Tarot of Vampyres
Images © Ian Daniels
5 of Swords
Lord of Defeat.Venus in Aquarius: Venus governs love, beauty, and our desires. Aquarius is unpredictable and emotionally aloof.
Number 5: Conflict, power struggles, and change.The struggle is over. Aquarius has conquered Venus – or has he?
With the winding staircase leading from the mansion to the beautifully manicured gardens, I see a visual link to one scene in Bram Stoker’s Dracula where the vampire lures Lucy Westenra from her bedchamber to ravage her in the garden.
Lucy possesses a love of beautiful things and a singular desire to wed the man of her dreams – all symbolic of Venus.
Like the scene in the movie, the creature here is a combination of two beings: Vampire and Crow (totem animal of Knives/Swords). As the tattoo suggests, the winged Vampyre represents the energies of Aquarius while his victim is surely (Sleeping) Venus. Having done the deed, the Vampyre regards her with cool detachment. Is he feeling remorse or regret? Does he wish he was human; experience love? Who’s really the victor here? The woman appears at peace. Not enough blood has been spilled for her to be dead, so perhaps he has satisfied her deepest desire while leaving him emotionally unfulfilled.
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It seems the battle’s been won, but the war is lost…
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House M - 