To take a step back: An apple tree has a contract with the universe to grow apples. In the same way, we’re designed for prosperity in all areas of our life, including love. Rilke said, “Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance.” Love is our inheritance! But to get there, we must remove the thought patterns that prevent it from flourishing in our lives. These patterns are so embedded in us—often from childhood conditioning—we don’t even know they are there. But when a Three of Swords experience occurs, it can reveal our blindspots if we let it. Knowing what blocks our true capacity for life empowers us to get rid of it.
 
When The Three of Swords appears, ask: What is my deeper fear around what is occurring? Does this experience confirm a belief that prevents me from experiencing life fully? When have I felt this before? Recognize that what has happened on the surface—such a friend’s betrayal or a painful ending to a relationship—mirrors a core belief around scarcity, unworthiness, fear of being alone or fill-in-the-blank assumption.  When we begin to address and fix that core belief, our entire life changes. This is the work we do in the Four of Swords after the pain of the Three helps us acknowledge our barriers to joy.