The story of the Two of Swords – the positive transformation of conflict into partnerships

Sometimes we get to a point in a project or a partnership where things don’t seem to be working like they used to. Everything feels like work , and two parts that at one point seemed to be executing in harmony are now working against each other. This is not a sign that the project, idea, or partnership is over or can no longer work. It is sign to stop and examine things, and figure out a new way to communicate, work or understand each other. If we do this, we can create something even stronger than what we had before.

Lets look at a couple of examples of this card.

First the two of swords from the Santa Muerte tarot is a scissors. If we look closer at the scissors we can see that the sharp part of the blades are facing outwards. With this configuration the scissors may not be very effective. If we stop trying to use these scissors for a second and take a look we might decide to re-orient the blades so they can work more effectively together. If we don’t stop and thing about why things aren’t working though, we might keep trying to use the scissors as they are, and eventually decide they are broken and can no longer be used. If we make the change the top of the scissors starts to represent a butterfly instead of a broken skull. The end result of any of the twos is to transform into a better version of itself.

In the second card from the Brady tarot we have the two of arrows which in this deck is called Armistice. What is an armistice specifically? Its a mutual agreement between two parties to stop fighting, but not an agreement that the war is actually over. The two parties see that they must work together in order to get through a rough part of the path, or to achieve a mutual goal. In this card a wolf and a mountain lion are working together. They are wearing blindfolds that bind them together which can mean they agree to turn a blind eye to their usual differences and work together.

The amazing thing that could happen if the two parties see how well they were able to work together is that it could turn into an actual partnership instead of the two going back to war. What a transformation if people can only see the power in that.

Lastly we have the two of swords from the Afro Brazilian Tarot. Again we have two leaders putting aside their swords to talk and understand one another. What could be the possibilities of this?

I don’t mean to make it sound easy. Putting away swords when one of the swords has always been pointed at you, your family, your project, your way of life is a very difficult thing to do. And that’s only the first step. Next you have to learn how to talk to each other without drawing swords again. But once this is achieved common ground can usually be found, and upon this common ground new things can be built.

Where is this manifesting in your life today? Do you have a “broken” pair of scissors that just needs a tune up or reconfiguration to become a new tool? Have you been in an uneasy armistice, and can you see yourself maintaining the partnership once the challenge is over? Or are you in a place where you can lay down swords and make powerful change for more than just yourself?

With so much love!