The suit of Swords in the Tarot deck can be unnerving to many people, particularly the more ominous cards that focus on troubled circumstances.
Swords in the Tarot deck, however, do not always have to carry a negative aspect.
The suit of Swords is linked to the Air element and is therefore associated with qualities related to thinking and mental powers. Tarot Swords are also sometimes linked with the season of spring’s renewed energy and strong winds that bring change.
The Ace of Swords is an excellent card to use for a mental "fresh start." Tarot Aces represent beginnings, and the Ace of Swords carries a wonderful potential for slicing through fear, confusion, or just plain laziness and moving on to new ventures or mindsets.
Ace of Swords Tarot Card Journaling
This Ace of Swords exercise is a journal project instead of a reading, so having a new blank book or notebook is necessary. A new pen is also essential, since in this case the pen is not quite mightier than the sword – but standing in for the sword itself.
Have your Tarot deck handy, with the Ace of Swords face up on top. The Ukiyoe Tarot has an especially beautiful Ace of Swords card in a deck featuring Japanese art and legend. If you're beginning the journal in springtime, the Ukiyoe Tarot Ace of Swords shows a sword among cherry blossoms, one of spring’s best-known flowers.
Before starting, think about the nature of the sword itself. While the Ace of Wands would invoke fiery passion, the Ace of Swords should stand for action balanced by willpower.
Traditionally, swords are associated with knights, samurai warriors, and expert fencing masters. Therefore, using a sword well requires both force and control.
Goals and Insights
In this project, it's better to identify one major objective rather than scattering attention on different goals.
After pinpointing the primary goal, try to think clearly about what might be keeping you from achieving it. The Ace of Swords involves logic and keen thought. In your journal, concentrate on the following questions:
- What do I want to do?
- Why am I not doing it?
- What one immediate action can I take today to move forward?
For example, if you want to save more money, look closely and honestly at your spending habits. Are purchases triggered by emotional issues? Can your budget be trimmed or do you even have a budget? What is the target amount you’d like to save? Then in your first immediate action, actually write down that target amount. On the next day, create a new budget. Then open a special bank account earmarked for your intended savings. Then keep a daily journal record of successes or setbacks and note how your financial attitudes are changing.
Perhaps you’d like to watch less television and read more literary classics. Assess what TV truly means to you and why you tune in so often. Identify peak watching periods then impose regularly scheduled blackouts. List three major works you’d like to tackle, then set a quota of pages per day.
Use your daily journal to reflect upon the book you’re currently reading, and contemplate whether you still really miss watching television.
Empowerment Through Journaling
Each day throughout the course of two months, rewrite the three primary questions to allow for continued clarification of the goal, the obstacles and the progress being made.
Using the Ace of Swords in this manner develops self-knowledge, self-purpose and a sense of discipline, and in time you should find yourself answering the second question of "Why am I not doing it?" with "I am doing it everyday."
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