Knight Study I: Disks

So, inspired my some recent posts and ideas on Rowan Tarot and This Game of Thrones, I decided I would like to write a bit specifically about the Knights in the Thoth. Knights, because I find them rather interesting, not least because they do not translate, exactly, to either knights or kings in RWS tradition decks. It's hard (and, in my opinion, not really appropriate) to make direct correlations... I don't have the time/energy right now to do it all in one comprehensive post, though, so breaking it up into bits and pieces series.

Knight of Disks

So yeah, Thoth Knights - they aren't equivalent to the RWS kings, really. In the RWS, the King of Pentacles/Coins is a man sitting in the midst of the wealth and bounty he has created for himself. He is a man fulfilled, a man grounded, a man who rules over what he has accomplished. He is solid and in many ways static - pragmatic when he doesn't cling overmuch, and yet not so likely to make changes if he doesn't HAVE to - what he's done so far has gotten him this much, so why change things now? He is the ruler of his domain, his home.

I've never really connected with that particular court card, I must say. Certainly it is quite far from where I am right now in life. No, as I've written about before, its the Knight of Pentacles that I identify with quite strongly....solid, perhaps not so enthusiastic but pragmatic, forward and forward through obstacles, trudging along, determined realism...

In the Thoth Knight of Disks we have a combination of those, really. He sits on a horse - unlike the horses in the other suits, this horse has his hooves firmly planted in the ground and he is standing still rather than in motion. He cranes his neck, though, looking around - aware, cautious, wise. He's on the same page as his master: realistic, knowing what danger lurks, what to look out for, what to keep in mind. They stand in front of some wheat, fertile ground for starting new things and a source of grazing for the horse too, perhaps. Sustainable effort, then. They can get along here as long as it takes to get the task done. The knight wears a suit of heavy black armor - protection, from whatever he might have to face, whether physical or mental. Perhaps that much protection - the black metal in the hot sun -presents difficulties, but he can manage to carry that burden; he must. He carries a heavy shield too, and it protects, emanates a forcefield that blankets him, his mount, everything. His helmet is up so that he can see clearly, assess realistically and without distortion.

This is not a man who has accomplished, who sits with his spoils by his throne, satisfied. But neither is he the Prince, riding out with his bull-drawn chariot, naked and ready to face the world for the first time. The knight is experienced. He has done this before. He knows how to pace himself, conserve energy; he knows that it doesn't pay to exhaust a horse with unneccessary motion. He knows how important it is to find a fertile place for longer campaigns. He knows how much danger there is, how many obstacles, and how much the world can hurt you, and how much it pays to be protected, shielded and armored. He knows too, how heavy the armor will make him, how hot, how much more of an effort it will be to move. He has prepared for it, accounted for it, readied himself to deal with it because he must, he must. The knight knows exactly how many things must be faced out of that kind of necessity. In plains or mountains or deserts or fields, however long or short a time it will take. He has done it before and he will do it again, and its that perseverance that is his accomplishment, not fruit or coins on a table before him.

That heavy shield, the weight of everything - difficult, difficult, but you can do it. You have the armor, the strong and steady mount. You can see clearly, and you are experienced enough to understand what you see. Be realistic. Plan. Deal with it. Go.