As you may recall, in this deck the court cards are all aspects of the Goddess – Maiden, Mother and Crone.  The Mother of Blades is equivalent to the Queen of Swords, and can be considered the Air aspect of the Mother, or the thinking and intelligent side of nurturing.  This card is associated with Libra, very appropriate since Librans are analytical and intelligent, while also known for their service and dedication to others.

The Goddess chosen for this card is Skadi – the North Wind.  A fur-clad Scandinavian woman stands in a deep plain of snow under the dark night, with the cold north wind blowing around her.  She seems perfectly at home there, and holds a blue shield in her left hand and a bow and arrows in her right.  A full golden moon shines behind her, and a flock of geese flies against the moon.  Another goose, her animal companion, appears in the foreground of the card.  All the women of Blades can fly, but this one chooses to keep her feet on the ground, appropriate for the Mother, as she has earthly responsibilities.

It is interesting that they chose this Goddess to represent the Mother of Blades, as certain other Queen of Swords cards also remind me of a northern Viking Queen (e.g., Hanson-Roberts).  One could never mistake this woman for anything but a strong, independent, warrior who must be intelligent and resourceful to survive and provide for her tribe in the cold north.  Skadi is the Norwegian Goddess of Winter and the North Wind.  She hunts in the moonlight with crystal armor and frosty arrows.  The authors imagine her as the mother of ideas, a woman skilled at communication, negotiation, and dispute resolution.  She is insightful and perceptive, listens well, and sees the situation clearly.  Her sharp wit and sharp tongue serve her well, but can also be tactless and unkind if poorly dignified.

Thrysse