FindYourSovereignty Posted May 29 Posted May 29 (edited) In a recent thread, there was some discussion that has had me pondering interpretations of the 3 of Swords and I would enjoy receiving additional thoughts and insights. logic killing emotions emotions killing logic My pondering so far, I can see both perspectives and in different readings it could lean in either direction. The 3S is often showing a piercing heart which assumes stabbing, painful emotions. As a Swords card depicting communication, intellect, clarity, mental processing, ego, is there then some kind of communication or knowledge that causes the stabbing, painful emotions or is having a broken heart and a never-ending thought pattern keeping one in pain? Is it both? I consider threes to be receiving cards for expansion and growth i.e. I receive information that I mentally process as heartbreaking and I grow and expand through the pain as I come out on the other side of it. How do you read the 3S? Edited May 29 by FindYourSovereignty
Rose Lalonde Posted May 29 Posted May 29 (edited) I think of the 3S as painful thoughts first. Thoughts that we can't deny, like if we know someone we care about is ill. Emotions follow, but the 5 of Cups is more emotion-led to me. Less about realizing. In the 5 of Cups, I might not even know why I'm feeling blue. In the 3 of Swords, I know exactly what's sad, and how I deal with that emotionally depends on my headspace at the time. Mostly stolen from a post years ago, but... I love the 3 of Swords. Lon Duquette says we'd be lucky to draw it. I know when family members have died, I've felt alone outside of time while others go about their daily routine. Auden nailed that feeling: "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone..." But the 3 of Swords says I'm not going through something others haven't, which keeps me from spiraling inward. Meleen's Book M mentions the "sorrow that leads to enlightenment." -- like you mentioned growth and expansion. Someone asked the monk Ajahn Sumedho if there are angels in Buddhism, and he said we have 4 heavenly messengers instead. The first is old age, the second sickness, and the third is death. When things are going great, we may be satisfied and not so focused on spiritual matters. But in difficult times, we tend to ask questions. -- The final Buddhist messenger is the ascetic who's devoted their life to understanding. Okay, it's not a card to throw a party over, but when times are hard, I think there's more consolation to be found here than in the 9 of Cups. The 3S reminds us that many sorrows are universal. Saturn that rules this card even corresponds to the Universe/World. It can even soften us up to remember that people who do careless or reckless things also go through this at some point. Not to let them run over us, but just to recall that no one avoids all of those three messengers. And to consider how we deal with it ourselves. Edited May 29 by Rose Lalonde
Ferrea Posted May 29 Posted May 29 My key phrase for the 3 of Swords is painful realisation. The association with Saturn indicates that we're dealing with a reality that can no longer be denied. I also find the piercing element significant. In that regard, there is some overlap with the meaning found in the TdM: a thought, a realisation, or a decision that punctures the harmony, stasis, or stalemate of the 2 of Swords. This is painful but allows us to see a situation as it truly is. It brings clarity through sobering up. We become aware of the consequences of decisions—our own or those of others that affect us. We gain a clearer sense of what we need in order to feel mentally stable and safe (4 of Swords). With Saturn involved, we can be sure that there is an important lesson to be learned!
DanielJUK Posted May 29 Posted May 29 For me this is a card ultimately about healing, having swords thrust through your heart is painful, it's a physical artistic depiction, emotional pain that is almost physical when it happens. @Rose Lalonde is so right about this is about thoughts, rather than emotions foremost though, it's swords rather than cups as a suit. It's not really about the heart in the image (if there is one). If you ever have a relationship end, someone break your heart or are mourning loss, one thing that is so important about it is that so much of it is about your thoughts. You feel so sad and heartbroken, but then it’s your thoughts that cycle and basically keep the painful situation alive for as long as possible. It's ultimately about your mental state. Some people get trapped in the situation of pain. This is a horrible painful situation but how do you heal from it? How do you take the swords out and heal? Loss gets better in time, you will never forget them but it's less raw. Eventually we move on from relationships and heartbreak and new opportunities come our way. You have to get out of the mindset where you cannot emotionally heal and progress. We are so amazing as humans in that we can heal from heartbreak but we just have to find our own process where it can happen and be kind to ourselves. The 3's in the minors are all about things with other people, it's an external situation or about going it alone. It's also in numerology about growth / expansion. 3 of Cups - socialising with others, increasing your community 3 of Pentacles - collaboration with people with more experience / mastered skills. Expanding your skills / education from others 3 of Wands - going it alone in enterprising, opportunity and growth are away from where you are now (for example travel, foreign trade etc) 3 of Swords - separating from others (maybe pain caused by others), growth and resilience of your mind and thinking. Learning how to mentally cope from emotional pain.
Chariot Posted May 29 Posted May 29 (edited) Interesting topic. The 3 of Swords is a card that has truly evolved for me over the years. When I first started with tarot, it was one of the 'oh no' cards. I always saw it as meaning heartbreak, sorrow, painful realisation, even crazy grief. End of the road, pull the duvet over the head and weep for hours, etc. I used to read the reversal as being in 'recovery' from painful events and times. However, as I've begun to de-catastrophise most readings, my use of this card has changed. First of all, it's a minor arcana card, meaning it's a day-to-day sort of event or situation—not life/death/end of the world. Secondly, the suit of Swords isn't all yikes, battle stations, death and destruction ...things I would normally associate with a sword as a weapon. As I've expanded my reading about tarot, I realise that, as an 'air' suit, Swords more often represent logic, thought, use of the brain to solve problems, etc. Swords cut to the chase—to the core of an issue, and don't usually soften the blow. This can make Swords seem to be a harsh suit, and the cards don't contain fun or compassion. But it's not necessarily painful either. Just logical. The suit of Swords can bring a sudden solution to problems, as well as a sense of relief, once flim-flam and distractions are set aside. My first inkling of this more useful aspect of the 3 of Swords, is when it appeared for me as the Advice card in a spread. Was it advising me to be miserable and grief-stricken? (Why would it advise me do that?) Was it advising me NOT to be miserable and grief-stricken? That didn't really make sense either, as the situation itself wasn't that fraught. Then the light bulb pinged—no, it's telling me to use my head, even if the outcome won't be what I initially hoped for. I've been wearing rose-coloured glasses. I'll be a bit disappointed, but head over heart is a better choice in this situation. Bingo. Imagine the reading is about house hunting. You've just found the house of your dreams. Well-maintained, recently redecorated interior, ideal number of bedrooms and baths, beautiful view of the river out the front window, fireplace for those cosy winter evenings you crave so much, garden that has an ideal aspect for growing vegetables, nice neighbours, reasonable price (even maybe a little lower than you expected.) You WANT that house ...badly. It SPEAKS to you! BUT you have also discovered it's on a flood plain, near to a river which is starting to flood fairly often, and the reason the house looks so well-maintained inside is because it was just redecorated after a flood. 😞 The Advice card you get is the 3 of Swords.... For me, the 3 of Swords takes on different colourations depending on where it appears in a spread. Depending on its position in the spread, it can still mean heartbreak or a sudden painful shock (of lesser impact than The Tower, though.) If reversed, the 3 of Swords can still mean recovery from a disappointment/heartbreak, or the painful shock isn't as bad as originally feared ...but it can also mean there is a danger the querent may be too emotionally invested in a situation to make a logical choice. Edited May 29 by Chariot
TarotNewbie101 Posted May 29 Posted May 29 4 hours ago, Chariot said: First of all, it's a minor arcana card, meaning it's a day-to-day sort of event or situation—not life/death/end of the world. Well, there aren't any cards about grief in the Major Arcana, so the grief-oriented minor arcana cards would have to absolutely apply to very deeply affecting situations when relevant.
TarotNewbie101 Posted May 29 Posted May 29 4 hours ago, Chariot said: Imagine the reading is about house hunting. You've just found the house of your dreams. Well-maintained, recently redecorated interior, ideal number of bedrooms and baths, beautiful view of the river out the front window, fireplace for those cosy winter evenings you crave so much, garden that has an ideal aspect for growing vegetables, nice neighbours, reasonable price (even maybe a little lower than you expected.) You WANT that house ...badly. It SPEAKS to you! BUT you have also discovered it's on a flood plain, near to a river which is starting to flood fairly often, and the reason the house looks so well-maintained inside is because it was just redecorated after a flood. 😞 The Advice card you get is the 3 of Swords.... Sorry, not to pick on your post! You just said a lot of interesting points and I want to understand. I love this example, but as a new reader, my impulse would be to read the 3 of Swords as, "If you stay here/make this choice, you will be pained." So, inherent in the card is the concept of removal, moving on. Interesting, but is that always the case? I recently did a reading (the discussion that triggered this thread) on what to do about not receiving the reciprocity I want with two friends of mine. 3 of Pentacles, 10 of Cups, Three of Swords. It was hard to read it at first as advice, because it seemed to just echo what was going on: I'm pained (Three of Swords) by the lack of effort (3 of Pentacles)...and perhaps my expectations are unrealistic (10 of Cups). If I take the Three of Swords as a card of removal, I'm still unsure if it's saying remove myself from my current friendships or remove myself from my expectations. Either way, you sparked some thought for me.
gregory Posted May 29 Posted May 29 There's also the communication aspect of swords. Not so much an action or event as "truth will out" - you suddenly realise that that nasty little thought at the back of your mind is actually true. You knew something was not right - but you couldn't pin it down till it hit you in the face - and discovering the truth really hurts. But at least you know =now - knowledge is power, sort of thing; you can stop obsessing about it, and move on.
Rose Lalonde Posted May 29 Posted May 29 (edited) 8 hours ago, Chariot said: You WANT that house ...badly. It SPEAKS to you! BUT you have also discovered it's on a flood plain, near to a river which is starting to flood fairly often, and the reason the house looks so well-maintained inside is because it was just redecorated after a flood. 😞 Yes! When the card comes up when life isn't hard, it's often about this sort of painful truth, and having to use your head. 2 hours ago, gregory said: discovering the truth really hurts. But at least you know =now - knowledge is power... Oh, man, I could've just written that instead of 4 paragraphs. 😅 Edited May 29 by Rose Lalonde
Aeon418 Posted May 29 Posted May 29 This card is existential in its significance. It may sound uncomfortable to some, but this card represents the primary means of growth for all of us. Sometimes we try to avoid it or run away from it. Sometimes we cling to it and let it define our existence, becoming bitter and twisted in the process. But sometimes we can move towards it, feel it as fully and deeply as we can and pass through it with a new understanding of ourselves that we could not have gained in any other way.
JoyousGirl Posted May 29 Posted May 29 (edited) The heart wants what the heart wants, and the mind sometimes tells us how things should be or tricks us with its thinking processes (we formulate these in unison with others as we grow up, and then society tells us how it should be etc). If we step out of ourselves and observe, is what we think and feel necessarily true? These processes are working in unison here, but it doesn't mean it's good for us. There's also a sense of the heart that keeps beating is keeping us alive. The swords piercing the heart could be said to indicate mental, spiritual and physical death - by mental I mean things like rapport or communication, by spiritual I mean a sense of union, connection and camaraderie, by physical I mean physical separation - moving out, getting sacked, etc - (basically relevant to whatever situation is involved) and thus separation and transformation of the mental/emotional attachment. One by one or all together. It's thinking "I can't live if living is without you" whatever that you is. But you do, and it's a new life, or reclamation of a better one. If we think we need something in our life and we're attached to it - because of time or dependency or whatever, then it's very painful. It is a process which might have been shown by the removal of a spiritual connection or mental connection, then finally the irrevocable physical separation. So it's a bit like Death, moving on to a new life and way of being. But because we're usually determined to be comfortable and avoid change we might lie to ourselves (which is why we don't notice or prefer not to notice the gradual insertion of the swords which are indicating these deaths). We come to the light once all three are "communicated" to us - it's the pain of the realisation in the Tower card or the separation and closure in the Death card. Edited May 30 by JoyousGirl clarifying
DanielJUK Posted May 30 Posted May 30 15 hours ago, Rose Lalonde said: Oh, man, I could've just written that instead of 4 paragraphs. 😅 This is a very 3 of Swords lesson, although I like reading longer posts 😂
Aeon418 Posted May 30 Posted May 30 On 5/29/2025 at 3:52 AM, Rose Lalonde said: I love the 3 of Swords. Lon Duquette says we'd be lucky to draw it. Agreed! 🙂 The message of this card is so counter-intuitive, but it is well worth wrestling with until a kind of inversion takes place and the penny finally drops. Though it might not seem like it, the 3 of Swords is a precious opportunity to keep the heart open during times of great pain and psychological suffering. The knee jerk reaction is commonly a feeling of resentment in which we curse ourselves and our misfortune with a question: "Why has this happened to me?" There's a feeling of unfairness and injustice that arises that seems to push us towards closing the heart in despair. But the 3 of Swords is trying to tell us the importance of remaining affirmative, awake, and aware. To keep the heart open despite intense feelings of pain and resentment. Not everyone uses the astrological correspondences to the minor cards. But the attribution of Saturn in Libra points to very direct teaching and re-balancing. It takes a lot of courage to remain open and accept the valuable lesson on offer. Quote Aleister Crowley: "I will interpret every phenomenon as a particular dealing of God with my soul."
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