New Mythic Tarot

Ace of Swords

Athene stands in battle armor, wearing a war helmet as she holds a double-edged silver sword.

Athene
- goddess of justice, she is the one who finally resolves the curse on the House of Atreus,
in which Orestes finds himself trapped
- goddess of wisdom and of the art of warfare
- she has the ability to see things from a higher perspective, allowing her to see the best
course of action to take
- suggests the importance of a clear and balanced mind
- represents the need to put feelings aside and closely review the current situation
- intelligence, clarity, foresight and wisdom
- use of intelligence over brute force
- the fair administration of justice by a jury

Sword
- double edge indicates the cutting power of the mind to formulate ideas and convictions,
which in turn spur actions, which in turn have consequences; this mental power can
generate both terrible suffering and sublime new resolutions
- symbol of the passionate and rigid adherence to principles that starts the conflict and of
the new and more viable principle that resolves and ends the conflict
- immense energy that goes along with conflict before a final resolution can be reached
- “he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword” means that those who engage in
aggression or violence will meet their death in a similar fashion

Overview
- a burst of raw energy as the initial eruption of a new world-view
- beginning of a great conflict between the old order and the new world-view
- the awakening of mental powers that usually conflict with one’s existing beliefs
- arguments, debates and quarrels that occur as one tries out the new world-view
- inevitable and irrevocable change
- quarrels and strife that originate with man’s arrogance
- a change to come that will have far-reaching consequences

Random Thoughts
- the power of the mind may be greater than the Querent can handle right now (Athene
looks like the sword might be too heavy for her)
- one is on the right track, but isn’t quite there yet since the sword is still tilted

Keyword/phrase I came up with in my workbook on 26Oct91 was "impending change".

Two of Swords

Orestes, hands clasped to head in despair, stands between his mother, Queen Clytemnestra,
and his father, King Agamemnon, who have locked swords before him. She is angry at the King
for the sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia so that he could go off to fight the Trojan War, and he
is defending himself.

Overview
- a state of paralysis, where opposing forces have created a standstill and no movement is
possible
- Orestes refuses to pick a side, instead choosing to stay out of (and, to a degree,
unaware of) the impending conflict
- the need to face an unpleasant reality, but the individual is unwilling to upset the status
quo
- a situation where one is neither happy nor unhappy but one also can’t move or grow
- the storm that looms in the background is a reflection of the storm that’s brewing in
Orestes’ life, even as he tries to ignore it
- being afraid to upset a balance, even if that balance is not a harmonious one
- a conflict of opposing principles
- an uncomfortable state of precariously balanced calm, beneath which there is great
tension and anxiety
- knowing that something must change yet being afraid to do anything to start such a
change; preferring to blind oneself rather than risk conflict that must happen anyway
- a feeling of unrest that’s uncomfortable to live with, but preferable to upsetting the status
quo

Random Thoughts
- hear no evil, see no evil
- if I stick my head in the sand, it’ll all go away
- public compatibility, private tensions
- being on eggshells for fear of what’s to come
- la la la la la la la la la la la
- being between a rock and a hard place
- being forced to choose
- parental tapes playing in one’s mind, parental mind games

Keyword/phrase I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "stalemate".

Three of Swords

Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus kill King Agamemnon in his bath. Each holds a sword that
pierces the King’s heart while a third sword stands upright with its point in the King’s heart.
Brooding skies can be seen in the background.
Overview
- the strife or conflict of the Two has erupted and come out into the open
- heartbreak or separation has revealed itself as an initial completion
- a release of energy in the form of movement from stagnation and tension
- whatever has happened is necessary in order to reach the eventual creative end
- something set in motion in the past comes to fruition in the present
- how the consequences of human choice(s) work themselves out over time, sooner or
later resulting in heartbreak or conflict
- relief because since the poison has been released, there is now a possibility for healing
in the future
- buried resentments that burst through at last
- a creative, if unpleasant, step that makes an ultimate resolution possible
- sorrow that’s accompanied by the recognition that things have to be that way
- a sense of vision and understanding that makes the pain easier to bear

Random Thoughts
- Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
- action and reaction

Metaphors/Proverbs:
- “curses, like chickens, come home to roost” means that people who do wrong ultimately
have to suffer the consequences of their deeds
- “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword” means that those who engage in
aggression or violence will meet their death in a similar way

Keyword/phrase that I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "open conflict".

Four of Swords

Orestes is in exile, unaware of what has transpired between his parents. He sits peacefully on
the ground contemplating the swords laid out in front of him.

Overview
- a quiet time when one can withdraw and think
- emotional recuperation after an outbreak of conflict
- a time for reflection so that one can put things into perspective
- a time of preparation before one has to make necessary changes as a result of the
conflict
- a building up of strength and a marshalling of inner reserves in a place where one can
be still and introspective
- a place of quiet that one instinctively seeks out after some major disruptive or painful
event
- needing time alone to examine the pattern of what has happened
- the need for silence and solitude before rejoining the world
 - calm after the storm
- convalescence and recovery

Random Thoughts
- ignorance is bliss
- “I vant to be alone”
- the arrangement of the swords suggests that at this point at least that no conflict is
directed towards Orestes – it’s all directed away from him

The keyword/phrase I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "introspection".

Five of Swords

Seated on the ground, Orestes faces Apollo, who informs him of his father’s murder at his
mother’s hands and commands that he avenge it. Apollo points at the five swords he holds in
his other hand as storm clouds appear to be coming in the background.

Overview
- acceptance of limitations, boundaries and the confines of (one’s) destiny so that one is
able to progress
- acceptance of a task that has been imposed upon one
- knowing who one is and what one can and must do is necessary if one wishes to live by
the principles in which one believes
- acceptance of one’s lot in life (in this case that it’s a son’s duty to avenge his father’s
murder, where it wouldn’t be a daughter’s duty)
- no amount of will-power or fighting can change a situation, so one must accept the
situation
- fairness doesn’t enter into the situation – one must accept the lot one has been dealt
- the sins of Orestes’ parents have fallen squarely on his shoulders
- the need to accept responsibility for one’s heritage whether one likes that or not
- being powerless to do anything but accept a situation and work within its framework

Random Thoughts
- being taken aback
- the need to practice what one preaches
- life isn’t fair
- being between a rock and a hard place (anger Apollo or anger the Furies)
- damned if you do, damned if you don’t

The keyword/phrase I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "acceptance of one's

limitations".
Six of Swords

Orestes stands with arms crossed in a boat that doesn’t seem to have a source of power as it
heads towards Argos. Six swords stand straight up with their points embedded in the hull of the
boat. Storm clouds and turbulent water accompany him while clear skies and calmer waters are
around Argos.

Overview
- moving away from turbulent, difficult feelings toward a calmer and more serene state
- a calmer, if still sad, path is ahead of one
- harmony from coming to terms with one’s limits and tasks
- being at peace within oneself as one leaves behind the anxious, distressing and fraught
state suggested by the choppy waters
- serenity brought about by a tranquil mind and not a tranquil heart
- insight and understanding allows one to see how one has created their own fate, which
in turn releases anxiety and promotes a calm acceptance which then allows one to move
into the future
- knowledge of why one is on a particular path, how one got there, and what it all might
mean can make a world of difference in accepting one’s lot in life
- the easing of tension
- a smooth passage, either externally moving away from unpleasant surroundings or
internally moving away from anxiety towards peace
- relief after having finally made a difficult decision

Random Thoughts
- being resigned to one’s fate
- doing what needs to be done, whether or not one likes the task or wants to do it
- “I’ll do it, but you can’t make me like it!”
- since it’s unclear how the boat is moving, being impelled towards an action or path

The keyword/phrase I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "post-anxiety calmness".

Seven of Swords

Shrouded and hooded in his cloak, Orestes creeps stealthily towards the palace at Argos. He
carries seven swords with him. In the sky behind him, a thin crescent moon can be seen shining
in the sky.

Overview
- applying mental energy in a cautious, wily and diplomatic way in order to gain the
desired end
- brains over brawn
- a feeling of ambivalence since the rightness or moral integrity of the goal cannot always
be determined or verified
 - the mind is amoral as it is uncontaminated by feeling values; so the intellect can be cold
and manipulative
- tact, deliberate charms and even subterfuge may be necessary to achieve a goal and
may be in direct conflict with one’s ethics
- the end justifies the means
- having to compromise one’s character in order to achieve a goal
- guile is a mental attribute that sometimes must be used in life
- indirect action, confusing roundabout courses and extreme caution are called for in order
to achieve an objective
- sometimes evasiveness, brains, tact and diplomacy are the best way to achieve a goal
instead of brawn and aggression
- discretion
- one must not attract attention

Random Thoughts
- good guys finish last
- honesty isn’t always the best policy
- “discretion is the better part of valor” means that it’s often wiser to avoid taking an
unnecessary risk than to be recklessly courageous

Keyword/phrase I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "subterfuge".

Eight of Swords

Surrounded by eight swords with their points in the ground, Orestes is caught between Apollo
and the Furies. He knows that whatever action he takes will seal his doom.

Overview
- bondage through fear due to both full knowledge of the situation and the probably
consequences of any choice
- delaying making a choice
- paralyzing indecision
- conscious awareness of one’s own part in creating the current situation
- sooner or later there is a confrontation which forces one to make a decision that one has
been avoiding
- realization that one’s subterfuges and delaying tactics have made the situation worse
- being trapped or bound in a situation which causes unhappiness and the fear of what
might happen if one tries to remove oneself from the situation is just as bad
- the need to accept responsibility, understand what one really wants and act once and for
all
- damned if you do and damned if you don’t
- the need to find one’s own solution out of a situation and incur the consequences oneself
- knowing what must be done and accepting the consequences of those actions
Random Thoughts
 - a no-win situation
- being between a rock and a very hard place
- “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” means that one shouldn’t take an action if
one isn’t ready to accept the consequences of the action

Keyword/phrase that I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "between a rock and a
hard place".

Eight of Swords

Having killed his mother and incurred the wrath of the Furies, Orestes stands with his hands
clasped to his ears as the Furies menace him from behind. Each Fury holds three swords, and
all of them are pointed at Orestes.

Overview
- experiencing great fear and anxiety
- nightmares and fantasies about impending doom that may not manifest but are
frightening and painful because of the power of the fantasy
- torment through guilt, fears and fantasies of destruction
- expecting a terrible future outcome when there are no indicators that such an outcome
will occur
- fears that can become self-fulfilling prophecies
- morbid fantasies about the future spring from guilt about the past
- ungrounded fears that can stop one from enjoying their life
- understanding the reason for one’s guilt or fear will provide insight that can be helpful in
dispelling that fear

Random Thoughts
- You’re driving me mad!
- a worry-wart
- the ultimate in pessimism
- a guilty conscience
- being afraid of the bogeyman
- something that can’t hurt you but can cause you to do harm to yourself

Keyword/phrase that I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "guilt-driven anxiety about
the future".

Ten of Swords

Athene intercedes on behalf of Orestes, who lies on the ground curled into a fetal ball. She
holds an upright sword in her left hand while nine swords form a barrier between Orestes and
the Furies. She holds her right hand up as if to say “Stop!” The sun rises in the background,
pushing away the dark night.
Overview
- an ending accomplished through the judgment and fairness of Athene
- despairing and exhausted, one feels like there’s no hope in sight and can’t see that their
suffering is over
- reaching the end of something and feeling like there is no hope left and only
disillusionment and disappointment to take into the future
- seeing something at last as it truly is and recognizing that there’s nowhere further to go
- impartial reflection and the careful deliberation of the human mind (in this case through a
jury) is what truly redeems one from one’s worst and most insoluble problems
- family curse as inner conflicts that have been passed down through the generations,
where parents have been unable to face conflicts honestly and the children suffer until
insight is gained
- the proper and inevitable completion of a process that began with new ideas and
perceptions
- being freed of some deep-seated and ancient problem that’s been forced to the surface
and that one’s suffering has released and redeemed
- the way is cleared for a fresh start
- the necessity for a clean break that takes all possibilities into consideration because to
ignore anyone or anything could leave the way open for further destruction

Random Thoughts
- the end of a “dark night of the soul”
- new beginning
- being at the end of one’s rope
- someone intercedes on your behalf
- the sins of the father are no longer visited upon the child
- that which your tormentor has used to torment you can be used to keep your tormentor
at bay (the swords the Furies held in the 9 constrain them in the 10)

The keyword/phrase I came up with in my workbook on 14Mar92 was "resolution".