Just in time for the Walking Dead midseason premiere (and coincidentally Valentine's Day) its time for the next card in the Tarot series, an often low-profile card called the Four of Swords.
Much like the Rider-Waite deck, the Darkness of Light Tarot deck uses death as a prominent theme in the Four of Swords. While the "traditional" view of the meaning behind the Four of Swords is symbolic of a "period of rest and recovery after a time of challenge, with the premise that, once recovered, you can and will return to the challenge. In the meantime, the Four of Swords provides a new challenge - to stay silent and inactive. This is the time to build up your mental strength." (http://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-swords/four-of-swords/)
While the traditional Rider-Waite deck depicts a knight's tomb under a stained glass window of what appears to be a wife and child, the Darkness of Light deck depicts a tombstone adorned with blue roses (appearing to have been put there by a loved one). Thus, the love, respect, and connectedness demonstrated in the Rider-Waite deck is still present, albeit a more lonely and absolute sense of atmosphere is obtained.
The blue roses (which do not occur naturally in nature) at the foot of the tombstone symbolize mystery. "An appreciation for the enigmatic, the inexplicable is expressed by blue roses. A tantalizing vision that cannot be totally pinned down, a mystery that cannot be fully unraveled is the blue rose. A person who receives the blue rose is the subject of much speculation and though. A complex personality that does not allow easy interpretation is what the blue rose indicates." (http://www.roseforlove.com/the-meanings-of-blue-roses-ezp-39)
Do the blue roses symbolize the mystery of the death? The person who died? Or the mystery of who put them there? Perhaps it symbolizes the mystery of the relationship between the two? Since the Four of Swords represents taking a rest from a challenge, perhaps the blue roses represent the paradoxical nature of ceasing to confront a challenge while not actually stopping the confrontation itself.
Four swords are found resting near the tombstone. Ideally, the first three symbolize challenge or confrontation, perhaps caused by the death of the person, or perhaps causing the death of the person. The fourth sword lies on its side, symbolizing rest and tiredness from opposition. Most likely, it is connected with the body of the deceased itself, and symbolizes a time of rest in the face of a challenge.
Finally, the phrase "Fine a Nouvo" is found carved onto the tombstone, which means "until again" in Italian. The phrase was designed to be both spiritual and a foretelling of the future, as the meaning of the symbols will ultimately reflect the overall purpose of the card itself.
