Dive deep into the suit of Swords

What do the Swords mean in tarot?

Swords are carefully crafted weapons designed to establish power. Using them effectively benefits from years of training and can result in precise strikes, but when swung by a novice, they are likely to leave a trail of collateral damage, possibly even harming the wielder.

How fitting then that Swords are the suit of thoughts and communication, aspects of the realm of air! Because of their ability to claim and maintain power and as symbols of status, Swords are also associated with ambition. Often what is shown with the Swords is not the intangible nature of air but the aftereffects of thoughts and words when driven by a desire to dominate.

Quick concepts for the suit of Swords

Ace of Swords: the gift of clarity, ambition, and determined genius

2 of Swords: deliberation, balancing inner and outer forces, intuition versus logic, Moon in Libra

3 of Swords: grief, worrying about others, conflicted thoughts, intense commitment, Saturn in Libra

4 of Swords: peace of mind, waiting to strike, mindfulness, Jupiter in Libra

5 of Swords: miscommunication, shifting goals, dangerous insights, Venus in Aquarius

6 of Swords: innovation, future planning, mental flow, Mercury in Aquarius

7 of Swords: cleverness, fickleness, opportunism, Moon in Aquarius

8 of Swords: overthinking, mental distractions, self-limiting beliefs, Jupiter in Gemini

9 of Swords: anxiety, the price of ambition, putting words into action, Mars in Gemini

10 of Swords: breakthrough, clarity of hindsight, preparing new goals, Sun in Gemini

Page of Swords: someone who looks for practical new ways to engage with the world around them, the earth of air, Capricorn–Pisces

Knight of Swords: someone who pushes the limits to achieve goals and expand their influence, the fire of air, Gemini (primary) and Taurus (shadow)

Queen of Swords: someone who clearly sees underlying motivations and can pinpoint areas of weakness, the water of air, Libra (primary) and Virgo (shadow)

King of Swords: someone who is fascinated by ideas, often testing boundaries and thinking three steps ahead, the air of air, Aquarius (primary) and Capricorn (shadow)

Let’s dive deep into these cards

This is an ongoing series. Every other week on Instagram and Tumblr, I post a series of Deep Dive images tied to one minor arcanum. I’ve completed the aces and pips, so it’s just the court cards that are left. The court cards are not all here yet, but I know that you’ll learn a lot about the Swords if you read on! And if you’re looking to read tarot more deeply like me, learn to read tarot deeply with my courses that go beyond the tarot basics.