Swords

Ace of Swords

An ethereal hand holds out an upright shimmering sword - The conscious mind - Against a background of jagged mountains.
Rider Waite: At the tip of the sword sits a crown decorated with wreaths - a King’s triumph.
Modern Witch: Clouds spin around the blade - Manipulation of the ethereal.

Interpretations

One’s intellect brings forward new opportunities.
A major breakthrough that will change everything is on the horizon if one is willing to keep an open mind about matters.
Expanding one’s mind.
A journey is about to begin, it will be perilous.
Power will come, and with it responsibility.
The pursuit of truth will bring out justice.
Reluctance to take on new ideas.
One must set SMART goals. (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound).
Clouded judgment.

Two of Swords

A blind-folded woman draped in white clothes sitting on a stone bench holds one sword in each of her hands. She crosses her arms over her chest, protecting herself. And Rocky islands dot the sea behind her.

Interpretations

Two options lie before one. Where should one go? - The reader can pull two other cards to represent what each of the options might be.
Not having enough information to decide where to go.
Defensive reactions. Refusal to face something and shielding one self from uncomfortable situations or differing opinions.
Indecision or refusal of decision. One has to decide at some point.
One is stuck between a rock and a hard place. There are no good options.
Information overload causing reclusion.
Maybe this difficult decision should be made intuitively instead of rationally.
A stalemate. Both parties involved should make an effort to remove their blindfolds and look at the situation from the other party’s angle.
If one is in the middle of a conflict between two parties where they aren’t part of any and is trying to be the peacemaker, one is probably stumbling over themselves and only making problems worse.

Three of Swords

Under a stormy night, dark clouds gather as three swords pierce a heart.
Modern Witch: … And black tar comes out of it.

Interpretations

Pain… Hurt… One should allow themself to feel this. But not for too long.
To live is to suffer. And according to Buddha, desire causes suffering.
Even this pain will pass, as everything is temporary.
One’s heart is too exposed to hurt from bullies or very minor things that shouldn’t trigger so much pain.
One’s main source of hurt is oneself.
One has hurt the heart of another.

Four of Swords

Rider Waite: The Four of Swords shows a knight lying horizontally on a tomb. He remains in his full armor, and his hands are in the position of prayer as a sign of rest. One sword lies beneath the knight, symbolizing a single point of focus, and three swords hang above him, pointing downwards towards his head and torso. The stained-glass window above him shows a woman and child together. (Biddy Tarot)
Modern With: A woman lies exhausted on her bed. The position of her hands and legs however indicate she is too tired even to rest. Four swords hang on the wall pointing downward towards her body. It’s still daylight showing the complete imbalance of her sleep schedule.

Interpretations

Rest. Take a Nap. One has done enough for now.
One should get distance from some trouble in order to get a good perspective. Take a day off.
One should declutter their minds. Take some time to do nothing and meditate.
One could stop to review their progress so far, and appreciate the recent changes in one’s life.
One REALLY NEEDS to take a break, or they will break.

Five of Swords

A sly warrior has apparently won a battle between themself and 2 others that walk away in shame. They’ve each dropped their swords. Two more swords to the warrior’s collection who already holds three.

Interpretations

One has the strength and confidence to win any fight, but should this battle even be fought?
Hurting the people in one’s life for petty reasons.
Success at any cost.
Defeat.
A fight one could never win.
Can represent abusers. Flashbacks. PTSD.

Six of Swords

A woman is rowed through a body of water towards a nearby land. She is slouched, suggesting sadness and she moves away from her past. However she carries her past with her, with the 6 swords pinned to the hull.
The water behind her is turbulent, but the sea ahead is calm.
Rider Waite: The woman is covered and a child sits beside her. Her hope for the future.

Interpretations

Moving away from the familiar, towards the unknown.
Weight holding one back.
Everything changes. It’s pointless to fight it. Everything, eventually, ends, so something else can begin.
Initiation
One should move away from the familiar, towards the unknown.
Resistance to change.

Seven of Swords

A Person sneaks away from the crime scene with 5 swords on their hands. They look back at the 2 swords left behind, and smile, proud of themselves for such sneakery.
Modern Witch: She’s doing that on heels, and running away from an apartment complex instead of a military camp. I don’t like this card’s design.

Interpretations

Theft, betrayal, deception, trickery.
Could be that one employs trickery to some end, or that tricks are being played on one.
Strategies to get on top or even to just survive sometimes require cunning and/or some level of deception.
Work smart, not hard.
Selfishness isn’t always a bad thing. One should come in the first place, even if it hurts others.
Escaping.
Impostor syndrome. Thinking one is a fraud and will eventually be caught.
Blaming oneself for something no one cares about or simply isn’t true.
Justifying bad behaviors to oneself with lame excuses.
Deep dark destructive secrets.
Tiresome charades in relationships.

Eight of Swords

The Eight of Swords shows a woman bound and blindfolded. Eight swords surround her, seemingly trapping her in place. However the swords do not form a full circle and she could escape her predicament. She stands on a pool of water suggesting intuition may let her see what her eyes can’t.

Interpretations

Being helplessly trapped in one’s situation.
Self imposed barriers to freedom.
Overthinking.
There is a way out of one’s predicament. They just need to look at it differently.
Limiting beliefs.
Victim mentality.
Self sabotage.
Self harm.
Self-destructive behavior.

Nine of Swords

The Nine of Swords shows a woman sitting up in her bed with her head in her hands. She appears to have been jolted awake from a terrible nightmare that has left her disturbed, scared and anxious. Nine swords hang on the dark wall behind her. Her blankets are outlined with roses.
Rider Waite: Here, her blanket also has astrological signs, and her bed frame shows two people fighting.

Interpretations

Overthinking.
Paralysing fear.
Be weary of self-fulfilling prophecies.
Insomnia.
Suffering alone (one never needs to do that).
Deep depression.
Suicidal ideation.
Need for urgent psychiatric help.

Ten of Swords

The two cards are way too different.
Rider Waite: The Ten of Swords shows a man lying face down, apparently dead, with ten swords in his back. A red cape drapes over the lower half of his body as a sign of dignity as he leaves this world. While the dark sky is ominous, the sun is rising on the horizon, bringing a renewed sense of hope and opportunity. The calm sea in the background also brings solace, suggesting that even in times of darkness, there is a sense of peace and calm to be found.
Modern Witch: “Everything is fine” says the doom scrolling woman lying on the floor with 10 swords piercing her body. The sky is dark and oppressive, and the terrain she’s on is jagged and dangerous. Everything is fine though.

Interpretations

Betrayal. Deceit. Being stabbed in the back.
Grief.
Traumatic events or situations.
A final ordeal.
Rider Waite: Painful yet inevitable endings.
Modern Witch: The calm before the storm.
Resting before the final battle.
Doom scrolling.
Distracting oneself from their own pain.
Escaping from one’s own feelings.
Trying to avoid the inevitable.
Postponing this that must happen or be done.
Needlessly carrying the weight of the past.
Procrastination.

Page of Swords

A youngling stands on a hill with their sword pointing upward to the sky. Their body leans in one direction while their face looks at the other, analyzing their surroundings. A gust of wind moves their hair and the clouds behind them.

Interpretations

Passion. Energy. Enthusiasm.
New ways of thinking. A curious mind.
New ways of self expression.
One is drawn to make their voice heard.
Communication.
A young queer person.
Holding back an expression of your true self.
A closet.
All talk, no action. Enthusiasm in spades, but lack of commitment.
Annoying / childish behavior.

Knight of Swords

The knight charges ahead with mighty energy on their powerful white horse. The horse is white for it is not burdened by insecure thoughts and is perfectly rational. The clouds behind them tell a different story. As they gather around the knight as the wind carries them.
The knight defies the winds, however, with their sword held high.

Interpretations

Ambition. Action. Determination.
Acting without thinking.
One should be more proactive.
One may fuck themselves up for speeding.
One can make people think they’re intelligent, even if they’re not.
Something inside oneself wants to come out. And the fact that this thing hasn’t come out yet is a problem that needs fixing.
Impulsivity.
Slow. Down.
Selfishness. Self-righteousness.

Queen of Swords

The queen sits on a throne decorated with delicate flying creatures - butterflies among them symbolizing transformation. She looks into the future, with her left hand raised as if to receive something. On her right hand: An upright sword, cutting through lies to find the truth.

Interpretations

Rationality. Unbiased judgment. Seeing the bigger picture as well as the minor details.
Coldness. Sincere to a fault.
“Please, get to the point”. Inpatient. Getting to the heart of the matter as quickly as possible. Low tolerance for gossip, fluff, games and cu doce.
Quick thinking. High perception score.
Well defined limits and boundaries.
Resentfulness. Brutal honesty.
Lack of focus. Clouded judgment. False beliefs.

King of Swords

The king of swords sits upon the butterfly's throne, holding a sword in his right hand in order to use rationality to cut through lies and obstacles and get where he needs to. Their blue clothes represent a connection to both spirituality and critical thinking. The clouds that ran through the previous cards in the suit of swords finally rest under their feet.

Interpretations

Intellectual power. Authority [in the BG3 narrator voice].
Clear mind. Set Path. Objectivity. Power to cut through the heat of the matter quickly and with great impact.
An advisor. A physicist, a lawyer, an engineer. An expert in their field. An authority you can, actually, call unto.
Social soft power. Silent authority. Air of superiority.
Misuse of power. Inflated egos. Power’s gone to one’s head.
Fragile masculinity. Mansplainers. Literalmente broxa.
Lack of decisiveness. Clouded mind.