Episode 59: Ten of Swords

The 10 of Swords! the Lord of Ruin! (We had to get there sometime.)  Who does not shudder to see this card, even in the cheeriest of readings?  Here at the end of thought and reason, the Sun rules over the final decan of Gemini.  The sky is black, but for a line of sunlight on the horizon. The contrasts of light and shadow are stark and brutal, and the consequences of choices made in the 8 and 9 of Swords are all too clear. Why does this Sun card contrasts so harshly with the others - Virtue, Pleasure, Prudence, and Power? In our discussion we look at the summer solstice, the dark hour before the dawn, Hexagram 43 ("Eliminating,") Phanes the light bringer, Praxidike the goddess of revenge, sthenic disease, Thomas Becket and his hair shirt, the head pierced by the sword, the prana mudra, the smashing of governments, the principles of terrorism, the Fall, exposure and nakedness, the crew of the Argo, the tragedies of Jason and Medea, many twins of dark and light - Dylan and Lleu; Horus and Set; Cain and Abel; Ahura Mazda and Ahriman; Castor and Pollux - the deprivation of sleep and the madness of a light that never turns off. To learn more about the suit of Swords, the world of Yetzirah, the crystallizations of the sephira Malkuth, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more! at our RedBubble shop.