Two Swords for September

Two of Swords
New Palladini Tarot

The card for September in my New Year Reading was the Two of Swords. It’s not always a great card to see in a reading, but not one of the worst, either.

Swords is the suit representing the mind and anything connected to it; e.g. thoughts, ideas, logic, reason, truth, and communication. For me, the connection with truth and a sword is clear; the truth can hurt whether it’s a gentle poking or an outright heart wrenching piercing, either way some pain would be involved.

Historically, swords have been associated with authority figures and justice. And justice is supposed to be based on facts and be fair and impartial. Lady Justice is usually depicted blindfolded and holding a sword and a balance scale.

The number two represents duality because of the dual nature we see around us; masculine/feminine, dark/light, positive/negative and it also suggests balance because two is an even number; there are two sides to a balance scale and at least two sides to every story. Putting these concepts together, the Two of Swords represents a duality or a balance between two thoughts or ideas. The fact the swords are crossed suggests the thoughts or ideas are crossing or competing with each other. Therefore, this card further indicates either some internal mental conflict or a disagreement with someone else. 

Lady Justice

The blindfold goes on to suggest the figure might be blind to or not facing the conflict before them, whether it’s their own personal conflict or one with someone else. It could also suggest they are focused on a solution based on the facts and not letting emotion sway them. They are remaining unbiased or impartial. Or trying to. 

When I first saw the Knight of Cups Reversed preceding this card for September, I was sure it meant havoc for me in the romance/relationship department. Was I going to meet someone who would then become distant forcing me to face a difficult decision? Or would somebody already in my life suddenly turn cold or distant forcing us into a conflicted discussion? Or would I be the figure mediating conflicts between others while remaining unbiased? I have since realized the Knight referred to my budding intuition and getting used to it. 

While I have been consulted by a couple of friends to read cards for them to gain insight into a difficult friendship in their lives, I had my own moment of clarity that led me to believe this Two of Swords also has a more specific meaning for me.

Interestingly, these moments of clarity, or “aha” moments, can be represented in a reading by the Ace of Swords, as the Aces can suggest beginnings or opportunities as relating to the theme of the suit, in this case a realization.

I came to see myself as the figure on the card and the swords as representing opposing truths, or aspects, of me. Or rather, some dualities of me:

1. Gay vs. Straight
2. Spiritual vs. Secular/Religious
3. Intuitive vs. Non-intuitive

As I am becoming more in touch with my intuition as well as some other unique moments/experiences in my life, I’ve begun to wonder, “Why me? Why now?” And more importantly, “How do I manage it? How do I use it? How do I not get overwhelmed by it all?”

But another important question for me now is, “How do I integrate this new aspect of me into my life and carry on as if nothing is different when in reality a lot is different?” It’s like a whole new closet to come out of.

So, here is how I interpret the two competing swords; one represents the communities I move through and the other is how I fit into them:

• How do I navigate a community where I am more atypical than (stereo)typical? 
• How do I live my spiritual life among communities that for the most part aren’t spiritual but more secular or even religious?
• How do I work and exercise my intuition in a world that is seemingly disbelieving or dismissive of such?

Perhaps this is all leading to the most important question of all, “How do I just be me?”

Per the blindfold in the card, it’s obvious to me I’m not facing the answer. But I know what the answer is. I just need to bring the two swords together to magically transform them into one powerful sword-my own Ace of Swords. Once that is done, I need to sheathe it, stand up, remove the blindfold and march confidently forward.

On second thought, maybe I should remove the blindfold before sheathing this new unified Sword. I don’t want any accidents.

Ace of Swords, Crow Tarot
My favorite rendition of this card

Only then can I march confidently forward.

Cups, Knights and Reversals

Knight of Cups,
New Palladini Tarot

My card for August in my New Year’s Reading was the Knight of Cups Reversed. Knights represent the second youngest members in the court of each suit. This puts them at the age roughly that of an adult in their mid-twenties to early thirties, though some readers feel it may extend a bit in either direction. Regardless, I view them as those young adults who have finished their lessons and think they know everything but lack the life experience to justify their actions, meaning they can either lack self-confidence or be very full of themselves, perhaps a bit idealistic. 

The Court Cards can also be a bit problematic in a reading as they can represent real people involved in the situation, aspects of the person seeking guidance, or energies of that card as they apply to an event. Reversing them can bring out their shadow side, the darker side of their personality.

Cups is the suit of the Heart and many readers also connect intuition to the suit as well. How many times have we said “I have a funny feeling about this” or “I had a sense I’d run into you today?” That is our intuition speaking to us.

So, we have a young adult fully aware, or so he thinks, of his emotions and/or intuition. He can be quite romantic or a bit distant while still figuring things out. Reverse him and he can go to either extreme, but a bit more to the extreme. He can be outright cold or rather aggressive.

While the figure on the card is represented as male, it could represent a female in real life. 

Well, my first impression when I first saw him in the spread was that this would be an emotional month, perhaps involving some relationship. He is the most romantic of the knights, after all.

And it was. An emotional month, but it had nothing to do with a relationship, except maybe the one I have with myself.

I am now at that point in my retirement where I need a direction. It’s been two full school years since I retired, and I DO NOT regret it. Saving my sanity was the wisest decision I made. Now, I need to do something with it.

People have suggested I substitute for local schools. I am not interested in returning to that arena. I retired because I felt my life was heading in a new direction spiritually. And unfortunately, public education was heading downhill as much as the teachers were (and still are!) trying to save it. 

I’ve considered working part-time in retail, but being an introvert and slightly empathic I become very uneasy and exhausted around large groups of people. Even quick runs to the store can be draining. And it seems when I decide to apply for a job, something comes up that suggests I wait.

Emotionally, this last month left me feeling a bit floundering, seeking a direction yet my introversion keeps me from seeking new outlets to socialize, which in turn has left me feeling frustrated with little to do (How often can I clean the house or weed the flower beds?). I work on my writing, but can type only for so long before my hands get tired due to arthritis. Plus, remaining sedentary isn’t healthy and the current heat wave is keeping me inside.

As I mentioned, Cups is also the suit of intuition. As I’ve been walking this path and opening up spiritually, I’ve been noticing my intuition has been growing stronger. I’m often in awe of what I’m experiencing and often doubt myself. Yet, the coincidences that I experience occur in such numbers that it would be hard to explain them rationally as sheer coincidences. I sometimes feel like the Knight of Cups himself as I experience and grow with this new ability; young (in the ability), somewhat unsure of myself, feeling intimidated yet awestruck at the same time.

And now that I'm aware of it, what do I do with it?

So, perhaps that was the Knight’s message; just an emotionally turbulent month all around. 

September should be real fun, the Two of Swords; blinded by conflicting thoughts and ideas. Oh, joy.

Two of Swords,
New Palladini Tarot