February 7-9, 2012: Ace of Swords

Al-Shariyf

THE ROOT OF
THE POWERS OF THE AIR
Ace of Swords

Meditation Pattern: Place the Ace of Swords between Atu 0, The Fool, and Atu XVII, The Star.

Qabalistic Correspondences: The seed or root of elemental Air. Kether of Air, or Kether in Yetzirah.

Traditional Description: A White Radiating Angelic Hand, issuing from clouds, and grasping the hilt of a sword, which supports a White Radiant Celestial Crown; from which depend, on the right, the olive branch of Peace and, on the left, the palm branch of suffering. Six Vavs fall from its point.

Meaning: The primordial energy or essence of Air. It symbolizes Invoked Force (as contrasted with Natural Force); for it symbolizes the Invocation of the Sword. Intellect in its best and finest condition, as a tool to be employed. Raised upward, it invokes the Divine Crown of spiritual brightness. Reversed it is the evocation of demonic force, and becomes a fearfully evil symbol. Therefore, it represents very great power for good or evil, but invoked. It also represents whirling force, conquest, activity, and strength during trouble. It is the affirmation of Justice upholding Divine Authority; and may become the sword of wrath, punishment, and affliction.

http://pturing.firehead.org/occult/thelema/libri/The Book of Thoth/thoth/swords01.jpg

Jim Eshelman

[attachment=0:4drvk6o1]Swords 1.jpg[/attachment:4drvk6o1]

Al-Shariyf

Hello Ruach!

I'm not getting much out of meditating on this arrangement that hasn't already been said in Jim's description of the card.

Oddly enough, I feel as if I have just been "introduced" to my own intellect. It's a strange feeling. It's always been there but now I fully get that I can USE it, instead of IT using me.

I am also reminded of something I learned from a course I took back in November of 2011:

'You have real thoughts. But the thoughts are not real. There is no 'I', until a thought puts the 'I' there.'

If the Cups represent Mind, then the Swords represent the process of making "mind forms. Thoughts and images as representations of some-thing happening inside of No-Thing.

Jim Eshelman

A metaphor I find useful is that swords slice and dice, while cups keep it all together.

So, in Cups we find wholeness - while in Swords we find those things that result from "dividing a thing into smaller pieces." For example, where Cups are Music, Swords are Individual Songs.

In brief: Swords create distinctions.

Al-Shariyf

@Jim Eshelman said

"A metaphor I find useful is that swords slice and dice, while cups keep it all together.

So, in Cups we find wholeness - while in Swords we find those things that result from "dividing a thing into smaller pieces." For example, where Cups are Music, Swords are Individual Songs.

In brief: Swords create distinctions."

Awesome metaphors Jim. I kept thinking we use Swords to carve out a context to work in.