Knave of swords ("fante di spade") from an Italian deck

The Page of Swords (or jack or knave of swords) is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards which include tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the "Minor Arcana"

Page of Swords from the Rider–Waite tarot deck

Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play tarot card games.[1] In English-speaking countries, where the games are largely unknown, tarot cards came to be utilized primarily for divinatory purposes.[1][2]

Symbolism

The page of swords card shows a young man holding his sword up to the sky. His body and sword move in the same direction while he turns his head to the opposite side, as a sign of his curiosity for the things that are around him and not only for the given path.[3] Although equipped with a sword, he otherwise wears only a light robe that allows him to move and advance freely, rather than heavy armor that would only hinder him on his way. A strong breeze blows through the man's hair and the looming clouds in the background convey an energetic dynamic inherent in this card.[4]

Alternative interpretations include a mischievous character, malicious intent, ruined reputation, gossip or chatterbox, idle or stirring the pot of drama and rumors.

References

  1. ^ a b Dummett, Michael (1980). The Game of Tarot. Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7156-1014-7.
  2. ^ Huson, Paul, (2004) Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage, Vermont: Destiny Books, ISBN 0-89281-190-0 Mystical Origins of the Tarot Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Waite, Arthur Edward, 1857-1942. (2005). The pictorial key to the tarot (PDF). Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-44255-1. OCLC 57549699.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Valaros (2022) Page of Swords


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