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Nine of Wands 10 x 17 inch
2025
Upright: vigilance, resilience, perseverance
Reversed: exhaustion, defensiveness
She stands in a medieval garden inspired by The Met Cloisters—a paradise-like enclosure of flowers, plants, and symbols. More wands surround her, each distinct in theme and ornament. Among decorative animals and carefully tended vegetation, the scene carries a quiet authority: not softness, but vigilance—wisdom earned through staying awake.
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Five of Wands
10 x 17 inch
2025
Upright: conflict, competition, disagreement
Reversed: a lessening of stress
Inspired by French Rococo portraiture and the legend of Marie Antoinette, the scene unfolds like a sweet ceremony with a wrong note; tension becomes a courtly spectacle. Birds arrive like eager courtiers—a secretarybird, a peacock, a parrot, a mallard, and a cardinal—each proudly presenting what it believes is the finest wand. They compete to adorn the queen’s severed head as if it still deserved a crown: feathers, ribbons, and polished wood arranged with meticulous care.
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Knight of Swords
10 x 17 inch
2025
Upright: direct, intellectual, perfectionist
Reversed: recklessness, impatience
Inspired by the Archangel Michael, the Knight of Swords in Fire River appears as a general-saint in luminous armor. Her raised blade reads like a vow: she is ready, she has a plan, and she will strike down Satan’s embodiment—a three-headed dragon. In this card, the sword is both weapon and instrument: it cuts through confusion, carves a path through chaos, and turns strategy into a decisive strike.