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General Book of the Tarot, by A. E. Thierens, [1930], at sacred-texts.com


Page of Swords

TRADITION: Overseer, artist, learned man, spy, indiscreet person, who will eventually "pry into the querent's secrets." Secret service, vigilance, examination, calculation, speculation. A note, observation, remark. Reversed: "The more evil side of those qualities" (W.); the unforeseen sudden, surprising; improvisation. Acting or speaking without due preparation.

THEORY: The Martian and Saturnian element on the Third house and on the Eleventh. It is very

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remarkable, that the first series of meanings in this case hint at the third house, while the so-called reversed meanings bear all the characteristics of the Uranian eleventh house: suddenness, surprise, etc. This element on the house of Air, Gemini and Aquarius, must, of course, denote either intellectual facts or concrete results of intelligence. The latter may be called 'proof' or 'outcome' or exact knowledge. The knowledge of facts may be the fruit of an elementary school curriculum, of journalism, of spying, etc. But it is justly indicated by tradition, that the Martian and Saturnian Gemini-man is a specialist in unlawful knowledge or in knowledge gathered at the cost of much trouble and effort; so it may be also knowledge gathered later in life, university extension. Exact intellectual results may appear as: remarks, observations, notes, etc. When put in the negative there may be investigation, examination, etc. All these are truly the effects of Gemini. There are, moreover, the personalities representing the facts. On account of the eleventh house we shall have to note the same sort of results but more or less reciprocal and sudden, whereas Uranus, lord of this house, accelerates the energy of Mars in this element but is apt to destroy the Saturnian vibrations or at least counteract them. It is quite true, therefore, that this card may represent speaking and acting without sufficient preparation and without dogmatic or very formal outlines: improvisation. Tradition was very correct in this. It could not know, that this page, on account of its eleventh house relations, will represent the railway-, tramway- or bus-conductor as well as the constable regulating the traffic, also the warnings of the same.

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CONCLUSION: Results of exact studies, knowledge, note, observation, warning, indication, examination, inspection, investigation; inspector, constable, police-officer, and their orders; spy, detective, examiner. Dilettante, one who will surprise by his daring but is not well prepared in speech or acting., The latter in weak cases. Sudden, rather unexpected, surprising events or effects.


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