AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’ve written in the past about the opportunity presented by the Waite-Smith (RWS) 3 of Swords to resist wallowing in the apparent misery it depicts and instead actively seek a way to remove the swords from the heart and let it heal. (This is the symbolic function of the nimble and resilient number Three in the cerebral suit of Swords that I sometimes characterize as “No pain, no gain”). I recently participated in an online discussion of a “real-life” scenario where this came up.

The individual is trying to maintain a prudent distance between herself and an “ex” who is supposedly in the process of moving on from their relationship and into a another life. All was fine when they were in different cities but now she is moving back to his area and is fearful he will try to make contact. (Since he has a new love – or had one at the time of the breakup – she doesn’t want this to happen.) She pulled the 3 of Swords reversed.

I have an unusual take on the RWS 3 of Swords that suggests a mental solution to what at first appears to be a purely emotional dilemma. The obvious goal should be to identify the precise point-of-impact in the psyche (“Where does it hurt the most?”) and attempt to metaphorically extract the swords (as Poe so eloquently implored the Raven, “Take thy beak from out my heart!”). When the card is upright, the swords are firmly set; when it is reversed, the figurative “force of gravity” may be sufficient for them drop out on their own, sort of like a scab eventually falling off. If we don’t pick at it, it will slowly shrink; if we reopen the wound it will only form a new scab after bleeding some more. Hold the thought of imminent recovery in your mind while visualizing the desired withdrawal.

Someone also suggested doing a simple cord-cutting ritual, and I believe that it is an excellent idea. Less magically-inclined types could employ deflection techniques like meditation or affirmation to blunt the stroke, but it seems to me those self-directed psychological ploys lack the visceral “grit” to address the root of the matter (which may not respond to auto-suggestion). Beyond using typical psychic self-defense measures or creative visualization to cancel the undesirable connection, there are a number of more literal ways to do this. All of them involve “willed intention” applied in a mystical fashion to an inanimate object (some advise “prayer” as the trigger for activating the current of redemption, but as a non-religious person that isn’t my path).

One idea is to mentally invest a piece of string with your earnest resolve to separate yourself; tie a knot in it to represent the focus of your attention and then decisively cut through the knot with a pair of scissors while silently or vocally reinforcing your purpose. (The exhortations of Father Karras in The Exorcist are an extreme example.) Hopefully it isn’t your aim to actually harm the person, so I wouldn’t envision the string as a physical surrogate for the individual, just as a symbol of the link binding the two of you.

A more organic alternative is to imbue a small branch with your aspirations and then break it while focusing on the mission, although some people merely envision the terminal event as a form of “interruption of service” and then break the branch in half to put an exclamation point on it.

Another method is to write your desire for ending the situation on a piece of paper and burn it while similarly concentrating on your vow to rid yourself of the burden (this is also used in health matters).

A fourth way is to project your intent into a small candle – black for protection or blue for peace-of-mind – and you could even inscribe an appropriate phrase or symbol on it. Light it with ritual solemnity and let it slowly burn down while you go about your business, the point being that when it goes out the unpleasantness should be banished.

This can be elaborated by using two fast-burning candles with a string tied between them so it will be consumed by the flames, and the string can even be cut with scissors after tying it on but before lighting the candles, essentially putting a “double whammy” on the matter. With either burnt string or paper, the recommendation is to dispose of the ashes in a natural water source.

In all of the cases mentioned here, a closing mantra can be recited to “release” the entity or disperse the energy you’ve purposefully dislodged with the spell, augmented by an injunction not to return. These are exercises in sympathetic folk-magic and there is nothing particularly “occult” about them. All of them can be used in any situation where unwanted attention is a problem. (I also once created a tarot spread for this purpose that I’m linking below.)

The “Unwanted Attention” Interrogation Spread