Aeric
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A hand raises a labrys, a double axe, to the waning moon, the phase associated with Swords in the deck.
Context
The double axe is called labrys or pelekus in Greek.
The Amazons were reputed to wield the pelekus as their weapon of choice in close quarters. Artemis the Moon was also revered as a goddess of the wilderness and of the hunt. The axe was wielded by her followers in battle as a devotion to her strength and vengeance against her enemies. The two blades represent the waxing and waning Moon, and are symbolic of the power of the Goddess to deliver death and destruction.
However, the matrifocal pre-Hellenic Minoan civilization on the island of Crete used the double axe as a sacred tool rather than in warfare. A labyrinth or great maze is Greek for "House of the Labrys." In Greek myth, the hero Theseus ventured into a labyrinth on Crete, guided by the human maiden Ariadne to slay the monstrous man-bull minotaur. The original, pre-Hellenic version of the myth is believed to be a parable of initiation, where a man enters the sacred temple of the double axe to confront his own fears, at the center of which is the bull, representative of his deepest, wildest fears and impulses. The bull is the consort to Ariadne, who was not human, but a face of the Great Mother Goddess. The Minoan double axe also represents the wings of a butterfly, a symbol of rebirth and rejuvenation.
Analysis
The LWB refers to the axe as a symbol of war, but also as a symbol of peace, echoing its dichotomous roles to the Amazons and the Minoans. Being raised to the waning moon, it is prepared to end negativity, to cut through ignorance and shadow. Slashing open a path, it will unleash new wisdom and understanding, as well as confidence and power. The grooves in the blade suggest the outline of a rising bird with outstretched wings as well as the abstract head of a horned bull or goat. It is the Eureka! moment, when a shell is suddenly split open to expose understanding shining within, the birth of a new idea.
A hand raises a labrys, a double axe, to the waning moon, the phase associated with Swords in the deck.
Context
The double axe is called labrys or pelekus in Greek.
The Amazons were reputed to wield the pelekus as their weapon of choice in close quarters. Artemis the Moon was also revered as a goddess of the wilderness and of the hunt. The axe was wielded by her followers in battle as a devotion to her strength and vengeance against her enemies. The two blades represent the waxing and waning Moon, and are symbolic of the power of the Goddess to deliver death and destruction.
However, the matrifocal pre-Hellenic Minoan civilization on the island of Crete used the double axe as a sacred tool rather than in warfare. A labyrinth or great maze is Greek for "House of the Labrys." In Greek myth, the hero Theseus ventured into a labyrinth on Crete, guided by the human maiden Ariadne to slay the monstrous man-bull minotaur. The original, pre-Hellenic version of the myth is believed to be a parable of initiation, where a man enters the sacred temple of the double axe to confront his own fears, at the center of which is the bull, representative of his deepest, wildest fears and impulses. The bull is the consort to Ariadne, who was not human, but a face of the Great Mother Goddess. The Minoan double axe also represents the wings of a butterfly, a symbol of rebirth and rejuvenation.
Analysis
The LWB refers to the axe as a symbol of war, but also as a symbol of peace, echoing its dichotomous roles to the Amazons and the Minoans. Being raised to the waning moon, it is prepared to end negativity, to cut through ignorance and shadow. Slashing open a path, it will unleash new wisdom and understanding, as well as confidence and power. The grooves in the blade suggest the outline of a rising bird with outstretched wings as well as the abstract head of a horned bull or goat. It is the Eureka! moment, when a shell is suddenly split open to expose understanding shining within, the birth of a new idea.
