The art of moving forwards

6 of swords - transition.

Autumn is s a time of change and so too with our card this month. This card in a very literal sense indicates travel over water or long distance. So far so straight forward but it’s the figurative meaning of this card that gives us something to really dig into. Instead of a literal journey we look at metaphorical journeying. Moving from one state of mind to another. We have the forward progress of the boat clearly demonstrating directed intent to move to another place. Often the meaning for this card is given as moving out of troubled waters into calmer times which gives a reason behind the desire for change and gives hope of a happy outcome. Indeed, this card at it’s most potent could well mirror the experience of refugees.

However, don’t think that this energy is about having a clean slate and starting from scratch. If you are trying to outrun your problems that won’t work. We can never entirely leave things behind. Your experiences, the good, the bad, what you learned from them and how you’ve grown make you the person you are today. Swords often indicate challenge, and this card shows us taking our mental challenges with us. The hard times we’ve gone through, the mental baggage, over thinking, inner critic, past and present relationships all make up the rich tapestry of our whole selves. These swords are puncturing the boat so if you pull them out you’ll sink. They are part of the integrity of the vessel!

With this in mind, the journey now becomes one of self-acceptance. Learning to embrace all parts of you even the shadow side, the ‘flaws’ you choose to ignore and hide from others. If you can sit with these feelings of discomfort and acknowledge them as just parts that make up your uniquely beautiful self it is very possible to make forward progress with your experiences as fellow passengers rather than letting them steer the boat.

Some affirmations that might help this month:

Acceptance is the key for moving towards better times.

Give me the strength to change what I can and accept what I can’t.

I am grateful for this opportunity to move forward.