If there is a suit in the tarot that people hate seeing fill up their readings it’s the Swords. In a lot of way the Swords are misunderstood, kind of like Death and The Tower. Yes, the Swords can bring arguments, aggression, anxiety and tension but they can also bring a chance to cut away bullshit in your life that you no longer need. They also offer a chance to make choices and decisions that you have been lingering on and not taking action with.

The suit of Swords is a complex one, but when you see it dominating your reading there’s really no reason to get freaked out.

The Swords is the suit of the element of air. It’s main themes are focus, consciousness, communication and our thoughts and beliefs. They are also cards that signal a time for action, harnessing our power, dealing with conflicts, creating change, noticing what really needs our focus, and having the courage to do what needs to be done.

 

 

In a lot of ways the Swords are seen as a negative suit by many people, especially those new to tarot or those who don’t really know anything about tarot other than how to receive a reading. I mean, come on! You can’t deny the fact that some of the strongest images in the tarot come from the suit of Swords.

How did you feel the first time the 3 of Swords landed in your spread?

What is your knee jerk reaction to running into the 10 of Swords?

If the 7 of Swords sneaks up on you, do you get a little paranoid?

It’s understandable. It’s a suit that really pushes our human buttons. Just as there are negatives there are positives to each card in this suit. Remember, swords are double-edged. The suit of Swords often asks us to look at both sides of a situation and then pushes us to make decisions and take action.

When you have a reading that is dominated by Swords you’re being asked to consider where you stand mentally with this situation. It’s time to find clarity and take action.

Yes, it’s quite possible that this call to action is going to come because a secret may be revealed or an argument happens, but these things don’t change the fact that you need to think and act when the Swords take over your reading.

Be sure to always look at the other suits that come up in your reading to know where these issues may pop up.

• If you have Swords and Cups, it’s relationships.
• Swords and Wands it’ll be around creative projects and your sense of passion and ambition.
• When it’s Swords and Pentacles the issues will focus on career, money, home and health.
• When the Swords are the only suit present and the rest of the cards are major arcana cards you’ll want to look at each position and card paring on their own for more depth.
• When you have a reading that’s only Swords the issues are specifically with your thoughts, beliefs and ideas. If your deck was well shuffled this is a rare thing to see happen, but it does from time to time. I would recommend pulling additional cards to help add more clarity to your reading if you feel you need it.

At the end of a reading that freaks out always remember that nothing in the tarot is set in stone. Use your reading and your reaction to it as a way to change course and do something different.

Because as Peggy would say…

 

The Double-Edged Suit of Swords

Here are some quick one-liners for suit of Swords.

• Ace of Swords – With great power comes great responsibility.
• Two of Swords – Is it worse to make no decision or to make the wrong decision
• Three of Swords – The amount of pain you feel during a heartbreak is equal to your capacity to love.
• Four of Swords – Find peace within because there’s no guarantee you’ll find it outside of yourself.
• Five of Swords – It’s better to accept defeat than sell your soul to be the only one in the room who’s right.
• Six of Swords – Don’t be too proud to accept help on a journey through your emotional depths.
• Seven of Swords – There’s nothing worse than allowing yourself to be deceived by turning your back when a thief comes in the room.
• Eight of Swords – Your limitations will hold back only for as long as you allow them to.
• Nine of Swords – It’s always darkest before the dawn but have faith that the dawn will come.
• Ten of Swords – You never truly know joy until you have fully experienced pain.

What it comes to the royal court of Swords you’ll find yourself facing people who are always going to be intellectual, opinionated, quick-witted and focused communicators. The differences in how their good and bad sides play out depend on who you’re meeting.

• The Page of Swords – Always approach the world with an open mind.
• The Knight of Swords – Action without clarity, intention and conviction is just a recipe for chaos.
• The Queen of Swords – Know your mind, know your heart.
• The King of Swords – Anything is possible with a strategy and a clear plan of action.

 

Do you need a reading? Check out my reading offerings over here.

Or would you rather learn how to do it yourself? Check out my self-study tarot course In The Cards over there.

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