Hurry up and wait 🌱 Knight of Swords Reversed
Tarot for the week of 03/04/23 🗡 Navigating the itchy time of spring and trying not to charge right in
Hello, loved ones, friends and internet strangers.
Today I find myself writing while basked in sunlight. And yet it is bitter cold. It feels like that awful/wonderful relationship stage where you want to ask, what are we? What does this mean to you, spring? Sunshine or showers? Both?
The weather and I aside, things are still going slow on the farm. Roots are beginning to pop their heads above ground and the seeding tables are all but full. and yet there are mornings where it is in the minus numbers (Celcius-wise) and the frigid rain won’t let us break ground. I might describe this time as itchy. Wanting to be at the next stage, to shake off the cacoon of winter and being told by the elements not yet.
I think this ties in with last week’s card; The Devil. The ties that bind us, the things that hold us back. That keep us tangled. Within ourselves and externally. And the card for this week holds a similar message. One I personally didn’t want to hear. But I guess that means I really needed to.
Tarot for the week of 03/04/23: The Knight of Swords Reversed
We have had the swords before, dear readers, and in reverse no less. Do you remember the vibe back at the end of November? The need for boundaries, but the real task of unpacking said boundaries once one is safe. That was the King of Swords Reversed. For Knight energy let me direct you to mid-October, the manifesting power and push of the new academic year. The draw to envision how something might feel, to hold that dream tenderly but chase after it nonetheless. That was the Knight of Cups. Haven't been with us that long? Give those posts a read and see how they line up with how you were feeling at that time (then let me know if they do).
But each card is its own thing, of course. But within each is the entangled nature of the motifs of tarot. The swords are representative of the element air, of thoughts ideas, of the cerebral workings of our inner world. And knights are characters, on horseback, with some backing, less experience and a charge. A spark. Something pushing them forward.
When looking at the Knight of Swords several things stand out to me. First of all, is the speed. Of all the knights it looks like Swords is moving the fastest. Their horse straining at the bridal, the wind rushing through their mane. The trees behind seem to contort as they do when we are moving past them at speed. With relation to thoughts, this is the speed of synapses firing, of neural pathways lighting up. Of conclusions being jumped to.
Next are the clouds, are they clearing or coming in? Is this mid-battle or the final charge at the end of it? The card gives nothing away. All the other nights have clear skies, indicating clarity of purpose or at least objective. When you combine that with speed, you get confusion. How can you know if you're heading the right way if you don’t slow down for directions? To orient yourself.
Finally, the butterfly pattern, which is part of the court cards of the Swords. This always sticks with me as the ability to let thoughts go, to notice them and not hold on to them. But these teething thoughts, these momentary judgments are what adorn the horse. If we adorn ourselves with the thoughts of others, we may not see where we are truly headed.
Combining these three elements is why this card’s common interpretation of unfocused energy or impulsivity becomes pretty clear. And weaving that back into this season, the fluttering awakening of spring, this card tells us to slow down.
You can’t plant seeds before they are ready. You can’t will the snow away. And by charging ahead you will waste energy. You may lose a lot along the way. And what will you have gained that you would not have had if you waited? I’m saying this now to myself more than anyone.
Journaling prompts for the Knight of Swords Reversed
This week ask yourself: What am I itching to begin? Am I ready? What thoughts can I let go of? What ideas or beilefs might be holding me captive? Where am I moving at speed? Is this in the right direction? Am I working towards something tangible or just charging in? What would I gain by waiting? What could I loose by staying still? How can I be present for this shifting time without letting it push me in a direction? What does spring feel like to me? Where do I hold spring in my body?
As always I would love to hear what this brings up for you. How have you been feeling? What are you feeling very hurry up and wait about?
Oh, just a little reminder that my in-person workshop will be coming up next week (11th April) in Ann Arbor. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please send them an invite.
As always, I am available for Written and Zoom Tarot Readings. Readings via Voice Note are also available. If you’re interested in getting a reading but have no idea what to ask here is a selection of questions I have answered in my time to get you thinking. All my offerings are sliding scale to make them as accessible as possible. I am also always available to chat and always open to trade etc.
Catch you in the ether,
M
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