Suit of Swords

The Suit of Swords corresponds to the element of Air and represents thought, communication, truth, logic and conflict. Its cards describe decisions, arguments, mental clarity, anxiety and the consequences of words. The sword cuts both ways: it can liberate through truth or wound through criticism. It is the suit with the largest number of difficult images in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, such as the Three of Swords, with its pierced heart, or the Ten of Swords, which marks a definitive ending. A predominance of Swords in a spread suggests the matter is being worked out on the mental plane and calls for clear decisions.