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Discussion
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In tarot the Swords all relate to trouble and problem solving. In term’s of Jung’s 4 Functions, they represent Thinking. In keeping with the human ego’s conscious awareness, swords are man-made. They are double-edged, like the two sides of an issue and the choices and decisions we make in our thoughts. They are pointed, like mental focus that can trace connections and patterns among ideas, or can ‘draw’ abstract glyphs as language to represent perceived meanings.
I interpret the Swords in the Minor Arcana as follows:
Ace = Prepared for imagined possible trouble.
2 = Danger of unexpected trouble.
3 = Trouble is certainly on the way.
4 = Shelter from trouble; respite.
5 = In the midst of trouble; attack, fighting, injury.
6 = Finding a solution to trouble and leaving it behind; rescue of victims.
7 = Attempt to avoid trouble; tact; ‘getting away’ with something.
8 = Dilemma; all options imply trouble.
9 = Apprehension, dread, feeling of impending trouble.
10 = Aftermath of trouble; the worst is over, challenge as to the way forward.
For me, reversed cards in a spread show some kind of disruption in the card’s normal expression. They usually indicate that the card’s meaning is either not happening, is no longer happening, or is somehow being reconsidered.
