Two of Swords

Mental boundaries

The Two of Swords gives us a picture of what it can look like to turn inwards, to our own thoughts, and then beyond them. It’s about shutting out distractions and really quieting all the voices outside and inside our own minds.

It’s rare to experience a truly quiet mind. We are constantly receiving messages, constantly communicating on many levels. It’s easy to take on others’ viewpoints and forget to feel our way through to our own. The Two of Swords is about claiming that space – sometimes to the degree of cutting ourselves off completely – so that we can listen to our own truths. (This can, by the same token, be about focusing too far within, and losing track of the wider situation.)

We often see a moon on this card. A symbol of intuition, this reminds us that this is not a purely mental process. The need to turn within can come from a deep place; we may be called to do this work, to make this space in our minds for unconscious wisdom to rise up.

In a reading…

What mental boundaries do you need in order to do this work? What needs to be quieted, or shut out completely? What voices do you not need to hear right now? It’s okay to say no to these voices, to silence them in your own mind. Unfollow, unfriend, mute, block – this applies to online life as much as anything. Turn off your phone or computer, take an internet break. Stop obsessively scrolling or following the news, just for a moment.

It also may be helpful to take up or return to a meditation practice, claiming regular time to deep-dive into your own subconscious, and practice quieting all those ‘busy thoughts’.

Be careful of becoming totally isolated in your thoughts – this card may be encouraging you to get out of your own head for a bit, to open your eyes and look about. Your perspective may be one of many, and it’s important not to lose sight of that – the Two of Swords can point to a situation where you’re refusing to hear something that you really need to hear, that you’re shutting out an important truth. It may be uncomfortable to hear this – but it’s time.

If this card makes you feel uneasy, it may be time to put down the swords and open up a little.