“Nines, because they are the final single digits of our number system, represent completion and finality. They are the culmination, the summing up of the sequence of numbers. Nine is a magical number of the Moon Goddess and relates to the wisdom of the Crone (or Hermit) in the Tarot…The Nine of Swords represents a ghastly nightmare, the rising up from the unconscious of all the fears and projections the mind has made during its process of thought. Worry and anguish have become overwhelming terror, an experience of despair and even cruelty or physical pain. All the unchecked fears and negative thoughts have accumulated to form what Jungians call ‘the Shadow.’ These fears may stem from childhood traumas, repressed hurts and wounds from anytime in life, or images projected by the culture one lives in. The twisting path shows the morass of confusion surrounding the issues that cause doubt and fear, the sense of difficulty as one awakens to this mess of anxiety and ‘demons.’ The rising up of this Shadow may keep a person from sleeping or give her physical symptoms of illness. Although demons come from the unconscious, they can be fought by conscious intention. Part of the personality cowers in terror, hands covering her eyes, refusing to look at or deal with the problem, immobilized by fear. The other part of the self rises up in strength and confidence–ready to confront the Shadow. Power flames from the sword that appears in front of the heroic part of the personality, which reaches out with her right hand to grasp this tool of liberation. The only way out is through the pain and fear, through a confrontation with one’s monsters” (Motherpeace 186-7).
"Pain is of life. To reject it is to reject life itself."~ Havelock Ellis 1859-1939
"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same." ~ Carlos Castaneda 1925-1998
....the absolute abandonment of a cherished image, plan, or way of life.
...the dramatic end of a cycle, a sudden coming to terms with what really is, rather than what one wanted or hoped would be the case.
.....represents a sacrifice that, once made, allows the personality to get on with it's broader purpose in the world. In a certain sense, one may feel a relief in the certainty that the ten of swords symbolizes-the struggle has ended, the ego has no choice but to let go.
-motherpeace
"Do you know how...wanting lets your eyes pierce space? How a resolve to act can traverse this atmosphere as quick as light?...despite the threat of fire and our fear of the flames, we burst out through the roofs of our houses. Desire is a force inside us. Our mouths drop open in the rushing air. Our bodies float among stars. And we laugh in ecstasy to know the air has wishes..."Yes," we call out, full of ourselves and delight, "Yes," we sing, "We fly through the night."
~Susan Griffin
"...a strong blend of fiery ("female") emotions and powerful ("male") thought. Let what you feel be said; don't hold back what you know to be true. Through the emergence of your insights, fired by passion of your heart, you have the power to transform reality. The force of your ideas demands that you speak out."
"An eye that shines with stars within, reaches out to a piercing point."
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