Giving away your power….

Now I pulled the 7 of swords today!

The subject as it happens of today’s Instagram post and the card young Cressie, pulled for going back to school and the start of her new term.

I got it this morning in my response for some insight on how to deal with feelings of not being a popular guest.

Basically this card asks the question in what way? Or to whom? are you giving your power away?  How are you disempowering yourself.  If you look at the illustration on the card, it shows a man stealing away with five swords.  He’s looking over his shoulder with a rather satisfied look that no one has seen him.  Which immediately suggests to me, that one is almost unaware of what it is or who is it that is taking your power away from you.  That is taking away five swords of truth of identity of integrity, stealing away our identity almost.

Its easy to identify moments when you realise you are feeling vulnerable, questioning yourself, looking to others for approval, for their endorsement, and feeling somewhat reduced. 

I remember my teacher Annabella Barrington saying that the trouble with this situation was that generally it is we who have given our power away sometimes by doing too much for another, the family, others.  There is that expression give them an inch and they take a mile.  And we end up in the situation feeling rather aggrieved and yet it was our doing.

I see this card very much in the context of giving our swords, ‘thoughts’, focus, mind, to things that take away from ourselves to such an extent that we question our identity, whether our thinking is right?  Or we are in the ‘wrong’.

I recognise the 7 of swords as describing feelings amongst friends when I find myself over thinking how I should behave, and feel insecure about getting it right, doing the wrong thing, upsetting others.  The very questioning of one’s own belief, leaves us feeling weaker, less empowered, not sure and the really annoying bit is that other people pick up on our insecurity and quite often have a negative reaction to us not being our confident, natural selves.

In Cressie’s case it suggested that she the way she disempowers herself is by giving her attention to others rather than to herself.  When I read the card I had noticed a tendency to be more interested in what others were doing and managing them.  Especially motivated to emulate her mother, whom she quite rightly adores. It turned out that her end of term school report said she needed to focus on herself and her own studies rather than be distracted by what others are doing or need.

Cressie gives her power to others trying to be helpful and more concerned with them than progressing her own study and focus

It suggests self doubt.  Swords represents the mind and our thoughts.

Sue B giving her power away by worrying that she’s not being the best guest, she’s not the most popular, same.  Worrying about it, and trying harder never works.

Am going to ponder today. Do come and have a tarot reading when you feel the need for support