Minor Arcana ~ Swords Tarot Card Meanings

The Suit of Swords represents the element of Air and it’s astrological signs Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra.

The suit of Swords speaks of the ability to quiet the mind.

Suit of Swords Upright Card Meanings:

Ace of swords is the card for a new thought and belief system. It is the potential of mental energy used to create clarity and often also justice.

Two of Swords is the card for stilling the mind. It speaks of listening to your soul.

Three of Swords denotes heartbreak. sorrow, pain and separation. This card speaks of thoughts that causes pain.

Four of Swords is about rest and rejuvenation, getting enough sleep and taking time out to meditate.

Five of Swords is the card for conflict and unhealthy competition. It speaks of our fears of not being good enough.

Six of Swords is about crossing the troubled sea and entering into calmer water. The Seeker stills their mind and moves away from fear based thinking.

Seven of Swords denotes someone is very distrusting in others. This card can speak of the Seeker’s fear of commitment.

Eight of Swords speaks of seeing something through rather than escaping it. This is the card for stilling the mind despite wanting to run away from what is uncomfortable.

Nine of Swords denotes worry and anxiety, sleeplessness and being overwhelmed by negative emotions such as guilt and regrets.

Ten of Swords is the card for ‘going beyond the mind’. In the suit of swords, the Seeker is not trying to change their mindset, instead, they work on quieting the mind. The Seeker quiets the mind from the troubles in 9 of swords. The distant sunset speaks of the Seeker rising into higher consciousness once they’ve stilled the mind.

Page of Swords denotes a young and mentally very active and clever person. This is someone who can concentrate over long periods of time and who learns new skills easily, especially mental skills.

Knight of Swords denotes a communicative person who is very action-oriented and thrives on change. The suit of swords is about stilling the mind. The Knight is headed for the throne seen in Queen and King of swords. They use their will to still (the mind). In a non-vision quest way of reading the tarot, Knight of swords can speak of a soldier or someone with a warrior mindset. They want to change the world.

Queen of Swords speaks of entering your mind and mastering the art of stilling the mind. The mind is almost still. Her hand is raised which means she is focusing on stilling the mind further. This is achieved in King of swords.

(Note that this is in the context of the vision quest where the goal is to have union with Source). If you are reading the cards but not in regards to the vision quest, Queen of swords can speak of an intelligent woman with a sharp tongue.

King of Swords speaks of a mind that has been stilled. He has achieved his goals of meditation. He can now see clearly through the illusions of the veil. (Note that this is in the context of the vision quest where the goal is to have union with Source). If you are reading the cards but not in regards to the vision quest, King of swords can speak of a professional man with a lot of authority.

Suit of Swords Reversed Card Meanings:

Ace of Swords reversed indicates that the stirring of the aces is blocked. Ideas and communication are blocked.

Two of Swords reversed indicates conflicts are unavoidable and compromises are not reached. The querent might be exhibiting too much personality and creates drama just to have something to do.

Three of Swords reversed indicates there is blocked grief stored in the person’s heart. The querent might be afraid of grieving and is internalising. 

Four of Swords reversed denotes restlessness and burn outs. Thoughts and beliefs interrupt the person from recuperating.

Five of Swords reversed can speak of conflict and arguments remaining unresolved. It can be hard for the Seeker to move on. A new way of thinking about the situation could be needed.

Six of Swords reversed indicates travel plans being held up or delayed. It can also mean the Seeker is wondering about life direction. They could be confused right now.

Seven of Swords reversed indicates clumsiness and forgetfulness, especially when it comes to recollecting what lies have been told and to whom.

Eight of Swords reversed indicates a person who is unable to move forward due to self-doubts, fear, and isolation. The person knows the way forward, yet chooses to stay put, escaping in their own heads.

Nine of Swords reversed indicates that issues and problems have been ignored rather than dealt with and when they resurface the querent might not know how to deal with them.

Ten of Swords reversed indicates a person who is holding on to pain often inflicted by others. This querent might not be able to let go of what other people have inflicted and is feeling no support. Not just is there no support, there might even be deliberate sabotage.

Page of Swords reversed indicates a person who lies, gossips and being a know it all. This is someone who says inappropriate things and wastes his time in chat rooms. They don’t keep secrets or promises.

Knight of Swords reversed indicates a person who might have problems concentrating. This is someone who is intelligent but for some reason has a difficult time focusing.

Queen of Swords reversed indicates a woman who has problems with problem-solving and communication. This is the type of person who will make accusations without checking the facts.

King of Swords reversed indicates a man who will manipulate facts to get his own ways. There is a block when it comes to integrity and objectivity. This is someone opinionated and biased.