(Hey Sept. Pixie! Nice to see you here again! Missed you!)
Yeah...the Unicorn is an interesting card...and an interesting beast!
Like Shadowlynx, I have always thought of the Unicorn as a (almost contradictory)symbol of both the Guardian of Purity and Innocence, and the rather phallic Bearer of Sexuality.
Isn't it interesting how many pre-teenage girls collect unicorns?
I have always kind of read the unicorn as the blossoming of sexual thought...the beginning of the loss of innocence.
And then, from the book of Madame Endora...we have
Healing. Yes the horn was reputed to contain the power to heal any wound and sickness. And of course...like all horns...the powder was also said to be a powerful aphrodisiac!
Unicorn Horn...not unlike amethyst... was supposed to also keep someone from being poisoned...or intoxicated.
So reading the Unicorn in a spread could also mean to keep a sharp mind, and focus, and not be lead astray by hedonism.
Loyalty, and Friendship. I think this comes from the legend of capturing unicorns...they turn from wild ferrocious beasts into utterly loyal housepets and companions. (as long as a virgin is available to capture it!)
In Talismantic traditions...the symbol of the Unicorn is tied to the planetary influence of Jupiter. I have made quite a few general talismans of Jupiter, and each has a unicorn sculpted into it.
And Jupiter is for friendship, loyalty, marriage, large groups and events, Professional people, lawyers and doctors and clergymen, and Royalty...
And also a guardian of institutions of all kinds...from schools to hospitals to government offices.
It's a pretty varied symbol...but as it has come up rarely, I haven't had the pleasure of really reading it...and maybe that is part of it's power as well....
For unicorns have always been rare and magical when glimpsed from afar!
