Tarot Diary | the Ace of Swords
The Ace of Swords, Pagan Otherworlds Tarot
I regularly read Tarot for myself and want to start sharing a weekly reading here - partly to bring more of my self to this space, but also as a way to - e x p a n d - outside of my comfort zone in both my creative and spiritual practices. The readings I share will center around the energy coming forward in relation to my creative journey. Some of what you read here may resonate - some may not, and that’s ok. Take what nourishes you and leave the rest.
For this week’s reading, I pulled the Ace of Swords - which feels so appropriate, given the work that I’ve been doing to create this website portal as a container for sharing my creative work. The act of sharing my creative, spiritual self (for me, both aspects are deeply intertwined) feels so vulnerable - and more often than not, this leads me to hide rather than to push through the discomfort. Yet, I find myself called to share, to cultivate connection, and to offer my creative gifts to the world. The Ace of Swords invites me to stand strong in my knowing, to speak my truth, to hold strong boundaries, and to move from a place of clear thinking where my actions are unobscured by the projections of others.
In terms of my creative practice, this means trusting my instincts to create and share what wants to come through - without worrying how these creative projects will be perceived by the Other. It means trusting my timing and creating on my own terms. It means taking hold of the sword, cutting away all the weeds that are blocking my path, and moving steadily forward. It means sharing from a place of authenticity - and not overthinking - instead, simply allowing my creative energy to flow. It means holding boundaries around what I consume, so that my Truth isn’t obscured by someone else’s. For me, it’s important to share in a place that feels expansive and safe - a place where I don’t need to “perform” - and this home on the web is that place for me.
When I first see the Ace of Swords, the phrase “sword of truth” comes to mind - the blade cutting through all of the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we’re capable of. These old stories hold us back from fully becoming who we’re meant to be. What if, instead of believing them, we begin to question their validity? Are they true? (And what evidence (if any) do we have to support claims of truth?) Where did they come from? Who planted the seeds of these stories within us? Who do they serve? What impact do these stories have on our lives?
There is a big difference between Truth and Belief, and between Feelings and Facts - though they may overlap at times. The Ace of Swords encourages us to move from a place of clear thinking, in order to distinguish what is true (for us) from what we’ve been taught to believe. No one gets to tell us who we are. Only I can say what is true for me - and only you can say what is true for you. And the best part is - we get to rewrite our stories. We can pull the weeds - those old, false narratives - and plant seeds of Truth in our garden. We can cultivate spiritual and creative gardens that allow us to grow fully into ourselves, rather than shrinking our Selves to fit into someone else’s idea of who we are or who we should be.
These old stories can have such a big impact on our creative practice. For the longest time, I told myself the story that I didn’t have anything of value to share. I believed that I wasn’t knowledgeable enough to share my ideas - and that even if I had a “good” idea, someone else had probably already said it (and said it better) - so what was the point? I convinced myself that I wasn’t an artist - and that I would never reach the level of “good enough” that meant other people would actually like what I made. So, instead of creating and sharing my art, I consumed other people’s ideas, words, and creative projects. Instead of trusting my own intuition, I looked to others to tell me what I should do, think, and say.
This inclination toward hiding away and not speaking up is a pattern that I’ve had since childhood - a trauma response that kept me safe but one that I’ve been working hard to renegotiate. For years, I had a recurring dream that my mouth was filled with a sticky substance that made it impossible for me to speak. The Ace of Swords is an invitation toward clear speech, reminding me that I am safe and free to use my voice to speak my truth in all areas of my life, including my creative practice.
The Ace of Swords is like a gift, an invitation to fully embody our Truth and cut away the decaying vines of old stories that keep us stuck. It’s an invitation to direct our mental energy towards our creative passion - and to share our stories and creative projects in ways that nourish and sustain us. It’s an invitation to join the conversation - because we have valuable things to say.
Some questions I’ll be considering this week:
What is one way that I can speak my creative truth this week?
What ideas have I been afraid to share - and why?
What needs to be cut away to make room for new ideas to grow?
Ace: a gift, singularity of purpose, the beginning, wholeness - containing the fullness of the suit.
Swords: Air, Intellect, Truth, Wisdom, Communication, Challenges