Tarot for when you are having sleepless nights…
The Nine of Swords in a tarot reading, says it all, you just have to look at the picture and feel the worry & anxiety.
As a tarot reader it’s all very well acknowledging the obvious ‘ooh sleepless nights, worry, anxiety, regrets’ and then trying to deliver the positive aspect of the card, that the swords/ thoughts in your head, are behind you, i.e. the things you are worrying about have already happened, are in the past, and therefore not worth worrying about. NOT helpful. Not possible.
When I wake up in the middle of the night it is exactly these things that keep me awake…things that have gone horribly wrong, mistakes I have made, regrets, perceived hurts etc.
I understand these are things I need to let go of, come to terms with, accept etc.
But easier said than done.
And why the Tarot can offer such compassionate advice. You just have to look at the card and feel the pain, aloneness, sadness, confusion, anxiety, and you want to put your arm round the person and say ‘there there’. The card says be kind to yourself. Facing passed regrets, loss, does break the heart, feelings of’ its too late’, ‘I can never change things’ are real and dear and sad. Sleep has become a challenge for a lot of people since the pandemic I have found the 9 of swords represents an underlying anxiety many of us are left with. So for this reason I do say to clients, who for them this is the meaning of the 9 of swords, if you can take the time to acknowledge and process your feelings so that they are resolved.
Again easier said than done.
Journaling is one of my go tos. When I’ve had a sleepless night and I wake up feeling decidedly ‘out of sorts’ I start writing whatever comes, I rant about everything that’s gone wrong in a stream of consciousness (I type as faster for me) and why it’s all my fault or their fault and gradually the intensity drains out of me replacing it with some respite, some space…. an opening, and then I am able to open up possibility for something else, and start writing sentences like ….I have learned, to take forward, or I simply start sentences with ‘what if? and use my imagination or write what I would like to invite…or write, just for today….I’m going to do ….for myself….for another….just for today I’m going to buy flowers and take a walk, and remember to breathe, and smile. Tidy my cupboards. It does help sort out my thinking and bring new fresh energy to the day. Yesterday I was talking about journalling to a client, and her face broke into a smile as she remembered how successful it had been for her trying to accept a break up. She said she wrote give pages and it was done.
However there’s another aspect to the nine of swords.
What do you do when you are having sleepless nights about a situation that has gone horribly wrong and is unresolved? And is happening now!
This was happening to me last week, and I pulled the 9 of swords as an advice card.
Yes, sleepless nights! Mistakes, decisions I regret, fears that it’s too late to solve the situation. It’s all my fault and I’m out of my depth. OK but now what? What I have come to understand is that this tarot card also says, ok yes you have every right to be feeling horribly worried, it’s a mess, but now’s the time to use your resolve, your truth, your intellect (keep detached) to address this issue. I actually pulled the card with the question, what do I do? Walk away or tackle. Tackle.
And so that was my work cut out for me….and it has been so interesting as Friday came and I ended up doing a tarot reading for the boss of the company about who’s services to me I had drawn the nine of swords.
And he got the nine of swords too!
Indeed practically every one of my clients got the nine of swords this week, mostly reflecting difficult family matters, stress between mother and daughter, wife and mother-in-law, between sisters, daughter and boyfriend and parents….and suprise suprise we are heading to Christmas !
What I have learned from my client’s situations and mine, worrying about things you can’t do anything about is silly, but tackling things that are worrying you must be done. It might be a difficult situation, but to shy away from tackling difficult things when you can affect change will just give you more sleepless nights.
Addressing your situation head on (thoughtfully and with wisdom) immediately takes you out of victim mode, and there is a little bit of victim mode in this picture, a little bit of feeling sorry for yourself. So the antidote is to take your back your agency. Whether its processing past feelings or tackling present difficulties. You might have to move into seven of wands territory, again a card that came up a lot this week, when a little action is required, and you have to get on higher ground to get a better perspective of your situation and then tackle things one thing at a time, get a little inspired (wands), and if it feels overwhelming ask someone to help you.
Getting the 9 of swords helped me be proactive in my situation and out of victim mode and although we don’t have total resolution, there is progress and I’m feeling optimistic.
Do come and have a tarot reading if you are worried about anything because it will help unravel confusion and give a fresh perspective, some insight and direction.