When life gives us reason to fear, or when we find ourselves grappling with stress and worry; we don’t always have to push through. There are active and passive ways to deal with the scary situations in life. Often, the wisest path through fear is gentle and contractive like a healing cocoon. As we sit in the nest of fear, so much liberation and maturity can be hatched. The 9 of Swords, as our Energy for this moment, nods to our worries and concerns, whether great or small. So much fear-handling in motivational spirituality is hyper masculine and forceful. But the concerns of our heart can have important messages for us—they point to inner narratives that may be primed for a retelling. They speak to our inner shackles that are ready to be released.

As the Guidance card, the Queen of Cups Reversed suggests kind but firm emotional non-attachment as an exercise in liberation. Have you tried healing the suffering of the heart through giving it your whole attention, to no avail? Have you sat and meditated with the pain in your chest, hoping that it would start to dissolve, but it just will not go? Sometimes, when the hurt is great, we need a “touch and go” approach. We touch the soreness of the heart, and then we detach, re-anchoring ourselves in the stillness of the breath and in the quietude of the mind. Or we take a pause from the feelings in the heart and connect with the sensations of the body. As the multidimensional beings that we are, practicing mindful non-attachment to the churning emotions of the heart is often the best medicine.

With our strength or peace regained, we can venture into the heart again. But with the utmost gentleness and sweetness towards ourselves. The 5 of Swords in the Outcome position speaks to that mental contraction that is not restrictive as much as it is nurturing. Whereas the 4 of Swords means a healing mental pause, the 5 of Swords is more dynamic. There are things to be processed here. We are facing fear, insecurity, concern. This place is not expansive and large like the halls of a castle. It is rather enclosed and small like a cozy den in a cottage. We may feel like we’re not growing, but this contraction is just what we need.