Tarot · Minor Arcana · Swords
Three of Swords
- heartache
- a truth that stings
- moving through
- release
Key facts
- Arcana
- Minor Arcana
- Suit
- Swords
- Number
- 3
- Numerology
- 3 (The Result: expression, productivity, output)
- Keywords
- heartache, a truth that stings, moving through, release
Three of Swords upright
The Three of Swords shows a pierced heart, and it doesn’t try to pretend. A sorrow is here, maybe a truth that stings, and it asks to be acknowledged rather than hidden. Naming what hurts is already the beginning of the healing. The rain on the card always passes eventually, and the heart, for its part, knows how to close over and mend.
Three of Swords reversed
Reversed, the Three of Swords speaks of a pain we hold too long, or refuse to look at. You may be turning a hurt over in your head instead of letting it flow out. The way out isn’t to forget, but to finally put it into words and allow yourself to heal. Be for yourself the tenderness you’d offer a wounded friend.
A question to sit with
Which truth would you gain from facing, gently?
Frequently asked questions about Three of Swords
- What does Three of Swords mean upright?
- The Three of Swords shows a pierced heart, and it doesn’t try to pretend. A sorrow is here, maybe a truth that stings, and it asks to be acknowledged rather than hidden. Naming what hurts is already the beginning of the healing. The rain on the card always passes eventually, and the heart, for its part, knows how to close over and mend.
- What does Three of Swords mean reversed?
- Reversed, the Three of Swords speaks of a pain we hold too long, or refuse to look at. You may be turning a hurt over in your head instead of letting it flow out. The way out isn’t to forget, but to finally put it into words and allow yourself to heal. Be for yourself the tenderness you’d offer a wounded friend.