Nine of Swords

This is an illustration of the tarot card Nine of Swords.


From Wikipedia: "If this card is shown in an upright position, it can mean deception, premonitions and bad dreams, suffering and depression, cruelty, disappointment, violence, loss and scandal. However, all of these may be overcome through faith and calculated inaction. This is the card of the martyr and with it comes new life out of suffering.

If the card is shown in an ill-dignified or reversed manner then it has a different meaning. When turned this way it means distrust, suspicion, despair, misery or malice. Total isolation away from comfort and help: institutionalization, suicide, imprisonment and isolation."


My idea was to create an image that illustrated both of the card's meanings - the woman hangs in the balance between life and death, waiting to find out how the card falls. If the card is laid right-side up, she hangs over dry land, feet first, and the four swords are harmlessly hilt-up beneath her. If the card is laid upside down, she hangs head-first over deep water with five swords blade-up below.


Photoshop CS2.