Hard Card: Ace of Swords
The Ace of Swords often is said to represent truth, mental clarity, inspiration, new ideas, breakthroughs, success, and those aha! moments. Like all four Aces in the tarot, these are moments that can be fleeting and thus moments of opportunity ripe for the picking.
Moments of Clarity and Muse
Often, this card is one that comes up when I am sitting with clients who are writers, therapists, and those who deal in the legal realm. Not only that, but also those that are navigating sticky situations perhaps where they are in the right and having to stand their ground.
When this card appears I like to remind people that it has a double edge and can be used to clear the path ahead with grace or destruction in mind. How you wield it and to what degree is up to you. In particular I love this card when it appears in tough situations because it can be read, depending on the contextual cards around it, as permission for the client involved to step back from the situation. Maybe it isn’t their’s to deal with and what a relief that can be!
You may need this…
The Sword in the Stone: A Card Reversed
When this card comes up reversed it can often tell me that an opportunity is running short on time. Also, this card can indicate that someone may be at risk of being on the wrong side of the sword in a given situation. Alternatively, this card can be a massive sign that reads “DO NOT PASS” and in those moments I encourage cautious thinking, careful planning, and reflection over overt action.
Oh shit, what now?…
An Energy of Go
When this card appears I am often struck by an energy that screams for action. It is not often that I see this card reversed and thus, when I see it upright it can be a call to hustle. Launching a project and get this card? Time to launch is imminent. Trying to make a decision and this card appears as one of your many choices? I’d side with whatever option this one falls under. Need to make some physical changes and aren’t sure where to begin? That’s a personal one that I just got recently and the solution seems to me that I had better just be moving in general rather than trying to decide between yoga or weightlifting or power-walking.
What do you think of the Ace of Swords? Where has it shown up for you?
Not every lesson need be deadly.
