Five of Swords

All right, take a deep breath. The Five of Swords is one of the most challenging cards in the Minor Arcana to interpret, because so much of its meaning depends on the situation it describes. On the surface, this is a card of empty victory: a young man stands in the...

Ten of Swords

The Ten of Swords is always a nasty bit of business to draw in a reading, symbolizing the feeling of being stabbed in the back, or utter defeat. While the dawn breaking on the horizon offers a hopeful note, typically this card indicates that you are facing an...

Four of Swords

The Four of Swords is the quintessential “let’s take a break” card. It features a soldier at rest, apparently recovering from a battle and possibly doing so on holy ground (note the stained glass above him.) It’s likely that you’ve drawn this card in advance of some...

THREE OF SWORDS

This card simply looks sad, and for good reason. It’s the card of grief, loneliness, literally feeling that your heart has been pricked by swords. It’s also, however, the card of necessary cutting—such as a surgery or the removal of that which is no longer needed. It...

nine of swords

No matter what deck you’re using, you know the Nine of Swords means trouble. Traditionally depicting a young woman sitting upright in bed, her head in her hands, with nine swords hovering over her, it practically radiates grief, anxiety, worry, and pain. But all...