"The Divided Mind"

While reading 36 Secrets by T Susan Chang back in the Spring, I was struck by the chapter dealing with the 7 of Swords. In it she uses the term “the divided mind”, and that is a concept I’ve been mulling over ever since; both as it relates to the card as well as how it shows up in my own life.

First of all, what exactly is a divided mind? Essentially, it is a common occurrence where one holds two opposing values/ideals/thoughts simultaneously. For example, and this came up for me very recently, we may love social media and the way in which it allows us to share and connect, but on the other hand, we despise the underbelly; the manipulation, impossible algorithm, questionable content, etc.

To be divided on something, big or small, is to take an uncomfortable and seemingly impossible stance. I think as humans we are natural problem solvers and so we often feel pressure to “pick a side”, “take a stand” or in other words, force the two perspectives to battle it out in court. In fact, I think if you look at much of what happens in pop news, you’ll find evidence of this pressure everywhere.

If we observe the 7 of Swords through this lens, you’ll see how it plays out. We have a shifty-looking character making off with 5 swords, leaving two behind. Their head is turned one way, while their feet are quickly trying to take them another, and it’s as if they themselves don’t know if they’re coming or going. Their motivations, along with their movements, are unclear. They are divided just as much as we are divided in trying to interpret their stance.

For me, the most difficult aspect of my own divided mind (regardless of the topic) is feeling as if I am in a state of limbo or unresolve, waiting for something to click. It’s even more frustrating that on some days, it seems one side is all in, while the other has taken a vacation and then without warning, the pendulum swings and I’m back working as an agent for the other team.

But what’s more challenging than just this state of division, is the feeling of instability it comes with. Maybe instead of a nonstop tug of war, part of dealing with the divided mind is to first accept that we are complex beings and as such, often live in states of grey. Is It possible to feel many ways about one thing all at the same time?

Think of something you feel personally divided by. Maybe it’s a political issue, an interpersonal relationship, a societal taboo, or otherwise. Take a moment to really feel both sides of the division inside yourself and then ask, what’s so wrong with acknowledging that both sides may just have a point?

Practically speaking, this may feel very unsatisfying, especially if you’re sitting on a big decision. But on the other hand, maybe acceptance is the first step to coming into natural harmony and finding the way forward. Furthermore, there may even be a third way of seeing things, by marrying the two extremes to find their shared centre.

Speaking of marriage, The Lovers is another excellent archetype that can help us understand this condition, especially from an esoteric perspective. In The Lovers, we enter an idyllic Garden of Eden scene where union is still the natural state. Upon separation, we go from “all is one” to “one is many”. We see this externally, but we also experience this within ourselves. The Lovers represents the holy trinity, where consciousness (the male) gazes upon subconsciousness (the female) who then connects to super-consciousness above, symbolized by the angel. The Hebrew letter word for The Lovers is Zain which means sword, and so we know this key is about cutting things out, making divisions, and applying discrimination. Even think about this in terms of our own biology - our brains are literally split in two, and much of occult literature speaks to the reconciliation of opposites or the handling of polarity - the anima and animus - the sun and the moon - the head and the heart; two distinct parts of the same system. So perhaps there is some inherent magick to be found in this seemingly odd position. An opportunity not to squash a side, but to harmonize, bring into the fold and make peace with sparring aspects of ourselves.

So the concept of being divided goes back as far as we can count, whether we consider its practical implications or its more arcane. And with this considered, perhaps it’s less about being confused about a matter and more about figuring out how we can make sense of the fact that it is possible to hold opposing feelings/opinions/thoughts simultaneously.

Going To Court - An Exercise In Reconciliation

Instead of forcing ourselves to pick a side, how can we make peace with the fact that we can appreciate something from its many angles? I don’t think I have all the answers to that, but since we’re using tarot to discuss the idea, maybe tarot can provide some direction when it comes to working on a specific issue.

Let’s begin by selecting one topic you’re split on or divided by.

WIth that in mind, consider how you feel on one side of the split, and then hand-select a card to act as its representative. Next, consider the other side and hand-select a card to act as a representative for it.

Then, place those two cards side by side and just take a moment to contemplate or journal their differences or similarities, making mention of anything that jumps out or which strikes you as noteworthy. Next, you’re going to pick up the remaining deck (or a different one), shuffle, and draw a card to serve as a bridge or mediator between the two.

This third card you will place above and between the two sides, similar to the triangular formation you see happening in The Lovers. This card is meant to provide any or all of the following: something to meditate on, an action to pursue, an angle to consider, or some helpful food for thought,

With all three cards in front of you, make any final notes or observations and see how the issue unfolds or resolves over the next few days.

Conclusion

When the 7 of Swords shows up, one possible way to approach it is to ask yourself if there is something you’re split on; something that’s tugging you from both sides. Sometimes when we’re in this space with an issue, it can make us appear or feel unsteady, unsure, or haphazard even. And maybe we’re not trying to get away with anything, but rather caught between two ideas and just trying to make it make sense!

Having a divided mind, after all, does not mean you’re a hypocrite, faulty or noncommital. There is so much emphasis on having an opinion about everything, that I think we can do ourselves a disservice by trying to collapse issues into neat packages rather than embrace their complexity. And embracing, or accepting, doesn’t mean we can’t make decisions. We can, of course, accept that something can be many things at once, while also deciding that it isn’t for us. We can appreciate the vastness of a position, while also acknowledging that we don’t like certain parts of it. When playing with polarities like this, we must be careful that we don’t elevate one extreme while delegating the other to the realm of shadow. When we do this, it becomes outward judgment or inward repression and therefore, we don’t push it further away from us, but rather deeper inside. A divided mind isn’t a sign of madness, after all, it is a sign that underneath it all we are actually intrinsically whole. I hope some of these considerations will aid in bringing your own “divided mind” issues into the light!

Julia