The Sword cards in the Tarot are associated with ideas, action, thoughts, the mental plane, ideologies in general, change, strength, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict. As for action, it can be constructive or destructive, even sometimes signifying violence.

The suit is associated with the element Air, representing logic, rationality and thought - the source of everything else. In this case, it can be what we are thinking or what other people may be thinking or planning.

In the Middle Ages, the suit of swords was associated with the army and soldiers, but also with the nobility. As representatives of strength and power and associated with knowledge, the Sword cards in some way always indicate power.

They can also mean hatred, battle and enemies. Of all the tarot suits, this is considered the most powerful (and dangerous). The positive meanings are rationality, intellectuality and impartiality. The negative meanings are instability, superficiality and pretension. It can also suggest anger, guilt, lack of compassion and excessive criticism.

In order for us to grow and evolve, life presents us with constant challenges. For this reason, the Sword cards are generally not very positive: when they come up in a consultation, they warn us of future trials that await us, which we will have to face because they are part of our development.

This suit also symbolizes maturity and a delicate balance between power and intellect, which can be used for good things or not. For this reason, the suit of Swords must be balanced by spirit (Wands) and feelings (Cups). In a consultation, this suit when it comes out can help us understand the obstacles we encounter in relation to a particular person or situation.

Swords cards can be very challenging, as they are intense and full of emotion, very different from Cups. Because of this, more thought must be put into their interpretation due to their complexity, which suggests threats and premeditation. When faced with a Swords card, it is always up to us to decide how we are going to act and react to the circumstances that life presents us with.

When we draw a Swords card, it usually means that we have power in our hands (or someone who holds some power may be using that power against us). It often indicates struggles, conflicts and arguments of all kinds. When there is a Swords card in play, it is implicit in the answer that “battles will be fought”.

But it can't always be a physical fight, it can also be an inner battle, since the suit of Swords is linked to the mental aspect. It can often also mean anxiety generated by the mind, by fear, doubt or anguish. It's a suit that forces us to take action and accept a challenge, bearing in mind that the power to act in a situation is ours:

But if we roll up our sleeves, take up our weapons and put on our armor, we have a chance of coming out winners.

The Swords cards also warn us against hidden enemies and treacherous people of the kind we shouldn't trust, whether in the emotional, personal or professional field. In terms of health, the Swords cards generally point to the risk of accidents, illnesses and problems involved in the situation, requiring extra care.