Creative Draw of the Day: Three of Swords

Confession: I didn't draw this card at random. It just exemplifies how I feel today. A beloved pet died this morning and I'm grieving her.

Some interpret this card to represent three separate sorrows that stab the heart. I don't think that's the case, and I've never been a believer in the idea that bad news comes in threes.

To me, this is a card of mental anguish. (Swords represent the element Air, which represents our minds. Hence I don't think there's any physical pain involved in this card.) That anguish is brought about, most likely, by loss--but the cause might also be betrayal or heartache.

I'm not sure how to weave this into one of my stories yet. But it reminds me that sometimes the stakes need to be high--each of my characters, at some point in their lives, have to face genuine anguish. The worst thing I can do as an author is protect them.