“I’m so scared. What if I ask my boss for a promotion and he refuses me.”

“If I ask her out I’m afraid she’ll say no.”

“What if I fail my exams?”

“Will my father be angry with me if I tell him ?”

“I fear I will never get another job if I quit.”

Who doesn’t have fears. Fears are part and parcel of being human. And whenever the 8 of Swords appears as an answer to a question related to something that’s making you anxious, you can be pretty sure that the fears are not coming true.

A minor card from the suit of swords, this card talks about feeling trapped in our state of fear, of reliving the horror, and being unable to move to a space of freedom and courage. And that’s exactly what the card wants you to do. To not stay stuck, to move, even if it’s one step at a time.

A long time ago a wise old man told me “on the other side of fear is courage, be brave enought to walk through this emotion” At first I couldn’t. The ‘what ifs’ and ‘oh no’s’ swirled through my head like a never ending chorus, but with effort and self exploration I realised the fears that held me back were temporary blocks to getting what I wanted.

Whenever I see the 8 of Swords I always convey the message “Don’t let your fear of what could happen make nothing happen” Walk through the fears with logic and the help of a friend or a counsellor if you must. The fears you feel are false and on the other side could be the liberation you need.

Copyright Mita Bhan. All Rights Reserved