At any moment in our lives, the Two of Swords offers us an invitation: do I rebuild, or do I keep growing? Do I need to step back, or do I forge ahead in the current path? The circumstances of our lives are ever changing. Change is really the only constant. It’s quite alright to change direction, but do I really need to? Two of Swords gives us a chance to get clear. The blindfolds traditionally depicted in this card are not ones that have been put on us so that we can’t see. Instead, they are the purposefully, self-placed mental guards that we can set in order to limit the input from the world so that we can find clarity within. Sure, Two of Swords often shows up as we hit an impasse, or when our outlooks seem foggy and unclear. The call, then, is to take a step back and reevaluate the information we have been receiving from outside of ourselves. That way, we can not only work through all of the feelings and thoughts that are already within us–we can invoke divine guidance as well.

In this reading, two common pathways flank the Two of Swords: 4 of Wands Reversed, on one hand; and The Empress, on the other. The reversals of 4-numbered cards often indicate some type of reconstruction. As to the 4 of Wands: do I need to rebuild what I have invested my drive in… is it time to reassess and perhaps start anew? Am I building atop unstable foundations? Am I lost in my passions and haphazardly channeling my creativity?

Or, as The Empress indicates, is my path forward is one of growth and not contraction? Am I called to continue birthing through the pain? Is this discomfort simply part of the journey of creation? Is it simply time to remove the barriers to the continued, present growth?

In other words, do I rebuild or do I grow? It’s quite alright to spend some time in-between these paths, meditating while sitting at the crossroads. Two of Swords speaks of peace in not-knowing, and tranquility as we sit amidst the fog. The answer will eventually come: a flash of insight, a bubble of intuition, or via a lighting strike of logic. As we assent to Two of Swords’ invitations, we are creating room for our most aligned guidance to come through.