One of the Court Cards of the Minor Arcana in traditional tarot, the Page of Swords is one of the few optimistic cards in the Suit of Swords. In tarot reading, the card is seen as an indication of confidence, mastery, and self-control, and it has few negative connotations when viewed upright. The Page of Swords encourages tarot subjects to act swiftly and with confidence. Its equivalent in playing-card tarotology is the Jack of Spades.
In the Rider-Waite tarot deck, the Page of Swords is depicted as a young, somewhat feminine man, with golden hair. His sleeves and tights are yellow, and his boots are red. The landscape around him, including the ocean to his left, looks unsteady, but he stands sure-footed, with a silver sword in his hands. The trees behind him blow in the wind, along with his hair: a suggestion of a storm. White clouds billow in the background, and birds fly overhead.
When the Page of Swords is drawn, it refers to a situation that is rocky and tummultuous, but the person in the situation remains calm and in-control Despite obstacles, the subject of the tarot reading will prevail and be successful. Despite the storm, the clouds are white-- not black-- and birds are still flying confidently. The unsteady landscape does not faze the sure-footed character in the card: he is self-assured and in-control.
Like all Court Cards, the Page of Swords can indicate a person, rather than just a state of being, and this will be made clear by the card's specific placement in a tarot spread, and the context of the reading at hand. When the Page of Swords symbolizes an individual, the person is almost always a woman or a feminine man. She is steadfast and confident, sometimes to a fault, and acts quickly and knowledgeably without second-guessing her decisions.
When drawn in reverse, the meaning of the Page of Swords becomes nearly the opposite of its original symbolic interpretation. The reversed Page of Swords indicates a person who has lost the confidence and sure-footedness necessary to accomplish the task at hand. Now is not the time to hesitate or wonder about the correct decision: act quickly, calmly, and rationally, and do not waver in your choices. The tarot card in reverse is an indication that confidence is being lost, and that a lack of confidence will cause failure in the situation at hand.
