Tarot

There is no denying the pain that can be present when the Three of Swords appears. Someone may have betrayed or abandoned you and the sadness is heart wrenching if not haunting.

In the hero’s journey through life, it always seems that before initiation to greater awareness can occur, the ego must first be wounded. Although this is not a welcome card to receive in a reading, know that your heart has been opened in a way that will lead to deeper intimacy in relationships.

There is still mercy in life even when the Three of Swords appears to validate your suffering. This card can appear when you have denied the unfulfilling aspect of a relationship and it ends anyway. You may have stayed because being alone appeared more frightening than leaving. The Swords are always attempting to bring truth out into the light and with the Three of Swords, you have to face the truth.

What you do with this information will be the difference between suffering and being jaded or acceptance and looking for something more suited to who you are now. The grief associated with this card can come in many forms, but its message is that the only way to get to the other side is to acknowledge that a door has closed so that you can find the open door.

Expectations are the reason we suffer and with the Three of Swords we have been disappointed in some way. However, life always brings us what we need, so perhaps the lesson is to let go of expectations so that you can meet life on its terms.

In work, you may be miserable or may even lose your job but the message is the same. Let go and open to the new path. Life moves in cycles like a river and sometimes we cling to the debris. Our hands must be set free so that we can flow where the river would lead us.

The Three of Swords can sometimes appear when people are ready to talk about their pain and fears to arrive at the truth or to become more intimate. In this case the negative connotation of the Three of Swords actually becomes a healing ground for deeper intimacy.

Keywords: Feeling abandoned or betrayed. Irreconcilable differences that threaten a present relationship. The pain of love lost or rejection. Dysfunctional relationships and co-dependency. Sorrow and heartbreak. Angry words. 

Reversed: An end to a long and painful relationship or situation. The first step toward healing that follows acceptance of loss. The end of a fight and forgiveness.