Knight of Swords - Synchronicity of Earth and Astral Planes

Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” – Rumi

 I know I'm being affected but this Supermoon, Blood Moon, Hunter's Moon that is on it's way after midnight. I am feeling full of synchronicity, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. I'm listening to what I need in the way if sustaining my soul, taking time to find clarity and for this I am very grateful..


Over the past few months I've been completely preoccupied. My focus has been very methodically working on completing a government application for a grant relating to my art business. Some days I'm both simultaneously energized and mentally exhausted. I can almost feel like it's taken over my life, because I'm taken over by a new idea and am inspired to move with changes, even if some are uncomfortable and even turbulent. I am positive this will result in a broader vision of life.

 I am reminded of my past behavioural tendencies to take things to extremes or react in haste or being conflicted by opposing principles within myself. I've been all or nothing kind of gal most of my life. I've learned some hard lessons, and have come to understand the meaning of slow and steady wins the race, and that balance is better than extremes.

As a Gemini I identify with the Knight of Swords, as it typifies my personality in just about every way. Today I can say I experience more the positive aspects of this card embodying the Mythic imagery of the Dioscuri, who were never separated, the twin brothers, Castor and Polydeuces. Of course both Mythic figures demonstrate positive and negative characteristics, like we all exhibit a duality within our personalities. If we can bring this duality into synchronicity it can bring balance.

We all make big and small  life choices everyday. Some times the smallest and seemingly most insignificant of decisions made, can have the greatest consequences, in both positive and negative ways. Regardless, we're either moving forward or back, but always in motion. I don't think there is such a thing as staying still. I guess I'd describe being stagnant as being in denial, or doing something over and over again expecting a different result. In 12 Step Recovery programs we call that insanity.

The Mother's Prayers Are Carried to The Grand Mother - Coloured Pencil & Oil Pastel - Catherine Meyers

Knight of Swords - "Shit Happens"

Change can be scary. I'm not sure it can be anything else. But it doesn't have to be overwhelming.
When change comes it can feel like our life is in total chaos, and it probably is, but I can't plan for how I am going to deal with it all, because life happens in unpredictable sometimes messy ways, but I can do things to prepare myself. One thing that is predictable is that change happens. As my old friend Charlie once said to me, at a time in my life of deep sorrow, "shit happens". He was right, that never changes".

The Knight of Swords is all about how we adapt and accept turbulent change. This card represents motion, and mercurial energy, based on the element of air, signifying a duplicity in the realm of the mind, and our ability to move with changes, that lead to a broader vision of life.

If we aren't open to change in life, we get stuck. We base our decisions on opinions that are reactionary and often hasty, because we are fearful of change and want to maintain some semblance of control.We just want to escape the mess.

The three mainstays in life that continue to enable me to accept disruptive and fluctuating change, are prayer, persistence and simple trust.

I have come to understand that tribulation gives me the opportunity to increase my patience, with patience comes experience, and with experience comes hope.

The Knight of Swords represents Gemini the identical Warrior twins and mythic figures of the quarrelsome Dioscuri, Polydeuces and Castor. Being a Gemini myself I understand this card all too well. I am grateful to have taken the road less traveled that has given me a broader vision of life.

Knight of Swords - Can You Have One Without The Other?

I relate very much to the Knight of Swords as it relates to Gemini, my Sun sign. According to Roman Mythology these inseparable brothers were considered the patrons of horses, a majestic creature I greatly  love and adore.  

Castor the mortal, and Polydeuces the Divine represent courage, adventure and change. Having a sense of adventure and being open to change can make us better people. When we can temper our intuition/emotion with our rational/intellectual mind and visa versa, this can help us to be aware of our behaviour and our mortal/divine nature.

This card brings to mind the Winter Solstice, with the presence of both light and dark in our lives.
Like the twin brothers it is a good reminder to me that I can't have one without the other, and I've learned to appreciate both individually, and simultaneously.
I hope you are looking forward to the future with adventure and change and I pray that you have courage.

Knight of Swords - How To Be Your Own Heroine/Hero

Many years ago I got my SCUBA certification. When the idea was first presented to me, I wasn't a willing participant, and made excuses why I couldn't possibly do this, because well I was afraid, though I loved the water, and swimming. It was free training through the military, and so in spite of my reservations and reluctance, I went ahead and before I knew it, I was enrolled. It was hard work and we were really put through our paces, with  a lot of challenging tests.

Bar none, the biggest test for me was overcoming my panic. What can kill divers is panic. I think this can be related to pretty much everything in life. And so this was made very clear to us at the very start, that we had to get a hold of our panic. When we did our open water dive with our instructor, this is what he was looking for in our eyes, panic.

I was able to overcome my fear by taking control of my panic, and after several weeks of rigorous training, I finally got my certification. I can't exactly explain how I did this, but I know it was about facing fear head on. And I'm sure all that breathing into a regulator attached to my oxygen tank, and being underwater puts everything into slow motion. All you hear is the sound of your breathing, which is very meditative, and you're in the zen zone.

 It wasn't that fear was absent, but I refused to let it it control me. I was stubborn, and began to instinctively look on this as an opportunity for personal growth.

The Knight of Swords portrays the twins, Castor the mortal, and Polydeuces the Divine. It's a card of courage, adventure and change. Having a sense of adventure and being open to change can make us better people. When we can temper our intuition/emotion with our rational/intellectual mind and visa versa, this can help us to be aware of our behaviour and our mortal and divine nature.

By not allowing ourselves to be ruled by our reactions to situations when the old monkey brain kicks in, creating a scenario of fight or flight, we can gain control of ourselves.
 Learning how to SCUBA dive was a really important life changing lesson. I learned how to have courage, and to be open to change.
 Getting out of our comfort zone, and doing the things that we often afraid of, is what enables personal growth. This has been my own personal experience, time and time again.

Learning how to be our own heroine or hero is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. Sometimes it's a matter of saving ourselves from ourselves.

Knight of Swords - The Hero

 

We all need a hero. I have been fortunate and blessed to have had an big brother, who was ten years older than me, and he really was my hero. He was not one like Sir Lancelot, or like the Knight of Swords, and never really rushed in to save the day,  without thinking, except on a few occasions, when I was young. Ralph however was very protective, charming, and everyone who met him, loved him.

 Why I consider him my hero, is because of the example he set for me. He embodied all the characteristics I admire in another, and in those we call heroes. He possessed perseverance, courage, and faith, in spite of all the odds, and was never afraid to show his emotion and affection.

My big brother was the salt of the earth, shot straight from the hip, and his wonderful sometimes dark sense of humour always came shining through regardless of how bad circumstances became. For me, Ralph set the bar, the standard for the way a man and a hero should be, and for that matter, he was an example for anyone.

Sadly, I lost my loving brother to Multiple Sclerosis 12 years ago, when he 59. I miss him more than words could ever express. He will always be my hero. <3

Knight of Swords - Changing Our Perspective

When I drew this card today, thought, I'll put that one back, but then I thought, no this card speaks of the sign Gemini which is my astrological sign. I then impulsively ran outside to get the humungous amounts of grass clippings I had left from mowing over the past three days. The grass had gotten way out of hand. After that I came in and started this post.

This impulsiveness is typical in this Knight of Swords. He runs in like a bull in a china shop wanting, to save the day or causes turmoil like a house on fire. The mercurial character in the card augers sudden change which can be most welcome and can really excite some folks or be very disconcerting to others, because the routine have been disrupted and the apple cart has been upset, which can be a positive or negative.

As a Gemini, I understand the my capacities and the character defects of my dual nature, which is represented in the Knight of Swords that illustrates two men on a horse, identical twins, known as Dioscuri. Castor was mortal and Polydeuces was divine.

Knight of Swords is the one that is the charmer, the Don Juan of the romantic legend. He is the eternal youth, always changing, in search of the next adventure, and can't stay still for long, or he will get board. Some individuals may possess more of this impulse then others.
I am one of those that needs to be weary of this intensely attractive individual, because I will no doubt get my heart broken.

One thing is sure, change is good, even if it might not be seem positive when it is happening. Change can boot us out of our comfort zone, will change our perspective and broaden out vision in one way or another, giving clarity to gain control over our emotion and grow as individuals.

Knight of Swords - Constantly In Motion

The Knight of Swords, the court card of the identical Warrior Twins, Dioscuri who were, Castor the mortal, and Polydeuces the divine. 

Representing the astrological sign of Gemini, and the Mercurial energy of this card is embodied in the Knight of Swords and Mercury is represented by Pegasus, the flying horse, my favourite!. Inspiration, adventure, flexibility, eternally youthful with a quicksilver intelligence, and creating a broader vision of life. Oh it all sounds great until someone gets their heart broken, their eye poked out, or breaks their neck!
 Seriously though, there is both positive and negative to be found here in this card, as in the whole Tarot deck. I'd much rather focus on the positive, as I have had years of attuning myself to work on overcoming the negatives, and am still a work in progress, which I think we all are, in one way or another. Progress, not perfection is my daily mantra.

Being a pretty typical Gemini myself, and having had my  astrological chart read, I understand this duality in personality, sometimes all too well. I have had to wrestle, and fight with myself much like Castor the horse tamer and Polydeuces the boxer. I certainly identify with Castor being a horse nut myself, and I am a fighter. However, really horses tamed me in many ways, and I have learned to pick my fights these days.

Like the Knight of Swords we are all constantly in motion, some of us more so than others. We are either moving forward, or backward. We never stay the same. Change is inevitable. Here's to positive changes ahead!

The Knight of Swords - Our Knight In Shining Armour!

The Knight of Swords is a court card in the Minor Arcana. Knights represent young men, usually single or older men, those of us who are young at heart, or emotionally dynamic. He is that knight in shining armor! The skilled warrior charging into battle, and like Sir Lancelot, is the defender of chivalry!

Being the hopeful romantic I am, when I see this card come up, I tend to get a little excited, and my heart does a turn around jump up and down, because I think for one second, oh, maybe there's a good guy on the horizon for this person, for whom I am reading.
This is not the case, but it is a lovely romantic thought nonetheless.
 I don't mean to burst every one's bubble, and I am not saying there aren't any men that are warriors, and our own personal kind of heroes, there certainly are.

This knight has a charming nature, that gives him an ability to get himself out of scrapes, and somehow always appears, just when you need him! However, often he doesn't weigh the consequences, and charges in like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Oh no! Now there's a problem, in spite of his good intentions. He may be good guy generally, but he also may be dangerous, so be forewarned,  proceed with caution. His arrogance and head strong attitude guises as confidence, but don't be fooled, you need to use discernment and good judgement. He could be a Don Juan like, romantic figure, and not the best choice for having an intimate committed relationship with, as he is emotionally immature, and could break a heart or two, or three!

Being of a great mercurial mental energy, which describes the Knight of Swords, often no feelings are taken into account, due to his preoccupation with a particular thought or idea without regard or thought of anyone else, which results in the hurting of another.
The Knight of Swords embodies the impulse of the eternal youth and may have problem growing old gracefully!

The Knight of Swords also heralds a time for the seeker to be prepared for sudden changes, disrupting and upsetting the normal patterns of our lives.

To conclude on a positive note, the gift of the Knight of Swords, is the ability to adapt, and to move with change, and with turbulence can bring forth a clearer vision of life, our horizons are expanded and, when one door closes, another is now opened.