Three of Swords
Three of Swords
The Three of Swords is a very simply illustrated card with a very difficult message. A heart, suspended in the air, is entirely pierced by Three swords. The sky is heavily clouded and rain pours down violently.
Absence. Sorrow. Disappointment. Strife. Removal. Dispersion. Diversion. Opposition. Separation. Delay. Betrayal. Abandonment. Rejection. A reversal of fortune.You need to get in touch with pain and sorrow. Denying that they exist leads to loss, hostility and disease. Though life seems meaningless, recovery can occur. It takes faith, self-love, forgiveness and time. Count your blessings.
You open the door to find your partner in the arms of someone else. You overhear your best-friend laughing at you behind your back. You find out your business partner has been cheating you for years. All of a sudden your world is turned upside-down. You're stunned, disbelieving and finally heartbroken. The image on the Three of Swords clearly describes this sudden pain. You literally feel as if someone has taken a sharp object and jabbed it through your heart. Even something as minor as a snippy remark can feel this way. Notice how this contains just a heart and Three swords. When your heart is breaking, you feel as if that is all you are - an open wound.
In readings, the Three of Swords often represents the nasty little curve balls that life can throw sometimes. These hurts are painful because they hit you when you least expect them. If you have drawn this card, you may know what it refers to, but, if not, the Three of Swords is a valuable warning. It is likely there is something amiss in your life that you are unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge. Curve balls hit us when we're looking the other way. Examine your situation carefully. Talk to the people in your life. Don't take anything for granted. Listen to your inner voice; it will help you locate the problem.
It is also possible that you are contemplating hurting someone else. With this card it is important to remember that each of us is capable of cruelty. We're all human, and we all make mistakes, sometimes serious ones. In the end, all we can do is trust in the goodness of life and try to live up to that ideal. When you slip, forgive yourself, and try to forgive others in turn, but, even better, head off trouble before it arrives.
This card practically speaks for itself; it is a card of loss and difficulty, of sacrifice and broken relationships. It follows upon the difficult decision required in the Two of Swords, where we are avoiding the necessity of making a tough choice. In the Three of Swords, the choice has been made, and we are now experiencing the consequences of our action. Often our choices involve choosing one good over another, or one evil over another, and thus when we've finally made our decision we are still left with the pain of losing the option we have not chosen. Frequently, however, the pain of losing something we once valued (such as a "comfortable" relationship in which we are no longer growing) is necessary in order to prepare us for a more fulfilling experience in the future.
The Three of Swords indicates that the situation may become mournful due to absence or removal of something that is valued. The coming period will be full of opposition and delays. You want your lover to come back; or you have run out of hope or stamina and need to see results before you can get out of the doldrums or start some thing new. Abortive attempts or delays are in your favor. New ideas or actions will replace old ones, and something better will be established that could not have happened otherwise.
The Three of Swords is a painful card, it gives that "twang" in your heart: loss, sorrow, mourning that loss. You know something painful has happened or surfaced from the past and that it needs to be cleansed. This needs being taken care of before you can go on. It is no use starting on new projects.
Whilst mourning your loss or feeling your loss, you can release yourself. It often indicates a lot of tears, which are all part of the cleansing process. Tears are purification. There is no other way than move through it, then you can let go. In this way it is in a odd way a "fruitful" card as it allows you to move on.
It may be that the emotions are bigger or stronger than the actual fact/cause itself. It is the coming to terms with it that takes precedence. It also shows the person seeing nothing else in their life besides this loss.
Sorrow, jealousy (unstable ground from beginning) reshape negative thinking. Disruptions. Heartache, ending of a relationship. Possibly a Three-way relationship where someone gets hurt. Acceptance of loss.
Someone not willing to face the loss, and thus prolonging the pain. Denial of what is happening, so they need to turn the card around and deal with it.
Lie down on your back. Close your eyes and relax see yourself at a time when you were successful joyful and content. Include as much detail as possible in this meditative state. If thoughts of blame or pain intrude. notice them and let them go. Remember that sorrow preceded many of the happy times and that joy can and will enter your life again. Believe that healing has already taken place. Repeat this affirmation: "The past is over. I am healed. I love myself more than ever."