Swords (Minor Arcana)

(Upright) New Beginnings, Breakthrough, Truth, Clarity, Justice, Intellectual Ability

The Ace of Swords symbolizes new beginnings, breakthrough, truth, clarity, justice, and intellectual ability. It signifies a breakthrough in a difficult situation or an important realization.

(Reversed) Confusion, Misinformation, Destruction, Cruelty, Injustice, Intellectual Confusion

The Reversed Ace of Swords symbolizes confusion, misinformation, destruction, cruelty, injustice, and intellectual confusion. You might face difficulties due to confusing situations or misinformation. Sometimes, it can mean showing a cruel or unfair attitude.

(Upright) Stalemate, Choice, Balance, Avoiding Decisions, Neutrality

The Two of Swords symbolizes stalemate, choice, balance, avoiding decisions, and neutrality. It indicates hesitation between two choices or being stuck in a stalemate, unable to make a decision. It means seeking balance or maintaining a neutral stance.

(Reversed) Confusion, False Choice, Overwhelmed, Lack Of Clarity, Anxiety

The Reversed Two of Swords symbolizes confusion, false choices, being overwhelmed, lack of clarity, and anxiety. You might be overwhelmed by a confusing situation or facing false choices. You may feel anxious due to a lack of clarity.

(Upright) Sadness, Disappointment, Separation, Heartbreak, Pain, Betrayal

The Three of Swords symbolizes sadness, disappointment, separation, heartbreak, pain, and betrayal. You may receive news of betrayal or disappointment, but this can also be the beginning of growth and healing.

(Reversed) Pain Relief, Tragedy Avoided, Forgiveness, Recovery, Healing Wounds

The Reversed Three of Swords means relief from pain, avoiding tragedy, forgiveness, recovery, and healing wounds. It can mean that pain is alleviated, or a tragic situation is avoided. It means being ready to forgive and heal wounds, moving forward.

(Upright) Rest, Recovery, Meditation, Peace, Seclusion, Rejuvenation

The Four of Swords symbolizes rest, recovery, meditation, peace, seclusion, and rejuvenation. It means retreating from conflict, taking quiet time to meditate, and recovering energy.

(Reversed) Stagnation, Anxiety, Lack Of Rest, Burnout

The Reversed Four of Swords symbolizes stagnation, anxiety, lack of rest, burnout, and resuming activity. It could be a situation where you lack rest or feel anxious about stagnation.

(Upright) Conflict, Defeat, Baseness, Disgrace, Self-Destruction, Argument

The Five of Swords symbolizes conflict, defeat, baseness, disgrace, self-destruction, and arguments. It means losing people around you even if you win, or engaging in self-destructive behavior.

(Reversed) Reconciliation, Recovery, Forgiveness, New Perspective, Conflict Resolution

The Reversed Five of Swords symbolizes reconciliation, recovery, forgiveness, new perspectives, and conflict resolution. It means resolving conflicts and seeking reconciliation. It means moving forward with new perspectives, free from past disputes.

(Upright) Transition, Movement, Overcoming Difficulties, New Beginnings, Departure

The Six of Swords symbolizes transition, movement, overcoming difficulties, new beginnings, and departure. It indicates moving away from a difficult situation to a new place or entering a mental transition. It means overcoming past difficulties and moving forward.

(Reversed) Stagnation, Inevitable Transition, Frustration, Resistance To Change, Unresolved Issues

The Reversed Six of Swords symbolizes stagnation, inevitable transition, frustration, resistance to change, and unresolved issues. It means resisting change or being unable to move forward due to unexpected difficulties, resulting in stagnation. It symbolizes unresolved issues holding you back.

(Upright) Deception, Theft, Covert Actions, Trickery, Evasion, Avoidance

The Seven of Swords means deception, theft, covert actions, trickery, evasion, and avoidance. It means facing a dishonest situation or trying to avoid problems.

(Reversed) Conscience, Facing Truth, Honesty, Criticism, Guilt, Responsibility

The Reversed Seven of Swords symbolizes conscience, facing truth, honesty, criticism, guilt, and responsibility. It means facing your conscience or hidden truths being revealed. It means acting honestly and taking responsibility for your actions.

(Upright) Bondage, Self-Limitation, Victim Mentality, Anxiety, Isolation, Restriction

The Eight of Swords symbolizes bondage, self-limitation, victim mentality, anxiety, isolation, and restriction. It indicates self-imposed limitations or being caught in a victim mentality. It symbolizes being isolated by inner fears, even when escape is possible.

(Reversed) Liberation, New Perspective, Freedom, Self-Acceptance, Overcoming Obstacles

The Reversed Eight of Swords symbolizes liberation, new perspectives, freedom, self-acceptance, and overcoming obstacles. It means breaking free from bondage and finding freedom by gaining new perspectives. It means moving forward by overcoming inner obstacles through self-acceptance.

(Upright) Anxiety, Nightmare, Worry, Despair, Guilt, Sleep Disorder

The Nine of Swords means anxiety, nightmares, worry, despair, guilt, and sleep disorders. It suggests sleepless nights due to guilt or regret. This is a period of great mental distress.

(Reversed) Hope, Pain Relief, Overcoming, Forgiveness, Anxiety Relief

The Reversed Nine of Swords symbolizes hope, pain relief, overcoming, forgiveness, and anxiety relief. It means escaping anxiety and alleviating pain. It represents hope for forgiving yourself and overcoming difficulties.

(Upright) Termination, Ruin, New Beginning, Worst-Case Scenario, End And Rebirth

The Ten of Swords symbolizes termination, ruin, new beginnings, worst-case scenario, end, and rebirth. It can be a very painful ending, but it also becomes the foundation for a new beginning. It's a situation that cannot get any worse.

(Reversed) Recovery, Inevitable End, Escaping Ruin, Gradual Improvement, Avoiding Disaster

The Reversed Ten of Swords symbolizes recovery, inevitable end, escaping ruin, gradual improvement, and avoiding disaster. It indicates narrowly avoiding the worst situation or being in a recovery phase after a painful termination. Gradual improvement may begin, or you might be accepting an inevitable fate.

(Upright) New Ideas, Curiosity, Clarity, Intellectual Exploration, Vigilance

The Page of Swords symbolizes new ideas, curiosity, clarity, intellectual exploration, and vigilance. It indicates exploring new information and learning by being vigilant about your surroundings.

(Reversed) Deception, Warning, Secrets, Lack Of Information, Misunderstanding, Intellectual Confusion

The Reversed Page of Swords symbolizes deception, warning, secrets, lack of information, misunderstanding, and intellectual confusion. You should be cautious of deception or warnings. It means lacking information or experiencing intellectual confusion due to misunderstandings.

(Upright) Ambition, Impulsiveness, Speed, Assertiveness, Determination, Initiative

The Knight of Swords symbolizes ambition, impulsiveness, speed, assertiveness, determination, and initiative. It represents a person who moves assertively toward their goals. Although sometimes impulsive and aggressive, they possess excellent determination.

(Reversed) Recklessness, Anger, Violence, Impetuousness, Arrogance, Causing Conflict

The Reversed Knight of Swords symbolizes recklessness, anger, violence, impetuousness, arrogance, and causing conflict. It means acting recklessly or causing problems by not controlling anger.

(Upright) Intellect, Authority, Truth, Analytical, Rational, Fair, Leadership

The King of Swords symbolizes intellect, authority, truth, analytical thinking, rationality, fairness, and leadership. He analyzes and judges situations rationally and exercises fair leadership.

(Reversed) Tyranny, Dictator, Misused Power, Narrow-Mindedness, Cruelty, Injustice

The Reversed King of Swords symbolizes tyranny, dictator, misused power, narrow-mindedness, cruelty, and injustice. It means abusing power and showing tyrannical attitudes, or making dogmatic and narrow-minded judgments. It can mean making unfair or cruel decisions.

(Upright) Independence, Directness, Honesty, Intellectual, Fair, Sharp Insight

The Queen of Swords symbolizes independence, directness, honesty, intellect, fairness, and sharp insight. She judges situations clearly without being swayed by emotions and possesses sharp insight.

(Reversed) Cold And Cruel, Narrow-Mindedness, Misunderstanding, Aloofness, Isolation

The Reversed Queen of Swords symbolizes coldness and cruelty, narrow-mindedness, misunderstanding, aloofness, and isolation. It means showing an overly cold or cruel attitude, or judging others narrow-mindedly. It can symbolize being misunderstood or isolated due to an aloof attitude.