Swords and Air

 

The symbol for Air is a triangle pointing upward with a line through it.

 

Air is the mental element. It is free-flowing, intellectual, communicative, and sociable. It is related to perception and expression, personal interaction and both practical and abstract ideas. Air is objective, rational, logical, mentally agile, and analytical. Air signs tend to be detached and not overly emotional.  Knowledge, study and contemplation are the highlight of the element air, and people with an abundance of air in their charts tend to be perpetual students who feel that there is always more to learn and one’s life is best spent learning it.

The Air signs are: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. These are the symbols and characteristics of the signs in the Air Triplicity.  

Gemini The Twins
Mutable Air Sign 
Ruler: Mercury
Months:  May 21 to June 21
Archetype: The Intellectual, The Trader  
Keywords:  versatile, clever, flexible, quick-witted, curious, logical, analytical, literary, restless, can be superficial

Libra The Scales
Cardinal Air Sign
Ruler:  Venus
Months:  September 23 to October 22
Archetype:  The Artist, The Wise Judge
Keywords:  diplomatic, courteous, idealistic, gracious, charming, affable cooperative, a peacemaker, indecisive

Aquarius The Water Bearer
Fixed Air Sign
Ruler:  Uranus
Months:  January 21 to February 19
Archetype: The Wise Fool
Keywords:  independent, unconventional, unique, progressive, humanitarian, altruistic, ingenious, inventive intellectual, logical, detached, friendly, unpredictable

In Tarot the Swords represent truth and justice but also conflict and adversity.  I’ve always thought of air and the air signs as signs of communication, sociability, diplomacy and truth, and  I’ve always loved the air element and held it in high regard. So when I began to study Tarot and discovered that the Swords suit was a suit mostly of conflict and adversity, I was shocked; offended in fact.  Having an abundance of fire in my own chart, I immediately embarked on a crusade to put this seeming injustice right! 

After a year of struggling to find a more positive way of interpreting the Sword suit, it was the cards themselves which taught me a valuable lesson. They simply wouldn’t cooperate with the interpretations I was using, and the result was that my readings were not accurate!  Bad news. Not liking this at all, I decided I’d better take off my blindfold and have another look at my premise.

I began to realize that our minds really are the source of most of our problems in life.  I was just beginning to understand this truth when I read this comment by J. Philip Thomas in the Tarot de Paris companion book about the 10 of Air (Swords):

“This is truth-or-consequences time.  Beginning with the Ace, the Air suit has proven (card by card) that conflict does not originate from the poles – The Aces and the Tens.  Actually, the only possibility of struggle exists within the human mind, which, interestingly, is in conflict with its own existence.”

It was a sad but necessary realization for me, though I still do try to see the positive side of the Swords whenever I can. 

Look for the three air sign symbols in the following Golden Dawn Ritual Tarot cards:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look for the symbol of air, the upward pointing triangle with a line through it, at the bottom of the card on each side of the title.

Micki