I’m struggling with swords placement in my Six of Swords wip. In fact, there’s a lot to this illustration composition that I’m struggling with. Maybe you’ll have some suggestions on what I can do.
I’ll start from the beginning. I knew I wanted to play with the religion and science dynamic in the Six of Swords, and my ambition was to do that in a way that isn’t too cliche.
In the Orsini and Lemarchand texts on Etteilla tarot card meanings, the Six of Swords upright corresponds with roadways, advancement, travel, a journey or excursion, and finding one’s Way. The implications are positive and progressive.
My concept for the card would be that it’d communicate both an inner spiritual journey and also a more mundane prognostication of physical travel.
Reversed, the card indicates issuing a decree, statement, or realizing a specialized, important insight, a discovery, publication, announcement, and an unveiling. I like how Crowley’s keyword “Science” encapsulates that.
In earlier printings of Grand Etteillas, the bottom third featured Confucius, whereas in a later Etteilla II printing, Confucius was swapped out and replaced with Fuxi (at the time in France referred to as Fohi). Somewhere here there’s an all-Chinese-people-look-alike joke.
This is how we know that those bust engravings were intended to be Confucius (left) and Fuxi/Fohi (right) respectively:
Those engravings were snagged from prior publications. So in a way, these early Etteilla deck designs were piecemealed and collaged.
The upright position of my Six of Swords composition features Hildegard of Bingen to express that balance between faith and science.
Saint Hildegard here also represents the inner journey and receiving insight into the Path forward through divine inspiration. My drawing is based closedly on a popular depiction of Saint Hildegard found on Catholic prayer cards.
Beyond the archway (to indicate a threshold one must cross) is a lifeboat guided by Polaris, the north star. And of course, the boat is popularly associated with the Six of Swords card. I like how both the foreground and the background stories play on the theme of “Pathfinder.”
Following the historical Etteillas, I went with my take on one of those legendary figures depictions, and opted for Fuxi, because he tends to be more associated with the sciences than Confucius, who tends to be associated with philosophy and statecraft.
Fuxi gave humanity knowledge of the sciences by observing patterns in nature and documenting those patterns via the eight trigrams. This depiction of Fuxi is going to be easily identifiable by most Chinese– it’s based on Ma Lin’s “Portrait of Fu Xi” silk scroll painting circa 1230 AD.
Here’s where we get to the first problem.
The multiple concepts altogether yields a very busy tarot card, and while my style tends to be busy and that’s fine and that’s not the part I’m trying to change here, there’s also such a thing as too busy even for me.
Not only is there too much going on, with right side up and upside down images competing noisily against each other, the six swords get lost in the composition and defeats the purpose of even needing to include the six swords.
Here’s my assessment. Without the swords, I don’t think it’s too busy to have both Saint Hildegard and Fuxi (Fohi) featured on a single card to indicate the upright and reversed indications respectively. Look at the stacked illustrations in the above right. But as soon as you add the swords, the illustration looks chaotic. Case in point, see above left.
So I’m thinking the problem is with the placement of the swords. But where else can I put them?
If I put them on the boat, that will make them teeny tiny, and then it won’t be consistent with the other Swords cards in the suit. Here’s the precedent I’ve already set for myself for the Swords:
You see? If I make the six swords teeny tiny and place them on the boat, Card 58 won’t match the other Swords cards.
When I tinker with placement of the swords, even trying to rotate them at odd angles, I don’t want any of the sharp tips to be pointed at either Hildegard or Fuxi, right? That’d be bad form. Any pointy tips should be pointed away from and not in the direct line toward either of the figures. So that really limits how I can position the swords.
Another option I have is to forego my faith/science via Hildegard/Fuxi concept. I could move Fuxi to the Eight of Swords lower third, which is where that Fuxi engraving is put in Etteilla I. The drawing of Fuxi I did, however, doesn’t quite match the meaning of the Eight of Swords reversed, whereas it aligns a lot better to the meaning of the Six of Swords reversed. Arrgh.
Welp. Good thing I’m tinkering with the composition digitally with multiple layers. Will just keep on moving the pieces around and around until something looks good. Sigh.
UPDATE #1:
Tried out some of your suggestions. I’m still not loving any of these arrangements. This is going to need more time and a lot more tinkering.
I think I’m giving up on pairing Hildegard with Fuxi. Fuxi will be moved to the lower third for the Eight of Swords, which still pays homage to the Etteilla I. The lower third for my Six of Swords will be an illustrated page spread from Hildegard’s writings and some botany-looking thingies. We’ll see what happens.
UPDATE #2:
Yah I need to step away from this and take a beat…
The more I noodle with it, the worse it’s getting I think… I hadn’t even gotten to adding the alchemical vessels and vials of botany-things yet! I was about to, and then realized oh crap, I think I’ve actually managed to make it busier!!
UPDATE #3:
I did not take my own advice about stepping away for a pause and just kept hammering. But I think this is okay.
While I did not take my own advice, I did take your advice and relented to stacking teeny tiny swords in the boat.
Also, thank goodness I caught my own mistake– I drew the Early Heaven Ba Gua arrangement upright, but then in all my tinkering, spun and reversed the trigrams so many times that they got out of order and I didn’t even realize it until now. Oopsie.
Also tinkered with different hues for the night sky and settled on the darkest setting for better contrast with the golden light.
Placed side by side with my WIPs in the Swords suit so far, the Six of Swords looks all right, but the Three of Swords top two-thirds does not. Gonna have to go back and be a little more creative with that Three of Swords top third.
UPDATE #4:
If you’re interested in creating something for yourself with the below digital print, please feel free to do so.
benebell wen 
Did you try to remove the arch and the background behind saint Hildegard? It’s beautiful, but it doesn’t add any information to the card. By removing the arch and extending the see and sky behind the saint you should be able to keep the swords at a “normal” size. Now, don’t want to give you a headache but… if you’re struggling in maintaining the size of the swords in card 6… how do you think to manage that on card 7,8 or 9? They will have to be downsized anyways…
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I was going to bring that up, too, the higher numbers and amounts of swords 👍
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The size of the two figures, Hildegard & Fohi, need to be equal to have balance. The Hildegard picture could be cut off just at the top of the bench she is sitting on – the whole bench & the lower half of her legs is unnecessary. Move the back in water so all of it still shows. Then try putting the six swords end to end around the edges like they are the border. The swords would only point to each other.
Good luck! ✨️🪷
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I like the idea of the swords at the bottom as sort of a gate to the new journey or understanding. I know the swords will need to be smaller but could they be directing the path of the boat somehow out in the water. Maybe even seemingly directed by the hand of Hildegard.
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I do like the appearance of the swords on the bottom but if you wanted to keep Fuxi I think it would look less busy if the colors blended better with the top and maybe if he was positioned under Hildegard more.
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Bell, can you rest one on Hildegard’s leg?
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Couldn’t the swords be incorporated in the architecture as ? A mosaic on the floor or the columns or seat that she’s sat on, or even her clothing? A clasp on her robe?? Maybe.
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hi there 🙂
could you form the swords into a constellation?
might be really pretty 🙂
sue
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or maybe use them to make the star thats already there?
again, sue
and sorry if these have already been mentioned, i don’t thing i can see everything suggested
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The swords get lost because they blend into all the greys. Maybe adding a glow or shimmer effect to make them stand out? Also a good metaphor for illuminating the path…
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Could the 6 swords be sitting in a receptable of some sort (a bag, or urn, perhaps) so that only the pommels are visible? That way you could keep the swords the same size but they’re all in one place on the layout, leaving room for Fuxi.
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I like the placement of the swords in the bottom third space, although I’m not sure about the arrangement of them. Five swords crossed by one looks a little like a fence or barrier, which to me, is at odds with the card. Not sure if anyone but me would see that, though. It puts me in mind of the Ace crossing the Five. If that’s okay, then it’s okay.
As to the figures, what if you sacrifice the beautiful background on Hildegard, and redesign Fuxi’s portrait to be a little more vertical, so you can bring them to the same size and proportion, then place them side by side, one oriented up and the other oriented down.
This way, the swords would be below Hildegard’s feet right side up, and above Fuxi’s head reversed. Or vice versa, whichever works better for the card’s meanings.
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Boat, made of Swords
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Have you tried placing the swords as an hexagonal frame, ie 2 at the bottom facing left and right at an angle, 2 on the sides facing directly up the borders, and 2 at the top pointing at an angle to the centre top?
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The Abbey of St. Hildegard is a Benedictine monastery in Eibingen near Rüdesheim in the diocese of Limburg (Germany). The abbey has been part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. The nuns live and work there. Maybe you find here some inspiration. There are a few pictures. And they have beautiful colorful glass windows. The benedictine symbol with the cross comes to mind. Maybe a six-spoke wheel instead, the swords as spokes? The wheel is an ancient symbol of life with many dimensions of meaning.
You can read here more via the english menu on the right.
http://abtei-st-hildegard.de/english/
The Abbey of St. Hildegard through the Ages:
https://abtei-st-hildegard.de/en_the-abbey/
Best wishes from Germany!
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The Abbey of St. Hildegard is a Benedictine monastery in Eibingen near Rüdesheim in the diocese of Limburg (Germany). The abbey has been part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. The nuns live and work there. Maybe you find here some inspiration. There are a few pictures. And they have beautiful colorful glass windows. The benedictine symbol with the cross comes to mind. Maybe a six-spoke wheel instead, the swords as spokes? The wheel is an ancient symbol of life with many dimensions of meaning.
You can read here more via the english menu on the right.
http://abtei-st-hildegard.de/english/
The Abbey of St. Hildegard through the Ages:
https://abtei-st-hildegard.de/en_the-abbey/
Best wishes from Germany,
Christiane
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I like what you have with Hildegard (gorgeous). Can Fuxi be a fading image in the distance/background of the sky? Then Swords can be placed strategically below and at the sides of Hildegard?
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I like what you have with Hildegard (gorgeous). Can Fuxi be a fading image in the distance/background of the sky? Then Swords can be placed strategically below and at the sides of Hildegard?
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What if you flipped it and made the foreground the background so that’s she’s facing away from the doorway, and the swords are in the doorway behind her?
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Hi there,
IMO, there is nothing wrong with the placement of the swords on the boat, which you showed in your first update. Yes, they are a bit tiny, but it allows the picture to breathe and all the elements seem perfectly balanced. Just my two cents !
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What if the swords were alternating behind the threshold like this ?
[image: image.png]
Cheers! Greg
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Everything the same but removing the stone wall will give enough room for the swords
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Hi, I’m look over your WIP and will generally present my words regarding the six of swords. I think you have done really well so this comment is just in hopes of offering you possibilities: (1st) Appreciation for Hildegard’s writing (2nd) Nestling the swords offers organization, consider switching the scrolls & swords position for contrast (3rd) Have Hildegard feel distant from the viewer as though she feels closer to the boat than the viewer; as though it the Journey foremost on her mind.
First—your iterations are quite improved and address my most immediate critiques, likewise I am better able to see the general vision you are aiming for. Foremost, I appreciate how you have handle Hildegard’s writing on the page and I think it’s nice to see the parallelism between the increasing number of Hildegard’s scrolls and your drafts.
Second, I agree that swords nestled in the boat makes it neater, I feel though that the two swords before the column blend too much with the column’s rigid lines and ornate patterns. A possibility I might offer is switching the position of those two swords with the “Kasen” of scrolls. Maybe the flowing lines of Hildegard’s clothing will present the stark nature of those swords in a more engaging manner. Likewise, I might consider taking the scrolls and their spiral patterns into the foreground a bit. The spiral might contrast well with the column’s patterns and also letting it project forward a bit like the swords do, might emphasize the message of inquiry, writing, decrees, statements, & pathfinding (though this last point I think would be better emphasize by suggest three).
Third, I feel Hildegard’s cloth should not protrude above the border but should be underneath it. This is to imply distance of herself and the viewer; possibly giving a sense of solitude. I should like to interpret that as at once she might be writing parting message, or intimate thoughts, in a space were she will not be interrupted and yet also in such a manner as to ready herself for the Journey that will unfold from her nascent words.
So in conclusion: (1) Great work so far, you’ve definitely made good improvements!
(2) Consider the possibility of contrasting the lines: rigid versus curved, sharp versus rounded.
(3) Hildegard as composing for God within a sanctum of herself, distant from the viewer even if close. When the viewer looks upon her, it is like looking upon a “lookout” atop the “crow’s nest” at sea. I wish I might be more clear but I think of it like that Bruce Lee quote—”It is like a finger pointing at the moon…”
Though in this case…it is more like watching someone…
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Hi Benebell,
I really like the idea of the swords on the boat (update 3), but I would remove the names “Hildegard” and “Fuxi” from the image (they make it slightly too busy, I guess the information will be included in LWB).
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I really like where this ultimately landed!
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