Tag Archives: Swords

Seven of Swords

We someone in this card who has a heavy load. They are still traveling. And they take too much with them. This is the suit of the mind, and ideas. So what we need to release is an idea. Or many ideas which may have served us at one time. But isn’t anymore.

Years ago I heard heard the ancient people based the seven-day week on what a person could work. They found after six days people needed a day to rest. And the creation of the world in seven days. An extension of this finding. If people needed a rest after six days. Maybe God did too.

But back to our card and what it is telling us. Give yourself a break. Maybe your ideas are too high. There is no perfection in this world. And while we can keep on dreaming of living in a perfect world. We should stop beating ourselves up for not being in this perfect world. In this world there are delays. In this world we have days we don’t work at our peak. In this world we help others at our own cost. In this world, we are not perfect. No matter how hard we try.

In the last card, the six of swords we started our journey. We thought we could leave our troubles behind us. But we created those troubles. And we keep on creating them. We carry to ideas and the troubles with us as we travel. In this card we are still moving. Slowly we learn to let ideas go. In this card we see two swords are being left behind. This is a good sign. But will it be enough, and will it be soon enough.

In the next card we see someone bound. They haven’t done enough to let the old ideas go. And now those ideas and expectations have them bound. We can’t escape our troubles anymore. We either face them, or like the figure in the next card blindfold ourselves to the truth.

In the seven of pentacles we see a person with too much work. They have a pile of work. And it appears to be so much work they haven’t started. It is like the task has defeated them before they could start. I know this has happened to me. And no doubt to you. Those moments where you feel you can’t finish. But you haven’t even started.

The seven of swords is telling us how to escape. We shouldn’t put down all our swords. But we can’t go on carrying them either. Put a few down today. And tomorrow a few more. Then the next day. Find the right balance between what pushes you forward and holds you back.

In the seven of cups we see where our imagination can take us. Is is the opposite in some ways of the seven of swords. We imagine our way into the future. But we fail to focus on the hard work of the present. And we get lost in our images.

This card is telling you today to take a break. Give your self credit for what you have done. You are an amazing person for everything you do. And maybe even more so for the things you hope to accomplish but do not. I’ve long felt t0-do lists were healthy. But those who fail on their lists are the good ones. They have aimed higher than they could reach. But how many people will make a list below what is possible: they always mark off every item. A trick for to-do lists by the way. Make a bunch of easy items. You can cross them off first. And it gives you the feeling of getting things done. This can be great motivation.

Don’t be bound to ideas which no longer serve you.

Ace of Swords

A new idea is born. Today we have the Ace of Swords. A new journey begins. One of the mind. But the path is far from easy. In the end it may take us to a place of defeat.

Swords is the zone of the mind. Our intellect and mental framework of the world. It is how we view our place in the world. The thoughts which guide and create our lives. In its pure form this card is about meditation. Take a moment to bring your mind to a point of still thought.

On the card we see one sword. When our minds are focused they are sharp. They can be our greatest weapon. Or they can be our greatest defeat. Aside the sword grows two white roses. When we take the time to create stillness in our mind. We can achieve a purity of thought and action. We think our thoughts are outside our control. And we control our actions. But we direct our thoughts. And our thoughts direct our actions. Be careful what you think.

It is this warning which makes meditation so important. Our minds can be our servants. They were given to us to serve our interests. But they can also run lose like monkeys and drive us crazy. We need to control our own minds. If we don’t something else will. And without focus our mind creates chaos. Because the mind can only create what is knows.

When your mind knows peace. It will create peace. When your mind knows love, it will create love. Feed your mind on the things of love and peace. And your thoughts will be of love and peace. If you feed it on the things of hate and fear. Your thoughts will be of hate and fear. You can dream of love, or you can dream about illusion.

This card is telling you about a new idea in your life. It is too soon to tell if the idea is good or bad. Take the idea in hand and play with it. Like a new sword. Test the strength and flexibility of the idea. But do not own it yet. It is too young and unformed. Wait for the idea to develop. Watch and see as it changes. And take the time to meditate on the new idea and what it means for your life. Does this idea serve to bring more love into your life. Or does it serve to bring you more hate and fear.

If an idea is grounded in truth, then it must be grounded in love. Because anything other than love is a lie.

If you have not encountered the new idea. Chances are you will soon. It is at the point of newness when being still can be the hardest. But it is also the most important. Still your mind, act from a place of stillness in yourself. Do not react to the world. Do not be pushed into a mistake just because it is exciting. Every idea is new at some point in the world. And this idea may be new to you. But it doesn’t make it a good idea.

I can’t say enough how important meditation is at this point. The sword in the photo is the mind. And like the sword in the photo when our minds are still. Then our minds are ready for action. They are  not tired, or distracted or unavailable. Rest your sword, still your mind. Because if this new idea may just need your complete focus. This could be a life changing moment. An idea which could change the world.

And a final note is even the right ideas can end in defeat. We may put too much of ourselves into these ideas. Or we may invest too little. Some hold on to an idea long past its usefulness. The last card in the suit of swords is the ten of swords. And in this card we find ourselves defeated by our own minds. Today is the point where we make choices to avoid this end. Or we make choices which ensure our defeat. It isn’t just about the right idea, but the right time and the right effort.

The true swordsman doesn’t carry a sword is an old saying. Take up an idea which serves you. And put it down when it serves you no longer. Known when you need the next idea, it will be ready. But if your hands are full of ideas from the past. You will not be ready.

Nine of Swords

The darkness sits in the room. Like a second person. But there isn’t a second person. We’ve done wrong. Sinned against ourselves and God. No one is ever going to love us again. This is hell.

The Nine of Swords is as close as it comes to total defeat. We sit in our shame. And events from the past are relived in our mind. The woman at work. The person in traffic. An ex-lover, a former boss or even parents and family play their roles. The mind in this card is turned on itself. It cannot stop thinking about sins. For hours as you try to rest. It brings us image after image. Even after event from the past. And you know there is no forgiveness. How could there be when you can’t even forgive yourself.

In the last we had the eight of swords. We were bound, powerless. We couldn’t move. And maybe we cannot forgive ourselves now for allowing this to happen. But we need to be gentle with ourselves. If we had known better. We would have done better. Look back and understand it is past. Don’t be a victim to the past.

In this card we see a person sitting in bed. They weep openly. Their face covered by their hands. They can’t even face their shame. They are wearing a shapeless piece of clothing. We have lost ourselves in our sorrow. Our depression has taken over our lives. Its voice is all we hear in our head now. But it can change.

Above the figure nine swords sit on the wall. They are there like trophies. We focus so much on our failings. Winners put trophies on their walls of success. And we put our failures in the same place of honor. We may not have real trophies. But we obsess about them all the same. Our favorite sad songs sing in the back of our minds. And we fall again and again and again.

But this isn’t real. Go back to the moment honestly. You will see a person trying the best they can. If they didn’t love themselves at the time. It is all the more reason you should love them now. And love yourself now. Remember only love is real.

In the next card we have the Ten of Swords. The darkest card in the deck. It is total defeat. Not even death is as dark as this night. We become broken, lost and lonely figures in the world. But this doesn’t have to be our fate.

This card is trying to wake you up from the dream. There are things in your life you can change. Get up and change them before it is too late. And there are things you cannot change. Just learn to accept these things. Move on to the battles you can win. Of course the hardest part is knowing which is which. If there is a battle you are fighting. This is the time to ask yourself if you are failing. And if it would be better to let it go than to go on with the struggle. Or it may be you need to let the past go. We’ve all fallen down. All had broken hearts. All of us had dreams which didn’t come about in this life. And we all no doubt will again. This is the life we choose to live. And the more we focus on the mud, the less we can see the flowers.

This card is a dark card. But the darkness is inside of you. And all you have to do it turn on a light. The magical light always at your fingertips is called forgiveness. It means you forgive yourself. And you forgive others. They did not mean to harm you. What they did, was what they felt was the best. When it hurts it is hard to see the truth. And when it hurts it is hard to let it go. The biggest problem with this card is the pain never goes away. This card is telling you forgiveness will take the pain away forever. Then you can let it go. Let it go and allow yourself to heal.

Two of Swords

First is an idea. And it comes into the world as a thesis. But this creates a anti-thesis. New ideas face opposition. Often from old ideas. Sometimes it is just another point a view. A way of looking at the same thought. But one we’ve never thought of before.

The Two of Swords is this stage of an idea’s growth. In the Ace there was one idea. And it is often assumed it is a new idea. But truth is we don’t know. It could be an old idea. An idea we have clung to for too long. Now we see the otherside.

This card could bring a new focus to our lives. Send our whole thought pattern in a new direction. A truth, just as valid as ours is out there. A truth we have never seen before. But once we see it, it changes everything. Be prepared for your mind to be changed. Accept other peoples ideas openly. You don’t have to agree. But accept they are valid.

My idea is to work hard at any job. I focus on doing a good job for my own reasons. I do it regardless of the pay or the respect I get from others. Now, some people feel like when you are treated and paid like you’re not important. You should work like the job isn’t important. I disagree, but I can accept their logic as being valid.

If we go through life thinking we are the only one right. We will be forever blind to so very much. The world has so many truths and shades. It would be like seeing the world in black and white. Or worse.

The figure on the card is holding two swords. Two concepts of the world. And this figure is blindfolded. The universe doesn’t care about your attachment to an idea. It can an will cut through our mental constructs when they prevent our growth. It does so blindly. A sole focus on truth.

But this blindfolded figure may also be us. We think we know our truth. And we reject opposing truths. But we only know our truth. When we understand the truths with which we disagree. The puzzle of our world is full of truths. Or maybe one truth understood in many different ways. They inter-act. They inter-lock. This creates our world. An amazing image. A totality of little parts.

When we see our truth in the big picture. We see its limits. And understand how other truths complete ours. They aren’t competition. Any more than two puzzle pieces could be competition.

This card is telling us there is another side. And it is a side we may not be able to see by ourselves. It may be a truth we must depend on someone else to bring us. Be open. Be trusting. You don’t have to throw out your own truth. But see another as true.

Unknown possibilities are likely in store for you.

Eight of Swords

Life can be full of anxiety. The Eight of Swords is a prison. But the space is our own minds.
We are bound. And blindfolded. Trapped by our own ideas. We choose to see the world in a certain way. And the world presents itself. Our jobs, our relationships and ourselves are images. We can choose different. But it isn’t easy.

Eight is a card of power. But unlike other eights this card holds us. In the card a figure is tied. A blindfold covers their eyes. And on either side are four swords. Swords are the mind. This blindfold and the bindings are in our mind. We are trapped by ourselves. By our own fears. Which is only a lack of self-love.

The eight of pentacles shows us the power of our skills. And the eight of wands represents the power of movement. Eight is so close to ten, there is always something missing. But what is missing couldn’t be clearer than in the Eight of Swords. We stand in the gap between the swords.

When you knock 8 over you get the infinity sign. And I believe this speaks to a condition which has the power to continue on its own. We will remain trapped until we take the first step.

The card before this was a time of discovery. We explored our ideas of the world. And we left some behind. But we still haven’t learn to be flexible. It isn’t about taking and leaving ideas. We need to allow ideas to change. Because the world changes. And we change.

In the next card we face the depths of anxiety. The Nine of Swords is one of the darkest cards in the deck. All our sins come back to us. Now as we experience the Eight of Swords is our time. We can change the future. Make tomorrow full of proud moments. And not full of regrets. Take action. Believe something different is possible.

I know all this is easy to say and hard to do.

This card is telling you to set yourself free. There is something which is holding you back. And it won’t let you go. You must let go of it. You must take your own life in hand. Free yourself. Who will free your soul, if you don’t free your own?

The first step is to choose to love yourself. Don’t look for a reason to be proud, so you can love yourself. Love yourself first and then be proud of the accomplishment. It is a hard task which many never master.

Page of Swords

There is someone with a message.  A new idea.

The Page of Swords is about new ideas. It could be a new idea shared with us. Or a new idea we share with others.

Page cards represent a beginning energy. Swords are the cards of mental energy. A new life lesson could be coming you way. And it is likely one where you will learn and grow. But you will also be teaching another.

Your mind may be active and restless. There is a strong feeling of lack of focus with this card. The newness of potential is ripe. These are the first few moments. Anything is possible.

Once you gain some focus. You can take your energy. And become the knight of swords. He enters the battle on the side of good. He fights the forces of evil.

The most important lesson of this card is not new ideas. It is more than new ideas. It is new thought patterns. This card represents a new way of looking at the world. As we learn, we share with others.

We bless the universe with our knowledge. Our own enlightenment the best gift we offer. The Page of Swords is our entry to this awareness. We begin to understand who we are. And our value.

The figure in the card isn’t holding the sword. It sits in front of the figure. It is ready for use. As our mind is ready to serve us, once we give it a true focus. Only love is real. When we focus on anything else we focus on nothing.

We must take a moment to learn about our power. Understand the ideas we are teaching. Ready ourselves before we set off. Because if we charge off without our head. Then we will surely lose our way. And our message will fail.

Before you use the sword. Make sure you know the sword. Our minds may be the most powerful weapons on the planet. But they are so often focused on nothing. Only love is real. If you are not focused on love. You are focused on nothing.

Like the Page of Cups, we need to find a passion. The ideas need to drive us beyond ourselves. We need passion bigger than ourselves. To understand and teach ideas bigger than ourselves. What is it which really motivates your soul?

Life has many different lessons to offer. Some come in the classroom. But many come from the challenges of life. Think about what life is trying to teach you in the next couple days. If you are blocked by something. Maybe the lesson is to be more flexible. Or maybe you need to learn another way.

Maybe you just need to learn about your own power. Learn to have faith and believe in yourself.

But it could be a new job. And part of the new job will be personal growth. Learning lessons you will need soon.

The universe is a classroom. And when we continue to look at the world as a student. Or as a scientist. We continue to learn more about the world and more about ourselves.

Six of Swords

Six of Swords.

In the picture a person is riding in a boat. Along with him are six swords.

The swords are cards of the mind and ideas. But often they are cards of conflict as well. There is a conflict in this card.

Sixes are often about a return. The six of cups is a return of emotional energy. And the six of pentacles a return on material investments. The six of swords is a return of ideas.

Maybe this is Jonah. Setting sail from a land where his preaching was rejected. He is taking his lessons to another shore. Maybe we need to learn to understand when people are not accepting the ideas we are sharing. And accept the fact and move on.

We cannon see the person in this card. They are not looking back. Those who are behind him are not his focus. The focus is on the horizon.

While one town has pushed him and his ideas on. But another is just over the horizon. In the card before this, the five of swords there was a battle. And the person in the card won the battle. But winning the battle changed little. It didn’t bring the success. the respect or the change expected. This person is moving towards the seven of swords.

In the seven of swords the journey continues and ideas are left behind. Life is as much about unlearning sometimes as it is learning.

But in the six of swords we are missionaries for our believes. We are sharing the truths we have discovered with the world. And while this often means travel. It doesn’t always.

It is striking the journey is across water. Our emotions connect us to each other. Even the expressions of our mind, need emotion. We need to related to others on an emotional level. Then we can share on a mental level.

This card is teaching us to share our truths. But to do so wisely. Understanding there are those who won’t listen. They are those who won’t agree. And there are those for whom it won’t relate. Further it just want be true for many others.

The ultimate journey of knowledge is a solo adventure. We are alone. The truth we have to discover is ours alone.

On the horizon of the card is mountains. You cannot see details. But something out there is waiting. There is something new for our adventurer. And the future holds something for us as well.