Two of Swords
Swords
How This Card Is Derived
Papus gives no separate description of this card. It is derived from his system: Swords is Vau (ו), the equilibrating principle, the link between the two, acting in Yetzirah, the formative world; the number 2 is He of the first series, the passive reflection of that origin. The meaning below is that combination read out — the equilibrating principle, the link between the two taken at its 2nd term — not a quotation from him.
Upright
The passive reception of conflict. Two forces are present and neither is being exercised; the blades are crossed and held. Papus's second term reflects rather than acts, so this is not a resolution but an accurate holding of something unresolved. The blindfold is not ignorance — it is the refusal to let sight tip a balance the querent has decided must stay level.
Reversed
The balance broken, by choice or by exhaustion — reversed usually means one blade came down. Or the stalemate maintained so long that it has stopped being a decision and become the situation itself.
Correspondences
- Suit
- Swords — Vau (ו), Yetzirah, the formative world
- Suit principle
- the equilibrating principle, the link between the two
- Number
- 2 — He of the first series
- Numeric role
- the passive reflection of that origin
In a Spread
At the commencement, the matter begins in deadlock. In opposition, a refusal to decide that is holding everything up. At equilibrium this is the position the card was made for. As the result: nothing is settled — and Papus would say the reading is telling the querent that plainly rather than failing to answer.