As discussed for the Twos, the authors noted the normal tendency for the Swords (Blades in this deck) to have more of the “negative” cards, so they made a conscious decision to spread the negative cards around a little more among the suits, resulting in some Swords cards that are more positive than usual and some cards in other suits that are more negative than usual.  We see some examples of this in the Twos and Threes.

I associate the Threes with the first material manifestation of the new idea or potential expressed in the Aces, and invested in and planned for in the Twos.  The Threes can also represent a new energy that breaks a stalemate or adds a fresh new insight to a situation, or a union of male/female, yin/yang (this last, however, not likely to be found in this deck :-), resulting in fertility or productivity.

Three of Pentacles – Aruru – Claywoman.  A south American woman (perhaps Chilean or Argentinian) in traditional dress makes clay pots outdoors near a firing kiln.  Several completed pots sit behind her, each of a slightly different design and several with pentacles on them.  On her back is a slumbering child, and her adobe and tile house is behind her.  In the background are rolling green hills leading to steep, purple snow-capped mountains against a blue sky.  Aruru is actually a Babylonian goddess, whom they have chosen to invest in spirit in this form – one of many odd juxtapositions in this deck, almost as if the goddesses were chosen separately from the artist’s images.  Aruru is a creator-goddess, who molded man out of clay.

This card has very much the traditional feel of industry, along with artistry and talent.  This woman is using traditional methods passed down to her through the generations, and creates distinctive styles with materials appropriate to the region.  She makes the best use of what she has to work with, and creates a rich life for herself, full of color, even in such a remote area.  Although her house and materials are very simple, there is no lack here or sense of poverty.  This card suggests finding meaning in everyday work, and raising it to an art form through industry, application, and creativity.  The things she makes are both useful and creative.  She does not feel a need to make anything other than clay pots, she will work at this until she becomes a master craftsperson, honored by her community and able to support herself and her child with ease.

Three of Cups – Bonding.  One of the cards in this deck that is most like RW, this card shows three women raising their cups up in a joyful dance.  Each wears a flowing sleeveless dress, one yellow, one green, one red.  They dance near a calm sea, with a colorful riotous border of tall flowers and reeds at their feet.  It appears to be dusk, as the sky is a deep blue, and across the water, dark mountains are silhouetted.  Water overflows from their cups as they dance with one hand held high, and the others clasped together.  In this deck, this card is about sisterhood, friendship, loyalty, and common causes that bind women together.  There is very little else to say…

Three of Flames – Loyalty.  In this card, three naked women solemnly hold long blue candles, with flames at the top that radiate yellow light in the darkness.  Each woman has the same color medium-dark skin and black hair, and could almost be one woman except that one has Asian features, one Native American, and one European, with different hair lengths and styles.  They stand in a circle and bend the tips of their candles together.  The similarity in their appearance, yet with clear differences, may indicate the strength that comes from unification of diversity (if that makes any sense).  These three women appear to be pledging a bond of loyalty, and together, are creating light where darkness was before.  They wear no clothes to show that they have nothing to hide from one another, and nothing to fear from the darkness if they stick together.

Three of Swords – Focus.  Three women sit naked and cross-legged on the desert sands of North Africa.  One is African, one is European light-skinned with brown hair, and one appears to be an elderly middle Eastern woman with dark brown skin and white hair (if I seem to be focusing on appearances, it is because I am trying to convey a sense of the purposeful physical diversity that appears in this deck – the authors state that they want every woman to be able to find a representation of herself in the deck).  They have their hands upraised, their eyes closed, and are meditating with crystals around their necks.  From the tops of their heads emanate blue focused beams of light, that converge into an eight-pointed blue star.  In the background can be seen a pyramid and a sphinx, against a dark sky.

Here is one card where the traditional meanings of the Swords suits have been made more positive and intellectually-oriented – we have had some discussion about this recently on the group and this is a good example of a more positive, if a bit “new-agey” redesign of the card.  Like the previous card, all of these threes emphasize what can be accomplished with a unification of purpose among women, rather than as individuals.  In this case, the accomplishment is in the form of mental or spiritual energy, that is directed and focused to create the eight-pointed star.  These women are channeling energy for some purpose, such as healing, energizing, or visualization and manifestation.

Thrysse