Welcome to Tarot for Scholars, a resource that helps you weave the deep wisdom of tarot into your daily life and work. In each post, we offer reflections and prompts for exploring your own inner world and unlocking the unique creative power of your scholarship.
9 of Swords
About this card
An (over) abundance of thoughts. Depths of mental pain. Worries, anxieties, agonies, nightmares that haven’t yet been processed. Insomnia! A prompt to be honest about the pain being experienced and fully acknowledge it before moving forward to the silver lining or lesson.
Other interpretations
Margy’s cards, clockwise from top left: Radiant Tarot; New Chapter Tarot; Cosmic Slumber Tarot; Shining Tribe Tarot; Elemental Tarot; Navigators Tarot of the Mystic Sea; Spolia Tarot; Tarot of the Spirit.
Helen’s cards, clockwise from top left: Moon & Stars Tarot; Light Seer’s Tarot; Japaridze Tarot; Canes Arcanae; Star Spinner Tarot; Muse Tarot; Tarot of Mystical Moments; Forest of Enchantment Tarot.
Questions and prompts
Are any swords hanging over your head at the moment? How can you give yourself space and permission to feel and process them?
How do you differentiate between problems that are “all in your head,” mere projections or groundless fears — requiring only that you acknowledge and reframe them — versus problems that require you to take action to address them in the “real” world? Can you think of a recent example of each type of problem?
Where or how do you find it difficult to be honest in your work? About what facet of your work do you struggle to tell the truth, first of all to yourself? How can you practice honesty with yourself in small, manageable ways in order to build your muscle for it?
Thanks for joining us for Tarot for Scholars! Your hearts, restacks, and comments brighten our day. 💫
Yours in scholarship,
HELEN SWORD is a scholar, poet, award-winning teacher, and founder of the WriteSPACE, an international writing community with members in 30+ countries. Her research-based books, articles, and online tools empower scholarly writers to write more clearly, confidently, prolifically, and with greater pleasure.
Visit Helen’s website here.
MARGY THOMAS is the creator of ScholarShape, a body of work dedicated to elucidating the patterns of Story-Argument across genres, disciplines, and life itself. Through services and DIY resources, Margy helps scholars use Story-Argument patterns to design their work — and to find its deeper meaning and higher purpose.
Visit Margy’s website here.
Share this post