Legend: Four of Swords, Isolt of the White Hands

Sophie-David

I agree WalesWoman, we still have a long way to go. But the fact that we are aware of imbalance and are able to discuss it here is in itself a sign of hope which we would not have seen in many of the previous centuries. I can identify with your impatience, but as for me, well Capricorns are very patient beasts!

Although visioned in fire (which this card distinctly lacks) this Four of Swords still refers to the domain of analytical thought, overhanging tension and striving which is normal to this card. But by itself, this time out from struggle often doesn't solve the core issues - its merely a rest between battles. If there is not a fundamental change of heart these conflicts re-emerge in full force in the Five. In the story of this card, there is similarily no lasting peace for either partner - except in the presumed peace of death.

This would reflect your application of this Four to human history. It is only through radical faith, understanding and vision that a fundamental shift can occur - otherwise the Five of Swords is an inevitable consequence.
 

Leo62

Sophie-David said:
Although visioned in fire (which this card distinctly lacks) this Four of Swords still refers to the domain of analytical thought, overhanging tension and striving which is normal to this card. But by itself, this time out from struggle often doesn't solve the core issues - its merely a rest between battles. If there is not a fundamental change of heart these conflicts re-emerge in full force in the Five.
That's an elegant way of solving the "problem" of this card. However...it's not what I see when I look at the image....
I had completely forgotten that this was a "fire" card until Waleswoman mentioned it in her last post...I went back to have another look at the card, and hard as I try, I can't find anything remotely fiery in it! I guess you could say that card shows the result of getting "burned out", and points to the way that this can be healed.
But the wounded Tristan and the healing Iseult are so marginal. They only occupy a tiny corner of the image - the overwhelming impression is of trees and water, green and blue, peace and serenity. The figures shown at the edge of the water being healed are almost incidental, and so I can't help but seeing the Tristan & Iseult story as incidental too.
Is this necessarily a Problem with the Deck? I don't think so. There are so many different versions of the Arthurian legends anyway - sometimes I feel that this deck is inviting me to come up with a version of my own...