Suit of Swords
The suit of swords speaks about our thoughts and our words, both the words we speak to others and our inner self-talk. Think of swords as referring to how we communicate with others and how we receive messages from them and from the universe (including from the cards). The element associated with swords is air, its direction is east and its season is spring. The energy of swords is the fastest-moving of all the suits (as best represented by the knights), which means fastest to arrive and fastest to pass.
Hover over the cards below to read their divinatory meanings in brief. Click to book your tarot consultation today.
Upright:
bold action, insight, powerful breakthrough, clarity, good ideas, new way of thinking
Reversed:
clouded judgement, unclear thinking, rethinking established ideas
Upright:
impasse, avoidance, difficult decisions, obstacles, blindness, indecision, stalemate
Reversed:
breaking free of impasse, moving forward, considering other options
Upright:
heartbreak, pain, agony, sorrow, grief
Reversed:
recovering, healing, forgiveness, optimism
Upright:
rest, protection, intentionally holding back, contemplation, meditation
Reversed:
burnout, stagnation, exhaustion, sluggishness
Upright:
loss, dejection, failure, zero-sum game, Pyrrhic victory
Reversed:
reconciliation, making peace, win-win arrangement
Upright:
rite of passage, transition, moving out of danger
Reversed:
resistance to change, holding on to the past
Upright:
strategic thinking, deception, getting away with something
Reversed:
self-deceit, feeling like an imposter, mentality of control
Upright:
restriction, containment, limiting beliefs, imprisonment, victim mentality
Reversed:
releasing negative thoughts, opening your mind
Upright:
disturbing thoughts, anxiety, nightmares, worrying
Reversed:
releasing worries, anxiety subsiding
Upright:
betrayal, surrender, crisis, painful ending, wounds
Reversed:
recovering, regenerating, resisting inevitability
Upright:
curiosity, apt learner, trying new things
Reversed:
insincerity, talk with no action, fast-talking, glib, dilettante, amateur
Upright:
ambitions, driven, man of action, fast-thinking
Reversed:
rash, hurried, overeager, restless, impulsive
Upright:
strong boundaries, harsh truths, unbiased judgement, straight talk, telling it like it is, feminine sadness
Reversed:
blunt, icy, frozen heart, cruelty
Upright:
justice, fairness, clear thinking, authority, intellectual power, truth telling, moral rectitude
Reversed:
domination, misuse of power