By Sarah Taylor
When I looked at the Princess of Swords this afternoon, what immediately came to mind were the words that Brad Pitt spoke about his former lover Juliette Lewis: “She is truth!”
The Princess of Swords stands for truth. Or, at least, that’s what she stands for in her light aspect. Her truth is the one that sets her, and others, free. She is a liberator through the severing of mental bonds.
In a sense, the Princess of Swords is the figure in the Eight of Swords when she realises that she holds the key to her own freedom. This is evidenced in the sword that she holds in the crook of her arm. It has not been used to wound (not yet, anyway: that happens in the Nine of Swords); it is has been used to loosen the ropes around her. It even cuts through chain — a more entrenched binding. The truth knows no obstacle, not even one we believe is intractable.
A word that stands out on this card is “rebellion”. This hints at the nature of the power that the Princess of Swords wields. Her ability to see something from all angles (denoted by the eyes around her headdress) also enables her to call bullshit when she encounters something of questionable integrity. It also shows us the nature of who she is in her shadow aspect. When she is out of alignment, she becomes the rebel without a cause — an indiscriminating destructrix who dismantles for the sake of seeing it fall to ruin.
If we pay attention to the Princess’s appearance and the card’s background, we can see a femininity that is contrasted with the masculine blade. But it is not the feminine that keeps her in alignment: it is the balance between both masculine and feminine. Her body — as feminine container — sheathes the sword. She is the container. Action on behalf of, or in opposition to, truth starts with her. She may be young, but she has a grace about her that belies her age. Her butterfly-like hair suggests a relationship with transformation. She is rebellion in the service of transformation.
On the other side of the reading, we have another female figure — with both figures turned towards each other (and towards the male figure in the middle). Swords represent the element of air, and so does The Star, which corresponds to the sign of Aquarius in the zodiac.
The quality of air in The Star is different, however. Whereas the Princess of Swords is ‘the individual’, The Star is ‘the collective’; the Princess as a court card is the personal, The Star is the transpersonal. She expresses a quality that can be part of us, but which also links us to everyone and everything else. In the moment when we feel The Star, we don’t just feel connected: we feel interconnected. The Star is inspiration and flow. Appearing as it does after The Tower in the major arcana, The Star brings us into a transcendent experience caused by the release of what was previously blocked. The Tower can feel tumultuous. The Star expresses the expansion that follows. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
The truth can be hard to exercise, and it can be hard to hear and accept. The truth can change things inexorably. However, in Truth are found illumination and expansion. And at their core is the seed of potential that is the Ace of Disks: the infinite power to draw upon to build something new — something that is tangible and has a presence in our physical world.
Freed as we are from the bonds of our self-limiting ideas and beliefs, we rejoin the flow that is the flow of creation itself, so that we, in turn, are able to create from where we are. All we need do is to step into a wider idea of ourselves, to own what it is that we have the potential to build, and to keep our sights on the source of our inspiration. The Princess of Swords is that aspect of our humanity that brings us to this place; The Star is what opens us up to what is possible.
Astrology/Elemental correspondences: Princess of Swords (the earthy aspect of air), Ace of Disks (the pure potential of its suit), The Star (Aquarius)
If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread.
….except when looking out to our awe, inspiring night sky. Ok, starting to feel this deck’s inspiriting movement more now. Thanks again Sarah! ;. )
Sarah: Thank you for the great reading. The Princess card and your interpretation witht his deck brought so much more to me. And although the illistrations are all visually appealing, personally I find this deck loses some dimensions in comparison to the Crowly deck’s imagery. I realize others may see it differently and i will continue to try, but with your good interpretation I found myself needing to return to the other deck to draw up deeper mental connotations particularly relative to the Star and Ace card imagery.
Although where I did find a significant theme in the Rohrig card spread with your interpretation was each card’s source of light in relationship to our path.
“Her ability to see something from all angles (denoted by the eyes around her headdress) also enables her to call bullshit when she encounters something of questionable integrity.”
In the Princess of Swords the light is coming through/forth from the eyes. Subjective consciousness is the perspective, yet in light is in utilizing an objective view.
“It also shows us the nature of who she is in her shadow aspect. When she is out of alignment, she becomes the rebel without a cause — an indiscriminating destructrix who dismantles for the sake of seeing it fall to ruin.”
I pulled the Queen (Princess) of Swords in a online spread just last week. And was in the second position, representing Foundation. Hangman was in 1st, and in the process of transition, in her shadow aspect, meaning ‘out of alignment’ is where destruction can be understood as a necessity. If heading on the path to new creativity it literally starts at rebuild.
In The Star we see the light is expressed from a new idea, an awareness, a raised consciousness sourced, manifested in the journey that is brought to light.
And the Ace of Pentacles (Disks) I see the light is being observed. The perspective here is entering in, coming forth from a powerful force outside. In the Crowly deck the hand is issuing the gift from the cloud. It calls us to a remaining in acceptance. For me there is no better image representing the ‘state of awe’ than this.
Thank you so much for this reading! It does weave in with what’s been going on in my life lately and gives me some really good insights. Thanks again!
“Equal and Opposite Reaction” seems to be a crossing into Libra theme. I just wrote about it in a post, without those words. These cards give the feel of balance: dynamic inner and outer forces grounding on a fulcrum, the Ace of Disks. What is more grounded than a mountain? A picture perfect reading for what I am creating now, Sarah. Thank you!