The Queen of Swords © February 10, 2012 by Donna L. Faber. This original at approximately 33" x 25" is significantly larger than most of my work. I used the very comfortable Prismacolor Premiere markers. Each paper component, including all pieces of the earring, are separate pieces of Bristol Strathmore brought together like a puzzle. Each piece of hair is a separate piece, as well. I began using this technique because it gives me the ability to make changes. Coincidentally, it gives my work depth.
The Queen of Swords is the third in my series of tarot Queens. Like the Queen of Pentacles and the Queen of Wands before her, she is one of four minor arcana queens in a typically 72 card tarot deck. I began this piece long before the holidays last year. While I got caught up in holiday sales, she waited patiently to be completed. Now she is finished, and she’s been entered in a juried competition here in Northern California.
Like a coin, each royal arcana queen has two sides, such as light and dark, or evolved and un-evolved. Generally, The Queen of Swords is a beautiful woman who has a very sharp tongue, and this is symbolized by the rose and thorns in my illustration. Swords are indicative of air or thought. The dragon, rather than a bird, is twirled around her earing, which is a sword itself. The dragon’s wings are in full display, indicating this queen is at the height of her gifted abilities.
Who is the Queen of Swords?
The un-evolved or younger Queen of Swords is very much like Miranda Priestly from “The Devil Wears Prada”. She is an aloof, beautiful, and capable woman who is the acknowledged expert in her field. A real ice queen. Her success is reliant on the ability to see what the consumer wants before he knows he wants it. This uncanny sight is the nature of her gift. She uses her gifts for selfish reasons, and she does so at the expense of those “subjects” or staff around her, driving them, as she does herself, ruthlessly in pursuit of perfection. As a result, her life balance is sacrificed to an intense drive to succeed.
Unlike her royal sister, the Queen of Pentacles, whose success is due to personal efforts, or the work she performs, the Queen of Swords experiences success that is due to who she is, rather than what she does. What she does has a lot to do with it, but truth to tell, no one can do it like she does. No one.
The Evolved Queen of Swords: She Watches, She Sees
The evolved Queen of Swords is a mature woman of resplendent beauty. She reminds us that youth and beauty are not eternally synonymous, as youth is fleeting and true beauty can endure forever. This Queen has earned the wisdom of her age. Her gift is the uncanny ability to see through an individual’s mask directly to the fault line. It carries a huge responsibility, and having once used this gift for personal ends, she now uses it only when necessary and in the capacities of counseling or consultation.
Like her sister the Queen of Pentacles, she is a master of the rational mind. Yet while her royal sister uses this gift to solve practical problems, this Queen uses hers to solve people problems. There is no point in trying to fool this queen. She can see all your secrets and will cut through your defenses with the razor sharp edge of her intellectual sword. In return, she demands personal authenticity and complete sincerity.
The Queen of Swords in a Reading
When a querent pulls the Queen of Swords, it may indicate a desire to cut through the superficial to reveal the clear truth. It may also indicate the presence of a mature woman who is in a position to offer guidance or advice. At the very least, it indicates a need to use clear thinking in problem solving.
