Your Week Ahead: October 10 to 16, 2021 – Bringing It All Down

Amidst all the tension, all the conflict and pain, there is the presence of our resolve and mental clarity. These days have been stressful for many, and continue to be, while so much is changing around us and being addressed. This week, we have a reading that is particularly striking. It portrays two cards with figures lying down. One is recovering after a time of battle, and the other lies murdered as a result of some intense attack.

In the centre, we see one of the most powerful cards in the deck: The Magician. This figure is the powerhouse creator, the grounder of cosmic energy, the initiator, the seer and utilizer of talent. He stands confident and stares out directly at us. What does he see? What is his vision?

The experience of the 4 of Swords is not just about rest. It is a time of integration where we have a chance to regain some mental stability. Perhaps the key to this card is the swords hanging on the wall. It would be logical to say that this card comes after some kind of stressful interaction. Its appearance heralds a time where we get to weigh our options and come into a safe space to think and heal.

The swords of conflict are hung on the wall where they remain unneeded for the moment. The battle has come to an end or to a pause. We have time now to reassess our strategy and our terms. It is a period of detachment and peace where we are shielded from some of the harsher elements we were exposed to. This could have been physical, emotional, and psychic.

The transition into The Magician clearly shows how we have benefited from our retreat. We have the ability to see into our reality in a new way and we feel invited to make changes. We suddenly find ourselves in the current of grace and power where we can initiate and materialize something formless into form.

Here, we have access to many parts of ourselves and many skills. We have a purpose and we sense that purpose as something we need to articulate and express. The Magician can represent small or subtle changes as well. It doesn’t necessarily describe a huge cathartic event, although it could feel like it. What is clearly evident is that we are rejuvenated and inspired, and that we are utilizing our life experiences to create something better.

As we move into the 10 of Swords, we see something (and experience it) as truly dead. There are no qualms about it. You only need one sword to kill, yet here we see ten. This happens to be one of my favourite cards, for it shows no lie or deceit; it is completely honest. If you want to know if something is over and you get the 10 of swords, you know it’s over.

I’ve seen this card appear in readings where someone wasn’t sure what the outcome would be, but suspected. It came after a period of abuse and its denial. When we wake up, we wonder why we didn’t see it earlier, and wonder why it took us so long to end it.

Within the same imagery, we see the darkness of night receding and the new dawn emerging. This is another indication that we have been operating in the dark and that the warmth of a new day is at hand. In the right hand of the deceased, the sign for peace is shown. It also makes a reference to The Hierophant and his blessing, bestowing upon us the beautiful wisdom that only life experience gives us. The still blue waters also reveal the inherently tranquil message behind the apparent violence.

The blood flowing over the pierced body is the release and purification of pain. We experience our cosmic self, free of physical constraints, and this connects us to this new emergence and the wonderful unfolding future that we’ve surrendered to.

One last interesting aspect of this layout links the three swords on the wall (and their energy) to the magic wand the magician holds. The movement implied from this tool in his right hand to the materializing mudra in his left is further amplified when we see ten swords grounded in the earth and into a person.

This is not to suggest that we are harming anyone, although it would be wise to be mindful of our zeal for change and not exhibit any intolerance or ruthlessness. These aspects between the cards are showing us that we are bringing something down and ending it on our terms. In many cases, the 10 of Swords indicates what we have endured. However, in this case, there is also present a deeper revelation that we are very much directing something and its ending.

It is actually a very powerful confluence of symbols. We are taking something off the wall, something that was involving us in conflict, and transforming its energy into a tool for change where we tune into and become a channel for cosmic creative potential. It passes through us and we direct it at will down into the ground where we end a negative pattern or experience.

The only caution to be aware of is overdoing it. The 10 of Swords also shows hysteria and uncontrolled rage. But with the beauty of The Magician looking at us, informing us and keeping the energy bound together in his grace, I see this as a time of positive clarity and the inspired action that fills our spirit. Focus on the new dawn rising in the east instead of what is dead. That might help to put a better perspective on things and guide us toward where we really want to be going.

Affirmation: All things are revealed at the right time. It’s okay if I am only seeing the truth now. I forgive myself and allow myself the time to be reconciled with my inner being. The clarity I feel makes me connected to my potential and to what I want. I take steps now to move into the direction that is healthier for me, and that provides me with greater connection to Spirit and to Joy.

Thanks for reading, and I wish you a wonderful week!

Daniel Palmo

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