GoddessArtemis
I really like this card. It's rare that I see this card in any other deck and like it. But this card has a very solemn yet dignified look to it.
The Druidcraft 4 of Swords shows an older man, dressed in an earth-colored loincloth, sitting on the gigantic roots of a massive, towering tree on top of a hill. There appears to be a road to the man's right...it's coming up the hill. We can't see where it leads, but it is there. It is almost as if he has climbed up that hill and is now silently pondering many a subject. Perhaps, he is contemplating taking that road back...or he may just have seen that path for the first time, and is wondering if he should brave it and try it out. Either way, he needs time to collect his thoughts (swords) first.
He is carefully balancing a sword on its blunt side across his lap...while three other swords are propped up next to him, points up, as the man looks into the distant with a quietly thoughtful (or pensive) look on his face. The sky in the distant shows an orange glow, signifying the sun setting on the horizon. Time is passing...the sun is setting...and the man may well have been sitting there all day. He has a very serious, yet peaceful look on his face. His hands are clasped in front of his mouth in a thoughtful pose, and you can almost hear the "Hmmmm" going on inside his head. He obviously has a lot on his mind. He is also looking to the left of the card (the reader's left), which tends to imply that he is looking back on things past...and wondering where to go from here. Will he pick up the swords and take them with him down the path? Will he leave some behind? He isn't sure himself, so he is taking time out in solitude to find out.
This card often signifies a period of contemplative silence. The man isn't just taking a time out to rest or sleep (as in most RWS-based decks), but he is actually sitting there thinking...if less intensely than in other Swords cards...but he is nonetheless giving some subject a great deal of thought. One sword is resting on his lap, as if it's being weighed. This might reflect his taking a time out before acting on his thought. He may not be sure how to use that sword yet, or if he should pick up another one of the other swords instead. The three swords next to him...well...they all appear to have different handles, which makes me think...he has several things to contemplate, and he is taking his time doing just that...one thought (or sword) at a time. He is weighing all of his options.
In readings, I have often had this card come up when tarot is trying to tell me that something is 'on hold,' or that there is a 'temporary break' in action, or possibly an inactive 'truce' of sorts...until further thoughts are put into action. I also have had this card come up in timing questions, when I'm wondering when something may occur, and when this card comes up, more often than not, I've come to learn that it means...it is not possible to give that answer, since things are 'on hold' and no further information is available at this time. The fact that this card is also a FOUR (4) reaffirms it's temporary, yet stable quality (referring back to the stability of The Lord or Emperor)...but, as we know with all fours, they can't last forever. Things will change, other thoughts will come, but for now...things are at a standstill until further thought has gone into something...or until everyone has had time to catch their breath. "Time out," this card says. Take a break.
Lovely card. It is one of the most quiet, yet emotionally rich cards in this deck.
GA
The Druidcraft 4 of Swords shows an older man, dressed in an earth-colored loincloth, sitting on the gigantic roots of a massive, towering tree on top of a hill. There appears to be a road to the man's right...it's coming up the hill. We can't see where it leads, but it is there. It is almost as if he has climbed up that hill and is now silently pondering many a subject. Perhaps, he is contemplating taking that road back...or he may just have seen that path for the first time, and is wondering if he should brave it and try it out. Either way, he needs time to collect his thoughts (swords) first.
He is carefully balancing a sword on its blunt side across his lap...while three other swords are propped up next to him, points up, as the man looks into the distant with a quietly thoughtful (or pensive) look on his face. The sky in the distant shows an orange glow, signifying the sun setting on the horizon. Time is passing...the sun is setting...and the man may well have been sitting there all day. He has a very serious, yet peaceful look on his face. His hands are clasped in front of his mouth in a thoughtful pose, and you can almost hear the "Hmmmm" going on inside his head. He obviously has a lot on his mind. He is also looking to the left of the card (the reader's left), which tends to imply that he is looking back on things past...and wondering where to go from here. Will he pick up the swords and take them with him down the path? Will he leave some behind? He isn't sure himself, so he is taking time out in solitude to find out.
This card often signifies a period of contemplative silence. The man isn't just taking a time out to rest or sleep (as in most RWS-based decks), but he is actually sitting there thinking...if less intensely than in other Swords cards...but he is nonetheless giving some subject a great deal of thought. One sword is resting on his lap, as if it's being weighed. This might reflect his taking a time out before acting on his thought. He may not be sure how to use that sword yet, or if he should pick up another one of the other swords instead. The three swords next to him...well...they all appear to have different handles, which makes me think...he has several things to contemplate, and he is taking his time doing just that...one thought (or sword) at a time. He is weighing all of his options.
In readings, I have often had this card come up when tarot is trying to tell me that something is 'on hold,' or that there is a 'temporary break' in action, or possibly an inactive 'truce' of sorts...until further thoughts are put into action. I also have had this card come up in timing questions, when I'm wondering when something may occur, and when this card comes up, more often than not, I've come to learn that it means...it is not possible to give that answer, since things are 'on hold' and no further information is available at this time. The fact that this card is also a FOUR (4) reaffirms it's temporary, yet stable quality (referring back to the stability of The Lord or Emperor)...but, as we know with all fours, they can't last forever. Things will change, other thoughts will come, but for now...things are at a standstill until further thought has gone into something...or until everyone has had time to catch their breath. "Time out," this card says. Take a break.
Lovely card. It is one of the most quiet, yet emotionally rich cards in this deck.
GA