Suit of Swords meanings: all 14 upright and reversed

Swords deal with judgments, communication and conflict. Read what is known, what is assumed and what still needs deciding as separate things.

Swords

The Swords suit begins with a breakthrough of thought (Ace), stalls in indecision (2), suffers heartbreak (3) followed by rest (4), passes through selfish strife (5) and escape (6), falls into self-imposed restriction (8) and anxiety (9), and finally reaches a total ending, the darkness before dawn (10).

  • Ace of Swords

    Upright meaning · clarity, truth, and a fresh judgement

    Reversed meaning · muddled thinking, truth obscured, or expression off the mark

  • Two of Swords

    Upright meaning · stalemate, a hard choice, and a temporary balance

    Reversed meaning · denial ending, information surfacing, or being forced to decide

  • Three of Swords

    Upright meaning · heartache, disappointment, and a truth that must be faced

    Reversed meaning · healing beginning, an old wound reopening, or resisting release

  • Four of Swords

    Upright meaning · rest, recovery, and stepping out of the conflict for now

    Reversed meaning · restlessness, too little rest, or returning to pressure too soon

  • Five of Swords

    Upright meaning · conflict, a costly win, and a tug-of-war over power

    Reversed meaning · seeking reconciliation, old grievances unsettled, or ending a pointless fight

  • Six of Swords

    Upright meaning · transition, leaving the storm, and gradual recovery

    Reversed meaning · carrying the old baggage along, or unable to truly leave

  • Seven of Swords

    Upright meaning · strategy, concealment, and going around a direct confrontation

    Reversed meaning · a secret exposed, an uneasy conscience, or rethinking the approach

  • Eight of Swords

    Upright meaning · self-imposed limits, fear, and a situation that looks like no way out

    Reversed meaning · the binding loosening, options becoming visible, or breaking free

  • Nine of Swords

    Upright meaning · anxiety, sleeplessness, and worry going round in circles

    Reversed meaning · starting to face the fear, asking for help, or the worry getting worse

  • Ten of Swords

    Upright meaning · a decisive ending, pain at its limit, and having to let go

    Reversed meaning · signs of recovery, refusing the ending, or the wound being reopened

  • Page of Swords

    Upright meaning · sharp observation, curiosity, and information that needs checking

    Reversed meaning · rumour, over-vigilance, or words that wound

  • Knight of Swords

    Upright meaning · decisive action, facing the problem head-on, and fast movement

    Reversed meaning · charging in recklessly, arguing for its own sake, or ignoring how others feel

  • Queen of Swords

    Upright meaning · clear sight, boundaries, and judging by the facts

    Reversed meaning · sharpness, defensiveness, or an old wound coloring the judgement

  • King of Swords

    Upright meaning · logic, rules, and objective decision-making

    Reversed meaning · cold control, abusing authority, or reasoning with no regard for reality

Tarot card meanings and reading