For a Carnevale afternoon tea with a mystical tarot theme, I dressed as the Queen of Swords, who symbolizes woman as widow, crone, and divorcée. Obviously, this card speaks to me, and I was excited to create all the layers of meaning.
In the classic Rider-Waite tarot, the Queen of Swords is wearing a cloak of clouds that go from dark (representing her sorrows) to light (representing clarity of mind). For my costume, I used the black gothic fitted gown I made ages ago and added a loose robe of tulle in an ombré to emulate her cloud cloak.
I wired brooches to one of my tiaras to create the Queen of Swords’ butterfly crown, which is symbolic of freedom of thought and active intellect.
I made a necklace from Queen of Swords tarot card charms and added gothy mystical makeup plus my favorite purple wig. I even brought my real short sword to Venice!
The Queen of Swords is a model of self-sufficiency and independence. She is not interested in conforming. She is seen to have very high standards and can be highly critical of herself and others.
The Queen of Swords is too intelligent to be confined to the role of housewife or nursemaid. Her intelligence is not always the most comfortable to be around, but she can be counted on to see through superficiality and point to the truth of a situation.
