Four of Swords

Keywords & Phrases:
Repose. Temporary retreat. Contemplation. Truce. Inner fears. Emotional ghosts from the past. Making time for yourself to be alone. Finding your own space. Relaxing and taking it easy. Standing back and reviewing the situation. Preparing for the future. Taking stock of your objections. Slowing down. Respite. Recharging your batteries. The need for rest and relaxation. A slow period. Recuperation. Recovery. Regrouping. Inactivity. A welcome break. A needed holiday. Solitude. Meditation. Introspection. Contemplation. Reevaluation. Getting away from it all. Need for healing. A problem or dilemma being worked on. Illness. Retreat. Rest and recovery. Taking time out. Under pressure. Respite from stress. Organizing thoughts. Prioritizing.

Summary:
The Four of Swords has two distinct interpretations: first, that our own past presents us from moving on. We feel stuck, paralyzed by our fears and self-doubt generated by failures, pains, disappointments, or betrayals of the past. It is important to look at these fears in the cold light of day and they will soon disappear. The second interpretation is that confrontation with others is not appropriate right now. Instead of rushing in to make a decision or forcing an issue, stand back, retreat, find time to think things through or contemplate the true nature of your current situation.

Your strength is exhausted and circumstances conspire to force you to slow down or temporarily drop out and rest. For now you're stuck in neutral. This break in your activities is long overdue; use it to revitalize yourself. Take a vacation, go on a retreat, or just relax and get in touch with your inner self. Put all your concerns to one side and take time out. You'll emerge renewed and refreshed.

Feeling stressed out? A temporary truce is in order. Now is the time to take a break and rest after a period of struggle or conflict. You need a period of renewal to calm your mind and rejuvenate your body. Now is a time to relax and regroup your forces. Obtaining distance from your daily routine will help put matters in perspective.

There is a very serene quality to this card, implying meanings like rest, recuperation, retreat, meditation, introspection, and contemplation. It may advise withdrawing in order to gather up resources before returning to our quest or conflict, such as the quiet, focused concentration of an athlete prior to a competition. The swords in this image that are set aside may indicate the setting aside of conflict.

Everywhere, troubles of every sort surround and follow you. There is only one sensible course of action. Find a peaceful spot and give yourself over to it. Rest and ground yourself. Then deal with all of the problems.

Solitude is sweet only when it is not accompanied by remorse, regrets, and sacrifices. Mine is a bitter solitude. My name is Chang-O and I am a Chinese goddess.

Questions:
From what do you need to rest or retreat? Where do you need to focus your energies in order to recuperate your strength? What do you need to do to gain a better perspective and to be fair and just in the situation? What kind of professional assistance would help most?

Ten of Swords

Keywords & Phrases:
Breaking up. Destruction. Endings. Enlightenment. Turning point. Exaggerated self-pity. Feeling life is against you. Playing the victim. Cutting through illusions. An irrevocable ending. The end of a cycle. Defeat. A forced change. The death of a matter. Death of an illusion. Time to let go. Negative thinking. Loss. Hitting bottom. Hardship. The only way is up. Paralysis. The end of a problem, defense, ego hang-up, hostility. Letting go. Death of the old way of thinking. Release. Relief. New dawn.

Summary:
Always a rather alarming card to draw in a layout, the Ten of Swords isn't as bad as it looks. There are differing interpretations of the Ten of Swords, because it is one of the most powerful and complex cards in the deck. Like all tens, this card indicates the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one. But before you can embark on a new journey, you must liberate yourself from old patterns of behavior, drop emotional baggage and say goodbye  to the "old you". It's time to declutter your life. In this sense the Ten of Swords represents enlightenment; it is timely now to accept your illusions for what they are. Even if you're feeling disillusioned, this can only lead  to a new self-awareness. Right now you must look forward and put the past behind you.

You're facing forced change and the final resolution of a situation or the dramatic end of a cycle. You must give up on a lost cause and get on with the true purpose of your life. Ultimately, you feel relieved, accept the inevitable, and move on. You've experienced disaster and survived: there's little left in life for you to fear.

For obvious reasons, this is one of the least popular cards in the tarot deck. It often is interpreted as meaning failure and defeat, with connotations ranging from plans going awry to being stabbed in the back. But if this card indicates hitting an all-time low, the good news is that things have gotten just about as bad as they can get, and things are finally going to start getting better.

Considering the mental aspects of the suit of Swords, this card also can mean that we have analyzed something to death, sucking all the joy and excitement out of it. Also, when we overanalyze something, we may come to confuse our thoughts about it with the thing itself, effectively destroying it by replacing it with our concept of it.

You have hit bottom. Your plans are not working out. You have reached the outer limits. A situation or relationship is coming to its irrevocable end, and you may be feeling on the threshold of depression because of your loss. You have done all you can and it is time to make a definite break or suffer the consequences. This ending is accompanied by a deep sense of loss and sadness. You may be feeling emotionally cut off. You must let go to make way to the future.

I am the innocent victim of a cruel curse. I am alone, afraid, and desperate in this gloomy forest. Who knows what will be of me... I am Sakuntala, the unlucky Indian nymph.

Even when all appears to be lost, we must remember that everything comes to an end and no enemy is invincible.

Even as you mourn a great loss, you see the beauty, the continuity within it. The sadness, the darkness, transforms you and you move through it, gracefully toward a new day.

Questions:
What must I accept? What can I change? Do I know the difference between the two? In what way are you feeling paralyzed or unable to act? Where do you feel that you have no choice? What are you being forced to accept? What is being sacrificed? What problem can you let go of? By accepting defeat, what are you now free to do?

Six of Swords

Keywords & Phrases:
Moving away from danger. Journey in consciousness, or mental travel. Solving problems. Getting distance to see things in perspective. Transition. Passage. Transferring ideas, data, materials. Planning a route. Scientific thinking. Dependence on others. New perspective. Recovery. Travel. Moving away from trouble. Getting over difficulties. Heading on to better times. Having to change location. Mental or physical journey. Leaving the past behind. Beginning to be more positive about life. Understanding an idea. Logical passage. Brighter days ahead. Leaving your troubles behind. Release of tension. A welcome transition. Going with the flow.

Summary:
If you feel you are in troubled waters right now, then this card indicates that you are about to move into calmer ones, particularly if the card is in the "you now" position. You are not exactly exuberant and you are a little wary of what's ahead, but you can at last see life or events with a more objective perspective. You are moving ahead or moving away from circumstances that were uncomfortable or uncertain, and now you can see the way forward.

Consider this card a metaphorical gateway through which you journey away from your problems. Travel is indicated. Although all of your troubles haven't ended, you're aware of a lessoning of strain and tension. You've made certain decisions that are pushing you in a new direction. The future may be unknown, but you move toward it with hope in your heart.

In difficult situations, take a moment to put some distance (either physical or psychological) between it and you in order to gain a better perspective.

You are leaving behind a period of strain, worry, and anxiety. You are entering a more tranquil time in which your peace of mind will be restored. Sometimes a trip will relieve tension and reinstate balance and harmony. You are open now to new learning. This is a time to review past difficulties with an eye to assuring a better future. You are now able to leave a destructive situation or behavior pattern behind.

Prepare for a long trip at sea. The stars will be our guide. Amidst storms and calm we will reach our destination together. I am Nehalennia, Celtic goddess, protector of seafarers.

At times the solution to a problem can be found by changing direction. We must not be afraid to spread our wings.

Questions:
What do I need to leave behind so I can concentrate on growth? What do I need to communicate for healing to begin? What immediate problems are you attempting to solve? Where will you go to solve them? Where in your life right now is mental clarity important? How are you liberating your mind from clutter and false ideas so that you can think clearly? When you step back from your problem to gain a clear perspective, what do you see?

Three of Swords

Keywords & Phrases:
Necessary cutting. Wounding. Disbelief. Rejection. Getting to the heart of the matter. Triumph of logic over emotions. Feeling hurt. Discovering a painful truth. Feeling let down. Fear of loss. Reality check. Pain. Alienation. Separation. Creative heartbreak. Disharmony. Heart and mind at odds. Painful miscommunication. Truth hurts. Harsh words. Heartache. A bleeding heart. Quarrels. Conflict. Upheaval. Neurotic behavior. Stress. Tension. Pierced to the quick.

Summary:
The Three of Swords has a variety of meanings, and like any double-edged sword, you must try to apply the interpretation to your current situation with complete emotional honesty. The positive side of this card is that with a clear head, an open mind and acceptance of your feelings you can get to the heart of any situation and sort it out.

Commonly, this card tends to be biased toward its more "negative" interpretations. When we feel let down in love, betrayed and emotionally hurt, our world suddenly seems unjust and we are heartbroken or fearful of losing someone. All these experiences have something in common, and that is that we suffer alone, thinking that we are the only one to feel these feelings, and we believe no one has ever felt what we feel. Good old logic and reason seem to be the last things that would save us. But, if you examine your feelings with care, talk to others, and realize that your pain is someone else's pain, it can lead to a better understanding of yourself and others.

Letting go of what no longer serves your best interests is sometimes the only way to end your pain. You probably feel that all is lost, but remember the adage: "This too shall pass". Then the real healing will begin. Acknowledge your pain, examine it, and work through it. Then let it go and move on.

The Three of words is often interpreted as sorrow or heartbreak. However, this card is in the suit of Swords, which traditionally deals with thought and communications, so there are more layers of meaning to it that should be examined as well. This card can indicate coming to understand our pain and suffering, or expressing our grief in order to be healed.

In readings, the Three of Swords often represents the nasty little curve balls that life can throw sometimes. Betrayal, abandonment, rejection, separation, a reversal of fortune. These wounds are painful because they hit  you when you least expect them. If you have drawn this card, you may know what it refers to, but if not, the Three of Swords is a valuable warning. It is likely that there is something amiss in your life that you are unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge. Examine your situation carefully. Don't take anything for granted. Talk to the people in your life. Listen to your inner voice, it will help you locate the problem.

We are Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, fate, necessity, and existence. Bare your soul to us. We are the past, present, and future. We are the Norns, powerful Scandinavian goddesses.

When others lose faith in us, we are most vulnerable to attack from within ourselves.

There it is, right there. X marks the spot. Your heart is cut, broken, bleeding. Such exquisite pain. But wait! Whose hand is holding the dagger?

Questions:
In what ways are you suffering? Feeling jealous? Hurt? Has someone hurt your feelings? What are you feeling sorrowful about? Can you look at your relationships with truth and honesty? What do you fear most within your relationships? What do I need to finish so that I can move on? Can I accept reality and focus on solutions?

Nine of Swords

Keywords & Phrases:
Depression. Suffering. Guilt. Putting yourself down. Nightmares. Insomnia. Mental torments. Despair. Shame. Conscience. Remorse. Doubt. Fears. Failure. Isolation. Imagining the worst. Sad, sleepless nights. Worry. Extreme stress. Anxiety. Anguish. Pain. Feeling useless or overwhelmed. Brooding. Lack of confidence. Gloom and doom. Sorrow. Overwhelmed by negativity. Overburdened by thoughts. Feeling you have done something wrong. Wishing "if only". Regretting the past. Obsessive sorrow. Feeling vulnerable. Self-destructive tendencies. Abandonment. Desperation.

Summary:
The Nine of Swords is the nightmare card. Your sleep may be disturbed as you deal with some vexing matter. You may be plagued by fear, guilt, doubt, and worries that are - to a large extent - unfounded. The difficulties you imagine may not appear so bleak when they see the light of day. The suffering you feel is the aftermath of previous difficult circumstances.

This card can indicate worry or despair. In the midst of such suffering, it is hard not to feel as thought life is hopeless. However, this card may also indicate the tortures we put ourselves through when we surrender to our unreasonable fears. It can be the feeling we get when we wake in the middle of the night worrying about something, even though things inevitably do not turn out to be that bad in the morning. When this card turns up, remember that "the darkest hour is just before dawn", and that fear and worry are the biggest part of our problems. Also, a cure for fear is hope - so instead of focusing on the horrors of your problems, start concentrating on solutions to them.

By acknowledging feelings of sorrow, disappointment, shame, and disillusion, you take the first step towards releasing them.

Like shadows, the demons inside us always seem larger and more threatening than they really are.

We can rise and see the light of day from the depths of despair and our greatest fears and woes. We all have nights when we toss and turn, our thoughts get out of proportion, we blame ourselves, blame others, worry about our actions and flounder in our doubts. The Nine of Swords basically reminds you that it is the time to refocus your goals, because just a little tweak here and there could make a big difference.

Again Swords are given the unpleasant task of handling and describing the human soul's relationship with pain. Pain hurts but it is part of life and we must not flee it, ignore it, or negate it. When it comes, pain is real and true, and we must accept this. This card deals with remorse, responsibility, and loss. It describes the moment when not only is there no hope, we do not even want to hope. We wait only for the pain to stop, in the worst and most terrible way. Hope, however, does not just depend on us. It is there even if we cannot see it, and pain is not able to shut every door and close every light. Not even the pain that comes from within and seems to swallow everything.

The Nine of Swords represents the pain we generate from within; what tortures we put ourselves through when our fears and doubts overwhelm us. Needless to say, the Nine of Swords is not the most pleasant of cards, but it doesn't always indicate major distress. Often it is just a sign of some element of unhappiness or trouble - a vulnerable spot in your life. Use the card as a 'caution' sign.

I disturb your sleep with terrible nightmares. I heap upon you the hate, fear, envy, and wickedness that consume me. I am Ate, the Greek goddess of insanity and misfortune.

Questions:
How are you putting yourself down? What is the source of your depression? What nightmares do you need to confront? What are you suffering from? What can you do to improve the situation? What is reality and what is a nightmare? How realistic are my fears? Am I willing to be patient enough to heal?

Eight of Swords

Keywords & Phrases:
The paralysis of analysis. Restriction. Feeling trapped. An oppressive environment. Lack of empowerment. Blockage. Bondage. Forced restraint. A vicious circle. Lack of self-assertion. Isolation. Fear of the unknown. Inhibited energy. Inability to move. Feeling boxed in. Intellectual imprisonment. Caught in a vice. Holding yourself back. Lacking confidence to proceed. Problems with communication. Trapped by fear. Stuck in a difficult situation. Worry. Censure. Emotional pain. Hard times. Self-induced unhappiness. Confusion. Misunderstanding. Indecision. Paralysis. Lack of faith in yourself. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Too many ideas with no direction. Blocked energy or creativity. Waiting to be rescued. Self-sabotaging mind. Feeling fenced in. Lack of freedom to choose. Scattered ideas and no direction. "The Houdini card."

Summary:
This card evokes an impression of being trapped, powerless, or victimized. It may indicate someone whose personal power is hampered or restricted, or it could indicate mental bondage. When this card comes up, it is reasonable to wonder if the problem at hand might have an aspect of self-imposed limitations.

You're holding yourself back from living life to the fullest. You project your fears and inhibitions into your surroundings, then you view them as obstacles. The limitations you perceive don't lie in the outer world. They are projections of your own inner apprehension and anxiety. Paralyzed by the fear of the unknown, you're afraid to break the chains that bind you. Although you feel you're in an impossible situation, there is a way out. Remove your blinders and expand your ideas of what is possible. Change your negative beliefs and you'll change your life.

The Eight of Swords represents fear, blockage, limitation and restriction that are often self-imposed. You feel boxed in, trapped, and unable to move. You may be acting as your own worst enemy because of your fear of the unknown and your reluctance to try something new or to assert yourself. You are stuck in a rut of your own making. Your ability to communicate may be temporarily impaired. You feel limited by circumstances, but the more important limitations are caused by your own refusal to open your mind to the truth of the situation. You must face your fears before you can make an important decision. With courage you can transcend your anxieties and resolve the problems that surround you. If you can't see clearly, this is a time to seek wise counsel and heed sound advice.

To free ourselves of the difficulties that hold us in chains we must first understand what is really important for us.

When we are under pressure, under attack, or victim of an injustice, we should not cry and want to be saved. Instead we should react, be strong, and never renounce our own identity.

You will not be paralyzed by your own fear forever if you drop "I can't" and "Yes, but" from your vocabulary. You have the power of choice.

This card suggests that you need to focus and to find clarity, rather than assume you will find someone to rescue you from your victimized feelings. Unfortunately, no one can rescue us from ourselves. Solutions aren't easy, but they are there, and if you open yourself to possibilities you won't have to play the victim either.

When you see this card, remember that you do have choices, and you do have power. No matter how trapped you feel, you can find a way out if you believe it is possible. The young girl in the picture could free herself - she could wriggle free, tear off the blindfold, and kick down those swords. Solutions are not always easy, but they exist. Find your clarity of thought and purpose and use them to take that first step towards home.

Slander and humiliation, condemnation and imprisonment. My fate is sealed, Hades awaits me. I am Persephone, Greek goddess of the hereafter.

Questions:
Are we being restricted by confusion, indecision, or a lack of confidence or vision? Do we have a victim mentality? Have we given away our personal power to someone? What am I avoiding? What can I do to take back my own power? What actions, plans, or ideas are being blocked by forces beyond your control? What would you like to do if you could get rid of the obstacles and blocks? Who or what could assist you to break free? What benefits do you receive by not acting? What is interfering with your creative expression or your ability to communicate?