The Three of Swords, one of the Minor Arcana of a traditional tarot deck, has one of simplest illustrations of any tarot card, yet its meaning is no less profound than any other. Most tarot readers interpret the Three of Swords as an omen of sorrow, despair, and emotional emptiness, especially when the pain is experienced because of the loss of something valuable. Its counterpart in playing card tarot is the Three of Spades.
In the popular Rider-Waite deck, the Three of Swords is depicted as a single, red heart, suspended in air and pierced completely by three silver blades. A raining cloud and a gray sky are the only images seen in the background of the card. While the illustration is simple, its simplicity emphasizes its meaning and adds to its poignancy.
When someone is in a state of mourning or severe depression, they may feel fully surrounded by their agony, unable to see anything else. In this way, the Three of Swords' lack of detail emphasizes feelings of despair by accentuating feelings of loss, emptiness, and loneliness. The wounded heart in the Three of Swords is open, vulnerable, and utterly exposed. Its visible loneliness is sometimes seen as an indication that emotional trauma is following the loss of someone or something that was precious. This might refer to a lost relationship, a death, or a dream that was surrendered.
If the Three of Swords card appears in a tarot reading, it generally tells the querent that he or she needs to embrace and accept the pain in order to get through it. A denial of these feelings will only prolong the pain, making the despair of loss seem permanent. When the Three of Swords is drawn in reverse, it indicates that the tarot querent is already prolonging his pain-- perhaps the wound is already old, but has never been able to heal because the person failed to acknowledge his pain in the beginning.
Though it carries a message of sadness, the Three of Swords also has its own air of optimism-- a silver lining, so to speak, behind the rain cloud portrayed in the background. By commanding the querent to face his or her pain, rather than trying to escape it, the Three of Swords can bring resolution to a time of sorrow. Only by confronting pain can a person be liberated from mourning.
