Choosing rest with the 4 of swords
I’ve been sitting with, and reflecting on the energy of the 4 of swords a lot these past months. An energy that has felt deeply present in our collective subconsciousness through our chariot year (2023) and into our strength year (24). The suit of swords is ruled by the element of air, and is connected to our brain, our thoughts, ideas, and our nervous system. I’ve always found the swords to be a really interesting suit. It reminds me of the complexity of brain; how it can both be a driving force of so much creativity, new perspectives and important truth telling, and on the other side, how our brain can also lead us into spirals of shame, fear, and doubt.
Studying neurology, memory, and the ways that trauma affects our whole body-mind system, continuously reminds me of how important it is to make space for- and listen to our physical vessels, our bodies. How all the signals that our bodies are sending to us, are always deeply interconnected and related to our brain - parameters and entryways to understand the processes that our unfolding in our minds. The 4 of swords is a card that let us know, that our brain and mind in some ways are at capacity, that we are needing to process all the stimuli and information that has moved through us, rather than continuing to add more input, responsibility, and tasks to be done.
Unfortunately, our world is set up in such a way, that most of us have very little acces to actually “answer” and react to the invitation of the 4 of swords. And because we have so little scope to put things down and actively say no, many of us have also been dislocated and stripped away from restorative and regenerative practices. These years, the 4 of swords continues to show up as a deep call from our collective psyche, a call that urges us to slow the f**** down. Not just as a person, as a family or a community, but as a collective mass. As we are coming out of eclipse season, the 4 of swords invites us to reflect on accessible ways to implement this energy, to implement more rest and more space to say no. It also asks us to look at the ways that we can connect with the 4 of swords, even in our daily lives. Not always as a grand gesture, but maybe just as a small shift in habit. Making space for our brain to process, rather than filling ourselves up with more stimulation.
