Nine of Swords

While internet-age concepts of privacy leave pretty much everyone feeling a little bit more exposed, they also makes us shockingly confident. The spectrum of ways in which we are able to be cruel to each other has broadened, and we even have more methods of wounding ourselves. The image above is from an article about the ways that gangs and violent criminals are using social networking sites to broadcast their lifestyle and intimidate their communities (in this case, Philadelphia). However, they're often so short-sighted that they wind up posting photos brandishing drugs, loot, and firearms in full public view, providing law-enforcement with a handy record that can help identify them and link them to crimes. "I've got at least a hundred more of these kinds of pics on my harddrive, all taken from public Myspace profiles," the article's author commented.

The Nine of Swords is commonly referred to as "Cruelty," and usually depicts a figure being menaced at the business end of a dangerous weapon. You can't blame someone for being uncomfortable at the sight of this card in a reading. However, if you look closely there is an important distinction to be made. All of these figures are suffering, though none of them are in any real danger -- yet. What they're suffering from is anxiety, fear, paranoia, and despair -- and while these may not be pleasant, they're at least our own, and we have the tools to resolve them if we can see them for what they are. Photos like the one above have effectively preyed on fear, altering an entire city's perception of itself -- but once one's initial fear is overcome, these images are actually quite poignant. Suddenly the young men in them appear completely desperate, completely powerless, grasping at straws in order to fulfill childish egotistical fantasies -- and they demolish themselves as they do so, playing ever further into the hands of law enforcement. Truly, the cruelty they inflict cuts them just as deeply. It would be ideal for each of us to discover that truth before we do something irrevocable... but better late than never. [Via]