November 23, 2021: IV of Swords and VIII of Cups

Again, perfect cards for what I need today. 

The image on the True Black IV of Swords is of four beautiful floating blades that appear to have been created using the flint knapping process, each with a slightly different shaped blade, all with points grounded or aiming downward.  The center and largest blade floats over a glowing pond and golden water lily blooms.  The keywords for this card are resting, rejuvenating, preparing, and healing.

The True Black VIII of Cups is somewhat unique in this deck because it has so much light in the image.  This one shows a crevice in which a female octopus has laid her eggs.  The beautiful strands of eggs hanging from the ceiling of the crevice are golden and appear lit from above.  Below the eggs are bubbles of air, and one tiny baby octopus, the first hatchling to emerge.  The keywords for this card are discovery, journey, loneliness, and moving on.

The IV of Swords in this deck seems to be more about healing and resting after expending a lot of energy in preparation for a new effort. The whole sense of this card is of peace and solitude.  Yes, sometimes the quiet alone time is lonely, but sometimes that alone time is when we detach ourselves from the stresses of the mind (this is, after all, the suit that connects to the intellect and the workings of the mind) and recharge our batteries so that we can re-engage with our thoughts clear and energized.  The VIII of Cups of this deck is also a bit more optimistic than the usual images associated with this card.  The number 8 is about taking deliberate action in order to prevent stagnation, and the hatching of an egg happens at this exact moment.  It happens when the young has reached enough development to survive without the protection of the egg and when the yolk is no longer sufficient to support and feed the young.  In other words, if the egg did not hatch, degeneration would begin and the young would not survive.  I need to prepare, to be sure my mind, my body and my spirit are ready for new experience, and I need to release what has been protecting me from those experiences, acknowledging that protection was well done but no longer applies, in order to move forward into the unknown.  If I have healed and prepared sufficiently, I will have the ability to move forward, acknowledge the intimidation of the unknown, and wholeheartedly believe in the value of the choices I have made.