What is the suit of Swords in Tarot? |

The suit of Swords represents the mental and intentional plane and symbolizes what you have in mind and what you express, physically or verbally. Swords equate to intentions, goals and ideals. It is an element that deals with what is considered as acquired culture and attitudes taken to obtain something specific.

When a person draws a card from the suit of Swords, he must know that his own intellect and the universe associated with beliefs, life philosophies and certainties are at stake. One must take into account the need to be very objective and clear, which will depend on a good reflection on one’s own intentions and what is around them, making it easier to see them.

The Four Element Theory

The four elements refer to the natural elements: Fire, Water, Air and Earth, essential to human life on the planet. The concept of the four elements is very old. It goes back to the culture of India and China and is therefore at the foundation of Buddhism and Hinduism. But the roots of the Western theory of the four elements are in Ancient Greece, when pre-Socratic philosophers attested that these were the four basic forces that constitute matter.
The idea lasted until the Middle Ages and ended up being disseminated during the Renaissance period, when it seems to have influenced the structure of Tarot decks. They are present and decisive in various artistic and philosophical segments such as Literature, Alchemy and Astrology, for example. Each system appropriates the four elements and offers an almost unanimous interpretation of them, since they are universal forces that constitute and also affect the nature of the human being inside and outside.

Suit composed of 14 cards represents the element of Air

In addition to the four court cards – King, Queen, Knight and Page -, the suit of Spades is composed of another 10 numbered cards: ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten of Spades. The Kingdom of this suit corresponds to the element of Air, according to Four Element Theory (see box on the side), and its symbols are the knife, the dagger, the spear and the gun, among others.

Key words

Intrigue, immaturity, lies, selfishness, coldness, revenge, seriousness, reason, intelligence, daring and speed.

The teaching brought by the suit of Swords

When Spades cards are drawn, thoughts can be as decisive as any practical action. They teach you to think, reason and analyze situations in depth instead of acting on impulse. They are letters aimed at gathering ideas, choosing words and taking action based on a position. Instead of fearing the Spades cards, it is favorable to think that they are part of the suit of intellect, mental games, verbal constructions and argumentation.

What to ask when this suit is drawn?

How am I acting in the face of events? What are the best words to say right now? How much attention should I give to this situation?

What is Tarot used for?

Bearing in mind the idea that the Tarot is a framework of symbols, it is easy to see that it basically works as a representation of situations or people. In the forecast approach, it serves to predict the future, analyze past events and assess what is at stake in the present, but always depending on the context in which it is used. The orientation approach analyzes the cards, associating them with the stages we are in at a certain moment and how we can solve problems, take the right actions and enjoy what is important.

Reading the Tarot is projecting what we want to know about a moment, situation or person, representing the object and defining its course or the most prudent attitude towards it.