Don't Yank Out Those 3 Swords: How to Safely Heal the Heart and Mind Wound
(Please note: This blog post is a detailed summary of the video titled, "Don't Yank Out Those 3 Swords: How to Safely Heal the Heart and Mind Wound " posted on my YouTube channel - Tales and Texts. This video will air on Jan 11, 2023.)
Don't Yank Out Those 3 Swords: How to Safely Heal the Heart and Mind Wound
Hey there everyone, welcome to Episode 3 of my playlist, "Expressions of Tarot". In today's video, we explore the 3 of Swords and discuss why it's dangerous to yank out those 3 swords embedded in our hearts. We also talk about how to safely treat our inner wounds and find a place of healing where we can feel empowered in safety.
I would like to offer a *trigger warning* here. This video discusses violent crime, death, mental health and self-harm. Viewer/reader discretion is advised.
The Sharp Pain of the Deep Sword Wound
If you're someone who practices tarot or has looked at the cards closely, you won't be able to forget the 3 of Swords. This card is iconic - but for all the wrong reasons.
Most decks feature a human heart (or a valentine heart), into which are embedded, three large swords. Blood seeps from the heart and there are ominous omens in the background. A lightning strike, dark clouds, rain. The swords look menacing and the pain is palpable, as you visibly cringe looking at the imagery.
The moment this card comes out of the deck and into your hands, your heart is immersed in dread and your mind is thrown into chaos. "Heartbreak", "Loss", "Grief", "Separation", "Upheaval", "Misunderstanding", "Alienation", "Trauma".....these are just some of the many meanings that rush into your mind, as you look at the card. What makes it worse is the embodiment of this card - the loss, devastation and loneliness of the 3 of swords are often profound, unwanted and forced upon the recipient of the card.
The 3 of swords really mess up our emotional and mental calm, by casting us in the midst of brewing trouble. Or one that may materialise soon enough.
So, it is no wonder that the natural human response to this card is to do whatever we can to prevent the potential tragedy from taking place. In essence, our very first desire on receiving this card is to find out where the swords are and pull out those swords. Yank them out with all your might, as quickly as you can and cast them far, far away.
But here's the thing. The worst thing you could do to your wound is to pull out those sharp swords that are stabbing you deeply. Because, it is the moment when you pull out those swords, that the real damage occurs.
Against medical advice
Ask any doctor, nurse or paramedic, "Can I pull out a knife from a stab wound?" and they will all tell you a resounding, "NO!!!".
Pulling out a knife (or sword) from a stab wound is literally the worst thing you could do to yourself or the one who is injured. This is because, the knife/sword acts as a natural plug, which stems the bleeding. While the knife/sword is still in the stab wound, the blood will remain where it is. It won't flow out. Additionally, if you're careful not to move the knife/sword around in the wound, no further damage may occur to the injury site.
Try pulling out a knife/sword that is embedded within someone and chances are that you'll end up making their injury worse. When the knife/sword is inside the wound, it isn't easy to get a visualization of where the blade is located. You may even be unaware of whether this knife/sword has serrated edges or some other design, which may tear through more arteries, veins, organs and skin, as you pull it out. Plus, if you don't have another sterile object to stop the bleeding once you do pull out the knife/sword; and you don't have enough blood bags for a transfusion; you may end up seriously wounding the person injured.
Stab wounds can be fatal sometimes. Or, they can result in the wounded person going into shock because of internal damage and loss of blood. As the body goes into shock, everything starts to shut down. And then resuscitating the injured person becomes incredibly hard.
The only way to make sure you don't put yourself or another person in real danger, is to let the knife/sword be in the stab wound; and, allow professionals with real experience and knowledge to help extract the weapons carefully.
This is the best practice, both for real stab wounds and also the symbolic stab wounds that are represented in the archetype of the 3 of Swords.
What is the best way to seek help?
It can feel counterintuitive to just allow our wounds - physical, mental and emotional - to just let be. But, unless we really know what we're doing, any intervention can be more harmful than helpful.
The best thing you can do in situations that embody the energy of the 3 of Swords, is to seek professional help. Depending on what type of wound this is, it could be the police, a GP, a counsellor, a psychiatrist, a shaman, a priest, a healer or anyone else who has the expertise to help you (or the person) through this intense and vulnerable experience.
I don't profess to be an expert on mental health. But, I have had my fair share of 3 of Swords moments. And unfortunately, the realisation that yanking out my swords isn't going to help, came far too late. And I did things to myself that have left permanent scars.
Today, I look back at these scars with sadness and disbelief. How could the old me have not realised that I should have asked for help when I needed it? What stopped me from seeking help? Are those restrictions still affecting me today? Are these self-made restrictions or those exercised by finances, family, friends, religion, society, the world etc.?
Suffice it to say that I have personal experience to rely on when I say, "Don't yank out those swords". And yes, while I cannot (and will not) speak for everyone who is undergoing mental or emotional or spiritual trauma, I do hope that this suggestion does offer some value to whoever wants it.
Seeking help from those who have the experience, knowledge and qualification to provide real, effective help, can make all the difference in the world. For one, their previous experiences with similar wounds will make them cognizant of all the potential threats that we may be unaware of. They will know how to carefully, slowly and safely ease out those 3 swords, in a way that there isn't any severe and permanent damage left. Most importantly, they will know exactly what to do, to provide protection, treatment and support to the wounded person, after they pull out those swords.
This is where I want to talk about seeking help for your mental health, emotional health and spiritual health.
Navigating badly healed wounds, repressed feelings and unresolved traumas
When we try to resolve our issues (or that of others) ourselves, we end up using a temporary bandaid to fix the gaping wound. That's of no use whatsoever.
Even if we end up sewing close the injury and the wound does heal superficially, we still have no clue about the damage inside. We still don't know what feelings and traumas remain bottled up or lurking in the subconscious.
While time may create the illusion of forgetting, the body remembers, the soul remembers, the heart remembers and the mind remembers. And when we least expect it, our traumas may burst in upon us, wreaking more damage than they did at first.
If the 3 of Swords wound has been experienced by us, how do we navigate this sudden onslaught of feelings, thoughts and hurt? Especially when we don't have anyone who can help us or we don't have the right people to help us?
If this is a wound that someone else is experiencing, do we truly have the skills, resources and emotional & mental bandwidth necessary to help the other person safely navigate this internal storm?
How can we be responsible, both toward ourselves and towards others?
Seeking, receiving and giving help
Know that is completely valid for you (or the other person) to experience these thoughts, feelings and hurt. It doesn't matter if the experience which embodied the 3 of Swords "occurred a long time ago", or "it wasn't as horrible as what someone else experienced".
Every experience that causes such a deep wound to the heart and mind, needs care and love and support. Every experience that wounds your body and your soul, needs attention, expert treatment and protection.
If you need help, please reach out and ask for it. If you feel comfortable speaking to a family member or a friend or a teacher, do it. If you feel it helps to go right to a qualified professional, do that.
If you notice or feel that someone you know needs help, reach out to them and let them know that you are here. You are present for them, whenever they need you. Don't pressure them to reveal what they're thinking or feeling. But let them know you're here and willing to lend an ear and a shoulder. A simple text message once a day, saying "Hello" or "Hope you have a great day", can do wonders sometimes.
Ultimately, affirm the experience. Don't brush it off.
Ignoring or badmouthing or denying the wound may cause the person to go into shock. What I mean is, a walling up of emotions, a shutdown of communication, a sharp downward spiral into shame and guilt, a step closer towards harm towards themselves or others.
Another thing that I have personally found helpful - both in my own case and my experience with others - is to not preach or reason anything out.
I know that as a community, we spiritual seekers often try to envision the high road for our experiences. We like to explain away the reasons for any bad experiences we have and also reason out the consequences of such an experience. For example, "This event happened so I could learn to be __________ and ___________. This pain will only make me stronger."
Trust me that this type of "reasoning" is as worse as denying the trauma. Because there is often no certainty why we experienced this wound/trauma. There is no guarantee that we will come out stronger in the end. And there is certainly no clarity or evidence that this trauma is the route to our spiritual evolution. Frankly, as a spiritual seeker myself, I think this tendency to reason is absolute bullshit.
And it's very harmful. Not only is it untrue, but it also makes the victim feel that they "deserved" this hurt. That the 3 of Swords experience came to them because they were "lacking something" or "needed a lesson in something" or "they were doing something wrong and needed to be brought to the right path".
So, let's not, in our genuine desire to help - both ourselves and others - inadvertently make that stab wound worse when the swords are inside or re-infect the wound that has just begun to heal.
Wrapping up
Now I know that I haven't given all of you any tips on seeking mental health care or emotional health care or physical health care or spiritual health care. This has been a conscious choice. Like I said earlier on in the video, I am not an expert or a professional. And I don't want to give you any advice that may deepen your wounds.
I can empathise with all of you - who are currently in or have been in or may be in the future - in the clutches of the heavy, debilitating and disempowering 3 of Swords energy. I can only hope that what I did discuss, can help you help yourself or help another, by seeking out the right kind of support.
As we emerge out of 2022, some of its shadow may still be weighing upon us. And I hope that all of us find the care, love, nurturance and support we need to shine and thrive.
Please know that I will always be here and even if I cannot do much in terms of physical support, my wishes and blessings for healing, love and empowerment will always be with all of you.
With this, I sign off from this video. Thank you so much everyone for being here.
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