Hello, how are you doing? I don’t have a ton of experience with tarot. But I’ve been doing it for a while now. I like to take it slow and learn about myself and my life through this cool lens. The seven of swords is classic about theft and deception. But it has also felt to me like a laying down of what’s not mine–mostly cultural ideas.
These ideas are not mine. It’s not that I stole them. I was just given them and don’t need them anymore. They are burdens to me, I realize now, and I can lay them down. They don’t belong to me, and they never did.
wrong burden
Here are examples of seven of swords ideas that I carried as a young person and have since laid down.
- Having a good job, making as much money as possible, and being financially comfortable is an important part of life.
- Thin is better than fat.
- Abled is better than disabled.
- Young is better than old (but not too young).
- Other people approving of the way I look matters–I owe it to other people to look good for them.
- Women are supposed to serve and defer to men.
- Other people’s needs matter, but mine do not.
- Death is to be hidden and ignored.
weeding out noxious ideas
I’m soooooo glad I changed my mind about these things. It can be a lot of work to defy a lifetime of social conditioning. But that’s part of growing up. Getting racism, ableism, misogyny, and other huge idea-fails out of my mind is ongoing.
I wish everyone realized that weeding noxious ideas from our belief-gardens is important, so they don’t spread and choke out more accurate, helpful ideas. If not for ourselves, then for the people who respect us and will listen to us.
If not for them, then for the culture in general. What we believe matters. Beliefs help create behavior, which can create more beliefs. The consequences ripple out.
family rules
Ming and I were on a long car drive, during our search for home. Ming explained to me that many people believe that it’s disrespectful, to go beyond what they were taught in their family.
Wow, that really surprised me. I thought love was about wanting to help people be the best they can be, on their terms. Keeping down family members with shame seems the opposite of love. Learning, doing something more happy and helpful, and positive change are all important for the well-being of individual people. But also the well-being of culture.
Ming’s words blew my mind and explained a lot. We talked about what conservative means. The liberal people I’ve known are clinging really hard to their ideas, in a conservative way, just different ideas.
We talked about freedom, my favorite core value, and how ideas are transmitted.
kids
There are so many nasty ways people harm their kids. Part of why I didn’t have kids is the overwhelming responsibility to keep them safe-ish while helping them feel and live their own freedom.
Happy I have a good friend who’s great to her young kids. It’s a joy to know the kids and learn from them.
questions of discussion
Do you ever pull the seven of swords?
What are you carrying that’s not yours?
Can you put it down? Do you want to? Where would you leave it?
