THREE OF SWORDS in the Steampunk Tarot

The Three of Swords in the Steampunk Tarot,
by Barbara Moore with art by Aly Fell
Llewellyn Worldwide, www.llewellyn.com

Given what life can be like, I suppose it's not surprising I've made many posts here referencing the Three of Swords. Yes, it has other meanings than sorrow and heartbreak, but as with most cards these major meanings are the ones that crop up most frequently. (Click here to read about one less common way that this card has presented itself to me in readings.) Today I am happy -- for my own sake -- to say the meaning I'm sharing is a more positive one. One that isn't without its pain but that does look forward.

Why the Three of Swords (3S) in the Steampunk Tarot? Because I've been very slowly, card by card, studying this fabulous deck. When I first saw the metallic heart of this version of the 3S it disturbed me. It felt wrong. How can a metal heart feel pain or any other feeling? But as I sat with the card it became like the Tin Man's metal heart (in the Wizard of Oz), the symbol of what was already a true heart. But then I thought of wooden Pinocchio becoming a real flesh and blood boy after all his travails. Which leads me to add this to the meanings of the 3S: the sorrow or loss or pain is making something come to life in a way that it may not have been before. And that something comes from one's deepest heart. At this point, only the shape of this transformation is apparent. The living substance will flood the container of this symbol soon enough. Hints of its arrival shine, reflecting off the swords.

The above is a good example of the extremes to which I will go to make sense of the occasional puzzling card in a deck that I basically really like and find stimulating. On the whole, though, I'm not having to do many of these sorts of acrobatics to connect to the cards in The Steampunk Tarot. It's a delight-filled ride. And I should add that I also greatly enjoy Barbara's accompanying book. (I sit with and study a card for a while, then read what she has to say.) I'll probably talk about and share other cards from this intriguing deck in the future.

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'til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot, in whatever ways it comes to you in your life,

[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under "View my complete profile")**** SEE ALSO: Roswila's Dream & Poetry Realm for Tarot poetry; Roswila's Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); Trying to Hold A Box of Light for digital photos only.