The Bruja's Guide to Tarot

The Swords

The Swords are all about our intellectual world. As the Minor Arcana suit of the air element, it deals with the stuff going on in our head, how we conjure through our thoughts in good and bad ways (hey, we are what we think). It’s also about being clear-minded in our integrity and values. The dark side of this suit is being “too in your head” at the expense of your body and heart. And, since swords are double-edged, they can serve as a reminder not to be too harsh or judgmental—with yourself or others. It’s one thing to exercise healthy judgment, but you don’t want to avoid severity or rigidity of thought.

This suit emphasizes consciousness, awareness, and intellect, especially when it comes to relationships and our engagement with the outside world. The Swords are especially useful in grounding the fiery energy of The Wands and the soft, romantic energy of The Cups.  As the suit of ideas, imagination, and communication, it both balances and needs to be balanced by the relationality of The Cups, the humanity of The Wands, and the practical values of The Pentacles.

The Swords want you to think things through and find the kind of clarity that can only come with emotional distance. Observe, gather data, and make logical conclusions. People often think that logic and reason don’t have a home in the mystic, but the truth is that any metaphysical practice is built on the fundamental understanding that everything is interconnected: science and nature, mind, body, and spirit, and everything else should work in harmony. 

The Swords represent the air element, mental clarity, consciousness, and awareness.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!