now for the swords
The 4 of swords shows our pixie totally drained of emotion and energy. The 3 does depict what had happened to him, and it was extremely harrowing. Here we see him taking a time out from the rest of the world and his family, and choosing to be alone to just re-charge physically, mentally and emotionally.
He really cannot do anything else at the moment so has taken himself to a bridge where he is leaning on the support, letting his mind and body shut down for a while. Most of the time he has his eyes closed.
Again, different imagery from resting with 4 swords around you or supporting you, but the key words and sense of needing a rest are what drove me for this scene.
Not sure how much I can say here except if this card is turned upside down, there is a very moving image created from the movement of the water and the placement of the rocks, and may help him get that spark of life back which he is so desperately missing at the moment. (Very clever and inspired drawing by Steve on this card). It may show what he has lost is not lost forever, if he can only open up and be receptive to the signs that may appear. For now though he is too closed down to really appreciate this.
The 6 is one I guess is different to majority of RWS images but there was one aspect I wanted to put across, and that is the issue of having control of how you move on, and where you move to. The traditional imagery is very passive and often shows a person in a boat with the boat being steered (for want of a better word) by someone else. In this respect they are purely passengers and may be taking on a passive role in this scene. I wanted our pixie to be something other than passive. He has decided he has to move on, and is taking on that responsibility for himself, and with a real sense of purpose. Yes, there is still turmoil around him, and yes, he may still have a lot to endure before he comes out the other side. This is backed up by the raging storm around him. Yet, if we look closely we see it is not touching him. The lightening strike has not been able to reach him, nor are any drops of water landing on him. He has created a sense of peace around and within himself which will help him as he forges through the water to what we cannot see outside of the card - a place or situation offering a sense of stability and peace of mind. This card may look energised and against how it is usually depicted, but the fact does still remain that he is moving on and away from what has caused him distress. He has chosen to undertake that journey and is determined not to let anything get to him again. Obviously we know there is a bit more to come yet, but this is a significant turning point for him.
Finally we have the 10. He is at the end of his journey, and is once again taking control of where he goes from here. He is feeling much more at ease and serene as shown by the chakras glowing in front of his body. He is harmonised on all levels now. His journey really is over. And again, this is symbolised by what he is doing with the sword. The sword represents all his previous experiences which had caused him distress or sadness. It also represents how he was emotionally - broken and fragmented. He has broken the sword and is about to throw it over the edge of the water fall where it will be washed away and submerged forever. No longer can those experiences have any part of him once the sword has gone. I wanted this card to symbolise a person lifting any weight from their shoulders carried forward from previous experiences, and being in a situation where they could truly move on. Hopefully in a reading this will be uplifting for anyone who has come through such an ordeal, and will be less distressing as an image to take onboard.
Well, I hope this has helped.
Yes, they are different but I hope when seen in context they can still be identified with. The story they tell will help with this, and the experiences of the pixie will be one we can all resonate with.
