Phantasmagoric - Knight of Swords (thread 2)
Hi. Well after todays card, 'The Magician', I put all of the skills I had into the work I was doing and I now feel that I am on the way .
My card for tomorrow is ... (picks card) ...
The Knight of Swords - Tom Tom.
I have been waiting for him to make an appearance! For many reasons. Firstly, because of the conversations I have had with Maan recently about this Knight. Secondly, I wanted him to show up because he is my favourite in the deck. Thirdly, he reminds me of a new friend that I have made - you must think I have some freaky looking friends! - well, in this instance, the guy is a little on the odd side and this card resembles him pretty well (even down to his favourite shades of clothing).
I have only met him twice but we got on well. I sense that he can be a little prickly and that possibly, trouble could follow him around bit, which are all contributed to the essense of this card.
What do I see? I see an attractive young man in this card; he is a bit of a 'pretty boy' and I imagine that he could be prone to immature tantrums, should he not get his way. I see a sword on his t-shirt, what looks like barbed wire on his neckline, spikes protruding from his cardigan/jacket. He wears a spade tattoo on his head, wears a crown. Infront of him are toys - a train and a bear. The bear has been cut open and a pin has been aimlessly thrust into it. Tom Tom holds his head. His eyes are an innocent shade of green; his lips, a suculent purple. The background is a red and black check.
Graham Cameron says of this card -
"Here we meet Tom Tom, who has a naughty nature. He is the Knight of Swords, a character who steals toys from those who are weaker than he. He gains power by manipulating others and forcing them to obey him. The Knight of Swords warns us not to let go of our rights too easily. When we meet a character like Tom Tom, we must learn to challenge him. To do so requires adetermination and much courage, but it is our only way of protecting ourselves.
Tom Tom, The Knight, represents the importance of balancing power and confronting negativity".
I can see the naughty nature of Tom Tom, but the vulnerability in his gaze endears me to him (and I am sure he endears others too). I wonder if this is how he uses his powers of manipulation. The sword on his vest shows communication; a person that can communicate well can often overcome others. Does he charm people into taking their toys? Does he then turn nasty when they want them back? His beauty may then turn ugly.
It is interesting that Cameron looks at the negative side of this card by using 'Angry' and 'Aggressive' as keywords for a reversed meaning. In this Knight, and also in my new found aquaintance, I can see this side - an aggression and anger that may be fought by words. I also see that this anger, aggression and negativity, as well as hurting others, can also hurt Tom Tom, which is why he is possibly barricading himself under his hands. He is similar to a porcupine, that puts out their spikes when they feel threatened.
The carelessness of the pins that have been stabbed into the bear and the table suggest a boredom in Tom Tom; that he doesn't really need the toys. He only took them because he knew he could. In this light, I see tomorrow as a day to stand up to opposition, to only do what I need to do and to not take from others things that may cause them stress - whether that is relying on them too heavily or borrowing their 'shoulder' when I can try to lift my spirits by myself.
Joan Bunning says of the 'Knight of Swords' - "Direct/Blunt, Authorative/Overbearing, Incisive/Cutting, Knowlegable/Opinionated, Logical/Unfeeling". As well as being aware of these traits in other people, a lesson is also to be aware of the negative aspects in 'my' interaction with others. Sometimes I can be cutting and rude. I can be tackless. If I am being unbearable and critical, then I need to bring some balance into tomorrow, and my life in general.
Even though I have rambled a lot here (sorry - this is my fave of all the Courts in this deck), I still havn't scratched the surface, I am sure. I look forward to when Tom Tom visits again to see if he shows a different side. I will enjoy his energy tomorrow and keep my eyes (and ears) open to whether he is a facit of myself or somebody else that enters my day.
Thankyou for listening.
Best wishes to you all.
Yaboot