March 26th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink
Ace of Swords
Take a look at the video below of ballet dancers Marina Kanno and Giacomo Bevilaqua. Their performance is captured in slow motion at 1000 frames per second.
Directed by Simon Iannelli and Johannes Berger, the piece is called Le vent, or in English, the Wind.
It made me think of the Tarot suit of Swords whose element is air and rules all windy situations.
This dance is a beautiful depiction of the Sword cards at their finest – fresh, refined, elegant, and sophisticated.
March 18th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink
The suit of swords doesn’t always have the best reputation in Tarot. It often represents mental battles, verbal assaults and/or general conflict and disruption.
And though typically considered intelligent, the Court Cards in this suit are sometimes stereotyped as arrogant, avaricious, and even mean.
But Joel Bukiewicz is a prime example of the more positive sides of the Sword mentality. He makes handmade knives and is the owner of Cut Brooklyn.
He’s intelligent, hard working, and clearly into sharp things, but he makes them to be used for good.
He started his career off as a fiction writer, which interestingly enough is another perfect job for the communicative Sword-type, but he gave it up when he discovered the joy in making knives.
Take a look at the Made by Hand video below to hear Bukiewicz describe his transition from a Page of Swords to the King he is today.
It takes work to be a master, but it’s definitely worth it.
November 8th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink
Page of Swords
In the Tarot, the suit of Swords often represents mental energies, thoughts, decisions, and communication.
At their best the cards in this suit can describe new ideas, fresh perspectives, and a desire to educate.
At their more challenging, they point to arrogant attitudes, mental confusion, and divisiveness.
The Page of Swords is the youngest member of the Sword Court Cards. She brings with her a bustling energy, new thinking, and an emergent mental power.
The image from the Rider Waite Smith deck shows a young person brandishing a sword. The winds are blowing, her hair is flying, and the birds are hovering above.
Clarity is important to her. She’s trying hard to understand the world outside, climbing the hills to get a better view.
Like all the Pages, she’s just starting her journey and is filled with enthusiasm. It’s like each new idea is being thought for the first time, and she’s flying from one way of seeing things to another.
The Page of Swords can be rash, tactless, and occasionally a gossip, but it’s all in a search for truth. She’s really just trying to figure things out. And once she gets going, she’s a very fast learner.
Below is a video of a girl doing a sword dance. She looks just like the Page of Swords, right down to her pink shirt and pony-tail. Look how she swings that blade. She’s amazing.
The guy (brother?) who joins her with his little knife adds a truly bizarre twist to the whole show, but I appreciate his style as well. He’s like a Page in waiting.
And what about the old lady with the dog watching on? Could she be the retired Queen spending some time with the Fool’s dog?
I love this video.