Erica Tucci

There are two more suits of the Minor Arcana of the Tarot to discuss, the Swords and Wands. Last post, I covered the Pentacles, the suit that symbolizes the physical aspect of our human experience. Today, I’m going to discuss the Swords suit, which deals with the mental level of consciousness, centered around the mind and intellect. It reveals the quality of your thoughts, attitudes and beliefs, as well as symbolizing the delicate balance between intellect and power.

Once again, my descriptions of the Tarot cards are very general, just to give you an idea of how the Tarot can be used as a tool for personal development. When used in a reading, each card’s meaning will be based on its underlying symbolism, but will vary from reading to reading, depending on a variety of factors – the question(s) asked, the personality of the person requesting the reading, the circumstances of that person, etc. My intuition also plays a big part in what is revealed to me through the cards.

Now, onto the intellect of the Swords…

Remember that Aces are the cards of new beginnings and potential for great growth. Thus, the Ace of Swords signifies new ideas, inspiration, a new way of thinking and the energy that allows you to pursue these new opportunities. It also can be symbolic of mental clarity, cutting through any confusion. It seeks truth and justice.

As Twos represent duality and union, the Two of Swords is a card of choices and the difficulty of making a decision. It can also be indicative of a truce or a stalemate, or possibly feeling stuck between two opposing forces.

Threes are the cards of ambition, full expression and expansion. The Three of Swords is a card of heartbreak and sorrow. But taking its meaning further, it asks to take the pain into our hearts, accept it and go beyond it. This is much like I have said about moving through pain, allowing yourself to feel the emotion, but then moving beyond it.

Fours are the cards of stability, structure, order and form. The Four of Swords symbolizes bringing stability back into your life through withdrawal. You may have faced a challenge from which you need to recover, and rest and relaxation would be the doctor’s orders to recuperate.

Fives show conflict and loss and the Five of Swords carries this idea to the extreme of defeat, where the weight of the world may be bearing down on you. You may feel a sense of humiliation and weakness.

Sixes represent completion of a cycle, a transformative period in which one wishes to enter a new cycle. With the Six of Swords, you may be going through a rite of passage in your life. Going through transition may require that you let go of something of the past for you to able to move forward.

Sevens can represent a state of tension between what we believe to be right and what is. The Seven of Swords symbolizes deception (of oneself or others), betrayal or stealth. Trying to be sneaky and getting away with it are implicit in this card. But it also may be that you are a victim of someone else’s betrayal.

Eights represent progress toward completion to further one’s development. The Eight of Swords suggests a feeling of being restricted with no way out. However, by looking at your situation with a new perspective, you CAN find your way out of your predicament. Or you may feel you are at an impasse on which way to go in a situation. Know that there is a way out if you put your thinking cap on.

Nines are the cards that indicate compromise and the struggle to move forward toward completion. The Nine of Swords show utmost pain and sorrow, the moment of agony where the fears and anxieties that you have created in your mind take hold of you. But they are only in your mind and not necessarily influenced by your external reality. You may be worrying excessively. It may seem that you are taking on the woes of the world.

Tens are the cards of completion with the need to start again. The Ten of Swords indicates total and utter suffering, at least in one’s mind if you are playing the victim. It’s often not as bad as it seems, where black clouds will give way to sunshine. It also may represent a difficult experience that brings you into total darkness, but you are also aware that the trouble isn’t permanent.

And for the court cards – Page, Knight, Queen and Kings – which can represent people, events or your own personality trait, let’s start with the Page of Swords, who is intelligent, curious, clear-headed and sees things with a bird’s eye view. She is youthful with childlike enthusiasm and an endless capacity to learn. She sees things logically and with reason, seeking truth and justice.

The Knight of Swords, with his fiery skill as a warrior, finds himself on the battlefield of ideas. He, like the Page, is enthusiastic, energetic and fearless. As an adventurer and explorer, he easily moves through the realm of the imagination. He has lofty goals and aspirations, and communicates with style and wit.

The Queen of Swords embodies a blend of logic and reason with understanding and feeling. She is keenly intelligent and can be charming and gracious, but she has a distaste for weak arguments and counterproductive measures. She is quick witted and has a sharp tongue. She is clear-headed and compassionate, firm but fair, and she is willing and able to hear both sides of any story.

The King of Swords, as the male leader of his suit, is a powerful commander, using logic and intellectual prowess to make decisions. Being assertive and alert, he can also be aggressive when it comes to protecting his kingdom, dispensing justice appropriately. He is forward thinking, idealistic and socially conscious. He likes to look beyond old ways of thought and establish new institutions that will better suit his kingdom.

We have discussed the Cups, Pentacles and Swords and have one more suit of the Minor Arcana to cover – the Wands, representing the spiritual level of consciousness. I wish to repeat that the information I have been providing in my posts regarding the Tarot really only touch upon the subject and are based on my personal experience and wisdom of the cards. I do hope you are enjoying my posts on the Tarot.

If you are moved to do so, please subscribe to my blog by clicking the Subscribe button below, to keep receiving posts that I hope will be inspiring and enlightening to you. And if you would enjoy getting a Tarot reading from me, click here.