aeries Leo and Saggitarius.

The salamander makes its home in the dead wood often used to fuel a fire. When the wood is thrown into the fire the Salamander, quite sensibly leaves the fire and runs to safety.
Because they are often seen leaving fires, it is thought that salamanders can withstand fire and are even born from fire.
They are symbols of endurance and of courage as it seems as if they can't easily be destroyed, even by fire.

The Ace of Wands to me is a card of new beginnings (as are all the Aces) but also about transformation and change.
Fire changes things in a very dramatic way, it offers the energy of transformation - burn stuff down and start again.
I really like the element of endurance that the salamanders give this card, it came up in a reading I did the other day and it told me that the person I was reading for had gone through a lot but that they had survived and emerged transformed, reborn from the fire of their experience and there was now the potential to change....

I'd be interested to know what the flowers are and if they have any significance to this card - I don't have the book to go with this deck.

7 of Swords

2007-06-20T11:59:00.000+01:00

OK, I'm starting a thread on ATF about this card because I just don't get it. Knowing me, the more I stare at it, the clearer it will become but that's not happening at the moment so I would like to discuss it.

Against the usual violet background of the Swords suit we see 7 swords arranged in a pattern.

At the top of the card are three crossed swords bound together by a blue ribbon.
Below them are 2 lots of 2 crossed swords, each pair bound by a blue ribbon.

Sevens to me are very complicated cards.
On the one hand they are related to The Chariot and are about challenges and how we overcome them.
They are the challenges that we push ourselves into to move forward from the success, harmony and balance of the sixes. They are that push to the 'next level'.
On the other hand, seven is a very magical number and has elements of introspection to it.
It can be seen not only as a push from the six but also as a pause to look within and decide which way to go next, which direction to push in or which chance to take.

I usually interpret the 7 of Swords as meaning using your wit, your intellect and your communication skills to overcome some sort of problem.
It can be about studying or gathering information in the form of research.
It can also be about coming up with a cunning or crafty plan and taken to the extreme it can mean deceit.

I often split the sevens into a three and a four.... The creativity and progress of the three interacting with the grounding and manifestation of the four but this pattern of swords isn't saying anything to me. I see the three at the top but then 2 lots of 2..... Help....

OK after a bit of discussion on ATF, I think I may have got a handle on this a bit better.
It's a card of negotiations, of using wit and intellect to solve problems (as I thought) but maybe about mediation too.
The 2 lots of 2 crossed swords tied with ribbon are opposing factors that can't see eye to eye - what they need is someone to step in and help them out (the third sword in the upper 3).
This sort of makes sense to me.
It's compromise, it's research - it's whatever it takes to resolve the problem.

8 of Pentacles

2007-06-18T21:51:00.001+01:00

This card took a little bit of time for me to 'get', it's never turned up in a reading so I have no experience with it.

The book to me looks like a ledger and with the coins scattered across it, it makes me think of wages.

Eights relate to Justice and I think that the notion of getting wages really fits with that.
This card says to me: If you want to see a result you have to put the effort in, you have to pay attention to the details, you have to be committed and take responsibility.
You reap what you sow.
I like the way the coins are equal on either side of the ribbon - once again saying that what you get out of something will be equal to the energy you've put into it..

I really like this card (this deck is full of them - I don't think I've found a card that doesn't work yet).

7 of Wands

2007-06-17T23:21:00.000+01:00

A man holding a large wand stands in front of 6 others. The 6 wands are arranged in 3 X shapes stacked one on top of the other.

The 'defence' element of the 7 of Wands usually looms very large for me but not so much with this card.
I see the sevens as challenges, often ones that we set ourselves, inner challenges that can almost be like initiations.
The sixes are a good place to be, no need to leave them really but with the sevens you get in your chariot and you leave what you've already built, you take a chance and you try to turn the bumps in the road into stepping stones.

The guy on the card has got his achievements and the success of the six stacked up behind him and he's just in the process of adding another one in the form of the wand he's picking up.
I think that you could also see him as not just holding the stick as a defense, he could also be forging ahead with it.

8 of Cups

2007-06-17T17:29:00.000+01:00

This card reminds me a little of the 6 of Swords.
There are some fairly obvious similarities.

Here we have a dark blue 'road' moving away into the distance. The road is a straight one and is lined with 6 golden cups; 3 on either side.
On the road we see 2 interlinked trails of liquid which are being poured from 2 up-tipped cups in the foreground.
The interlinked trails of liquid seem perfectly symmetrical and almost look like a helix shape.
The final 'link' almost looks as if it could form the shape of a love heart.

This card makes me think of a meandering emotional journey.
I like the fact that the 2 streams of liquid look balanced and symmetrical as that links this card to it's Major Arcana numerical equivalent card, Justice.
You get out what you put in so to get emotional fulfillment you have to invest emotionally.

With the eights there are 2 lots of 4 so double the stability and yet there is movement too.
Think of the number eight, the shape of it. There is movement around and around but it also looks like a solid number and the 2 halves are very well balanced.
Eights are about movement to find a balance and that's what this card makes me think of too.
There is some sort of emotional imbalance after the upset of the 7 and with the eights we move to put this right.
We organise our feelings.

I think this card is a very complex one and I'm really looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts about it.

4 of Cups

2007-06-17T15:59:00.000+01:00

A figure sits huddled in the middle of this card. He has his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms are wrapped around his knees.
The background colour is a lovely pale blue and a golden cup stands in each corner of the card.

He looks withdrawn and as if he is trying to feel safe.

Fours are stable.
They give us walls and boundaries as well as foundations.
They are logical and disciplined.
They give us a pause, a chance to consolidate what we've done so far.
They're the sort of pause that we don't want to stay too long in because we know that we'll get stuck.

Cups contain and represent the element of water.
Water likes to flow.
It also likes to sit still but not for too long or it becomes stagnant and smelly.
Water is reflective and takes on the form of whatever vessel holds it.

Water and Earth together make mud.
Water and Earth don't seem to me to work that well with each other.

This card says that we have emotional stability and that's a good thing but too much of a good thing is bad. Too much emotional stability can make us feel stuck, withdrawn, bored, as if we need to break free and start to flow again.

So this guy feels safe but maybe safety isn't what he needs, maybe he needs to get up and stretch himself, take a few chances and live a bit.

10 of Wands

2007-06-17T15:38:00.001+01:00

I love the image on this card.
I think it's one of those very simple images that conveys it's meaning really well.

Against a deep orange-red background we see a man climbing some steps which are made of wands. There are 9 wands in the steps so far but the guy carries a 10th over his shoulder. We presume (or I do) that he is going to build the next step with this wand.

He's going up hill, it's hard work and on top of that he has a burden to carry and a task to do.
I love the way this card says that he's making his own hill to climb. He has so much on his plate, so many responsibilities that he's making his life harder for himself.
This card also shows that sometimes we have to go uphill, sometimes we have to work hard and take on those extra responsibilities to get to where we want to go.

Poor little guy :)

6 of Swords

2007-06-14T19:37:00.000+01:00

Against a violet background we see a straight road stretching off into the distance.
The road is lined with 6 upright swords, 3 on each side. Each sword balances on it's point at the roadside.
Each sword has a deep blue ribbon wrapped around it's blade and each ribbon seems to blow in the wind away from the road so that the road is clear.

Sixes are about balance, harmony and choices.
We have been through the troubles of the fives and we've learned our lessons, now it's time to make the choices that will bring harmony and balance back into our lives.
There is a feeling of success with the sixes, of getting things back on track.
Sixes are a plateau, there is stability but it's not as potentially stifling as the stability of the fours; there is more movement of energy, an ebb and flow. With the sixes we look back and look forward too.
They are related to The Lovers so often involve our relationships with other people and so they are also cards of communication.

I think that the road shows movement away from the problems of the fives and I like the way the ribbons blow away from the road showing that the road is clear.
If you think of Swords as representing thoughts and words then this could show a movement from a troubled mind or a clouded mind, bogged down with problems to a more objective viewpoint.
This to me is a card about mentally moving away from a problem to get a bit more perspective on it.
It's a card about being able to think clearly because you have put some distance between yourself and your problems.
It's also a card about clear communication and about being able to get your point across well without hurting feelings but without feeling compromised yourself.

9 of Swords

2007-06-13T16:50:00.000+01:00

This card is one of those cards that has a specific, personal meaning to me.
In every deck I own the 9 of Swords comes up for me when I have got or am about to get a migraine and looking at the image on a lot of 9 of Swords cards, I can see why.
There is usually a person, awake in bed at night, holding his or her head in worry, anguish and pain. For me, this card often signifies physical pain.

The Renaissance 9 of Swords says 'headache' to me but it also says 'worry' very clearly.
The person sits in a very closed off position, hugging his knees towards him. He isn't open to anything at the moment because he's being attacked by those swords pointing at his head.
This card says to me that this person has so many thoughts and worries in his head that it's stopping him from doing anything. He's withdrawn.

The 9 of Swords often says things aren't as bad as we think. The nines relate to the Hermit and so are quite lonely cards and when we feel alone, things often seem worse than they are.
If the swords were pointing the other way, with the tips pointing outwards then this card's meaning would be completely different.
Then we would see all those ideas, worries and words being sent out and away and hopefully into something useful.

I think it's interesting to see the same card from the Sheridan Douglas deck which I think could possibly have been the inspiration for this one.

5 of Pentacles

2007-06-10T16:51:00.000+01:00

In the foreground are 5 pentacles on the floor and we can see the back of a figure who looks as if he is walking away from those pentacles.
He holds his hands in a way as if he has just shaken them or just dropped the coins. He doesn't need them any more.

Fives are about change and Pentacles or Coins are about the material plane so here we could say that this guy needs or has just undergone a physical change in his life.
This could also show a physical change in his health or his body - I've had this card come up in a reading before and I've read it to mean puberty - the person I was reading for was a teenager and I read the 5 of Coins as the great physical changes that his body was undergoing (often difficult changes).

This card has recently been showing up as a card of advice in my personal readings and I have read it as me needing to physically change something (the readings are about chronic headaches).
I've also read it as meaning that I should walk away from all the drugs I've been taking as they don't seem to be doing me any good.

He's walking away from physical possessions towards a vast expanse of green so this card could also be advising someone to get outside more or just to stop consuming, and ask yourself if you really need all those things you're spending your money on.

Once again a very simple image that can mean such a lot (and so much more than beggars in the snow).

4 of Pentacles

2007-06-10T16:43:00.000+01:00

This card is all about solid foundations to me.
It's double earth as the element of the suit of Pentacles is earth and the element of the number 4 is earth too.
So it's solid, stable, fixed, unmovable.
It gives a good, solid base on which to build but it can also be a bit too bogged down, a bit too stiff and unmoving.

I'm not getting the holding things close as much with this card as with many versions of the 4 of Pentacles as the image on the card seems quite open although having said that the bloke with the pentacles is quite stuck in that position, there isn't really much room for him to go anywhere or do anything without losing his pentacles so in that sense he certainly is holding onto them.

Just had another thought as I'm sitting gazing at this card.
He's not closed off or holding he coins to him as he is in other decks but he is focused on them completely and is so focused on keeping them where they are that it's stopping him from doing anything.
This isn't an easy position to maintain is it?

reading - Saturday 9th June - Waning moon

2007-06-09T20:20:00.001+01:00

Subject - me and my 3 week long headache.

5 of Swords
10 of Swords
5 of Pentacles

Get off your arse and stop moping, the worst is over.
Make some physical changes, turn your back on all those tablets and get outside.

The Quintessence of this reading is Strength and that says a lot to me. This is about getting to grips with my inner demons but it's also not something that will happen overnight, it's going to take time.
It's going to require a lot of inner strength and determination from me and these headaches are something that need a gentle approach - I'm not going to get rid of them by getting angry. I need to be gentle with myself.

5 of Swords

2007-06-09T20:01:00.000+01:00

One of the keywords and meanings that many people put with this card is 'defeat' and looking at the RWS image, I can see where that comes from.
This image, however, is a lot more like the Marseilles Tarot.
Here we see 4 crossed swords, points uppermost.
Lying over the top of the 4 swords is a ribbon and over that is another sword with it's point facing upwards. This sword seems separate to the rest, separated from them by the ribbon which we are told in the book represents energy.
I like to think of the ribbons in the Swords suit as representing thoughts and words which are also a form of energy.

Fives to me are about change, often unexpected but change that is much needed to get away from the bogged down feeling that can come with the fours.
The changes in the fives are those that because they are unexpected are often seen as difficult or unwelcome but they are needed to help us grow.
With hindsight the fives are often seen as offering us a lesson and this relates them to The Hierophant, the High Priest or The Pope.
They are blessing in disguise cards.

So this is the sword (the thought or the word) that takes us away from the mental rest and consolidation of the 4.
It can be an argument, the breaking point, the thing that makes us change our minds, a small Tower experience.
It can also be the breakdown in communication.
The fact that it is on top of the other four makes me think that as a card of advice it would be advising me to put my own interests first or to get moving, to break out of the inaction that the four represents.

Strength XI

2007-06-06T19:03:00.000+01:00

Against a yellow-green background we see a woman in a long green dress with a white unicorn.
Around her neck are flowers which look like daisies.
She holds the unicorn's front hoof with her left hand whilst her right hand strokes his mane.
Above her head is a golden lemniscate and above the whole scene is a golden lion.
Flowers which look to me like buttercups grow up the sides of the image and frame it.

I love this Strength card and I love the idea of a unicorn instead of a lion.
In mythology only one who is pure of heart can tame a unicorn so that goes well with the notion of strength from within and inner calm. Her intentions are pure.
Daisies and buttercups are both spring flowers so once again have the theme of newness and purity.

I see the unicorn (and the lion in most Strength cards) to represent the beast within. This is a card about taming that beast and learning to love it.
It's a card about self control, persistence, compassion for yourself and those around you.
Once you have come to terms with and tamed your inner beast you no longer will be at it's mercy, you will exercise control and be able to get things done not through force but through kindness.
It's a card about being kind to yourself and in turn being kind to others.

Justice VIII

2007-06-03T15:41:00.000+01:00

This is a beautiful Justice card.

A woman in a flowing blue gown that shows off her bare breasts stands and balances a huge set of scales on one finger of her left hand.
In her right hand she holds an sword with the point facing upwards.
Blue ribbons are entwined around the scales.

This is a card about balance, Universal balance.
It's number is eight, the number of Universal balance.
The Sword is the sword of truth and also of action.
The Justice card reminds us that everything in this Universe of ours is balanced. Our past actions are responsible for the present and the future.
It's a card about taking responsibility for everything that we think, say and do.
It's a card of fairness and of putting in the right amount of effort to get the results that we want.

This card tells us that we will get what we deserve, according to our actions past and present.... This will be perfectly fair, even if it's not always what we want.

In a post on ATF about this card Enchanted suggested that the fact that this Justice is holding up the scales with one finger suggests that the balance is a delicate one and it wouldn't take much to upset that balance. In fact the sword could be used to cut the ribbon which (should it fall) into the scales would certainly tip them.
I really like this.

Ribbons seem to be used a lot in this deck in the suit of Swords to represent thoughts or words so I think that this is saying that we have to take responsibility for our thoughts and words as well as our deeds as they are just as likely to effect the future.

2 of Cups

2007-06-03T15:30:00.000+01:00

Against a pale blue background we see 2 goblets, their stems are crossed and blue-green liquid pours from each one.
At the bottom of the card the two streams of liquid meet and form a Celtic, never ending or everlasting knot.

Twos are about balance, choices and about things coming together.
They are related to the Major Arcana card, The High Priestess and so to me they speak of the reflective time just before a decision is actually made. A pause without much action.

Here in the Two of Cups we see an emotional choice or a choice that will effect the emotions but more than that, I think this card depicts a coming together on an emotional level, or a blending of feelings.
The knot at the bottom of the card gives a real feeling of things becoming mixed together so that you can't really tell the 2 different feelings, emotions or people apart.... A merging to make something new that will appear in the three.
This card also says that to put your heart or your emotions into something will leave you attached to that thing or that person forever (on some level).

The Knight of Swords

2007-06-02T15:34:00.001+01:00

Against a violet background is an air spirit, I'm presuming this is a sylph.
He has his back to us, his sword is drawn and ready for action and his arms are spread wide.
His tail is tipped with feathers and he has beautiful wings which are spread wide with his arms.
He has feathers in his hair.
In the top corners of the card are 2 winged stars and in the bottom corner are 2 birds that could be doves - at first I thought they were geese but they don't have webbed feet. They are standing facing us with one wing up and one wing down - I have no clue as to their significance.

I think that there is more to the Court cards in this deck than it first appears. At first glance they all seemed a bit 'samey' to me but looking at them now, there does seem to be a lot there.
His sword is drawn so he's ready for a fight or an argument yet his arms are open so he isn't defensive, he is open to new ideas and thoughts.
The winged stars make me think that this guy is probably a bit idealistic.

The Magician I

2007-06-02T14:55:00.000+01:00

Wow this one is packed full of symbolism.
The Magician wears a red tunic with a sun symbol on his chest.
Red and the sun are both masculine symbols and make me think of passion and driving force.
He stands on a raised platform of some kind with the suit emblems carved on it.
2 staffs with intertwined snakes are either side of him - Caduceus(s) maybe? The symbol of Mercury or Hermes the messenger of the Gods.
This makes me think of healing and also of communication (as do the wings on his feet and on his wrist).
The staffs are topped with a crescent moon and also with a ball - maybe a globe, maybe a solar symbol).
He has a lemniscate above his head showing infinite possibilities.
He stands in the classic Magician pose with one hand pointing towards the heavens and the other to the ground.
He is capable of channelling power and making it real.

He seems to have some sort of purse or pouch hanging from his wrist, I wonder what's in it....
Magic dust maybe???

7 of Pentacles

2007-05-31T16:21:00.000+01:00

2 seeds germinating - potential.
7 Pentacles or coins branching into 2 paths.
This card reminds me a lot of the card I did for the Aeclectic Tarot community deck.
7 represents change and the discovery of unconscious gifts and directions.
7s also are about victory and about overcoming obstacles - they relate to The Chariot.
Seeds make me think of timing.
Pause - which way to go.
Moving away from the relative stability of the 6.
Taking things one step further.
Taking a risk in the material world or with finances.
Investments.
Knowing when to make a move, when to gamble.

Debra from ATF has mentioned that the 2 seeds look like human ovaries and now that she's said it, I can see it too.
That would tie in with the whole timing and cycles theme.
I like that.

10 of Swords

2007-05-31T16:05:00.001+01:00

Ten horizontal swords take up most of this image.
Below the swords a figure clings to what looks like the edge of something, behind him the sun rises or is it setting?
He looks like a swimmer who has swum a long way and is now exhausted. He is pausing there whilst he builds up the energy to climb out and begin the next phase of his journey.

I love the realness of the swords in these cards, they look heavy, as if you'd need 2 hands to lift them. And here he has 10 weighing down on him.
And the sun that's rising or setting: Either way it's an ending and a new beginning all wrapped up in one and that to me is the essence of the tens.
Movement, relating to the Wheel of Fortune. The outside of the wheel makes large movements around and around whilst the central hub is relatively stable.
The hub, the stability of the ten makes me think of what has gone before. It's a new beginning yes, but there is still the cycle that has just ended to either put behind us or build on, it's not a completely fresh start (as The Tower or Death would be).