3 of Swords in Tarot: meaning, history, love, work and more!

Many attribute the 3 of Swords card in the Tarot to the meaning of betrayal. However, this letter goes far beyond that. In this article you will learn to read this card beyond its conventional meaning and discover its diverse interpretations.

Combined with other cards within the reading, the 3rd card of Swords in the Tarot can indicate sadness, falsehood, rivalry, even health problems. Read the full article to understand more about the 3 of Swords.

For a complete reading, absorbing the maximum information in the query, it is interesting to study the symbols that the card presents, combining the meaning of the card within the deck and the suit.

This is a card from the suit of Swords, commonly associated with the air element, which talks about ideas, thinking and the entire mental area. And, just as the major arcana tells a story, a cycle, here we are on the third step within the cycle of the suit of Swords. Understand now the history and iconography of this letter!

Swords is a suit on the mental plane, which involves desire, will, creating situations and fighting for what you want. It is also a suit that talks about having ideas and innovating, that is, it talks about the plans and ideas we create and what we are willing to fight to put into practice.

At the same time, it talks about fears that prevent us from proceeding. The card numbers, in turn, count the time when the querent is in the cycle. The third cards have the sense of balance, movement, expansion. The 3 of Spades is no different, continuing what the 2 of Spades means.

The 3 of Spades needs to recover the lost balance after the dispute of the 2 of Spades. The 3 is the card that implies pain and wreckage. Instead of the balance guaranteed in other cards of the same number, the 3 of Spades warns that it is necessary to find the balance that was lost.

Traditional artwork and decks that draw inspiration from Rider-Waite-Smith artwork feature a red heart pierced by three swords at once and a storm in the background. It is also common representations that show scenes with sad people, or taking serious actions.

The Sweet Twilight deck, for example, shows a person piercing their own heart with a dagger. The image is quite literal: the heart will be struck by the truth and something will come out in response. Or even that a torn heart allows us to understand truths that we want to escape. And so the storm passes.

This card implies that something is dissonant, something on the mental plane is so unbalanced that it triggers suffering, which is even unnecessary. The following meanings, of suffering and separation, are results that carry doubts and not taking action ends up generating in the consultant’s life.

Unresolved situations, fear, mistrust, negative emotions were fed for a long time, leaving pain, hurt, the feeling of betrayal, tiredness, doubts. Decisions were pushed into the future and indecision also created pain. The mental area is in shambles and it is not known how to continue.

It is a time when many words are being used as weapons and no understanding is reached. The querent needs to reflect on which areas he feels worn out.

It is necessary to create some distance to analyze what can be done and separate what you want to save, make this decision and stand firm. Above all, seek balance in what you say and in your actions.

Regarding relationships, the letter shows that after many fights, silence and withdrawal, the relationship ended. Maybe jealousy wasn’t talked about or someone else might have come up. But, in short, many things were hidden, cultivating the situations that ended up leading to the end of the relationship.

Separation is just the consequence of the querent’s or partner’s attitudes. The 3 of Swords is a card that demonstrates the exhaustion of one of the parties, as the pain is a lot and distance is needed.

With this card in circulation, it’s very important to reflect on what you want in that relationship and whether it’s worth continuing to fight for it. Without effective change, resentments will deepen and separation will eventually happen.

As an exercise in self-knowledge, when the 3 of Swords appears, it is necessary to recognize one’s own pain and the difficulties one is going through. The truth has been revealed and running away is just a way to prolong the pain. It is necessary to move away from what is bad and face the fact that there is no growth in that area without a change in attitude.

Facing the truth can be difficult, and like the Tower card, some aspects of life need to be reassessed before the house of cards collapses. A letter of advice or the remainder of the print run may indicate what changes will be needed to start over, but the truth must be faced.

It is a card that asks for attention and that points out the existence of lies and disappointments. And, therefore, it seems to have no positive side, but there are evils that come for good. Always keep that in mind. Take advantage, through the 3 of Swords the truths are coming to light and there is nothing hidden anymore.

It’s a unique chance to reevaluate and bring the balance that usually 3 cards have. Take advantage of the possibility of starting over, of excluding falsehood and resolving issues that need an end.

The querent must allow himself to cry and feel the pain before preparing for the future. Without that moment of mourning, there is no possibility of healing that this card offers. The hurt and resentment that was fueled by the suit of Swords will go away and allow for a new beginning.

Betrayals, falsehoods and other actions taken against you will be exposed or acknowledged. And that hurts, but it’s necessary to understand how learning and a form of inner development. Try to get rid of ties that bind instead of connecting, and thus, abandon what is bad and no longer serves.

It may also indicate the need for medical intervention, as will be explained below. And therefore, the querent must pay attention to health problems when drawing the 3 of Swords.

The 3 of Swords applied to different areas responds to what has been left behind and needs attention. Note that these are truths that the consultant needs to face and decide to calmly follow and free himself from the suffering he is in. See now the interpretations of this card related to love, work and health.

Combined with other cards, it points to some kind of betrayal, something your partner has done that is outside the dynamic of your relationship. It indicates that the loved one is not being completely truthful in that relationship and soon the truth will come out, if it has not already been revealed.

Another interpretation is the existence of someone who is a rival, or who the querent feels is a rival. Not having an honest conversation about the situation can create an unsustainable snowball and destroy the relationship. It’s a good time to re-evaluate feelings and whether the jealousy is unfounded.

For work issues, disappointment is the focus of the reading. The expectations placed on that vacancy do not succeed or prosper. It can also be a difficult return from the bosses, in which the querent has issues to improve and needs to listen, filter out criticism and rethink attitudes.

Have you thought about a new career? Or a new job? Maybe it’s the signal to think about new opportunities and leave a position with no prospects for growth. If the querent has plans for growth or trying something new, leaving their current job may be just what the querent needed to find happiness again.

Maybe you’re running away or denying some recurring symptom, but don’t do it. Do not ignore your health and, above all, be careful with vascular and heart issues. The need for surgery is also possible, especially if the draw involves other spades in terms of health. So consult your doctor and take all precautions.

Card 3 of Swords in the Tarot reveals that there is jealousy because of a third person, or a situation that should have been resolved a long time ago. It may also indicate that your health has been neglected, or even something from the past that was not allowed to heal.

To better understand which situations need to be resolved for peace of mind to return, keep reading!

In case you make drawings with reversed cards, or draw this card in a negative square, you can interpret it as indicating that the situation that brought problems is over. Those difficult moments are behind us and today there is already a possibility of peace and harmony. The pain is still there, but it is a step after that moment of anguish.

It is never easy to face the truth completely. The normal thing is to run away, hide, look for culprits. Facing the problems, by itself, is difficult enough. This card indicates that many painful things have happened that have not yet been resolved or discussed.

In cases like this, changes are necessary and need to be made, or the pain will continue and small situations can snowball. It takes honesty and dialogue so that the situation has the best possible solution. You can be sure that the effort is worth it.

Reflect on situations that bring suffering and plan to take that first step towards inner change. Don’t let small situations become unsolvable, resolve the small issues that bother you. Say and do what’s important to you, whether it’s good or bad for other people. The heart improves after the truth comes out.

More than moving on, the 3 of Swords is a card about facing the facts, recognizing what hurts. Moving forward is the next step after reflecting on what is worthwhile and changing your attitude about that area.

Next to that, check if there is a possibility of forgiveness, of giving another chance. And, mainly, as it is a letter that involves two people, if there is a chance for dialogue. Only then is it possible to move forward.

Follow your intuition, it is very important in this process. Put everything on the scale and reflect on whether it’s worth insisting on or if moving forward is the best option, but change is necessary.