In one swift motion the blade whistles through the air and the squawking is silenced. To begin anew some things must come to an end; the path must be cleared of obstacles and debris. In the quiet air, heavy with possibility, new thoughts emerge.
– Charles Harrington, Murder of Crows Tarot Deck
Keywords: A decisive new beginning, clearing away what does not serve, painful surprise.
The Murder of Crows deck is unique in that its card meanings are written to include both the negative and positive sides of the card whether it be upright or not. Generally, when I read with these cards, I will consider both the negative and positive regardless of its position. However, should one become reversed, I interpret its negative meaning a bit more strongly than I do when it is upright. However, because this is a post, incorporating emphasis one way or the other is a bit difficult. If you’d like to explore these cards or get a further reading, you can book a reading here!
What is the Minor Arcana?
56 Cards out of 78 in a tarot deck belong to the Minor Arcana. While the Major Arcana represents long term major pivotal life moments, the Minor Arcana touches on shorter term, everyday occurrences. The Minor Arcana is broken down into 4 suits. Wands, Pentacles, Swords, and Cups. Aces are signs of new beginnings. It’s about finding initiative, drive, potential, and purpose. It’s all about embarking on new journeys or beginning to manifest something in your life. The Swords cards are all about facing what lies before you. It shows that challenges are ahead. Use the strength of the sword to strengthen yourself against what may come knocking on your soon.The Swords also represent rules, laws, diplomacy, and justice. All very earth bound, left brain, logical concepts.
The Ace of Swords – Minor Arcana
Corvids (crows & ravens) have always been spirits with a dichotomous reputation. Ravens were often believed to be bad omens of sickness and death due to their nature as carrion scavengers. However, they were also signs that the Gods were watching. In many cultures, ravens have been able to fly through all the realms and bring messages between the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. Because of this multifaceted nature, the symbolism of the corvids in this deck changes drastically from card to card.
In this Ace of Swords card, we see a hand that appears from no where that represents that hand of the Divine. It holds upright a sword, representative of a sharp mind and quick wit. At the top of the sword you see a crow, stabbed and in distress. For those of us who love crows, how could this possibly be a good omen? This crow represents bad omens, your challenges, the negativity that you have faced or will face. It represents the mental noise that holds us back, the outside variables that make the mental noise louder… This crow represents everything that needs to die in order for you to be able to push forward and reach your goals. With the act of striking this crow, you are clearing the way for a pivotal breakthrough. This breakthrough can only occur when you strike down all of those roadblocks. This means clearing your conscious of any wrong, making amends or putting old drama to rest, setting yourself up to seek justice and truth so your conscience can be clear moving forward.
The Ace of Swords is a sign of triumph and success in what you are trying to manifest, but it’s warning that it ain’t gonna be easy. My advice here is to keep persevering. Your resilience will pay off. Pick another card to get some insight on what roadblocks lie ahead for you on your path!
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