V of Swords

Ever since we had the IV of Cups the other day, I've been in this headspace of "behavior prevention." The IV of Cups saved my ass when kiddo had a high-energy, world-destroying tantrum. It lasted over an hour, but the IV of Cups gave me the perspective to sit it out calmly and not let the emotion of the situation steamroll me over. Ain't gonna lie - it was hard to get through, and he was practically hoarse by the end of it, but the IV of Cups put me in the mindset I needed to be in to respond without allowing myself to become overwhelmed by the heat of it.

Today's card, the V of Swords, is a card that runs in the same vein. Traditionally, this is a card of hollow victories, as the card from the Circle of Doors Tarot describes. There are so many situations where this card fits. Traditionally, the V of Swords represents conflict, defeat, and tension. It can indicate a situation in which someone has won at the expense of others, and the fallout from this win may lead to feelings of anger, bitterness, or betrayal. The card suggests the need to accept defeat, let go of grudges, and move on from a situation that cannot be resolved through conflict.

All those things are certainly applicable, but the card can be expanded to other meanings that may also fit the situation.

I did a reading once where the individual was confused why so many people ghosted them on their first date. This card came up and my immediate feeling was that this person overshares or moves too quickly. When looking at the original card, you can see that this person could be SHOWING his wares, which has driven the individuals away.

That is the amazing thing about Tarot. There is no right or wrong and intuition plays such a strong role when doing readings.

The V of Swords playlist is available on Spotify.

Message of the Day: I love all of the cards that I picked to represent the V of Swords. The concept of a "hollow victory" rings very true, where maybe we "won," but it was not without a cost. The other card, represented as a "tattle tale," also rings true, a bit of an underhanded way to resolve a situation rather than confronting it yourself. That, of course, is much more complex as there are definitely times when someone (like children) is not prepared to defuse a situation and needs to rely on others for help. This could be a kid seeing another kid with a gun or knife at school, or it could be someone who witnesses something illegal happening at work and becomes a whistleblower.

To me, however, I see this card as presenting a side of yourself that drives others away. I was taught as a teenager that, when disciplining a child, you should sandwich the consequence between love and compassion. You never want to be the cause of a situation that wants someone to want to be removed from your presence. This doesn't just pertain to relationships with children, of course. This could also include scenarios with your partner/spouse or friends.

It's an interesting concept, and it reminds me a lot of my son. When my son gets angry, he literally keeps "score" in his head and has to "win." As you can imagine, this never ends well for him. His need to always have the last word eventually descends into Hell Fire when he says things with the intent to hurt. In this scenario, he is the primary figure in the V of Swords, and we - as parents, are the figures walking away. Maybe he "wins" in his head, but at what cost? Was that win worth the consequences that came with it? I can tell you as the parent that, no, it was not. It takes time, but he eventually recognizes it at well.

Another way to look at this card, considering this a Sword card, is thinking about the scenario in terms of miscommunication. Misrepresenting facts, lying, or deceiving people is a surefire way to have them turn tale and flee from you. Words like "toxic" come into mind here.

Last night, my husband and I watched the documentary, "Call me Miss Cleo," on MAX (HBO Max). It was eye-opening. We both thought she was in prison (spoiler: she actually passed away in 2016).

But this documentary seems to be woven around the V of Swords. There was a lot of deception and beguilement going on for immense monetary gain (not by Miss Cleo, mind you). Taking advantage of someone's emotions and distress to milk them for money is vile and didn't end well. Even Miss Cleo, who did not escape unharmed, ended up in solitude for a number of years after suffering the fallout from the fall of a corrupt business.

Of course, there are times when no one is going to be the "winner" in a situation. I've seen several divorces where barbs were exchanged with the intent to hurt, and maybe they ended up with the house or monetary gain, but who "won?"

The V of Swords, today, can be a simple reminder to NOT be that person. Control yourself, be aware of your actions, your words, and the way you present yourself. The V of Swords asks:

Have there been situations in your life where you have driven people away because of something you did? Have your feelings changed since that happened?
When you have been driven away from someone, what was the cause and could it have ended differently?
How can you catch yourself before you things evolve to a V of Swords scenario? While self-awareness is a big part of it, do you have other supports in place to help keep you grounded?

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