Archive - June 2017

Nine of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

A woman awakens from a nightmare, holding her head. Her hair and gown are white, the color of purity. There are nine swords on her wall. Her bedspread is decorated with roses and astrological symbols. The astrological symbols indicate a desire to know what is going on in the universe and what its plan is for you. The roses are symbolic of magic.

There’s a carving of the end of a duel on her bed. One fighter has bested the other, and it’s unclear whether the victor is going to finish the deed. It’s also unclear whether the wall is black with nine swords fixed to it, or if it’s a black sky above her and nine swords are just floating down oppressively from the heavens she’s trying to figure out using astrology.

The thing about nightmares is that they feel real, and they can be terrifying, but they’re not real. They can, however, have a profound affect on the dreamer and stick with them because the nightmare comes from the inside out, and the nightmare reflects what the dreamer fears. After all, a dream becomes a nightmare only because it makes the dreamer afraid.

A bad dream brings up things we would rather not think about. Things that make us sad, things that cause shame and guilt, things that cause doubt and despair. Even though those feelings start and originate in the mind, we may think that the universe is trying to tell us something.

The Nine of Swords is about worry, doubt, despair, guilt, fear, and helplessness, and being mired in these feelings despite all of our efforts to know what’s ahead, and what’s going on. This can cause us to wake up terrified from our sleep, unable to relax, and feeling oppressed. The swords appear to be coming down on her, as if the universe is trying to push her down. She doesn’t get out of bed and she doesn’t leave. For the moment, she is stuck in her despair.

The Nine of Swords is a card that describes the moment of terror and helplessness when the picture is still fresh in the mind, seeming as real as if it actually happened. It’s not the moment before waking up, and it’s not the moment after, when realizes it’s just a dream and the mental pictures start to rapidly fade away. It’s the gasping, awful moment that whatever is in your mind is somehow real, and it is awful.

When the Nine of Swords is Reversed:

When the Nine of Swords is reversed, the querent is not coming out of the dream, but winding themselves up more and more and feeling more worry and despair. They may not be able to sleep, literally, and are falling into a deeper hole with every passing night.

However, the Nine of Swords reversed can also mean that the querent has realized that their worries and fears are all in their head, and that they don’t have to sit in bed and do nothing about their problems anymore.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was stuck in their head, paralyzed by fear and despair, which has brought them to the present moment.

Present: In the present, the querent really thinks that their fears and anguish come from real things, even though they’re all in their head.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to get so worked up about their own unpleasant thoughts that they’ll lose sleep and fall into anxiety.

Eight of Swords

June 10, 2017

Eight of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

A woman in orange is blindfolded and tied up, hovering over a small creek. In the mountain, in the distance, rises a castle from the rock. She’s surrounded by eight downturned swords, with only one way out: forward. The land is stark and barren, the sky is turning dark, and no one is coming down from the castle.

Orange is the color of enthusiasm, and the woman is dressed in it head to toe. She’s bright and full of life, but right now, she can’t do anything about it. Water, representing emotions, flow under her, and she hovers above it, so her situation is not emotional, or at least, emotions are not the problem (even if they are the undercurrent). However, in order to walk away or get free, she’s having to step into the water and get wet.

It’s uncertain how she got there: isolated, bound, and blindfolded, with a cloudy, cold sky above her. However, it’s uncertain how she’ll get out, but chances are, she’ll have to do it herself. She’s thinking about it. She’s not scared, or crying, or struggling. She’s using her wits to solve her own problem. She doesn’t know what to do yet, but she’ll figure it out at some point.

The Eight of Swords is about being indecisive and restricted. There may be possibilities – there may even be a clear path right in front of you – but there is no way to know. Instead of being compulsive, and instead of making a move based on fear or another emotion, the choice is to do nothing. However, the sky is getting darker, and the time to act is getting closer. Right now, it feels as if there are no options, even though there are some, even though the way out is apparent. After all, her feet and legs aren’t bound, even if her arms and hands are.

The Eight of Swords is about relying too much on using thought and reason to make decisions, thereby losing your chance to simply take a leap or even a step based on faith and instinct. This card is in a sense reminding the querent that sometimes, when the ability to think is restricted, there are other skills one can use to get themselves out a bad situation, and that sometimes, no matter how smart one thinks they are, faith is still important.

When eight of swords is Reversed:

When the Eight of Swords is reversed, the querent is coming out of the situation in which they had to give up on thinking and ether take a leap of faith or waste away in the darkness. They may have also taken a step, but stumbled or fell and are now too afraid to do it again.

The Eight of Swords reversed can also mean that the querent may have felt like a victim on their own in the past, but are now owning up to their role in their situation and are looking to solving their own problems without getting anyone else involved.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was stuck in a situation in which they tried to reason their way out alone, which has brought them to the present moment.

Present: Currently, the querent feels stuck and unable to find a reasonable way out of their predicament, but won’t make a move one way or another.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to find themselves in a bind in which they’re not sure what the reasonable solution should be.

Seven of Swords

June 10, 2017

Seven of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

A man in a tall red hat looks over his right shoulder as he runs off with five swords, having dropped two on the way. He appears to be running away from a military camp, having stolen the swords. His look is one of confidence. He wears a dark yellow tunic. Yellow is the color of the mind and thought, and this man has dark, sullied thoughts. After all, he is stealing, and he thinks he’s gotten away with it.

The problem is that he hasn’t, but he doesn’t know it yet. There’s a group of three soldiers on the hill in the distance, and it appears that one of them has seen him, and that soldier has his own sword raised. If only the thief had looked to his left as well. One may guess that the thief is no longer going to get away with deception, no matter how carefully he tiptoes away from the camp.

The whole world around the man is yellow, indicating that this may all be nothing more than a thought or plan, nothing that actually happened. Of course, the scenario unfolding means that this plan hasn’t been too well thought out if there’s a chance that he could have been caught. Either way, he doesn’t seem to realize this: this is his plan, his idea, and he’s proud of it. He isn’t thinking about anyone else, so he isn’t thinking that the army will see him.

The Seven of Swords is about single-mindedness and selfishness, particularly in the folly of undermining the intelligence of the people around you. This is especially so when one thinks they can cut corners because no one else will notice, or when someone drops their moral compass for a cheap thrill.

The Seven of Swords is also about betrayal, as the man taking the swords was probably a soldier himself. He’s turned his back on his commitment and has decided to defraud the people around him in doing so. Instead of being assertive and leaving honorably or sticking it out, he sneaks away and steals. The Seven of Swords warns, however, that no one gets away with being a weasel, especially not a cocky one.

When the Seven of Swords is Reversed:

When the Seven of Swords is reversed, the querent is being passive-aggressive, but not evasive like the man in the card. They’re staying in the same place but screwing everything up to send the signal that they’re unhappy. They wish they would leave – and others probably do, too – but for whatever reason, stay behind, perhaps out of a misplaced sense of duty.

The Seven of Swords can also indicate that the querent wants to stop being evasive about something and come clean. However, they have a very good reason to think that there will be fallout and possibly a confrontation that ends with someone getting hurt. Since the card is reversed, it’s uncertain whether the person who gets hurt is the querent. However, there will be no kissing and making up.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was sneaky and underhanded, or shirked responsibilities and was caught, which leads them to the present moment.

Present: Right now, the querent is betraying someone or trying to pull a fast one and fully expects to get away with it…but they won’t.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to try to shirk responsibilities and go their own way in a dishonorable way.

Six of Swords

June 10, 2017

Six of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

A man rows a boat carrying a woman, a child, and six downturned swords. They’re heading toward land, where there‘s a mountain and trees. The land is gray, the color of fading away, and of purity and sobriety. This is a sober moment, not a joyous one. The woman (assuming it’s a woman) is shrouded in yellow, the color of intellect. The boy wears blue, the color of peace. While this isn’t a joyful journey, it’s not terrible. It’s the start of something new, hopefully.

Sometimes, you just have to move on. The man is wearing orange, the color of enthusiasm; blue, the color of serenity and the higher mind; green, the color of life; and red, the color of passion. To the right of the boat, the water is turbulent and moving, but to the left, the water is calm and serene. It’s unclear if the turbulent water is what’s pushing them forward, or if they’re rowing against it, but the fact that it stops on the left side indicates that they’re seeking something calm and predictable.

The swords are downright, indicating repression or forcing the people down. One would think that six swords sticking into a wooden boat would cause a leak; if so, it’s all the more urgent to get to dry land. And while these three people are suffering in some way and are not rejoicing, they’re staying the course. They’re not letting their emotions get in the way or get the best of them. They’re emotionally honest, and they’re acting on them.

The Six of Swords is about emotional honesty. It’s about facing tragedy and sorrow, but also about pulling up your pants and making the most of what’s left and moving on. Even though the only thing the three of them seem to have are the clothes on their backs and the sorrows of the six swords, they’re moving toward an unknown, uncertain future. And sometimes, that’s simply what one has to do: you have to move forward, knowing that you’re not sure where you’re going, only knowing that you can’t stay where you are.

The Six of Swords is departures, which by their nature are sad and involve uncertainty about the future. It’s also about having the strength and the courage to move on despite the sorrow and uncertainty.

When the six of swords is Reversed:

When the Six of Swords is Reversed, the querent is reluctant to move on, even when they have no choice. They may be holding onto hope that things can remain the same or magically reverse themselves and go back to the way they once were. The querent simply doesn’t go anywhere or entertain the idea of doing something different.

The Six of Swords reversed can also indicate that something outside of the querent is keeping them from moving on, like another person or institution that refuses to let go or allow the querent to move forward. If so, the querent may have to leave this person or institution behind with everything else.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent suffered a loss and left something behind to start anew, which has brought them to the present moment.

Present: Currently, the querent is turning away from something that has ended or just won’t work out and is heading toward something else, whatever it is.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to have to cut their losses and head into an uncertain future without something that was once important.

Five of Swords

June 10, 2017

Five of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity
A young man in green and red is very satisfied with himself as he holds three swords while two lay at his feet. Two other men walk away, their heads down, toward the water. Storm clouds are gathering, and a blowing wind indicates that a storm is yet to come.

The smug young man wears green and red, the colors of life and passion. His rivals wear yellow, the color of intellect and thought. The feistier one has defeated the other two with what may have been sheer, brute force: after all, this man has three swords, and his opponents have one. What is the point of fighting with three swords? Is it fair? Is it necessary? Is it overkill? Is it worth losing friends over?

Because in this card, the rivals aren’t running away, so whatever transpired wasn’t a matter of life and death. It was probably more of a case of hurt pride and social standing. But what of the man with three swords? He’s very proud of himself, but what has he won? Two extra swords? He can’t do anything with them. Smugness is its reward. He has all the swords and no friends now, even if he doesn’t realize that for momentary victory, he’s lost something greater.

And with the pending storm coming, who will care for and help him, now that he’s alone? His sense of satisfaction with himself will not keep him warm, safe, and dry. Thus, the Five of Swords symbolizes what happens when brings a gun to a verbal knife fight and wins. They may have proven that they’re smarter or snarkier, but they haven’t done anything but cause strife, so they’re alone. People don’t like people who go out of their way to make others feel small and weak, and they certainly won’t help them either. When the storm comes, the victor is on his own.

This is as much a warning to those who wish to use their superior intellect, or their supposed superior intellect against others: a war of words is worth nothing in the end. A person who lives like this has nothing. The world doesn’t value people who think they’re smart but produce relatively little in comparison to that intelligence. Of course, aside from smugness and self-interest, the willingness to cause disharmony could be from a resistance to change, suggestions, or other opinions.

When five of swords is Reversed:

When the Five of Swords is reversed, the querent has usually already experienced the consequences of winning the battle and losing the war with people, and self-satisfaction has given way to wanting to make amends, or at least, ending the disharmony with others. Of course, it may also mean that the querent can’t win with those whom they’re in close conflict.

The Five of Swords reversed can also mean that the querent is less interested in fighting and being alone. Whatever stance it was defending before doesn’t mean so much to them anymore, and now they’re open to other opinions and ideas.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent found themselves alone, thinking they were right, but without people to turn to in crisis.

Present: Currently, the querent is fighting everyone, thinking they’re right, but don’t yet realize that more powerful things will overcome them.

Future: In the future, the querent will become too big for their britches and as a consequence, will isolate themselves.

Four of Swords

June 10, 2017

Four of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

A knight rests in his tomb, with a sword alongside the tomb. It’s not the knight we see but his tomb, a perfect replica of him in yellow, at peace and resting, with his hands folded in prayer. Above him is a stained glass window of a woman and child at peace together. The tomb is yellow, the color of intellect, or gold, the color of victory and virtue. The knight isn’t restless in death.

Three identical swords point down at him; it’s as if they could harm him if he got up. They’re not a threat, but they do look that way. It’s best to remain at rest and not tempt fate, even if the knight could arise. The sword at his side is the only one he should really be worrying about now. However, he isn’t worried so much as he’s in a state of restful contemplation.

The stained glass window represents the spiritual side of this rest. The fact that there’s a woman and a child in the window represents the happier times that one remembers and never loses. The knight was once a boy with a mother. He was once vulnerable and carefree. Even if this is a time of retreat, there was once a time when the world was bright and happy. This is one of many memories that the knight takes into this peaceful rest.

The Four of Swords is about contemplation and retreat. It’s not retreat in defeat but a temporary removal of one’s self from the hustle and bustle in order to become centered and focus. Life had gotten pretty intense, and it got so intense that the only choice was to get away, symbolized here as death. This rest is needed in order to get perspective on what’s important and what isn’t. One doesn’t know where they’re going if they don’t stop and take a long look at the map.

One sometimes just needs to take a break to listen to their own thoughts, figure out what they think about things, and what they know and understand apart from others. The isolation can feel a bit overwhelming, perhaps like death, but it‘s not agony; it’s not dying. It’s just time away to regain perspective and strength.

When the four of swords is Reversed:

When the Four of Swords is reversed, the querent is unable to retreat from everything. Either they have an unquiet, restless mind, or circumstances are getting in the way. It’s also possible that other people are keeping the querent from being alone because they’re afraid of the querent having time to think about things and figure out what they think and feel.

This card reversed can also indicate a querent who is afraid to contemplate and figure out what they think about something. They’re more likely to accept the chatter from other people and the chatter in their own heads than the still serenity of silence. Practicing meditation and being mindful would help them become unafraid and accepting of their thoughts and ideas.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent took time away to contemplate and recover from injury or upset, which has brought them to the present moment.

Present: Currently, the querent is taking time off from the world, or wants to, in order to recharge their batteries and get in touch with themselves.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to retreat and focus on recovering or getting in touch with their own thoughts and feelings after an upset.

Three of Swords

June 10, 2017

Three of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

The Three of Swords is pretty blatant. It’s one of the most pessimistic cards of the tarot. A red heart is dashed through with three swords as rain clouds gather and pour down. The heart is red, the color of magic and passion, and the rest of the card is gray, the color of fading into the background, the mixture of black, the color of seriousness, and white, the color of purity.

This is sorrow, loss, devastation. This is the moment that one realizes that what they hoped and dreamed for is just not going to happen. It’s finding out the person you love is indifferent to you. It’s losing your job at the peak of your career and having no idea what to do next. It’s losing everything in a natural disaster, or your spouse dying. The things closest to your heart, the things you identify with yourself, being torn asunder.

But this also symbolizes the dashing of the fanciful and emotional with cold, hard logic and reality. Passion isn’t destroyed, but it’s stemmed and fixed in place by three swords that cross each other. The swords cut through on all sides. Okay, so your crush doesn’t feel the same, and now you have to take a serious look at your heart. You can’t escape it. In fact, you can’t just take out a sword and run away, because you have three of them in your heart.

The choice is to stay put, with a broken heart, or to move on. There is nothing to stay there for. There’s just bleakness and rain, and possibly more swords. The Three of Swords forces you to move on from the fantasies, untenable dreams and desires of the naïve person you once were.

This can also mean going at it alone. One of the biggest heartbreakers is to be rejected and left alone. The Three of Swords can mean that one is lonely and left out in the cold. This is just a heart – not a person, not clothed, not covered – and what is more vulnerable than the naked heart? There’s a saying in literature, “kill your darlings.” This card dashes illusions and forces a confrontation with stark reality.

When the Three of Swords is Reversed:

When the Three of Swords is reversed, it doesn’t mean heartbreak or sorrow averted. It means that the sorrow, heartbreak, or tragedy has happened, but that the querent isn’t accepting it and moving on. They’re stuck, cycling through old memories and emotions, wallowing once and again in the feelings and getting nowhere.

The Three of Swords reversed can also mean that the querent has become exhausted with recycling emotions and is now numb or simply finished with the old feelings. There’s a practical desire to get one’s life back again and to figure out how to move on. One is really ready to learn from their pain, sorrow, and disappointment and figure out where to go from there. The querent is wiser, or at least ready to become a wiser person.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was dealt a crushing emotional blow that devastated them.

Present: Right now, the querent is in the throes of a major disappointment or tragedy.

Future: The querent is heading for a huge heartbreak that is going to dash their illusions about the present.

Two of Swords

June 10, 2017

Two of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

A blindfolded woman in white sits on a stone bench at night, a giant sword in each hand, her arms crossed over her chest. The crescent moon rises. It’s twilight over a rocky expanse of water. She doesn’t tire. She doesn’t drop the swords.

She wears a white shroud, the color of purity, the color of absence. She’s trying to remain objective, but at her foundation – her feet – she stands on the power of her mind, symbolizes by her yellow shoes. The crescent moon shows that her troubles are just beginning, but like all troubles, they will cycle though.

The water behind her moves around the rocks, like the adaptable woman who will move around her problems if she can figure the way. As it is, she’s at an impasse. She’s not worried. Rather, she accepts that at this moment, she‘s not sure, and she’s going to take all the time she needs to make her decision because it’s that important, and it deserves that much care. Even though her swords are heavy, she doesn’t waver.

Truthfully, she could only wield one of those swords if she wants to use them. She has to choose one, but which one? And so she sits. If she chooses one, she has to drop the other. She may regret it. She may make the wrong choice. She may not be ready. She’s blindfolded and can’t see what’s ahead of her. But what she’s NOT doing is running away from her dilemma. She’s NOT letting someone else make the decision. She’s NOT pitying herself for her dilemma. She’s certainly not giving up and leaving it to chance.

The Two of Swords is about taking the time to make careful decisions. Even if there is no obvious benefit to one over the other, but to not choose wisely and deliberately is dangerous. It requires being uncomfortable and it requires facing the darkness.

Of course, the problem is that this is a blind choice, and there’s no way to know all the facts. Some of this decision will have to be based on experience or instinct.

When Two of Swords is Reversed:

When the Two of Cards is reversed, the querent is struggling with making a decisions and not knowing everything about either choice. However the querent can’t handle the choice. They can’t weigh the pros and cons, and they can’t bravely face the choice in front of them. They may want someone else to do it for them, or to let one of the choices fall away so they don’t have to make a decision. They may not trust their own minds and intelligence enough to know they can make a good, sound decision.

When this card is reversed, it can also mean that the querent is stuck between two parties, two people, or two situations in which they can’t take a side and can’t resolve the problem. No matter which way they move, they’ll get hurt, so they’re waiting for the issue to pass before they do anything.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was stuck between a rock and a hard place and had to make a tough decision.

Present: Currently, the querent is stuck between two options, one not better than the other, and not sure what to do.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to come to a point where they’re stuck between two choices and can’t decide between them.

Ace of Swords

June 10, 2017