Thoth is telling me to be cruel....

Ok, so for the 3rd time this week, the 9 of Swords has come out in a spread in the same position, the "what to do" card. I'm a little confused. I think I may know what it means, but I'd like some opinions or suggestions. I mean, you want to make sure you know why, if you're going to do something that seems cruel. All 3 spreads where the 7 card elipse thread, and all three where about financial affairs, physical comfort, wealth and sucess in general. Any input's appreciated.

Perhaps it's less of invoking cruelty and more of facing those issues which can cause concern. I'd be interpreting that for myself as facing the cause of my "nightmares", those things which cause me to stay up at night.

One of the meanings of 9 of Swords described in The Book of Thoth is intellect consumed by passions. Maybe the message is to allow passions to overflow? Let it burn? Let go of control?

While looking for some information I came across this for the nine of swords.. 'The beast of self criticalness and self doubt born of perfection'.

It made me wonder: Are you perhaps not taking self critisim well at the moment? Rethinking is necessary part of resolving issues, but regergitating the same old cudd without coming to a place where you can be satisfied and have 'peace of mind' is not very helpful to your quest. Forgiveness will bring you to a place of final release where you will not give yourself such a hard time. I think the emphasis is not about being cruel to be kind but to come to a 'safe' conclusion so that you can stop 'bashing yourself up' over what you see as imperfection or failure.

Be kind to yourself and take much care

Blessings
Elven x

Yeah, that's where I think this is going. I mean it's so hard to give myself a break, because quite honestly, I am a **** up. I've ruined so many good things and burnt so many bridges, blah blah. I know I can't really move on without forgiving myself, but it's so hard to. Although I'd never let anyone around me see it, I'm my own worst critic.

Sometimes each of us has something we really need to think through consciously, but we either avoid it, or only go so far--only think about the parts we like, or only think about it for a few minutes before we scare ourselves, or only scratch the surface and then tell ourselves we've thought it all through. It seems to me something is begging your full attention, a full on session, painful as it may be, of facing what's going on in a particular area of your life.

I never went very far learning computer programming--just some BASIC classes, years and years ago, but we were taught to flow chart everything. I had to do the same as a manager, flow out every procedure. It's an intensive process, it doesn't leave a single step or possible decision unexplored, it's a thorough game of "what if". The teachers used to call it "playing dumb computer".

If there's something important or costly that you're contemplating and you haven't gone through that what-if process, maybe it's time to now. If there's a relationship that you're just riding on the surface of, accepting things as they come along, but you know inside there are some things to face that you haven't, it may be time to sit down and think about whether it's really one-sided, or problematic, and where it's heading. If you're starting a business or a lengthy learning process, it may be time to imagine all the possible consequences and responsibilities.

It's your life, and this card coming up repeatedly may be telling you it's time to take a good hard look. It may also indicate a need to talk things out with another person every bit as thoroughly. Hash it out, so to speak.

A little painful honest analyzing or communicating now may save much more heartbreak later.

Nevada

the right thing to do is not always teh nice thing to do, there are tiems which being aggressive and active in sercuring ourselves is justified, we don't get any point for karma, but none are taken away either, just make the appropriate adjustment so you don't abuse the position.

About being your own worst critic, there is a very real possibility that that may be the issue here. Being always afraid of what people might say, or debating too much about what to do or not to do, is at times quite detrimental.

Crowley was a Drama Queen, and most of the deck takes itself far too seriously, in my opinion. Cruelty may not be cruel in the bad sense, but yourself in your own hands, and doing what feels right to you, and damn the world. In a certain sense, somewhat like the Fool, only in a more extreme, um, cruel, way...

I'm certainly not an expert, but I have associated with the 9 of swords a sense that I need to get beyond my emotional responses--that I need to become clear about the truth of a situation and act accordingly, neither coddling myself or others, nor lashing out. I see in Cruelty the cruelty of nature, that does not concern itself with the comings and goings of the creatures it may effect, but continues in its cycles of spring to summer to fall to winter, of creation, destruction and regeneration. And I keep in mind that from a broader perspective, the cycles are wonderful and spectacular, and without their constant turning, all would end.

Thanks to everyone for your 2 cents. It might be usefull to add that the outcome card in that spread was the Knight of Swords. Definetely someone I'd like to be more like. I can kind of see where this is leading to. Almost sure it has something to do with my recent decision to go back to school and get into law school.

I guess I have to learn that self criticism is a good tool, It can drag me down if I don't learn to forgive myself. No one's perfect, I have to stop letting people raise their self esteem at the expense of mine.