Sphinxes
Sphinxes are pretty cool. They have the body of a lion and the head of a human being. Most people are aware of the Egyptian Sphynx which sits at the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Most people aren’t aware that this motif is common in Egyptian art. You see them in smaller sculptures, as bas reliefs and painted on temple walls, The message is simple the ruler is a man with the power of a lion, lion’s power under control of man’s reason. This is the meaning of representations of the Egyptian male sphinx in Tarot symbolism. The raw power of nature brought under our command.
Greek sphinxes are female. They have wings. Their bodies, while still those of lions are erect and slender like the bodies of birds. Their faces are ageless, but their voices are those of maidens. They are intermediaries between the Gods and humanity. They often bring good tidings when all seems lost. They are immortal and extraordinarily strong, but they can be killed by enemies using certain clever weapons of war. They risk much by coming to our aid. Their mythos transmits feminine wisdom, courage, self-sacrifice, and mercy.
