Sketchbook - Four of Swords

Today's drawing is a direct homage to the RWS version of this card, which has always fueled my imagination. Was the figure supposed to be dead? Praying? Sleeping? Waite himself didn't clarify matters when he described it as "The effigy of a knight in the attitude of prayer, at full length upon his tomb." Clearly there's a story here somewhere that no one is telling.

Whenever I read this card for someone, I make sure to point out that this brief moment of reflection is all that lies between the trials of the Three of Swords and those of the Five. In other words, you'd better catch your breath here in the eye of the storm, because round two is on its way. Whatever you do in preparation could wind up making all the difference.

I became drawn to the idea of the sideshow strongman as an inspirational figure here. His weight evenly distributed across the bed of nails, he is able to rest quite easily. There is quite a lot of discipline involved in learning to do these sorts of stunts, whether you're swallowing swords or eating glass or walking on coals. While physical conditioning is essential, ultimately the strongest muscle you have at your disposal is your brain.

(Yes, I know the brain is not actually a muscle.)

There are periods of actual respite when you can truly let go of everything, allow all your suppressed reactions to surface, begin healing, and finally move on. This card doesn't depict one of those periods -- it's more of a halfway-point, like the thirty-minute lunch break you get during an eight-hour shift. In fact, if you're a strongman, you may even actually be on stage for it, taking deep breaths so that you can remain perfectly calm while your assistant smashes a cinder-block on your chest.

There is a little bleeding, I'm told, resulting from incidental punctures here and there. Nothing to worry about; surely the tattoo on his bicep (a tribute to harder times) hurt and bled much worse. As for the snake inked on his forearm, let's just consider it a symbol of renewal and move on, lest we want to hear a long story about the trapeze artist who broke his heart back in '34.

Previously On Arcanalogue: The Four Of Swords

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"A Card To Hang From Your Doorknob While You Rest."

After looking at this collection of hotel door hangers from around the world (salvaged by Michael Lebowitz from his late grandfather's estate), I recommend that you start looking at the Four of Swords as a card to hang from your doorknob while you rest and meditate on the next (possibly critical) steps in your strategy. You may not feel like you need it, but this may be the only time you have to regather your strength and your wits before things get really serious. No one can stay sharp without occasionally sitting down for a spell and sharpening oneself.

And if you're really lucky, maybe someone will come in and clean your room for you while you're out there fighting the good fight. Print the large version of this and see if it helps:

Previously On Arcanalogue: The Four of Swords

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Four of Swords

1. A truce
2. Rest from strife
3. Ease, rest, relaxation.

-- David Allen Hulse, The Western Mysteries

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"A Reverie Arising From Ephemeral Flesh..."

How's this for a meditation on battles both former and future? The artists at It's My Scar create beautiful jewelry designs that commemorate the wearer's actual physical scars. Francesca, whose scar is pictured above, had her thyroid removed due to cancer and discovered that as her prominent scar faded, she began to miss it -- "Both because I live with the very real possibility that Cancer is not a once in my lifetime possibility, and because I am proud of myself for living, and surviving with strength and dignity," she says. Each piece showcased on the site tells a different story, but at the heart of them all is a person determined to consider, remember, and reveal.

The imagery of the Four of Swords almost always seems to tell this kind of story, a reverie arising from ephemeral flesh, a taut line strung between the stillness of the current moment and the memory (or anticipation) of inevitable conflicts. The card acknowledges or encourages a pause before taking action, which ought to be driven home by the fact that the cards on either side of it, the Three and the Five, are veritable minefields that ought not be navigated with a clouded mind. No matter what you have survived, no matter what tomorrow may bring, lay down your sword and shield; turn your awareness within and reflect on the present moment. Find a calm center from which you can spring into action effectively. Celebrate your wounds as part of your long journey through life; burn incense in your helmet as the samurai are said to have --should your head be taken on the battlefield, your adversary will be impressed by its aroma. [Via]

Previously On Arcanalogue: The Four of Swords

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Four of Swords

The tragic Three of Swords shattered the peace we'd arrived at in the Two; while the Four certainly smooths things over and establishes a truce, it's obvious that we have ourselves a regular little arms race going on in this suit. With higher stakes and greater pressure behind every thought and deed, it feels disingenuous to refer to this state as "peaceful," but that's often what passes for peace in this life and this world.

Yesterday President-Elect Barack Obama met with soon-to-be-retired President George W. Bush for the first time since last week's historic election. Each of these men has a pretty good idea of the other's opinion of him, especially since their first meeting in 2005 wound up rubbing them both the wrong way. Obama posted his gut reaction to the encounter online, saying, "It wasn't until he had left the room that I realized I had briefly put my arm over his shoulder as we talked -- an unconscious habit of mine, but one that I suspected might have made many of my friends, not to mention the Secret Service agents in the room, more than a little uneasy." When Bush was informed of those remarks, he was miffed. "I thought I was actually showing some kindness... And out of that he came with this belief?" Bushed asked, adding: "He doesn't know me very well."

Their relationship has probably only gotten queasier over the course of Obama's campaign, as he's made it very clear who he thinks is to blame for the shape our country's in. And now after a stunning victory that can't help but usher in a new political era, the most popular man in America and the most unpopular man in America both have to endure this delicate dance as the power is transferred.

In this real-life example, there's no real threat of a fight breaking out -- but in our own everyday lives, escalation is incredibly easy. How often do you wind up brushing aside your own peace accords in order to assert yourself, whether or not you can really afford to lose? The Four of Swords presents one last appeal to sanity and rationality, a period of reflection and negotiation. Whether you're secretly really looking forward to getting your hands dirty or would honestly prefer to cool things down, you'll definitely benefit from being prepared.

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