In a suit that is packed with strife, sorrow and frustration, this card is a calm oasis where one can rest and take some time to recuperate. This card deals with the positive aspects of the air element: mental clarity, calmness and meditation. When this card appears, take a moment in your life to just do nothing, replenish your energy and fill yourself with optimism.
On the card
The scene is set inside a church. On a stone tomb lies the effigy of a knight in full armour, his hands pressed together in prayer on his chest and his eyes closed. He is not dead in the story of the card so much as resting, laid aside from battle for a while.
Three swords hang on the wall above him, their points directed downward, and a fourth sword lies horizontally along the side of the tomb beneath him. The swords are present but not in use: the struggle has been put away, at least for now.
In the upper left corner is a stained glass window showing a figure and a kneeling supplicant, and the word "PAX", peace, can be seen in the glass. The window brings light and colour into an otherwise quiet, muted interior.
Everything about the image speaks of stillness, silence and retreat. The church suggests sanctuary and contemplation, a place where the mind can be quieted after conflict. It is a picture of rest that is chosen, a pause taken deliberately so that strength can return before the next stage of the journey.
Upright
Recovery, replenishment, relief, meditation, withdrawal.
Reversed
Avarice, negation of one's present state, activity with no result, restlessness.