Skip to content

Tarot Card Meanings:
Three of Swords

Three of Swords: Overview and Symbols

The Three of Swords represents heartbreak, sorrow, and emotional pain. This card signifies grief, loss, and the difficult experience of emotional wounds.

Some Specific Symbols and Their Meanings in the Rider Waite Smith Tarot:

  • Heart pierced by three swords: Symbolizes heartbreak, betrayal, and emotional pain.

  • Stormy clouds and rain: Represent sorrow, turmoil, and the intensity of the emotions involved.

  • Gray background: Reflects sadness, melancholy, and the heavy atmosphere of grief.
three of swords from the rider waite smith tarot
Three of Swords as depicted in the Rider-Waite Smith Tarot by A.E. White, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith

Three of Swords: Card Meanings

Keywords/Phrases: Heartbreak, sorrow, emotional pain, loss, betrayal, grief, emotional wounds, sadness.

The Three of Swords in the tarot signifies deep emotional pain and heartbreak, reflecting the experience of loss, betrayal, or sorrow. This card represents the painful realization of a truth or the aftermath of a difficult situation that has left emotional scars. It highlights the need to acknowledge these feelings of grief, allowing yourself the time to process and heal. The Three of Swords encourages you to face your sorrow, understanding that while the pain is real, it also presents an opportunity for personal growth and future emotional resilience.

Three of Swords: Reversed Card Meanings

Keywords/Phrases: Healing, forgiveness, release of pain, recovery, moving on, emotional release, acceptance.

When the Three of Swords appears reversed in a tarot reading, it signifies the beginning of healing and the release of past pain, where forgiveness or acceptance starts to bring relief. This card suggests that emotional wounds are beginning to mend, allowing you to move forward with a lighter heart. It reflects a process of letting go, where sadness is acknowledged but no longer holds power over your life. The reversed Three of Swords encourages you to embrace this phase of recovery, release lingering resentment, and find peace as you rebuild emotionally.

Gallery: Three of Swords in Various Decks

three of swords from rws tarot and three of swords from the after tarot
Three of Swords from After Tarot (right)
by Corrine Kenner, Pietro Alligo, and
Giulia Francesca Massaglia
three of swords from heavenly bloom tarot by noa ikeda
Three of Swords from the Heavenly Bloom Tarot by Noa Ikeda