THE THREE OF SWORDS
TODAY'S CARD IS The Three of Swords. This version is from The Goddess Tarot:
For comparison, here's the Three of Swords from the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:
THE THREE OF SWORDS: I woke up the other morning singing the below lyrics:
If you could read my mind love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
bout a ghost from a wishin well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free....
("If You Could Read My Mind," by Gordon Lightfoot) My first thought -- even before wondering what it meant as a dream -- was "What a Three of Swords song!" There's no getting around it. This card carries a lot of sad and heavy feeling. But I've also seen it point to acknowledging and working with that pain so that it leads to healing and growth. I'd even go so far as to say that much of what this card speaks to is how we cause much of our own pain out of fear and resistance to change. So, back to the song above as a musical dream version of the Three of Swords: it was telling me I have the option of embracing the changes fully upon me now -- to "cut short" the slide into fear and pain -- and trust in Spirit.
[BTW, I'm still participating in the International Association for the Study of Dreams PsiberDreaming Conference (and having an amazing time), so my posts will continue to be less frequent until at least October 8th.]
DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR THE THREE OF SWORDS (i.e. the below is not intended to be an exhaustive exploration of this card; a quick google will produce a wider variety of takes should you not be familiar with this card):
This is an old habitual way of thinking that is no longer applicable; it is not a true sorrow or regret. Let it go.
May indicate an old, deep wounding is being somehow echoed in the current situation. You have an opportunity to heal yourself and possibly also the situation if you can identify and acknowledge the source(s) of the wound(s).
Your pain now is the measure of your yearning toward wholeness. Keep reaching and reclaim another part of yourself.
Your plans may very well not work out. You can risk it, or re-think things.
It's how you are thinking about this that is the problem. Draw another card or two to see if you can get a new perspective on the issue.
There is no real or satisfying answer to that question right now, sorry! (Sort of like getting a busy signal on a telephone call.)
Resource: The Tarot of Creativity; covers the Major Arcana: "...this early picture book is meant to evoke associations, images, stories. Let them evoke your own interpretations, variations, imaginations."
Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.
‘til next time, keep embracing change and enjoying The Tarot,
Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****
For comparison, here's the Three of Swords from the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:
THE THREE OF SWORDS: I woke up the other morning singing the below lyrics:
If you could read my mind love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
bout a ghost from a wishin well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free....
("If You Could Read My Mind," by Gordon Lightfoot) My first thought -- even before wondering what it meant as a dream -- was "What a Three of Swords song!" There's no getting around it. This card carries a lot of sad and heavy feeling. But I've also seen it point to acknowledging and working with that pain so that it leads to healing and growth. I'd even go so far as to say that much of what this card speaks to is how we cause much of our own pain out of fear and resistance to change. So, back to the song above as a musical dream version of the Three of Swords: it was telling me I have the option of embracing the changes fully upon me now -- to "cut short" the slide into fear and pain -- and trust in Spirit.
[BTW, I'm still participating in the International Association for the Study of Dreams PsiberDreaming Conference (and having an amazing time), so my posts will continue to be less frequent until at least October 8th.]
DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR THE THREE OF SWORDS (i.e. the below is not intended to be an exhaustive exploration of this card; a quick google will produce a wider variety of takes should you not be familiar with this card):
This is an old habitual way of thinking that is no longer applicable; it is not a true sorrow or regret. Let it go.
May indicate an old, deep wounding is being somehow echoed in the current situation. You have an opportunity to heal yourself and possibly also the situation if you can identify and acknowledge the source(s) of the wound(s).
Your pain now is the measure of your yearning toward wholeness. Keep reaching and reclaim another part of yourself.
Your plans may very well not work out. You can risk it, or re-think things.
It's how you are thinking about this that is the problem. Draw another card or two to see if you can get a new perspective on the issue.
There is no real or satisfying answer to that question right now, sorry! (Sort of like getting a busy signal on a telephone call.)
* * * *
Resource: The Tarot of Creativity; covers the Major Arcana: "...this early picture book is meant to evoke associations, images, stories. Let them evoke your own interpretations, variations, imaginations."
Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.
‘til next time, keep embracing change and enjoying The Tarot,
Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****
Labels: Three of Swords
posted by Roswila at 8:27 AM
2 Comments:
The design on the Aquarian Tarot is nearly identical to these, the main differences in the versions in my mind having to do with the way the unseen portion of the swords cross one another.
You might be getting a few visitors here from the CinquainPoets group. A chance comment regarding an angiogram the other day combined with this image you posted to lead to a cinquain sequence I wrote: The Three of Syringes.
Hi Rich,
Yes, the 3 Three of Swords designs mentioned here are very similar. Sort of hard to beat the pierced heart design to represent sorrow and pain, hm? I'm emailing you (as attachments) a few other more unusual designs for this card I have run across. I did not post one of them because for one reason or other I did not resonate with them. And that's high on my list of criteria for choosing a version of a card to post: that I have a resonant response to it.
Oooh, visitors! Always welcome. And, for future reference, should you have a relevant poem (such as The Three of Syringes) you are most welcome to post it in your comment.
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