Last week we looked at the number cards in the Wands suit and the Cups suit. Today we move on to looking at the meanings for the 1-10 of Swords regarding situation, challenge, opportunity and action advice.
Ace of Swords
Situation: Feeling inspired, a brilliant new idea that must be acted on. An invention/innovation
Challenge: To follow up on the idea/inspiration and take action with just the right amount of pressure
Opportunity: A brilliant new idea can lead to positive life-changes for yourself and/or other people. For an ongoing struggle, this card can indicate that victory is certain
Action Advice: Write your idea down right away. Pray for guidance on how to manifest it. Communication is the key to success. Don’t let obstacles and opposition put you off!
2 of Swords
Situation: A stalemate, any situation where a choice must be made
Challenge: To make the choice only once your heart and mind have been aligned
Opportunity: An increase in peace and harmony provided you make the right choice, in the right way (for the Highest Good)
Action Advice: Take your time and write your pros & cons list… but most importantly, listen to your heart. For moving forward, it’s important that your choice makes sense on both an emotional and intellectual level. Be still and go within until you have confirmation from that still small voice in your heart.
3 of Swords
Situation: A break-up or the breakdown of an important relationship, any emotionally distressing situation
Challenge: Avoid spiritual bypassing or suppression of your emotions
Opportunity: ‘The wound is the place where the Light enters you.’ – Rumi
Action Advice: Feel your feelings. Talk about your feelings. Be patient and compassionate with yourself in any process of grief and remember that heart-healing is not a linear process
4 of Swords
Situation: A period of convalescence, a retreat
Challenge: To wait for things to fall into place and healing to happen
Opportunity: Learning to relax and trust in God’s timing. Learning to meditate, discern and evaluate
Action Advice: Focus on renewing your vitality levels and harmonise mind-body-spirit. Learn a meditation technique or deepen your prayer life
5 of Swords
Situation: A dirty fight where one party is outsmarting the other. Cognitive dissonance
Challenge: Letting go of egoistic motives. Being honest about your own motives
Opportunity: Walking away from a hopeless struggle. Resolving internal conflicts
Action Advice: Choose your battles wisely. Sometimes victory equals walking away and letting the other person ‘win’
6 of Swords
Situation: A journey over water or any slightly longer journey, smooth sailing and moving away from a time of troubles. Seeking refuge/moving away from a war zone. A holiday
Challenge: To not look back
Opportunity: The beginning of a more harmonious phase of life. A long-standing problem can now be resolved.
Action Advice: Keep looking ahead!
7 of Swords
Situation: A deception or delusion. A theft. Long-term planning
Challenge: Be careful! Someone could be looking to relieve you of your possessions or innovations. Are you fooling yourself in any way?
Opportunity: Making long-term plans or an in-depth analysis of a situation
Action Advice: Keep your cards close to your chest and watch out for signs of deception. Plan carefully for the future, being completely honest with yourself
8 of Swords
Situation: Analysis paralysis. Refusing to move on, even though the need to do so is great, out of fear of choosing the wrong path or getting hurt again
Challenge: To stop analysing the situation and to take action that will help you move on
Opportunity: To free yourself from limiting thoughts
Action Advice: Seek help and guidance
9 of Swords
Situation: Anxiety and panic attacks. Troubles that keep you awake at night. Feeling at the end of your tether. Troubles could be real or imagined
Challenge: To not allow oneself to drown in despair
Opportunity: Increasing your faith through choosing to trust in God and handing all your fears and anxieties over to Him
Action Advice: Pray! Prayer takes your thoughts from spinning on the horizontal plane to spiralling up along the vertical plane, where God’s angels can start transforming your thoughts. Talk to someone or at least write your fears down. Your problems will look a lot less scary when they’re out of your head
10 of Swords
Situation: It’s always darkest right before dawn. Backstabbing. Severe loss and feeling all hope is lost
Challenge: To come to terms with one cycle of life ending and a new cycle beginning
Opportunity: Integrating past difficult lessons will benefit others whom you will be able to help. A karmic cycle ends and opens up lots of new opportunities
Action Advice: Move forward with all the learning and none of the pain by forgiving everyone, especially yourself. Start thinking about what new seeds to plant for the next cycle
I hope you enjoyed learning these card meanings for the 1-10 of Swords! For a full list of in-depth Tarot card meanings, click HERE
Deck used in photo at top of post: Hanson-Roberts Tarot (affiliate link)
