Shifting Your Perception

The Ace of Swords is the from the suit that represents the element of air in the tarot. The aces represent new, unformed energies and beginnings. These energies bring raw potential and invite you to act on intuition, be open to new ideas, stay positive, and take first steps. When you do this, you see things in a new way. Shifting your perception is the doorway to awakening and growth.

The suit of swords speaks to the realm of the mind. Most of the pip cards in this suit depict ways your thoughts can box you in. This suit reminds us that the mind is a wonderful tool, but it shouldn't run the show. It's the realm where we most easily slip into over-intellectualizing and egoic patterns. Your thoughts can sometimes be your worst enemy.

However, The Ace of Swords speaks to the Holy Mind, and it asks you to see things from a new perspective. It is a call to be open. This may seem small, but shifting your perception can be a total game-changer.

There are times when your mind is closed out of habit, and it isn’t something you can force open. You may think that your problems will go away if the outside circumstances change, but in truth, it takes an inner shift to break out of old patterns. The metamorphosis occurs on the inside first, and then the outside shifts into alignment.

The Ace of Swords invites you to look at the areas of your life you wish to change. Instead of wishing for the situation to change, ask yourself: “Am I willing to see this differently?” You don’t have to know the answers, all you have to do is be open to shifting your perception. Suddenly the tight contraction of the closed mind starts to loosen. A new thought or bright idea lands in your consciousness like a butterfly lighting on a flower. It’s not about doing it’s about allowing. The willingness makes room for the miracle.

Here’s a great example of this that I heard recently. It’s a story that Stephen Covey tells in his classic book the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and it illustrates how the shifting of perception can change everything: He was riding on a subway car that was fairly peaceful and quiet. At one of the stops a father with two small children boarded the car, and the children were completely out of control. They were extremely disruptive, and he noticed that everyone on the train was becoming irritated. The father seemed to be oblivious to the children’s behavior. He started to get annoyed by the rude behavior of the children and the apparent disregard of the father. He got so agitated about it that he finally decided to say something to the father. He said, “Did you know that your children are disturbing the people on the train? Could you ask them to sit down?”. The father looked up and said, “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize. You see we’re all a little out of it at the moment. We just left the hospital where their mother died a few hours ago.”

Suddenly, the perception of everything transformed. Nothing about the situation had changed on the outside. The children were still behaving badly, but this little piece of knowledge shifted his perception of the situation. His defenses melted, and his irritation evaporated.

A game-changing insight can come in numerous ways. Taking a moment to listen to what someone else is saying gives way to more understanding and connection. Listening inwardly can bring sudden inspiration, calm or clarity. Sometimes we feel stuck one moment, but we begin the project and the direction unfolds. One time I lost my cell phone and spent a whole day frantically doing everything I could to locate it. I exhausted every possibility. Annoyed, I finally gave up the fight and went to soak in the tub. As I began to breathe and relax, suddenly I knew where my cell phone was. I remembered exactly where I had put it, and that’s exactly where it was. All of my searching and worrying about it hadn’t altered the situation one bit. The cell phone was in that same place all along, but my stress about losing it had distorted my memory. In that state, I couldn't perceive the truth. All I had to do was get calm and the fog lifted.

A Course in Miracles defines a miracle as a shift in perception. It isn’t about the Divine swooping in and delivering the lottery or the relationship or the experience you feel you’re lacking. It’s about your perceptions being transformed so you can know the truth.

Where do you need a miracle? Instead of a specific result, call in a shift in perception that will lead you where you want to go. Whenever you are feeling doubt, fear, or tension just say: ” I am willing to see this differently. I am willing to witness my discomfort. I am willing to be still for a moment.” Take a deep breath, be willing to see things more clearly and let your highest self do the rest.

 Ace of Swords from the Golden Tarot