Minor Arcana

Ace of Swords

As with the other Aces, it was our intention to depict Ted himself transformed into a material representation of the philosophical element represented by the suit. But there is a problem. It is not possible to draw a picture of air. To solve this problem, we decided to show Ted as a patch of empty sky surrounded by cloud.

The ethereal Ted holds aloft a sword. The blade of the sword is encircled by a crown. Here, this represents the Crown of Supreme Divinity, the Crown (Keter) of the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is the sword of divine justice. It is a two edged sword, in both the literal and figurative senses; justice can be conferred in way or the other — “it cuts both ways.” For this reason, both the olive branch of peace and the palm frond of suffering hang from the rim of the crown.

Divination

New beginning on a mental level. Complete change of mind regarding all aspects of life. New ideas must be separated from mistakes of the past. Anticipation of success. Great strength, a risk of manifesting as outward aggression, but reflecting great inner strength of mind. Creative energy, fertility and productive manifestation.

For experts

• Title Root of the Powers of Air
• Season Winter
• Direction East
• Tree of Life Keter

You can see these cards at their best in the finished deck of Ted’s Tarot. Buy it here.