Did you know that if you take an elemental approach to the Prince of Swords (or “Knight” if you’re used to decks like the Rider-Waite Smith tarot) that he is known as “air of air”?
Swords, as the third suit in the tarot, are associated with the element air, and the Knights, as the third Court Card, are also associated with air.
Which means that the Prince of Swords adds up to a whole lot of air. A whole lot of a very fast-moving, hard-to-get-your-hands-on quality that reflects a finely tuned, quick-silver intellect.
Add to this airy-airdom the specifics of this particular Prince – who, as you saw when the card appeared last week, is a gentle-hearted soul with an abiding concern for the natural world and our place in it – and we have the makings of one who is idealistic, with lofty ambitions for his fellow man.
But, sheesh!, can he get caught up in the detail – all the while oblivious to the dirty tricks of his brother who is hell-bent on taking his authority from him. At any cost. He’s not interested in negotiating; not interested in anything but self-interest.
So it comes down to this:
Osiris is calling you; he is reflecting a part of you that is keen to step up with its own grand, idealistic vision for your world. (And don’t knock idealism; without it, few grand plans would ever be started.) Osiris as the Prince of Swords is a leader, and a comparatively gentle one at that when you see other versions of this card in other decks.
Like Osiris, you have the capacity to lead – both gently and more-than-capably. And you will soon have the knack to get people on your side. You’ll have the gift of the gab – and that gab will also have substance to it.
So are you going to follow your calling towards this higher vision?
Or are you going to get waylaid by your shadowy, rivalrous saboteur – the one who wants power, even if it means sacrificing something altogether close to you? Are you going to follow your higher vision? Or are you just a load of hot “air-of-air” – blowing indeterminately even while you think you’re making real progress?
How, dear Prince, do you bring your vision into something that works? And not just for five minutes before sputtering out in a blast of wasted wishes. But works – solidly; enduringly; productively; valuably.
What does air need to anchor it into form? Why, it needs earth. And this is what you’re currently experiencing: the grounding in before your idea can gain traction and legitimacy. Before your plan becomes structure.
So before you rush off into the future with your blueprints flapping around you, why not take some time. Yes: time.
How does ‘taking time’ feel? Does it feel a little frustrating to you? Does it feel like your wings are being clipped just when the cage door is opened?
It may well be that you’re feeling like your way forward is being thwarted, or at the very least slowed. Can you relate to that? If you can, then the first two cards in the reading may hold the key to your understanding.
This is what the King of Stones and the Eight of Stones are saying to you, fleet-footed one:
“We know you’re there at the starting line, ideas honed, muscles twitching. We see you. But, please – how about this? How about embracing the season of slow? Stop. Breathe. Keep breathing. Look around you. See what it is that you’re going to be engaging with.Know that you’re a part of all of this. Know, too, that you have a responsibility to it, because you are from it. Your lineage spans aeons. Bring this understanding with you.
“Don’t be afraid not to know; be fearless about learning and committing yourself to a role that may take more time than you’d thought, but which will repay itself in full (at the very least). Don’t doubt your power. Fine-tune your already considerable abilities. They’ll thank you for it – as will others. Seek wise counsel – especially in those moments where you think you need it least.
“Start trusting what you can touch, what you can see, what you can work with with your hands and your body. Start trusting the natural world again – it will lead you back to your vision, but with new eyes.
“Then – re-envisioned and guided by your visceral connection to your environment – it will be time to step up, and step forward.”
About the Author:
Sarah is a tarot-teaching, tarot-reading, tarot-writing witch with a devoted interest in getting people turned on to the magical, alchemical, utterly transformative possibilities of these potent 78 cards. With a background in psychotherapy and certification as a somatic sex educator, Sarah is not only supremely interested in tarot as an art-form, but also in every client and student who comes through her virtual doors, and how they can forge their unique rhythm with the cards.
You can find Sarah at her website Integrated Tarot, and on Facebook.
images: Author’s own, using the Haindl Tarot deck
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