Suit of Swords
The Suit of Swords is the tarot suit of air: thought, truth, communication and conflict. Its fourteen cards describe decisions, honest conversations and the struggles of the mind. It corresponds to Spades in playing cards.
Also known as: suit of blades, blades
A sword cuts, and so does a clear thought. In the Rider–Waite–Smith tradition Swords belong to the element of air, the realm of ideas, words, logic and judgement. The suit shows the mind at its sharpest and at its most troubled.
Its cards range widely. The Ace is a breakthrough of clarity, the Two a stalemate with eyes covered, the Four a time of rest, the Six a quiet passage to calmer waters, and the Nine a sleepless night of worry. The court cards are direct, intelligent, outspoken people or qualities.
When Swords lead a reading, the question is about thinking and truth: a decision to make, a conversation to have or a worry to examine. They often appear when clarity is needed more than comfort.
Swords have a reputation as the ‘difficult’ suit, and several of their images are stark. Yet many of their messages are freeing: the truth spoken, the decision made, the worry seen for what it is. A hard card often describes the problem, not the outcome.