The Swords of Libra

With the Libra season upon us I thought it was a good time to talk some Tarot. In this entry we explore the Miner Arcana cards associated with the three decans of Libra. But before we dive in, lets look at Libra itself for a little context.

Libra, as an Air sign, relates to the intellect. Libra is symbolized by the scale. It is the only sign of the zodiac that is represented by an inanimate object. This gives us an initial insight into the nature of Libra, it is a machine. The other signs are symbolized by living entities, as such, they can be influenced. We can make an appeal to animals, people and even gods by understanding their strengths, weaknesses, vanities and so forth. A machine, such as a scale, simply is what it is and does what it is designed to do. There no sentience to which we might appeal. This is how the scale remains impartial, what is placed within its’ opposing pans either balances or does not.

As a Cardinal sign, Libra announces the point in the zodiac where the elemental energy of Air first becomes active. Beginning at the Autumn Equinox, Libra sits at the balance between the light and dark halves of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere). The aforementioned impartiality of the scale means that both light and dark must have their place in the order of things, neither gaining domination over the other. There is a stern lesson here, namely, that whether we like the dark or not, it must have its place. Thus, with the first stirrings, we are reminded that there is, (or should be) no place within the operation of the intellect for sentimentality or prejudice. Harsh as this may seem, the intellect, as we shall see, is too sharp a weapon to be used with anything but pristine sobriety lest its’ razor edge and sharp point become injurious to life.

The cardinal signs, as the beginning of a story set up the plot while foreshadowing the complications we will meet along the way. With this in mind, lets look at the Suit of Swords in its broad outlines by looking briefly at the Ace of Swords.

Ace of Swords

The Prologue to the Intellect

The suit of Swords is associated with the intellect because the intellect “cuts” the world into categories. By means of these, the intellect orders the world into foreground and background, relevant and irrelevant, good and bad. As “spiritual” people, many of us are uncomfortable with such distinctions. If we are honest with ourselves, how ever, we must recognize that the faculty of discernment is indispensable even for the most “non-dualistic” among us. After all, even the distinction between dualistic and holistic requires the faculty of discernment, while ethical action becomes meaningless without it.

Yet the distinctions made by the intellect always lead us into alienation and judgment. As we work our way through the Suit of Swords we will see that there are very few good places for the intellect to rest. Almost every card of this suit suggests strife. Empedocles (494-434 BCE) taught that Love and Strife were the primary drivers in nature, bringing together and separating the four Classical Elements (Earth, Water, Fire and Air), thereby bringing into existence all the phenomena of the world we see. The Suit of Swords is the most associated with strife, painful but necessary for the continued development and dissolution of all things. The human mind with its’ faculties of discernment and judgment embodies this power.

Two of Swords

Something Out of Sorts

Libra Decan 1

0 – 10 degrees

Decan Ruler The Moon

The journey of the Suit of Swords begins in earnest with the Two of Swords. Intellect is always aroused by some inconsistency, some feeling of something “out of sorts”. The blindfolded figure represents the very start of this process. The sense of something needing to be “sorted out” almost always starts with a feeling. The Waxing Moon represents the dawning of some disturbance of the mind which seeks elucidation through the discerning faculties of the intellect. The Waxing Moon pulls at the smoothly flowing waters of our awareness alerting us to an imminent “wave” in consciousness.

The crossed swords form a barrier between the person and their surroundings; physical, emotional or psychological. We can almost imagine the slow separation of the two sharp blades into opposing tendencies. Once this happens it will become necessary for each to find their place in the order of things. They will either have to withdraw into mutually exclusive isolation, the decisive victory of one over the other or the ultimate uniting of both against some third party yet to emerge.

The flowing waters in the background speak to these options. The rocks separate the water from itself, at the same time, the continuous flow of water will eventually erode the rocks, breaking them into their individual elements and carrying them down stream. The turbulence of water against rock aims at its eventual return to calm smooth flow. The ultimate goal of separation is, one way or another, reunion. The question sets itself against the existing order not in an attempt to bring about disorder, but rather to restore order in the form of an answer. We don’t usually expect this disturbance, never see it coming (again the blindfold), but once we feel the pull we will not rest until understanding restores the smooth flow of our thoughts.

Three of Swords

Sacrifice and Loss

Libra Decan Two

10 – 20 Degrees

Decan Ruler Saturn

Saturn is the Planet of hard work, boundaries, discipline and sacrifice. The three swords that pierce the heart symbolize the pain that comes with discernment. We recognize the need to let something go; a cherished belief, a hoped for outcome, a relationship – or perhaps we need to “add” something: more work, greater discipline or to face some difficult truth. Things must be set to rights in order to end this pain.

Yet we should find reasons for gratitude even here. If we were unaware of the problems that this card calls to our attention, a harmful thing might go unchecked until our life is reduced to a shambles. A mature intellect requires us to accept that pain has its value as a teacher. If we choose to learn from it and adjust our thinking according to its teaching, we will eventually come to a place of peace.

Four of Swords

The Peace that Surpasses Understanding

Libra Decan 3

20 – 30 Degrees

Decan Ruler Jupiter

The final card of the Libra Triptych shows us the proper end to reasoning. The intellect, like the Scale, has no agenda of its own. Well trained, it will find the most efficient path to any destination we seek for good or ill.

In the three of swords we learned the importance of accepting even the most painful of truths. The most painful truth for mortal beings, the one against which all other truths must be weighed, is the truth of mortality itself. Here we see a person who lays in state in what appears to be a chapel. The three swords which hang on the wall above represent the truth we learned from the three of swords while the fourth, the one carved into the side of the sarcophagus, informs us that when we die, our reason dies with us. This would be the very emblem of the futility of reason if it weren’t for the scene in the stained glass window above.

In the window we see a holy one who bestows a blessing upon the the supplicant who kneels before them. The blessedness of the Holy One is seen within the golden halo surrounding the head – PAX – the Latin word for peace. The end of reason should be peace.

When we draw this card we are being instructed to ask whether the course of our thinking leads to peace. Before we take action or after we have completed its course, we should go to the sanctuary of peace. There we must contemplate the necessary conclusion of all mortal action, for better or worse. Every road leads to this place. The only difference between the end of one persons journey and that of another is whether they have arrived in peace. We have the best chance of arriving finally in the state of blessedness – the state of peace - if we start each journey in mind within the same holy sanctuary in which all journeys must end.

This final decan of Libra is ruled by Jupiter. Known as the Great Benefice, Jupiter is the planet of blessings, luck and rich abundance. Its ruler-ship over this otherwise somber scene indicates that the highest of powers smile upon and blesses those who seek peace and apply all the powers of their mind to this goal alone.

Life calls us to many battles. Sometimes we must make brutal, even bloody choices. We can not even receive our daily bread without raising a blade against another living being. To earn success in any arena of life we must sometimes say no when we would prefer to say yes and vice versa. In either case, we will raise the blade of discernment to sever what does not serve or even serves to harm. In this respect, all humans “live by The Sword”. And as we know, the one who lives by The Sword, dies by The Sword (again foreshadowing the Ten of Swords at the end of this road).

“People will forget what you have said, they will forget what you have done, but they will remember the way you made them feel”. This stirring quote from the poet Maya Angelou summarizes the central lesson of the Four of Swords. In the long run, the only thing that will be left of us is the way we have touched the lives of those we leave behind. If we have reached out to everyone in a spirit of peace - with the generosity of Jupiter Himself, we will reach the end of our lives in a state of blessedness. Reason itself dictates that we will not escape the fate that befalls all mortal beings. Let this truth guide our reason as we embark upon the Path of Swords.

May you know the Blessings of Peace as we move through this Libra Season.