Not all who wander are lost, but those that ignore their intuition will pay the cost

When the 9 of Swords Appears on the Sidewalk: A Lesson in Ignoring Intuition

Today, the universe taught me a lesson...one that came not through soft whispers, but through a sudden fall and a bruised tailbone.

It started simply enough. I stepped outside and found one of my tarot cards—the 9 of Swords—on the ground. Alone, slightly weather-worn from rain, and unmistakably out of place. I must’ve dropped it earlier, though I don’t remember when. Its presence felt off. Not random. Not accidental.

I paused. Everything in me said, “Go back inside.” It wasn’t fear, exactly. More like a warning. A whisper of something deeper. But I didn’t listen.

Even though that voice inside was loud, I pushed past it. I told myself it would be fine. I didn’t want to shift the moment just because of a “feeling.” So we went outside. We climbed into the hammock. And then—it broke.

We fell hard. Metal bar to the tailbone. Painful. Real. Physical. A jolt in every way.

Hours later, I realized how badly I had hurt myself.

I can’t shake the symbolism. The 9 of Swords is a card of anxiety, regret, sleepless nights. It’s the weight of ignoring something that wants to be seen. To find it lying outside, damaged, moments before we fell… it was the message I didn’t heed.

Earlier that day, I had done a short reading on Tiktok and ended it by channeling a message:

“Not all who wander are lost, but those that ignore their intuition will pay the cost.”

And I did.

What I’ve learned is that intuition isn’t just a soft guide—it can be urgent, clear, and wise beyond logic. When we override it, whether out of stubbornness, politeness, or habit, we often do pay a price. Maybe not always as dramatically as falling out of a hammock—but in missed opportunities, unnecessary conflict, or self-betrayal.

Next time, I’ll listen.

Because the tarot doesn’t always need a spread. Sometimes, it just shows up on the sidewalk.

STARFIRE