The 3 of Swords is yet another scary looking Tarot card. And yes, when it does pop up in a reading, I don’t even have to explain what it is all about to my clients – they just know! In this case, the picture does speak a thousand words!

But, as they say, once you get to know something, it isn’t all that scary after all.

Painful? Yes.

Scary? No.

3 of Swords – Image

If we look at the image of the card, we can clearly see why this card has such a bad rep.

The image is dominated by a big, red heart that has not one, not two, but three swords stuck right into it.

And of course, the oft ignored background of the card has clouds that pour rain.

All of these are classic symbols of pain and suffering and crying and betrayal.

And yes, the card does talk of this.

3 of Swords – Meaning

The clouds and the rain talk of cloudy thoughts and crying. The heart is, of course, the heart, which when struck with swords will be going through a lot of pain. Specifically the number 3 is something that is very interesting here: this could show the entry of a third person in a relationship which was already going through its painful struggles to begin with. Or perhaps, it shows that the entry of the third person has caused these painful struggles.

Even if our intuition doesn’t talk about such a betrayal, then the 3 swords show us how the pain has actually dominated the heart – from all possible sides, this heart has been struck down!

The 3 of Swords card from the Ancient Egyptian Tarot effectively conveys both the aspects of this story in its image.

I also find another thing quite interesting – and that is the perfect symmetry in which the swords pierce the heart. As the old sayings go: it takes two to tango and you can’t clap with just one hand. The way the swords are arranged tell me that the hurt and the pain which emerges from the mind has come from both sides of the table. And it was the third sword, which became the final point that was driven home. Essentially, the pain is caused by and felt by both parties to this heartbreak, and yes, it does cloud things over for a while.

3 of Swords – Hope

But does this image of the 3 of Swords talk only about gloom and doom? I don’t think so. The way I see it, it also tells us how to deal with the situation that has ensued.

Feel It – The swords pierce the heart completely. The image of the 3 of Swords from the Universal Waite deck doesn’t show any blood. But it does show that the swords cleanly come out at the other end of the heart. Essentially, this is a message to go through the pain, to feel it from the depths of your being. That in itself is the only way that you will completely understand the lessons that you had to learn from the entire experience. One can use one’s mind to logically sort through the conflicts that one encountered in this relationship and truly understand the cause, and ultimately the lessons one has to learn from this disaster.

Let It Out, Let It Go – The clouds and the rain talk about gloom and crying. Yes, depression isn’t a good place to be, but sometimes it takes an effort to cry. Personally, I find it very challenging to cry in real life. And yes, this card has guided me to do so on occasion. And yes, it has helped. Crying helps you let go of all the pent up hurt and pain, and helps you physically let out all the emotions that have been held back and / or suppressed. The pain finds an outlet with your tears, and this is the best way to let it all out, and essentially let it go.

With these important lessons, I find the 3 of Swords card particularly enlightening because not only tells me of the pain I have suffered, but also tells me how to handle it and deal with it.

3 0f Swords

Thus, to sum it up, while the 3 of Swords card does talk about all kinds of heartbreak, betrayal and pain, it also tells us how to handle it and come out at the other end, wiser and calmer, having dealt with all the aspects of the pain.

Your Turn…

What else does the 3 of Swords card tell you? What other interesting and important lessons has it shown you? If the 3 of Swords card scares you, why does it do that? Does it remind you of painful times and places from your life? How have you been able to absorb and learn the lessons that this card has to offer you?

Please do share your thoughts in the comments section below.