Week at a Glance: Queen of Swords

The purpose of drawing a "Week at a Glance" card is to get a sense of the sort of energy, circumstances, or personal qualities I might need to be aware of during the upcoming week.

For the week of October 13, 2013 I am using the Elemental Tarot with artwork by Marco Turini (Lo Scarabeo). My card is the QUEEN OF SWORDS.

Elemental Tarot

First of all, I absolutely love this card, which shows a woman in a confident stance, one arm upraised and the other on her hip. Several open books are in the air around her, pages fluttering, and a large sword is placed point down in front of her. My first impression was that she is commanding the books to rise up and fly around. Awesome.

Her pose reminds me of the term "multi-tasking" or the expression "keeping a lot of balls (or books!) in the air." I may need this Queen's energy to keep up with everything coming at me this week, including a visit from my husband's relatives and various ongoing obligations.

From an element standpoint, this lady balances Water (Queens) and Air (Swords). Book T tells us the Queen of Swords rules from 20 degrees Virgo (Earth) to 20 degrees Libra (Air) -- so perhaps there is a tri-element influence going on here. I can certainly see Virgo (ruled by Mercury, planet of the mind and communication) in this card as well as Libra (ruled by Venus, planet of affection and beauty).

Focusing on Swords -- communication, understanding, truth (LWB) -- I feel that this week I will benefit from keen observation and sharp perceptions stemming from underlying knowledge.

Taking a quick peek at Kate Warwick-Smith's book The Tarot Court Cards (Destiny Books), I see the importance of being an Exactor (modeling clear communication skills, setting boundaries) and using Discrimination (weeding things out, retaining mental clarity) while I avoid dispensing criticism or judgment (of self or others) without compassion.