The suit of swords represents:
Tarot Suits: The Meaning of the Swords
The suit of Swords refers to the direction of the east ant the element of wind and air; the season of spring and the Yetsirah or Formative World of the Kaballah; The letter Vah (Stabilization of Form) of the Tetragrammaton; the suit of Spades; the male yang energy; the Jungian function and the Holy Word of thinking. It represents the astrological signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. This suit represents the aspect of human intelligence and rationality, our communicative and mental phases. Positive characteristics associated with this suit include authority, strength, ambition courage and a desire and opportunity to travel. Above all, they indicate a desire to reveal elements for what they truly our and find the truth behind things. This is why they come in conflict. Negative connotations include conflict, anger, pain, animosity and aggression.
A Sword by Any Other Name
Just like every other suit, even the suit of swords is called by a number of names, most well known tarot readers render it with additional names. This can me a little boggling for new tarot reads, but the school of thought is always changing, hence the change in the words or names used for tarot cards as well, are anything but uncalled for. When you hear someone talking about the suit of Daggers, Blades, Spades or Knives - remember, that what they really mean, is the suit of Swords.
Cutting to the Chaff
The predominance of the swords cards in the spread can indicate a lot of repulsion, arguments, death or an illness. Our lives today are scattered and multifaceted - we often have a lot on our minds. Several swords on the table do not always indicate problems ahead. Inverse Cards
Since the sword is a representative of thinking, and mental balance, it can often be shown as a scale of balance or weight. This balance is not easy to accept, even once we identify the problem, and it is something we discover ourselves for. Tarot cards are double edged swords, it may also symbolize argument, a file for a legal suit, or entanglements in what might affect your everyday life. If cards are drawn in an inverse pattern they can also signify the tendency to be arrogant, judgmental, aloof, critical, detached, condescending, insensitive, distant intolerant, and controlling.
Our mind
As said above the suit of swords represents the realms of our mind. This includes our ability to learn and remember, our consciousness our rational thought, and awareness and our perceptions. This suits reflects our ability to take the right decision, according to our emotional state, the security of a future or our take on right and wrong. It also represents legal arrangements: leases, contracts, purchase documents, agreements, and the like. Likewise, it can symbolize the legal, judicial and political systems - the courts, the governance and the laws at every level dominating one's environment.
| Card | Keyword Description |
| Ace of Swords | Break-through, justice, courage, definition, mental force, anxious thoughts, perceived threat, anxiety, imaginative, victory, raw power |
| Two of Swords | Path of discernment, doubt, truce, anticipation, impending conflict, tense balance, tenseness, blocked emotions, stalemate, karmic balance |
| Three of Swords | Without fear, suffering, sorrow, integrity, tension and stress, conflict initiated, heartbreak, painful separation |
| Four of Swords | Prophetic powers, truce, peace, retreat, regrouping, contemplation, withdrawal, reflection, recuperation, meditation |
| Five of Swords | Passive endurance, loss, defeat, betrayal, salvage, cheat to win, facing one's limits, humiliation, self-interest, selfish, blocked path |
| Six of Swords | So without, as within, transition, journey, assistance, determination, bridge over troubled waters, easing of stress, understanding, insight, pulling up stakes, passage |
| Seven of Swords | Betrayal, dishonesty, futility, mistrust, theft, stealth, diplomacy, cunning, shrewdness, use of tact, guile, being evasive, sneaky, trust issue |
| Eight of Swords | Danger, interference, imprisonment, stuck, immobilized by fear of consequences, stifled, no choice, restriction, isolation |
| Nine of Swords | Stress, misfortune, despair, intense anxiety, concern, between a rock and a hard place, hopelessness, worry, nightmares, depression |
| Ten of Swords | Back-stabbed, disaster, unlucky, crisis, transformation, extreme disappointment, disillusionment, foreboding about the future, defeat, catastrophe, desolation, darkest just before dawn |
| Page of Swords | Mentally restless, curious, talkative |
| Knight of Swords | Action-oriented, well-developed communication skills, opinionated |
| Queen of Swords | Cuts to the chase, perceptive, organised, quick thinker |
| King of Swords | Good communicater, sharp mind, logical, practical, clear thinking |