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The Queen of Swords represents the female form of the Air Element. It displays wisdom, alertness, independence, richness and quick understanding. It expresses our ability to solve problems with the help of reason, and to achieve a higher level of knowledge without losing our ideas or mardos. In contrast to the older interpretation of the card, which saw only the wicked woman or, in the best case, the widow in the Queen of the Swords, the motif of the paper is the woman's (or male's) side, who frees herself from her dependence on the power of her mind. There are only a few cases where the shaded side of the card should be taken into consideration, the queen of ice, whose charming charm lies behind the calculated coolness and almost invincible distance.

QUEEN OF SWORDS

The Queens represent the letter Heh of the Name. They are the complements of the Knights. They receive, ferment, and transmit the original Energy of their Knight. Quick to receive that Energy, they are also fitted to endure for the period of their function; but they are not the final product. They represent the second stage in the process of creation whose fourth and last state is material realization. They are represented as seated upon thrones. This emphasizes the fact that they are appointed to exercise definite functions. 

The Queen of Swords represents the watery part of Air, the elasticity of that element, and its power of transmission. She rules from the 21St degree of Virgo to the 20th degree of Libra. She is enthroned upon the clouds. The upper part of her body is naked, but she wears a gleaming belt and a sarong. Her helmet is crested by the head of a child, and from it stream sharp rays of light, illuminating her empire of celestial dew. In her right hand, she bears a sword; in her left hand, the newly severed head of a bearded man. She is the clear, conscious perception of Idea, the Liberator of the Mind.

The person symbolized by this card should be intensely perceptive, a keen observer, a subtle interpreter, an intense individualist, swift and accurate at recording ideas; in action confident, in spirit gracious and just. Her movements will be graceful, and her ability in dancing and balancing exceptional.

If ill-dignified, these qualities will all be turned to unworthy purposes. She will be cruel, sly, deceitful and unreliable; in this way, very dangerous, on account of the superficial beauty and attractiveness which distinguish her.

In the Yi King, the watery part of Air is represented by the 28th hexagram, Ta Kwo.

The Shape suggests a weak beam.

The character, excellent in itself, cannot support interference. Foresight and prudence, care in preparation of action, are a safeguard (line 1). Advantage is to be won, moreover, by reliance on help from apparently unsuitable comrades (lines 2 and 5). This alien strength often supplies the defeat of inherent weakness, and may even create definite superiority to circumstance (line 4). In such an event, there may be temptation to undertake rash adventures, foredoomed to failure. But even so, no blame is incurred (line 6); the conditions of True Will have been satisfied, and the issue is compensated by the feeling that the right (however unfortunate) course has been adopted.

Such people acquire intense love and devotion from the most unexpected quarters. 

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS

Astrology: 21° Virgo to 20° Libra Element and world: The waters in the Air of Yetzirah Tree of Life: Binah

The Queen of Swords represents the Water in the Air, thus supplying the qualities of emotion and sensitivity to the airy element, the abilty to transfer and reflect, to form and create. As the mother of the Air, she will have a strong dominance of intellect. 

The Queen of Swords can be very sensitive, perceptive, sharp-witted and intelligent. On the dark side, she can turn cruel, malicious, narrow-minded, bigoted or even deceitful, dangerous, too, because of her charme and beauty. 

Being water in air, the Queen of Swords lacks the stability of the Earth as well as the will of Fire. So she can lack practicality, steadyness, running the risk to live in an idealistic land of her own outside of reality. Further, she is sensible to interferences and disturbance from the outside, unable to protect herself against it.

Drive: Independence, freedom of mind and soul 

Light: Wisdom, imagination, self-confidence, perceptive, graceful 

Shadow: Coldness, inaccessibility, cruel, deceitful,

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS - Sun - Aquarius - Independence

Keywords: water aspect of air, discarding old masks and roles, lightness, intellectuality, objectivity, logic, purity, rationality

Advice: You are on a path where you are increasingly breaking away from old roles and behaviors. It can be a painful experience, but it's worth it! The light you are getting into is liberating.

Questions: What are the roles that you most easily and most often hide behind? Are you ready to throw them away?

Suggestion: Observe yourself in different roles. Some of you will continue to play, but now with greater awareness. You will play these until you identify with them.

Revelation: My only duty in life is to remain true to myself.

Analogies:

Ji-Ching: None (?)

Mythology: The Independents (Atalanta)

Keywords: independence, individuality, alertness

There is only consolation in threat, no answers.

QUEEN OF SWORDS

General Meaning

Representing the energy of a Queen, this feminine power was traditionally known as a widow, crone or divorcee. In modern times, she can be viewed as a model of self-sufficiency, independence and intelligence. She often has extremely high standards due to her subtle sensitivities, which can be perceived by those around her as being critical or hard to please. Her true motive is to refine the world, to upgrade peoples' understanding — so that everyone can have the space they need to become fully themselves.

She is not interested in conforming. She is too intelligent to be confined to the role of housewife or nursemaid, although she is perfectly competent in those areas. She chooses her associations (or her solitude), and is seldom caught up in dependent relationships — at least not for long. Her intelligence is not always the most comfortable to be around, but she can be counted on to see through superficiality and point to the truth of a situation.

In the Reversed Position

When the Queen of Swords is reversed, it indicates a propensity for denying your deepest feelings. Somewhere you decided that speaking up for the emotional truth is selfish and unattractive. As a result, you are prejudiced against your own needs.

It is not a flaw to have a heart; it is a flaw to ignore it. Show some compassion for yourself, and in so doing help your loved ones love you better. Don't isolate yourself. Have compassion for yourself. Serving your own feelings and needs is appropriate and necessary.

In the Advice Positon

The Queen of Swords in this position advises that you refrain from remaining dependent on others at this time. Instead of placing too much confidence in the promises people have made, harbor only those ambitions you know you can accomplish yourself.

The Queen of Swords does not want to wait and see what others would think, say or do. She knows what she wants and how to get it. She doesn't ask permission or even subject herself to much influence. There are times in life when no one can take care of you as well as you can. Leave sentimentality behind and take action. Make important decisions for yourself because it's up to you. You are the final judge.

Read more:

• » The Book of Thoth - A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians by Aleister Crowley.
• » Liber LXXVIII - On the Tarot - A complete treatise on the Tarot giving the correct designs of the cards with their attributions and symbolic meanings on all planes. - A description of the Cards of the Tarot, with their attributions, including a method of divination by their use.
• » Manuscript N - The Tarot - A Golden Dawn Manuscript - A Theoricus Adeptus Minor Paper.