Understanding Swords ♧
“To reconcile our mind with the subtle edge of truth: such is the path of our own intelligence.”
Attributes
Element: Air
Season: Autumn
Timeframe: Weeks
Crystals: Opal, topaz, tiger’s eye, turquoise, lapis lazuli
Cardinal direction: North
Creature: Sylph
Temperament: Melancholy
Apocalypse figure: Eagle
Class: Warrior
Swords (or spades), one of the four minor arcana suits, relate to the mental realm. Often the more difficult suit of the minor arcana, swords typically relate to stress, anxiety, and life challenges. More severe interpretations offered by Smith-Waite (1991) include aggression, strife, hatred, battle, enemies, misfortune and disaster. However, in a positive reading, swords may indicate possible breakthrough, the triumph of clarity through mental acuity, boldness, and courage.
Corresponding to the element Air, this suit represents the mind’s ability to take flight. Or as Costa & Groch depict in their stunning deck Tarot del Tango, these facones give the breath of life.
Notes
Season, Timeframe & Crystal attributes obtained from: Siegel, Minerva, Tarot for Self-Care: How to Use Tarot to Manifest Your Best Self (2019)
Remaining attributes taken from: Gray, Eden A Complete Guide to the Tarot (Bantam Books, 1972)
Additional references
Costa, Marianne and Groch, Ana, Tarot del Tango (2020)
Waite, Arthur Edward and Smith, Pamela Colman, The Smith-Waite Tarot Deck (1991)