The tarot is a collection of 78 pictures presented in the form of a deck of cards. It is divided into three sections: the Major Arcana, The Minor Arcana, and the Court Cards…. The tarot is a picture compilation of universal imagery and symbology. It is a collection of symbols that crosses all boundaries of culture, time and space. … Another factor about the tarot is that the Minor Arcana and Court Cards are basically the same as the modern deck of regular playing cards…. It is now generally accepted that both the tarot and playing cards, each in their own fashion, are representations of archetypes…. The Court cards are pictures of the sixteen different personality types (like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). …… from Tarot Dictionary and Compendium by Jana RileySo pick a card ….As the person picking a card – a usual starting point is to pick a court card – King, Queen, Prince/Princess (Jack). This is a card to represent the individual – the point of view for the rest of the story – reading.
I picked the card for the significator – to represent me as I tell this story. There are many kinds of tarot decks and books. I have chosen the Mother Peace deck by Vicki Noble. The card I drew as I shuffled the Court Cards is Priestess (Queen) of Swords.
…..The Priestesses… represent administrative abilities, a sense of the sacred, and the authoritative presence of a Mother. In their own homes, mothers are Queens and Priestesses in their work. They rule from the heart. …..
The Priestess of Swords (Queen of Spades) represents the mind at work, a channeling of wisdom. Her familiar is the Snowy Owl. ……Representing the critical mind, she is at once detached and stern, reasonable, clear-headed. …She is now taking time out to think and reflect, to belong, to herself alone (a widow or separated woman). ……. She represents astrology and intuitive knowledge. On another level, she represents science – systemized knowledge……..The Priestess of Swords might be a writer; she is certainly a thinker. She channels thought, letting it flow through her like water or light. ……. The owl can be seen as her thought taking flight…… The nocturnal owl suggests the wisdom of the dream world and the collective unconscious……. The owl symbolized healing power as well as the ability to fight for one’s life when necessary……. The Priestess of Swords is an austere personality, uncompromising and somewhat formidable. She may represent a strict teacher or older woman role-model, a disciplinarian or authority figure of some kind. But ….. the pink color…. speaks of the subtle warmth of her heart, …. Distant from the emotions, she is not cut off but simply reserved….. release of ideas into form, the opening out of the mind from narrow interests to broader, more inclusive concerns. She has a quiet psychic sense that allows her to know the thoughts of everyone around her, even on a global level. Therefore she is able to imagine solutions to world problems…. From Mother Peace by Vicki Noble
A key is that we each have a part of all the personality types and archetypes within us. There are dominant types for each of us, just like being dominantly left or right handed.
As I reflect on this card – this synopsis of a personality type – what does it say about past and present actions, stories of me, and my life? Let’s take a look.
When I worked for Alternative Youth Adventures (an outdoor therapeutic program for teens) I would go into the field – hike in a few miles, change into a costume as a Swami or a Wizard and then enter the group. Needless to say with costume, the initial response by the teens was ‘who is that crazy old woman?’ I had there attention. They were focused on me. We would set in a circle and I would pass around the tarot deck and ask them to pick a card – either looking at the cards or pick one blindly – their choice. We used all 78 cards thus the dynamics represented were more than the personality types. It included the practical applications of the traits in the number cards and global characteristics of the Major Arcana. We looked at the cards from the question – ‘What role do you have in this group?’ First each youth described what they saw in the card, what they liked or disliked about the picture on the card. Then we read excerpts from the descriptions of the card by various authors. Next we discussed as a group how that matched what each individual saw about that particular youth. This created different insights, confirmations, questions, and made them think about their role and interactions with each other. The experience was lots of fun and very productive.
The Priestess/Queen of Swords represents healing – fighting for life as necessary. My story includes years as a counselor and a Jin Shin Acupressurist. I have helped many people with Pain Management. I teach individuals tools to use to manage their pain versus having the pain manage them. We looked at physical, emotional and spiritual healing. We identified what worked for them and set up a plan for them to implement to live their lives to the fullest even with pain, illness, or disability. We integrated allopathic and alternative medicine to create the best alternative for each individual. This meant understanding who each individual is and their dominant characteristics and needs. We matched their “card”.
Healing has been a key focus within my story. I organized and established the Academy of Healing Arts
A thinker – ideas flowing through my mind, is reflected in the card. I see problems, situations, and people and develop solutions, alternatives. The purpose is to develop individuals’ and groups’ potential.
I am a separated woman – having experienced a divorce – the loss of the family unit – alone. Yes, I have family, two children, 6 siblings (one gone, one unknown), mother and extended family, yet alone.
I experience many emotions daily. I express the emotions less frequently. In my pursuit of helping people – I remain detached, but caring. I need to give individuals tools and choices to allow them to make things happen in their own life.
Intuitive knowledge for me is part of the way I interact with people and keying into factors to increase their awareness. It is part of how I make decisions.
Science is the facts from searching the unknown. I pursued a micro-biology degree. I have the privilege of coaching several youth science teams – Invent America
Science is the known that is defined. Magic is the mystery of the unknown that is only understood intuitively until the broadened knowledge becomes known.
Pick a card, any card. As we reflect on the card we have drawn and it’s characteristics we reflect on who we are, where we have been and who we can become. Picking a card from the tarot or a deck of playing cards is a process in intuitive thinking, self-exploration, a discovery and a development of self. And it is just plain fun playing scientist with the unknown being you!
