Four of Swords Tarot Card Meanings
Four of Swords’ Upright & Reversed Meanings
Ideas: Engagement, vigor, wakefulness
Traits: Active, decisive, energetic, hardworking, practical, punctual, resourceful
Emotions: Eagerness, enthusiasm, excitement, homesickness
- Actions:
- Fighting fatigue
- Making use of your revitalized mental resources
- Putting your plans into action after thinking over them
- Recapping what you have learned during your break
- Tackling problems with rejuvenated mental state
- Waking up refreshed and energized
Ideas: Meditation, truce, withdrawal
Traits: Calm, contemplative, independent, passive, private, quiet, religious, solitary, unhurried
Emotions: Enjoyment, gladness, hope, longing, pleasure, relief
- Actions:
- Letting go of problems and resting the mind in a calm manner
- Occupying your thoughts with a healthy distraction
- Pausing to meditate or clear your mind
- Praying for the best for your next endeavor
- Recharging your mind and body
- Retreating to somewhere without people for the time being
- Taking time to understand someone or something before criticizing it
- Thinking long and hard
Ideas: Idleness, lateness, oversleeping
Traits: Aimless, apathetic, asocial, bland, complacent, forgetful, hesitant, indecisive
Emotions: Alienation, contentment, isolation, nervousness, satisfaction
- Actions:
- Becoming unwilling to work or use energy
- Failing to become interested in things outside your comfort zone
- Falling behind schedule
- Mistaking procrastination for thoughtfulness
- Refusing to reconsider your conclusions, even when presented with refuting evidence
- Sleeping longer than intended
Four of Swords’ Advice
Personal Growth
A mature person knows the value of stillness. Before taking action, set aside time to simply be. Associate calmness and focus with specific postures or breathing patterns, and you’ll be able to summon a clear state of mind on demand.
Relationship
Taking a break from each other might restore some perspective. Rather than over-analyze everything, clear your mind and take things at face value for once. If you can’t achieve peace together, there’s no shame in saying you need a rest.
Career
Running at top speed all the time wears down the most capable individuals. Insist on time to recharge your creative batteries. On even the most hectic days, steal ten minutes to be still and disconnect. See time off as an investment in maintaining your sharp edge.
Spirituality
Withdrawal from the world can help you achieve remarkable perspective. Schedule time for quiet contemplation. Rather than ponder solutions, just breathe—and let spirit sort things out.
Four of Swords’ Symbols & Insights
The Still Figure
On the original Rider–Waite–Smith cards, the figure of the sleeping knight is easily mistaken for a decorative touch on a stone sarcophagus. Or, perhaps, he’s asleep—but with one Sword at the ready, just in case. The message? Even in rest, be prepared for action.
Three and One
The three Swords remaining on the wall suggest the knight’s rest is a deliberate one—a course of action deliberately chosen. The single Sword in hand suggests opportunity. What opportunities might open for you if you made a conscious decision to integrate relaxation into your routine?
Quiet Thoughts
Quiet time can be used for research and personal growth, enhancing the work you do when more physically active.
The Marseilles Image
The curved blades form a protective barrier in which a new blossom can flourish. How might a retreat or a withdrawal provide you with a protected space in which to grow?
More About Four of Swords Tarot Card
- Prediction
- Don’t make any decision now.
- Wait, and you’ll be glad you did.
- Timing
- Between October 13 and October 22
- Affirmation
- “I think before taking action.”
- Numerology Number
- 4
(the status quo: stability, equality, persistence) - Classical Element
- Air
- Astrological Planet in Sign
- Jupiter in Libra
- Story Character
- The main character withdraws and spends time in quiet contemplation before taking action.
- Questions to Ask
- How long has it been since you deliberately took a “time out?”
- How difficult is it for you to meditate?
- What would happen if you simply refused to make a decision today?
