The drop to the river below is breathtaking. It is so deep you can't see the bottom without leaning over the edge a long way. It is precipitous. And the only way across is a crumbling bridge. The fear of the depths grips me. But it is only this fear that keeps me from my destined journey.

What fears walk beside you?

The only way is across the ravine. The on way to make it across is the bridge. The bridge is our faith that we can be free. It is fragile, but it is enough to hold up the lightest person. We can make ourselves light by jettisoning your baggage: a difficult past, expectations, ancestral bequests, anything that makes us heavy. We can call upon our trusted teachers, our spirit helpers, to make us peaceful and expansive. Then we are ready to cross the bridge.

What weighs you down?

Fear is a reaction to old pain. The things that have the potential to hurt us most are buried deep within us. We put up a frantic defense to protect our weakest spot. But being so defensive hurts even more. We must find an effective way to protect our soul. We must allow space for the mystery to enter us, for love to find us, for celebration to delight us. We have to make time to dream our dream.

What strategies do you have to overcome your fear?

In some cases, the conflict is inside us and its outcome is fear. If we can accept that which causes us pain, and understand that it doesn't define us, we can step away from it and be free.

Sword Three, like all threes, is associated with the Leaf Moon.