2S Blindfold

Aeric

I never quite understood the art of this card, which leads to confusion in meaning.

Moon in Libra is subtly and nicely emphasized. Book T and Liber Th call it "Peace restored," suggesting the temporary or permanent end of a conflict.

Other Rider-inspired cards show two swords crossing in a truce, sometimes with a dove or a flower between them, to emphasize peace. Waite gives many optimistic meanings like friendship, equipoise, concord in a state of arms.

But popular interpretations of the card suggest blockage, denial, defensiveness, and shielding oneself. But that seems to stem solely from the fact that she is blindfolded. Peace Restored is swapped for putting up walls. Why is she blind? Is she blocking out the world to put herself at ease? Does it somehow relate to the blind 8?
 

ravenest

I think it is a case of an inner meaning ( from the Liber T ) being translated in veiled Waite symbolism ... and then those that dont know the dynamics have interpreted the outward symbol; esoteric meaning and exoteric meaning ... one reads all the symbols and symbol sets, the other reads the outer symbols and relates them to their own symbol set.

I see the 2 S in my deck as peace ... it isnt a temporary peace, that is a truce (a different card in my sword deck )... this is a two, aces are a unity we cannot fathom, twos are close to that and represent the highest level of a suit or element or world that we can begin to perceive, a pure form of the energy. In a suit as 'contentious' as swords peace must take this position. There are a lot of dynamics that need to be in place to maintain it ; justice for a start ( adjustments and Libra) ... and certain underlying principles to make life livable in a peaceful way - Like Maat. Peacefull has connotations of a certain state as well ... inner peace against the turmoil of the mind, the above may apply here as well , a type of tranquility. The Moon comes to mind here

All the symbols relate to and interpenetrate each other and the blindfold through many of them .

But if one just sees the blindfolded woman with two big swords in an X over her heart .... well . And now, apparently, that can be confirmed in books?

.
 

caridwen

I never quite understood the art of this card, which leads to confusion in meaning.

Moon in Libra is subtly and nicely emphasized. Book T and Liber Th call it "Peace restored," suggesting the temporary or permanent end of a conflict.

Other Rider-inspired cards show two swords crossing in a truce, sometimes with a dove or a flower between them, to emphasize peace. Waite gives many optimistic meanings like friendship, equipoise, concord in a state of arms.

But popular interpretations of the card suggest blockage, denial, defensiveness, and shielding oneself. But that seems to stem solely from the fact that she is blindfolded. Peace Restored is swapped for putting up walls. Why is she blind? Is she blocking out the world to put herself at ease? Does it somehow relate to the blind 8?

I don't understand what you are asking. Do you want a discussion of the RW symbolism on the card or do you want to discuss the meaning of the card? (Perhaps better suited to UTC) Or do you want to discuss the symbolism of the Two of Swords with the Book T versus PKT meanings?

Ok so without waiting for an answer...I'll try and answer some of your questions.

Why is she blind? I think she's blind in order to focus on intuition. It is an intentional act (unlike the 8) because we can see that she can drop the swords at any time in order to take off the blindfold. So I believe it is to block out any distraction and in order to focus on the inside without taking in any other stimuli.

Blockage/Shielding herself: these meanings are often applied because she has her arms folded across her chest. It is seen as a defensive gesture that can be perceived as outwardly protecting herself whilst she cannot see and protecting her heart or feelings from being hurt. She has swords so that surely is a defence!

The swords are balanced which shows that for the time being, there is harmony.

Swords are cards of the intellect which shows logic and reason at work but the moon would also indicate intuition and seeing within.

If we then look at the Three, peace is no longer restored and the state of suspension we see in the Two has progressed to a truth being revealed. I also see the Two as hiding something either from yourself or others. Moonlight only partly reveals, there is a part moon and we only see part of the block she sits on. We see part of the rocks in the sea so more lie beneath. The Truth therefore comes out in the Three if we the Ace as the Truth.
 

Aeric

Yes, the visual symbol affects the meaning. I can't figure out what motivated Pam to draw her blindfolded as a reflection of "peace." The posture according to PKT is one of comfortable balance, that the swords aren't intended as protection or defence from exterior forces, she's just...balancing them for the sake of it. But he does say that as weapons the swords aren't necessarily beneficial and harmonious meanings should be qualified. So it's more confusing.

I suppose that a blindfold blocks out distraction to aid in focus and meditation so that she may balance the swords more easily. Then she becomes representative of a mental peace that's restored when external stimuli are reduced, almost like the 4's quiet reflection in the tomb.
 

caridwen

I suppose that a blindfold blocks out distraction to aid in focus and meditation so that she may balance the swords more easily. Then she becomes representative of a mental peace that's restored when external stimuli are reduced, almost like the 4's quiet reflection in the tomb.

Yes. Although I don't see the Swords in that way. I see them as a defence or protection whilst she is blind. I had never considered that she was blindfolded simply because she wanted to balance the swords. I thought she was blindfolded to avoid external stimuli so that she (or he) could focus inwardly. To get a sense of balance inwardly. So that no other external distractions could detract from this inward focus.

What was the motivation of the blindfold as 'peace' - inner peace.:D

So I went back to the PKT:

A hoodwinked female figure balances two swords upon her shoulders. Divinatory Meanings: Conformity and the equipoise which it suggests, courage, friendship, concord in a state of arms; another reading gives tenderness, affection, intimacy. The suggestion of harmony and other favourable readings must be considered in a qualified manner, as Swords generally are not symbolical of beneficent forces in human affairs. Reversed: Imposture, falsehood, duplicity, disloyalty.

He says a hoodwinked female. Hookwinked means she has been deceived. How I don't know. Perhaps she was tricked into wearing a blindfold and holding the swords but she isn't doing much struggling and can drop them whenever she wants. So is this post deception where she has found out and is attempting to hold it together.

I'm not sure how reliable the PKT is when looking at the images. However he does say
...harmony and other favourable readings must be considered in a qualified manner, as Swords generally are not symbolical of beneficent forces in human affairs...

So harmony is not really the meaning of the card because swords don't really fit the harmonious meaning. He seems to be hinting (as does the image) that a lot more lies beneath. We are not seeing everything that is going on.

"Concord in a state of arms" would suggest mid fight or preparation to fight. Equipoise means an equal distribution of weight so balance. Striking a balance.
 

Zephyros

This is one of the most contemplative, meditative cards. As a Two it is the element looking at itself, the Swords show that the mind is going inward. She may be blindfolded on the outside, but she certainly isn't on the inside. Libra seems to (at least in Tarot terms) "double" whatever planet it is paired with, and this works exceptionally well here, and quite disastrously in the next card. The Moon rules over the unconscious, a very primal influence. With Libra there, she could be holding two moons in her hands, and it would mean the same thing.

Now, "hoodwinked" could refer to deception, although I don't see much of it there. However, it is a term borrowed from falconry, when the hawk was blindfolded in order to trick it into believing it was nighttime, whereby it would be calmed down. While I concede there is deception in that, it seems to go more with the meditative aspects. There may not even be deception, since it really is nighttime. Like the swords, hawks are weapons. Without shielding itself from external stimuli, the mind eats whatever it can, just like the bird.

Are those the oceans of Binah behind it? Maybe, and if so, it would seem that this Chochma isn't too keen on wooing his queen, and is trying to shield himself from the inevitable. That comes in the form of the Three of Swords, where the hard, cold, monolithic hand of Saturn tries to limit the lovely balance of Libra, and the result is Sorrow.

I see the Peace here, but I'm not sure about the Restored part.
 

Abrac

The symbolism of the blindfold is multilayered, but I think one of its meanings in this case is to show the conflict has been deactivated. Depicting her as blind illustrates that the power of the swords has been neutralized.
 

Aeric

The falconry image gives a lot of food for thought. Consider:

Ten to Ace: After whatever Three represents, she's in a violent, grief-stricken rage, swinging her swords every which way and posing a danger to both herself and others. Hoodwinking her allows her to calm her emotions (Moon) and sink back onto the block with her swords carefully and gently balanced (Libra). If you were to remove the blindfold, she would glimpse the world again and fly into another rage. Peace is restored by reducing her stimuli and distracting her away from the conflict.

Ace to Ten: This is her starting position, the falcon ready to fly, waiting until the blindfold is removed so that she can unleash the havoc of the Three.

All is calm and serene unless the blindfold is removed, which would disrupt the balance and bring chaos.
 

Richard

The image suggests an unbiased settlement or arbitration of a conflict. The blindfold represents objectivity and impartiality and is often depicted on images of Lady Justice.
 

ravenest

Yes, the visual symbol affects the meaning. I can't figure out what motivated Pam to draw her blindfolded as a reflection of "peace." The posture according to PKT is one of comfortable balance, that the swords aren't intended as protection or defence from exterior forces, she's just...balancing them for the sake of it. But he does say that as weapons the swords aren't necessarily beneficial and harmonious meanings should be qualified. So it's more confusing.

I suppose that a blindfold blocks out distraction to aid in focus and meditation so that she may balance the swords more easily. Then she becomes representative of a mental peace that's restored when external stimuli are reduced, almost like the 4's quiet reflection in the tomb.

Ummmm .... Libra ??? Justice ??? Maat ???

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...bih=528#q=symbol+of+Justice&tbm=isch&imgdii=_