Thirteen
I'm not surprised this one got overlooked. It's difficult to figure out what to make of this card....
A woman in red, a small wreath of flowers dotting her hair, stands in a crypt of pillars atop which sit skulls. She stands before one such pillar. She seems to be playing (plaiting? twining?) her hair. Light shines in through what might be a barred window, and there is a dark, open doorway behind her. Her expression may be coy, or doubtful or scared. All that can be said for sure is there's a certain shyness about it. Unlike some of the ladies, she doesn't seem to be "luring" someone forward. She appears to be the "prey," her red and gold gown perhaps signifying the lure of riches or young fresh blood.
She probably doesn't know what danger she is in, and may think, as many ladies in this deck seem to, that she is a willing participant in this game of cat and mouse. Her position against the pillar in a room filled with pillars reminds me of a game of hide-and-go-seek. And it seems she's been discovered. There is also a feeling in that she has been backed against the pillar by someone or something. The "coyness" element is in her playing with her hair. Is she nervous or trying to make sure it' looks pretty? Or was she standing there fixing her hair and was surprised by someone? Did she wander off alone to explore, or did someone tell her to "meet them" in this pillar room, and she's been waiting for them?
The RW 8/Swords shows a woman blindfolded, tied up and trapped by a ring of swords. Thinking on that image, I'd say that our lady against the pillar is "blinded" by what she sees, perhaps captured by it. Though she's free and has at least one exit out of there, she may yet be trapped by her own feelings and weaknesses. Which would fit with the usual 8/Swords meaning: fear within one's own mind traps a person, and keeps them from knowing that they can escape--or perhaps should escape.
Thoughts?
A woman in red, a small wreath of flowers dotting her hair, stands in a crypt of pillars atop which sit skulls. She stands before one such pillar. She seems to be playing (plaiting? twining?) her hair. Light shines in through what might be a barred window, and there is a dark, open doorway behind her. Her expression may be coy, or doubtful or scared. All that can be said for sure is there's a certain shyness about it. Unlike some of the ladies, she doesn't seem to be "luring" someone forward. She appears to be the "prey," her red and gold gown perhaps signifying the lure of riches or young fresh blood.
She probably doesn't know what danger she is in, and may think, as many ladies in this deck seem to, that she is a willing participant in this game of cat and mouse. Her position against the pillar in a room filled with pillars reminds me of a game of hide-and-go-seek. And it seems she's been discovered. There is also a feeling in that she has been backed against the pillar by someone or something. The "coyness" element is in her playing with her hair. Is she nervous or trying to make sure it' looks pretty? Or was she standing there fixing her hair and was surprised by someone? Did she wander off alone to explore, or did someone tell her to "meet them" in this pillar room, and she's been waiting for them?
The RW 8/Swords shows a woman blindfolded, tied up and trapped by a ring of swords. Thinking on that image, I'd say that our lady against the pillar is "blinded" by what she sees, perhaps captured by it. Though she's free and has at least one exit out of there, she may yet be trapped by her own feelings and weaknesses. Which would fit with the usual 8/Swords meaning: fear within one's own mind traps a person, and keeps them from knowing that they can escape--or perhaps should escape.
Thoughts?