9 YESOD OF SWORDS
Essence: We want to give up. Our ambitions or desired relationships seem beyond reach. Our dreams are dust and we’re tempted to feel hopeless or helpless. In nightmarish times, how we respond is our only choice. As we choose our response to this destruction, we become free.
The Yesod (nine) of Swords represents the clash between opposite energies. When all our efforts to create the life we want come to naught and our dreams are crushed, we are tempted to curse our life with statements such as: It’s all hopeless, nothing will ever work, I might as well abandon my dreams and live like a drone until death finally releases me.
Our despairing thoughts spin in a maelstrom until we ask, “Do these statements empower, inspire or bring me closer to realizing my heart’s desire?”
“Do my thoughts bring me joy, or make me happy?”
If our answer is “no,” it’s time to adjust our attitude. We can recognize that giving in to discouragement is a choice. No matter how difficult, our growth begins with being responsible for how we choose to respond to life’s challenges. We may succumb to grief, negative projections and hopelessness. Conversely, we may continue on our path. Both are choices we make. Sometimes, when disaster strikes, our attitude toward it is the only thing we can choose.
We can continue in spite of all discouragements. Even if we go our entire life without attaining our original idea of success, we can look back and know we never gave up. We were courageous. We continued to strive. We were creative. Whatever the outer circumstances of our lives we took responsibility for our own happiness.
As the nightmare, the Yesod of Swords can subject us to the projections of our own fears or the fears of the collective mind, resulting in war, cruelty, destruction, guilt, and despair. We may, through confronting our internal demons, liberate our mind, even if we can’t escape our physical circumstances. We are not passive recipients of our experiences, but create them each day.
REVERSED
When the Yesod of Swords is reversed the ability to choose our own way may be more difficult, or seemingly impossible. Our situation appears even more hopeless. Life may feel no longer worth living. Fear of facing the reality of our situation can make it even worse. The less personal responsibility we are willing to take, the more we inadvertently trap ourselves. We may feel sucked into a whirlpool of greater destruction and grief.
Finally, The Yesod reversed is a warning. It is important to
pay attention to any misgivings concerning a situation. Our misgivings are probably well founded. Attention to intuition is essential. It can save us in a life-or-death situation.