Suit of swords

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Suit of swords
1JJ Tarot - Swords 01.jpg
Ace of Swords from the 1JJ Tarot deck
Deck Minor Arcana

The suit of swords is one of the four suits of the Minor Arcana in a 78-card cartomantic tarot deck. It is derived from the suit used in Latin-suited playing cards, such as Spanish, Italian and Latin-suited tarot decks. Like the other tarot suits, it contains fourteen cards: ace (one), two through ten, page, knight, queen and king. Occultists claim that the suit represents the Second Estate (The Nobles).

Contents

While tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play tarot card games, [1] in English-speaking countries, where the games are largely unknown, tarot cards came much later to be utilized primarily for divinatory purposes. [1]

Divinatory and occult meanings

In divination, the suit of swords is associated with masculinity and intellect, but also sorrow and misfortune. The element of air has been associated with the suit. Etteilla and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers equated Swords to the suit of Spades in the French pack. [2]

Cards in the suit of Swords

Card images in the Rider–Waite tarot deck

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Dummett, Michael (1980). The Game of Tarot. Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd. ISBN   0-7156-1014-7.
  2. Huson 2004, p. 200
  3. "Seven of Swords Tarot Card Meanings". Simply Tarot. Retrieved 2015-05-22.