By Isabella Vale, Founder of Tarot Masters
The Swords used to scare me.
Early in my tarot journey, I’d shuffle the deck and quietly hope none of them would appear. The suit of Swords looked sharp, cold, and painful. Cards like the Three, the Nine, the Ten, they felt like heartbreak laid bare.
But over the years, something changed.
I stopped seeing Swords as harsh or punishing, and began to recognize them as truth-tellers. Not always easy to hold, but always valuable. They became a mirror I grew to trust, especially when my mind was spinning or my heart was confused.
Now, when a Sword shows up in a reading, I pay attention. These are the cards that cut through the fog.
What the Swords Say to Me
The Swords are the suit of air, which means they live in the world of thought, communication, perception, and clarity. They are not warm or emotional like the Cups, or creative like the Wands. They are direct. Honest. Sometimes painfully so.
To me, they speak of the stories we carry in our heads. The ones we inherited, the ones we tell ourselves, the ones we’re brave enough to rewrite.
They ask,
“What’s the truth here?”
“What’s real and what’s fear?”
“Where are you giving your power to a thought that doesn’t serve you?”
They’ve taught me that not all pain is harmful. Some pain is release. Some discomfort is the first sign of awakening.
A Few Cards I See Differently
Three of Swords – Grief With a Purpose
Yes, this card often represents heartbreak. But I’ve come to see it as a sacred card. It doesn’t just show pain. It shows truth coming to the surface.
Sometimes, this card arrives not to wound, but to say
“You already know this hurts. Let yourself feel it. Let yourself heal.”
It’s the card that whispers, “You don’t have to keep pretending this didn’t affect you.”
Eight of Swords – The Invisible Cage
This card looks intense. A woman blindfolded, tied up, surrounded by swords. But every time I pull it, I remember something I’ve lived through many times.
Feeling trapped doesn’t always mean you are trapped.
The Eight of Swords is about mental limitation, not reality. It’s about the lies fear tells. And when it shows up, I gently ask the person
“What if the only thing holding you back is an old belief?”
Ace of Swords – The Liberating Yes
This card feels like a clean breath. A new truth. The moment the clouds part and something becomes so clear you can’t unsee it.
When I pull the Ace of Swords, I often say
“Here’s the insight you’ve been waiting for. Will you use it?”
It’s the card of clear communication, but also brave action.
Sometimes, clarity is the most radical gift we can give ourselves.
My Own Experience With the Swords
When I was going through a painful breakup years ago, I kept pulling Swords. At first, I resisted them. I wanted comfort, not confrontation. But they kept coming, not to hurt me, but to remind me what I already knew.
That the relationship had stopped being honest. That I was abandoning my voice to keep the peace. That staying was slowly silencing me.
The cards didn’t push me. They reflected me. And when I finally left, it wasn’t with anger. It was with clarity.
That’s the gift of the Swords.
Final Thoughts From My Reading Table
The Swords are not here to harm. They’re here to help you cut away what isn’t true.
They are the suit of boundaries, of choices, of integrity. They won’t hold your hand like the Cups, but they will hand you the mirror you’ve been avoiding — and help you see yourself clearly.
And clarity is its own kind of healing.
With sharp truth and soft heart
Isabella Vale