Uprightheartbreak, sorrow, grief, painful truth
Reversedrecovery, forgiveness, releasing pain
Upright meaning
The Three of Swords represents heartbreak, sorrow and painful truth. It points to grief, disappointment or separation, and to the need to feel the pain in order to heal.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, it can show recovery, forgiveness and gradual release of pain.
What the card shows
Three swords pierce a red heart against a stormy, rainy sky.
As your card of the day
Painful feelings may surface today. Allow yourself to feel them; that is how healing begins. Storms pass.
“I allow myself to heal at my own pace.”
Be gentle with yourself and talk to someone you trust.
Questions
What does Three of Swords mean in tarot?
The Three of Swords represents heartbreak, sorrow and painful truth. It points to grief, disappointment or separation, and to the need to feel the pain in order to heal.
What does Three of Swords reversed mean?
Reversed, it can show recovery, forgiveness and gradual release of pain.
Is Three of Swords a yes or no card?
No. Not now; heal first.
Card pictures: the 1909 deck by Pamela Colman Smith (public domain). Meanings based on A. E. Waite's The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910), rewritten in modern language. For inspiration and reflection only.