I have had the pleasure to converse with a variety of people. This includes the “new age” community as well as “normal” folks. Amidst any group there is always a slew of information available on any subject in which one might be interested. The opinions will be as varied as the experts and sometimes it can be amazing that any two people settle on the same point of view.
While this applies to any subject and any interest, obviously, I would like to venture into the world of those who are curious about spiritual subjects. We have mediums that converse with those crossed over. We have psychics who use objects to link up with information. There are some who know from whence they hail in lives gone by and others who still wonder if they are even a part of this world, here and now.
Ethyrial Tarot Copyright © 2005-7 Gigi Miner
Used with Permission
In the Six of Swords from the Ethyrial Tarot ©, we see a card full of brambles. Tangled within the thorns are six swords. In tarot, swords can often represent thoughts or ideas. In this case, the thoughts are tangled amidst the briars. This can happen when seekers are inundated by the myriad of information available on life. One set of information seems to contradict other information. One person says that you can while another says that you cannot. Is it any wonder that this card seems to portray the confusion that can accompany anyone in pursuit of a spiritual path?
One other representation for swords that I employ is that they may represent truth. While somewhere in this world there may actually be some absolute truths, so far it seems that this is an individual subject. My truth will not be your truth nor visa versa. While this appears somewhat flighty, the fact remains that if an individual believes something strongly enough, it can become their reality, their truth. Contrarily, if one does not believe something to be true, even if it is, to them, it will not exist. Each person carries with them their own truth. Many human beings will go through their lives and never consider any ideas outside of those with which they were raised. Others will cast away anything from their youth and explore everything and anything that takes them away from early mores. It matters not how one finds his or her own truths, it simply matters that they are seeking and have something in which they may believe.
For the seeker, there are often times of information overload. So many ideas and so many opinions can clutter the mind and spirit. Our Six of Swords depicts that entanglement. While it is good to be curious and to explore information, it is wise to be careful of what you let into your life. Yes, you want to keep your mind open to new things. Yes, you want to find truth wherever it may present itself. The problem comes when we do not use some discernment in deciding what to keep and what to throw away. Not everything that we see and hear will be useful to us. Sifting becomes an important exercise.
In “the olden days”, people would harvest wheat and other grains. Amongst the wheat were also weeds and the parts of the wheat that were not useful, such as the hull. After beating the wheat with a tool of some kind, the broken down wheat then was placed into a winnowing basket. This was wide and shallow. The winnower would shake the basket and toss the contents into the air. Usually this was done in an area with a breeze. Many times a barn was fashioned with doors in such a way so as to direct the airflow through the barn, thus making winnowing easier. Once tossed into the air, the heavier wheat would return to the basket. The lighter chaff would be blown away with the wind. This way the nutritious grain was retained and the unhealthy and useless portion was gone. So, too, should it be with the spiritual aspects of our lives.
Each person needs to find a time and place to winnow. With so much knowledge available to us in this information age, it is a matter of survival to cast away the chaff and only keep that which feeds our souls. In the traditional Six of Swords, there is usually a figure or two in a small boat, crossing over rough waters to calmer shores. Many times this card is interpreted as moving away from stress and difficult times into a better place. With the Ethyrial © Six of Swords, we can see some of the same ideas. Swords can often represent stress as well as thoughts and ideas. When things become too difficult, we try to find a way out of the pain and suffering and into something more pleasant. If you have ever walked in the woods and become entangled in the briars, you will know just how painful this can be. As spiritual beings, these moments of spiritual chaos can be just as painful as the physical thorns of the brambles. The only thing that we want is to get into the calmer areas of our lives.
Sometimes our distress can be caused by playing with too many things at once. I have seen many a spiritual seeker dive into every kind of phenomenon, looking for their own truths. There is nothing wrong with seeking. However, sometimes it is just too much at once and then we become entangled in the ideas. When we are trapped with too many perspectives, we can become caught in the mess that we see in our Six of Swords. From there, it is difficult to see what is our truth and what is not. Sensitive individuals may not realize that they are taking on the views of others rather then deciding for themselves if this fits with their spirit. This is where the spiritual winnowing comes in handy.
One way to do this is to write out all of the ideas that you may have at the moment. You need not edit yourself. This is a way for you to organize your thoughts. You do not need to justify why you believe anything. Simply write down these thoughts and beliefs and then leave it be for a time. If you think of other things, add them to the list. After a day or two, when you have some time to sit and not be distracted by life in general, take your list and begin with the first item on the list. You may want to have a notebook or journal for just this particular purpose. Start with your first idea on the list and write out why you think that this fits in with your life. As you write, let any ideas that come to mind pour out onto the paper. Remember that this is for your eyes only and no idea is crazy or unacceptable. Do not edit yourself; just write whatever comes into your mind. If you worry that someone might read this, then prepare to burn it or shred it when you are done. That should alleviate the fear and thus, free up your heart and mind so that this exercise can be of use.
Once you are sure that you are safe and free to explore the ideas, start your writing. Answer all the basic questions, such as who, what, where, when, why, and how. Who gave you your first insight into this idea? What did you think when you first heard of this? Where were you in your life when this came to you? When was it? Was it during a time of stress? Why do you think that this fits in your life? How is this useful to you? This last question is where we finally touch base with what we keep and what we let the wind take away.
While there may be many truths and many things that you believe to be true, what use does it serve? You may find, during this experiment, that some of the things to which you have been clinging, no longer serve you. This does not mean that they did not help you for a time. We all grow and we all change. Some ideas are harder to put away then others. It can be scary to put away something to which you have so long clung. Yet, this is the way of life. There is a cycle to all things. Not everything will remain with us for our entire life. Some things come for a short time to teach us and then they are gone. We are not fickle or foolish to have believed it, nor are we going to hell for putting aside something that no longer serves us. In fact, by sifting through all of these things and establishing what does still hold true for you, you are able to make better use of those that do remain in your life.
Our Six of Swords reminds us that not everything is true for us. It may be true for someone else, but if we try to take on these things that do not fit with us, we will surely become tangled in it all and become stuck. This happens to even the most spiritual of individuals. We can become caught up in the multitude of information and our forward movement slows or stops. This is especially true for those who counsel others. You cannot help but become enmeshed in the problems of those whom you try to help. It becomes even more important for these individuals to sift through their spirit regularly.
Are you in a place where you feel stagnant? Do you feel as if there is too much to think about and you cannot possibly figure out who is telling you the truth? Perhaps this is your Six of Swords time. Let it remind you to take time to be by yourself and to sort through the clutter. Amidst the brambles, you will not only find the things for which you have no use, but also the precious beliefs that will carry you far in your life. Sometimes we just cannot see them for the clutter that blocks our sight. Take some time to get yourself untangled. You will never regret it.
