Tag - ace of swords meaning

Ace of Swords

Ace of Swords

Suit: Swords
Element: Air
Function: Intellect, the mind,truth, objectivity

A white hand comes from a cloud, holding up a sword. A crown, symbolizing the triumph of the mind, and laurel leaves, symbolizing victory. The sword is held in a right hand, symbolizing righteousness and fairness. The hand is white, indicating that it is pure and free from an agenda. The sword itself is symbolic of the mind and the use of the intellect, and that it goes through the middle of the crown indicates that sharp intellect gets to the heart of the matter.

And yet, in background are stark, craggy mountains. This shows that the intellect is barren; it is cold, and it gathers no one and endears no one to it. It’s an especially lonely path in a sense. It’s not clear whether the sword is being offered for the taking, or if it’s being brandished. Perhaps the hand is challenging the reader to a battle of wits. After all, the suit of swords is about fairness, and the ace wouldn’t go after an unarmed reader.

But there is no doubt that taking this sword means wielding great power. It’s certainly the power to destroy, but also the power to subdue, to sever, to intimidate, to symbolize strength and the forging of things to create something stronger and more powerful than the original parts.

The Ace of Swords is an invitation to wield the power of the mind. Taking the sword is taking up mental power. It’s dangerous. It requires strength. Out of all the objects in the tarot, the sword is the only one that can most certainly kill if handled incorrectly. It takes creativity and a willingness to face the truth: being foolish can cost a life, possibly yours. Think before you do anything.

This is an invitation to think, but moreover, master the profane and the material and transcend it. The Ace of Swords wants you to find the truth and fight for it, beyond your fears, beyond the borders of your personal comfort zone, and beyond your beliefs and ideas about the world as it is now. It doesn’t promise a smooth ride, but if you take the sword, you will end up in places you never dreamed.

When The Ace of Swords is Reversed:

When the Ace of Swords is reversed, the querent is struggling with having a vision, dream, or with intelligence. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re unintelligent, but that they’re not thinking or being rational. They may be relying on others to do their thinking for them, and it’s keeping them dependent and suppressed.

When this card is reversed, it’s also possible that the querent is afraid or nervous about having their own mind and expressing it. They may not be sure what they think or too afraid to really explore their own ideas. It’s possible that the querent is involved in some sort of anti-intellectual group or community that dissuades individual thought and freethinking. They may be afraid to stand up for their ideas and beliefs and be alone, going against the crowd.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past:
In the past, the querent embarked on a personal intellectual journey that has brought them to this moment.

Present:
Currently, the querent is beginning a mental and intellectual Renaissance that may significantly alter the course of their life.

Future:
In the future, the querent will come into their own intellectually and blaze their own trail.

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