Ace of Swords

The Ace of Swords shows a hand emerging from the clouds wielding a double-edged sword. This double-edged sword carries a golden crown while being encircled by a wreath. The wreath has for a long time been associated with victory, success and great achievement.

The crown is used as the symbol for both royalty and the power to rule that comes with royalty.

Behind the foreground, the sword stands floating over a varied setting – which holds both mountains and sea, which are used as symbols of the vast reach and distant lands that the swords can be used to conquer, as well as ambition.

Upright Meaning Guide
Ace of Swords Upright Tarot Card Key Meanings:
New ideas, new plans, intellectual ability, victory, success, mental clarity, clear thinking, breakthroughs, ability to concentrate, communication, realizing the truth, vision, force, focus, intensity, stimulating people and environments, new beginnings, new projects, justice, assertiveness, authority, making the correct decision

General Meaning and Interpretation (Upright)

In a general context, the Ace of Swords represents new ideas, new beginnings, new projects, new plans, and breakthroughs. It also indicates intellectual ability, mental clarity, clear thinking and the ability to concentrate. This Minor Arcana signifies communication, vision, force, focus, and intensity. It represents making correct decisions, being assertive and justice and authority. The Ace of Swords can indicate good news in relation to legal matters or legal contracts or letters that may be to your benefit.

Love & Relationships (Upright)

In a love Tarot reading, if you are in a relationship the Ace of Swords can indicate that you may be facing a challenge in your relationship. This Minor Arcana card tells you that you will get to the truth of the matter and break through the fog that has been clouding your ability to see this situation clearly. Once you have the mental clarity to look at your relationship objectively, you will be able to make the correct decision with regards to resolving the present issues. It also tells you that clear communication, being honest and speaking up for yourself is crucial if you want to have the sort of relationship you deserve. If you are single, the Ace of Swords indicates that you may meet someone soon who you will connect with on an intellectual level or with whom you share a similar mindset or attitude. You should find you that you can communicate easily with this person, the conversation will flow and you will find their company very stimulating.

Money & Career (Upright)

In a career Tarot spread, the Ace of Swords can represent getting a new job, promotion or project which will provide you with a stimulating environment or mentally stimulating people to bounce your ideas off. It can also signify a time in your career or work life where you will be brainstorming or coming up with new ideas and communicating them to your colleagues or team or taking charge of a new venture with vision and focus. It is also a card of victory, triumph, and success so it is a good business omen if you are starting a new project or business. In a financial Tarot spread, the Ace of Swords tells you not to let your heart overrule your head at the moment in terms of finances. Don’t make financial decisions based on emotional influences. For instance, if a friend asks you to invest in their business or lend them money, this card tells you to use your head and not to let your emotional attachments overrule your financial or business sense. It could end up costing you more than the amount of money you invest or lend.

Health (Upright)

In a health Tarot reading, the Ace of Swords indicates that you will discover the motivation and mental clarity you need to moderate your excesses and get control of any bad habits or start a new health plan. It can also represent needing surgery possibly due to an accidental injury so be careful when it appears! This card can also indicate pregnancy, look to the supporting cards to confirm this.

Spirituality (Upright)

Fresh new ideas abound when the Ace of Swords appears in a spirituality Tarot reading! You may be letting go of old belief systems that don’t serve you any longer. You may be realizing a new spiritual truth when it appears or embracing new spiritual ideas or attitudes. Exciting times lay ahead.

Reversed Meaning Guide
Ace of Swords Reversed Tarot Card Key Meanings:
Lack of ideas, intellectual inability, failure, hostility, arguments, insults, destruction, confusion, misinformation, memory loss, inability to concentrate, lack of communication, creative blocks, frustration, injustice, hate triumphing over love, lack of assertiveness, making the wrong decision, lack of stimulation,

General meaning and interpretation (Reversed)

In a general context, the Ace of Swords reversed can represent a lack of ideas, misinformation, confusion, and failure. It can also indicate intellectual inability, lack of mental clarity, memory loss and an inability to concentrate. This Minor Arcana card reversed can signify a lack of communication, creative blocks, lack of vision and frustration. It represents making wrong decisions, injustice and a lack of assertiveness. It can also indicate bad news in relation to legal matters or legal contracts or legal letters that may not be favorable to you.

Love & Relationships (Reversed)

In a love Tarot reading, if you are in a relationship the Ace of Swords reversed can indicate conflict or confusion in a relationship. This Minor Arcana card reversed can tell you that miscommunication or a lack of communication may simply be causing issues in your relationship. However, it can also indicate a more deep-seated hostility or resentment leading to insults, arguments and in extreme cases, the destruction of the relationship. If you are single, the Ace of Swords reversed indicates that you may meet someone soon who may have an attitude or mind-set regarding relationships that conflict with your own. For example, if you are seeking a committed relationship you may find yourself dating someone who only wants a fling or casual-relationship or vice versa. You may find yourself making the wrong decision or choosing potential partners who do not share your values or beliefs or you may simply not be in the right mindset at the moment to form a healthy romantic relationship.

Money & Career (Reversed)

In a career Tarot spread, the Ace of Swords reversed can represent failing a job interview or getting a new job, promotion or project which lacks the stimulation you need or isn’t mentally challenges enough to hold your attention. It can also signify that you are experiencing creative blocks in relation to your career or work life. Any ideas you are coming up with at the moment may not be workable in reality or you may experience difficulty in communicating your ideas to your colleagues or team. It is also a card of failure, destruction, and confusion so it is not a good business omen if you are starting a new project or business. In a financial Tarot spread, the Ace of Swords reversed tells you to check and recheck any investments, contracts or legally binding agreements before signing as they may not be doing as well or be as favorable as you think.

Health (Reversed)

In a health context, the Ace of Swords reversed can indicate that mental stress or a lack of mental clarity may be having a negative impact on your health. This may be manifesting itself in stress-related symptoms such as an inability to concentrate, migraines, memory loss or fatigue. This card can also indicate a difficult pregnancy or problems conceiving. Look to the supporting cards to confirm this.

Spirituality (Reversed)

The Ace of Swords reversed can indicate that you pursuing new belief systems that do not bring any benefit to your life. It can also indicate that you may be letting hate triumph over love. No matter what harm someone has done, you should always strive to let go of hate and embrace love for your own sake more than anyone else’s. As the saying goes “Hating someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”. Make a concentrated effort to let go of any negativity you may be holding onto and release it to the universe.

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Reference:
Labyrinthos, 2019, 11/13/19, (https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/ace-of-swords-meaning-tarot-card-meanings?_pos=10&_sid=18b5a7f6f&_ss=r)
Lisa, 2019, 11/13/19, (https://www.thetarotguide.com/ace-of-swords)