Gemini 20°-30° — the Four of Swords
The third decan of Gemini runs Jun 11 - Jun 20, is ruled by Sun under the Chaldean order, and carries the Four of Swords — titled Lord of Rest from Strife by the Golden Dawn.
Four of Swords
Lord of Rest from Strife
Upright: Rest, relaxation, meditation, contemplation, recuperation
Reversed: Exhaustion, burn-out, deep contemplation, stagnation
Full Four of Swords meaning →Sun in Gemini
The Sun in Gemini illuminates everything, including what one would rather not have confirmed. The Ten of Swords, Lord of Ruin, closes both the suit and the sign's degrees: a figure face-down with ten swords in his back, under a black sky with a band of gold light at the horizon. The tradition is unusually consistent that this is the bottom rather than the fall - the excessive number of swords is the point, an overstatement bordering on absurd. The Sun's presence is that gold band. Read this decan as the end of a mental spiral rather than a catastrophe still arriving.
Using this decan for timing
As a timing marker the Ten of Swords is an ending that has already happened. Read in a 'when' position it almost always refers backwards, not forwards - the event is behind the querent even if the feeling is not. The dawn band on the horizon is the timing detail.
Where it sits in Gemini
Gemini spans thirty degrees and divides into three decans, each with its own ruler and its own card from the Suit of Swords. This one is the closing ten degrees.
| Decan | Dates | Ruler | Card | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0°-10° | May 21 - May 31 | Jupiter | Two of Swords | Lord of Peace Restored |
| 10°-20° | Jun 1 - Jun 10 | Mars | Three of Swords | Lord of Sorrow |
| 20°-30° | Jun 11 - Jun 20 | Sun | Four of Swords | Lord of Rest from Strife |
The sign as a whole is attributed to The Lovers in the Major Arcana — see why Gemini carries that card.