Sword City

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 26 Feb 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

stenoboy	26 Feb 2003
Why is it in my readings for myself, all I am drawing is swords, swords and more swords, with the very odd pentacle? I am in quite a negative frame of mind at the moment having a few "life problems" that everyone goes through - relationships, unwell parents etc, but it's just the amount of swords I'm drawing is alarming. Major arcana? The tower always, NEVER the star or the fool - ever! - and usually very "stern" ones like the emperor or the heirophant. Where, please, are the "good" cards for a change? My daily card reading yesterday: ace of swords. Today: Queen of swords, and that was using a different deck, just in case!

GreaterSecrets	26 Feb 2003
Now this is just a direction and some random thoughts on this. Not being able to see an (or the) entire spread makes this a little difficult for me but let me take a stab at assisting you with a "direction" and not a solution though one seemed apparent to me when I read your dilemma. The obvious problem is sorrow, pain, and anger. Perhaps the source is coming 'from', 'through', or 'to' the "stern" card(s). Only you can tell by the positioning etc. Swords are very dangerous weapons: cutting, slicing, destructive and double-edged. I think the fact that there is a over-weighting here like a cart filled to over capacity tipping over. This preponderance may actually be telling you, because of it's overwhelming nature, to stop thinking and to reflect. Make yourself receptive. Which may not be noticeable to you from within the situation. The key to resolution might actually be that lone Pentacle telling you to use the material world to take you outside this. IOW to get deeply engrossed in something simple. For example, when I start losing it I go out to the garden and to something mindless like dig a new hole for a rose bush. Does that provide any insight? Gilabno: Greater Secrets

jamesriouxctm	26 Feb 2003
Stenoboy, If I may be so bold, perhaps the cards you're getting are exactly the ones you need at this time. The Swords are the suit of challenge and adversity, but also the suit of mental clarity and truth. Instead of seeing them as belonging to the first, try to start seeing them as members of the second. So don't look at the Five of Swords as a forecast of inevitable defeat; see it as a sign that you can overcome your difficulties. The Seven of Swords may seem to tell you that deception and trickery are all around you, but maybe it's saying that now you have a chance to cheat fate and snatch away a victory. And when you see the Tower, don't see the lightning bolt striking yourself - see it striking all of the walls that stand in your way, knocking them aside so that you are free to move and grow. As I hope these examples show, it's all a matter of perspective. No card is inherently "good" or "bad" until you make it that way.

WolfSpirit	28 Feb 2003
Hi stenoboy welcome to the forum :) I think Swords are often considered too negative, especially in the rider-waite deck and its clones. Swords also stand for clarity. I would not consider the queen or ace of swords negative at all. (If you want to read more on the meaning of swords I suggest you search the forum, there have been threads on this before) However if you do get swords ALL the time the cards are trying to tell you something: either they urge you again and again to keep a clear mind, or they tell you you are not balanced at the moment, always busy with mental activity never time to feel or ground yourself. Also interesting is a thread in the Talking Tarot forum called "the uh-oh cards" on how to deal with the darker cards in a spread.

bec	28 Feb 2003
swords could be telling you that you think to much and act to less - that you are to much in the air of things - that maybe what you find as a drag is what is needed and necessary - that you are letting heart and emotions run wild controlling your thought and logic. Swords could tell you numerous of things. As wolfspirit says, they are too often considered negative - but I really dont see any negativity in thinking straight, cutting through and getting the jobs done. Queen and ace of swords - sounds to me like you need to reconsider your thoughts and attitudes bout the whole issue - new thinking, heart feels, mind think. Tower and swords, still the same, seems thoughts and reality are on 2 different levels here. Hope we help you here, you will get other cards, even the (yeikz) star, ( never did like that one :) ). rest asure you dont get swords without a purpose :p

stenoboy	04 Mar 2003
Thank you all for responding. Yes, you're all correct! Having reflected on my situation and my preponderence of swords in readings, I now realise I must take time out for myself and THINK about the issues in my life right now (not something I've been doing too well lately), and also I've learnt from this to trust the cards and be as objective as possible in readings for myself -- a very hard task indeed. The first reaction to seeing all these sword cards and traditionally "negative cards" is despondency and gloom, especially as I'm sort of new to this, not having studied tarot for 20 years and having forgotten everything I'd learnt in the past. I now realise this type of reaction is not helpful but to look for the deeper meanings laid out before me. Thank you again for the valuable insights -- I've learned much from them.

The Sword City thread was originally posted on 26 Feb 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.