Three of Swords. This is not a card anyone enjoys seeing even though it reflects a truth we all experience. This card indicates there is heartbreak in our lives. It might be past heartbreak that continues to haunt us. It might be heartbreak we are doing our best to prevent, even though it might need to happen for growth to occur. Heartbreak is inevitable. As Mary Oliver wrote, ‘It is better for the heart to break, than not to break.’

One of my favorite things about this incarnation of this card from the Wild Unknown deck is that the swords are all bound up together. No pain exist in a vacuum. There are painful experiences in which one is not to blame. But this doesn’t refer to those situations. This refers to painful situations in which all involved play a part. We all must figure out our contribution, however small, so that we can begin to untangle ourselves from the pain. The wonderful book Difficult Conversations outlines ways for us to communicate more honestly and productively and ALWAYS from a place that acknowledges feelings. It focuses on the idea that in many situations, all players contribute in some way, small or medium or large, to painful experiences. If we are to move forward, we must figure out how we contributed and help others do the same. We are the tangled red threads in this image. We can stay bound up and messy. Or we can unweave this tangled web toward a new freedom.