TAROT

Knight of Swords § Ace of Pentacles § Queen of Swords

Some Knights are trained by experienced mentors who are compensated in one manner or another for their tutelage, but our Knight of Swords is not among this ilk. Her training began later in life, where her previous years of observation served her well. I was not born to war, she says, I was born to uncover the wisdom within sorrow and apply it to my happiness, to the struggle in the streets, and to my own character. I am not a warrior. I am a philosopher acting on reality. My mind is as sharp as the blades of my sword—if you want the same for yourself, you must first confront the ordinary shame the modern world imparts to you and your comrades. Do not be led to believe that the deepest human desire is naturally the absolute annihilation of groups not your own. I have fought for many a just cause over the centuries and I assure you: Your nature is far more thrilling than something so wasteful of your precious few years here on this most lush of planets. Find a youthful heart within you and ask it to tell you the story of yourself. In this way, your internal pieces will find snug fit and your mind will work with greater ease. Know who you are, what you stand for, and act on those values because they are knowledge. Live by the direction of your own compass and success will be yours.

The Ace of Pentacles is a valuable gift, and this one is for us. Pentacles represent the element of earth—the terra firma beneath our feet—as well as everything that gives us physical stability: money, health, primary relationships, and home. These necessities are denied to many and stories of that denial are a weapon of terror used to wage a war across the expanse of the global market. We need a story of resolve to counter the anxiety that makes us less capable of using our full intelligence. With this Ace of Pentacles, you have all the strength you need to be at home inside yourself and to use all of your experiences as sources of clarity for what lies ahead. Our best use of this gift is to find our center of gravity every day as we live through the present. Temporary solutions in less-than-ideal circumstances are unlikely to create a sense of well being. Take this Pentacle and consider the ways in which you already know how to survive emotionally and tactically in the coming months.

The Queen of Swords shows up at the right time, as always. This Queen is served by the Knight of Swords, whom she trained herself, and is now dependent upon to discern the world outside the walls of her community. I taught my Knight, she tells us, to approach every battle with a calm that is forged from the knowledge that she is righteous. I have taught her to hold boundaries based on her instincts and not the words or rules of others. But I also taught her to have respect for life itself and her own emotional bodies. My Knight is the most capable of them all because her education was gained in the actions we took on the streets by day and through the rituals of care and honesty we applied to ourselves by night. Write down what you experience inside yourself and what you observe around you. Keep a record that requires no technology to read, and take care to become the best version of yourself. May we hold victory as inevitable.

Some Knights are trained by experienced mentors who are compensated in one manner or another for their tutelage, but our Knight of Swords is not among this ilk. Her training began later in life, where her previous years of observation served her well. I was not born to war, she says, I was born to uncover the wisdom within sorrow and apply it to my happiness, to the struggle in the streets, and to my own character. I am not a warrior. I am a philosopher acting on reality. My mind is as sharp as the blades of my sword—if you want the same for yourself, you must first confront the ordinary shame the modern world imparts to you and your comrades. Do not be led to believe that the deepest human desire is naturally the absolute annihilation of groups not your own. I have fought for many a just cause over the centuries and I assure you: Your nature is far more thrilling than something so wasteful of your precious few years here on this most lush of planets. Find a youthful heart within you and ask it to tell you the story of yourself. In this way, your internal pieces will find snug fit and your mind will work with greater ease. Know who you are, what you stand for, and act on those values because they are knowledge. Live by the direction of your own compass and success will be yours.

The Ace of Pentacles is a valuable gift, and this one is for us. Pentacles represent the element of earth—the terra firma beneath our feet—as well as everything that gives us physical stability: money, health, primary relationships, and home. These necessities are denied to many and stories of that denial are a weapon of terror used to wage a war across the expanse of the global market. We need a story of resolve to counter the anxiety that makes us less capable of using our full intelligence. With this Ace of Pentacles, you have all the strength you need to be at home inside yourself and to use all of your experiences as sources of clarity for what lies ahead. Our best use of this gift is to find our center of gravity every day as we live through the present. Temporary solutions in less-than-ideal circumstances are unlikely to create a sense of well being. Take this Pentacle and consider the ways in which you already know how to survive emotionally and tactically in the coming months.

The Queen of Swords shows up at the right time, as always. This Queen is served by the Knight of Swords, whom she trained herself, and is now dependent upon to discern the world outside the walls of her community. I taught my Knight, she tells us, to approach every battle with a calm that is forged from the knowledge that she is righteous. I have taught her to hold boundaries based on her instincts and not the words or rules of others. But I also taught her to have respect for life itself and her own emotional bodies. My Knight is the most capable of them all because her education was gained in the actions we took on the streets by day and through the rituals of care and honesty we applied to ourselves by night. Write down what you experience inside yourself and what you observe around you. Keep a record that requires no technology to read, and take care to become the best version of yourself. May we hold victory as inevitable.