Ascetism, Will and the 8 of Swords
I have been meditating on the 8 of Swords, as I mentioned in a previous article. While also reading about the question of Will, in spiritual, magical, and theological contexts, I keep finding the same rule. Will requires the reduction of options and possibilities. In the Spiritual Exercises of Loyola, in the Rule of Saint Benedict, or even in military life, there is always a surrender of personal will to a method, a rule, a spiritual guide, or a superior. This always comes with a strong mental or physical training, turning the person into an ascetic in the original sense of the word, an athlete of the spirit.
The 8 of Swords is a minor arcana in the mental and rational plane. Its decan is Jupiter in Gemini. So we have the planet of expansion, which is hot and moist, in a sign that is also hot and moist. The result is excessive. Jupiter loves to expand everything it touches and, in mutable Gemini, that expansion becomes a flood of options. The mind multiplies paths endlessly, unable to focus.
All classical methods aim to reduce those inner frictions. The vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, for example, are meant to free the one who accepts them. The paradox is fewer choices bring more freedom. It is the exact opposite of what modernity teaches, where more options = more happiness.
The 8 of Swords is a card of anti-asceticism, a mind trapped by excess. When it appears, its message is simple: Do as the ancient athlete did. Narrow your focus, reduce the noise, and move forward.
More at The Mirror of Sienna.
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