What in your life are you currently leaving behind? And what are you doing to work on acceptance, growth, and healing as you move forward? This week marks a meaningful transition point in some sort of healing journey, as you’re officially en route toward better and more stable circumstances than you were in before. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re up for celebrating this change just yet. Recovering from painful experiences and opening yourself up to new opportunities takes time — but that’s OK, because no one’s rushing you to get to your next destination.
The Six of Swords depicts an adult and a child huddled next to each other in a boat from behind, surrounded by swords. Their body language communicates sadness or exhaustion, presumably as a result of having just escaped a particularly difficult period. Behind them, a third person stands rowing the boat, steering them to safety. They’re leaving the choppy-looking waters behind them and heading toward the more serene side of the sea that lies ahead.
The idea is that these two downtrodden people have officially escaped a dark, heavy, or turbulent situation, and begun a journey toward much more calm. However, this may not be exactly the circumstances they’d hoped for. The mournful thoughts and painful memories — symbolized by the swords — are still being carried with them. They need time to process what’s happened, and so do you.
Right now, you too may have found yourself embarking on a new chapter while closing a particularly chaotic one. Times have probably been difficult, and you may not be over the pain just yet — but you can at least breathe a sigh of relief that you’re headed toward something better.
On an astrological level, this brings to mind the current Venus retrograde period, which is currently taking place in the deep and private sign of Scorpio and fast-approaching its midpoint. Venus is that planet that rules relationships as well as people’s values, and when it backspins, it gives everyone a chance to reassess what they’re committing to, revisit unfinished business, and face the truth about what they really want. It’s possible that the retrograde has already begun highlighting draining situations from the past that you never fully healed or moved on from. If so, this week could be a turning point for you, allowing you to finally close a chapter, walk away, and commit to a healing journey.
