Yeah, girl. I know him. 😣
Not gonna lie, not my favorite Knight. No ma’am, not by a long shot. But I KNOW this Knight. I’m familiar with his particular brand of rapid, sometimes manic mental energy. Just look at this guy! He’s clearly got an entire hive of bees in that bonnet of his. He’s charging so fast that his helmet is tilted back at a nutty angle and is festooned with giant wings-giving us an all too real idea of the chaotic energy that drives him and his frothing, terrified horse forward. Yikes! But never fear, this is a great deal that we can learn from this card but, hang on tight. As you can tell from looking at the horse's bulging, stressed out eyeballs, it's going to be quite a ride.
The Wild Ride Begins ⚔️
And not in a good way. When the Knight of Swords arrives in a reading, we know to expect action-something is in motion. And what’s driving the person or situation is a great deal of mental energy and activity. Thoughts and messages (quite often of the social media and text variety) are flying in fast and furious. And while I believe that it is good to be mentally active and intellectually curious, this card usually invites us to consider that we may need to ratchet down some of mental clatter and cacophony-especially if the thoughts appear to create the kind of hectic cyclone that this Knight appears to be simultaneously both creating and diving headlong into.
Element Air to the rescue! 💨
Each querent and situation is unique, but if this wild Knight was riding through the life and times of a dear friend or family member, I would encourage and support them in doing whatever process or ritual helps to calm their overactivated mind. Music, breathwork or meditation are my favorite go-tos and have provided some much needed, often self applied remediation when I’ve had to calm down this frenzied, swift flying Knight.
Breathwork for Healing...a beginning.
The Knight of Swords: A message for Survivors
Those of us who’ve lived or work in an abusive environment are way too familiar with the storm of mental anguish that the Knight of Swords represents. One of the reasons abusers are able to maintain power and control in a relationship is by creating a storm of mental confusion, insecurity and fear in the minds of their partners. More than physical abuse, emotional and mental violence is often the most challenging to heal from. One of the reasons I love breath work and meditation as a healing modality is because it’s free, can be practiced immediately and most privately with little to no prior instruction. I’ve seen it work miracles in my domestic violence advocacy and crisis counseling work with survivors who are often, for the first time, learning skills and techniques to cultivate calm and peace of mind after having lived in a war zone for so long.
And speaking of which, my favorite new pop culture references
A Girl Has No Name
My favorite Knight of Swords avatar is lethal little Arya Stark from Game of Thrones. To me she represents the power to transmute the crippling, sometimes painful aspect of the entire Suit of Swords. From tomboyish little sister to series heroine and resident badass, and all around the most agile, coldly rational hero assassin the series had to offer, she is one of my all time Tarot Celebrity Faves. Her progression shows that despite her harrowing, traumatic journey, facing the constant spinning of the Wheel in her life, which included incessant, often brutal combat and training. Arya harnessed the power of her keen intellect, reserve and cunning and the result was the development of her ability to focus in on her goals (remember the kill list that she kept repeating?) and to execute them meticulously.
An Unlikey Knight of Swords: MAID 🧹🧽 🧼
In my Tarot classes, I encourage and challenge my students to identify and share their
favorite Celebrity Court Card avatars and she is without a doubt a favorite. But one of my new fave Knight of Swords archetypes in pop culture is the series MAID on Netflix. Our heroine, Alex, is an IPV survivor.
The series, based on the best selling novel of the same name. the quiet and safe spaces she manages (through INSANE turnings of a reversed Wheel of Fortune in her life) to carve out for herself and her daughter, to calm the winds of her anxious, traumatized and scattered mind, to chart a clear course towards peace, calm and mental and physical health. It is an amazing and here's a little Easter egg: the actress who plays Alex's bipolar mother, Andi McDowell, is her mother irl!
LET'S STAY IN TOUCH!🤗
1. Want more discussion on Tarot cards, candle magic, creating your altars and personal sacred spaces and any and everything spiritual way finding? LISTEN to this week's episode of The Pillars, the Porch and the Path podcast!
2. Are you Tarot Curious? LEARN the art of Tarot and would like to bring the magic of the Tarot into your own daily ritual and practices, REGISTER NOW for my signature Tarot classes with Amava.
3. Got questions? Well, I got answers for you! EMAIL me at halicue@thegildedapsara.com so that I can answer your questions about the wonderful world of Tarot and my offerings.
4. Working privately with me is a breeze! BOOK a session by clicking the button below.
5. And finally, come check me out in-person! I read LIVE, LOUD and IN-COLOR at two of the most magical spaces in both Marin and San Francisco Counties: BOTANICALIFE in Larkspur, CA and THE SCARLET SAGE in San Francisco.
☑️ I'm reading live and in techincolor BOTANICALIFE on 1st and 3rd Fridays for FRIDAY NIGHT TAROT from 3-6 p.m. (come in for Tarot with yours truly plus, herbal infused CBD mocktails!)
☑️ Find me on 2nd and 4th Friday afternoons for Tarot-In-the-Loft at amazing loft in San Francisco's premier metaphysical space THE SCARLET SAGE HERBAL APOTHECARY.