Minor Arcana

Suit of Swords: the 14 cards and their meanings

The Swords are one of the four suits of the Minor Arcana: 14 cards, from the ace to the ten and the four court cards (page, knight, queen and king). In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck the suit is linked to the element of air. Every card has a meaning upright and reversed.

The meanings follow the Rider-Waite-Smith deck Vrachka editorial team Editorial Policy

Swords

The 14 cards

Keywords

Upright and reversed

14 cards: Swords, by the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Three keywords for each position.
No.	Card	Upright	Reversed
1	Ace of Swords	clarity, insight, breakthrough	confusion, ambiguity, exploitation
2	Two of Swords	choice, dilemma, stagnation	lack of agency, existential confusion, revealing truth
3	Three of Swords	heartbreak, melancholy, alienation	release, forgiveness, healing
4	Four of Swords	stillness, withdrawal, introspection	anxiety, exhaustion, isolation
5	Five of Swords	winning at all costs, humiliation, hostility	peace, surrender, forgiveness
6	Six of Swords	transition, journey, evolution	resistance to change, stagnation, disorientation
7	Seven of Swords	deception, escapism, cunning	revelation, integrity, attunement
8	Eight of Swords	restriction, powerlessness, apprehension	release, hope, openness
9	Nine of Swords	anxiety, dread, restless nights	healing, relief, hope
10	Ten of Swords	culmination, betrayal, setback	healing, fear of change, procrastination
11	Page of Swords	inquisitiveness, visionary concepts, rapid-fire communication	anxiety, gossip, lack of focus
12	Knight of Swords	drive, action, ambition	hastiness, aggression, impatience
13	Queen of Swords	intellect, clarity, autonomy	coldness, malice, manipulation
14	King of Swords	intellect, clarity, justice	tyranny, manipulation, toxic patterns