What limits you?
What do you want to move forward with, but something keeps stopping you?
When you look at this card, what do you see? If you were this woman, what might you be feeling, what fears might you be holding?
Those fears are all around you, represented by the swords that almost form a cage, a prison. And you are blindfolded and bound, so you don’t know where exactly they are placed, where you can step safely so that you do not get cut by one of the swords.
Moving forward can feel scary, frightening. Because you cannot see through your fears.
I want to say, “the way out is through”, but I don’t think that is quite right. The way out is to trust yourself.
All those swords all around you? They are your own fears, inhibitions, doubts, overwhelms, guilts, anxieties. They are the stories you tell yourself to protect yourself from the outside world, from having all that lovely freedom. Swords can be double edged, what protects us, keeps us from trying too hard, taking risks, being embarrassed, are the same swords that create our cages, keep us separated from the wonderful, big, amazing world.
You have the key, you have the ability to step forward and just walk out that door. And that key is trust. Trust your power, trust your instinct, trust the wonderful, imperfect person that you are.
Look at the image of this woman, see that all those swords are created by her. You want to root for her, “you can do it! Just take that step!”
So can you.
Just. Trust.
Start dancing. Start wriggling out of those bonds. They are not wrapped as tight as you think they are.
If you are feeling really bold, go ahead and back up into one of those scary swords and use it to cut your bindings, just like the heros and heroines in the movies.
You can do it!
Questions to help support you:
1. What are some of your swords that you ‘believe’ are holding you back?
2. How might they be ‘stories’ you have created for yourself? (Hint: If you start with “I am”, “I always”, “I have to”, “I should”, those just may be stories you have created about who you are and are not true at all.)
3. What wonderful things do you see/want/dream about that are outside of those swords? (If you look close, you can see your castle on that hill, on the other side of the swords.)
4. What is one thing you can do today to move forward in self trust? (Baby steps are absolutely acceptable!)
5. After taking this step, how do you feel, what shows up for you?
Love,
Vaike
(U.S. Games Centenniel Waite Smith deck, thank you!)