Three of Swords

Known also as the Lord of Sorrow, and aligned with Saturn in Libra, the Three of Swords represents worries, tensions and pain caused by words and thoughts.

Saturn represents heaviness and restriction, while Libra is balance and harmony in relationships, so this card brings blocked emotions and the inability to move past hurts and restore harmony.

The Three of Swords reminds us of contrast - we love to feel the good feelings of love and joy and happiness, and yet without experiencing anger, stress and worry, we don't know how precious the good feelings are and how important it is to seek these out and not waste time, energy and heartache on those negative states.

There are patterns of stressful thinking and worrying, there are storms of emotion, arguments and upheavals. There may be broken ties, but as they are usually based on misinformation and jumping to conclusions, the danger of permanent separation may still be averted.

The representation in the card of the Three of Swords looks dire, but if you pay attention, the birds, although black, are all flying upwards. The clouds are dark on the horizon, but they start to lighten higher up which is where the birds are heading. Even though it feels that this pain is permanent, it will always improve; life always wins in the end, and the impulse towards life will out.

The Threes are about bringing in something new - the Swords are about thoughts and ideas. Sometimes we get it wrong, thoughts that are new and unfamiliar cause us to shutdown and reject new ideas and new ways of living. We become so engrossed in keeping the status quo, determined to cling to the illusion that we are right that when change inevitably comes it means discomfort, resistance and pain.

Whenever we grow in consciousness we will feel perhaps that our world is falling apart. And in a way, that is true. It is the world or perceptions we have built up and solidified, as if it was real, so that when we are coaxed towards a new way of being (because all life is about growth) then we must come to it kicking and screaming sometimes. But eventually the strange becomes familiar and even desired - this is a sure sign of growth.

There is a need to make a difficult decision and restore the balance. Remember, every problem contains within it its own solution.