Two of Swords Tarot Card

Card Name: Two of Swords, 2 of Blades

Category: Minor Arcana, Suit of Swords

Position: 2

Keywords: Detachment, Duality

Active element: Air 💨

The Two of Swords is a dangerous and attractive tarot card. The main character of the Arcana resembles Themis, who controls the fate of people. She grants freedom to one, and blows her head off her shoulders to others. This is the card of the duality of the world, disunity, split. However, this also includes the preservation of order, rigor, the existence of rules. Another heroine is similar to Hekate – the goddess of the underworld. She is responsible for life and death, patronizes everything mysterious and unknown. The 2 of Air – a very strange and mystical card in any spread. It is both a slowdown and a sharpness, a strength and a weakness. The meaning of the Arcana should be read based on its position.

Symbolism and Key Ideas of the Two of Swords

In Waite’s Tarot card, the Two of Swords depicts a dark-haired girl holding a blade in her hands. The heroine is dressed in a white dress, her eyes are hidden by a tight bandage. A woman sits on a cubic stone pedestal. The arms are crossed on the chest. In the background is a river or lake. Ripples in the water hint at the presence of wind. There are many sharp stones here, and in the distance the outlines of an island or hills are visible. The sky is blue, on the right is a growing month. The swords in the hands of the heroine are massive and long. The girl’s legs are bare. The pedestal itself is located on a flat stone platform.

The numerical value of the Arcana Two of Swords hints at some kind of uncertainty, duality. It is always division, disunity. The card belongs to the element Air. Its energy is cold, unfeeling. This is also hinted at by ripples on the water surface, bare feet lowered on a stone. Blindfolded eyes symbolize the unwillingness to see anything. The main character is guided by internal instincts, intuition. Water also hints at feminine vibrations. Crossed arms show closeness. Blades speak of protection, readiness to strike. Stones and hills in the background are located at a distance from each other – this is a sign of loneliness, isolation.

Meaning of the Upright Two of Swords Card

• Detachment, coldness, the desire to be alone.
• Complete closeness, isolation on oneself or obsession.
• A difficult situation that requires a special approach, solutions.
• A thin line between peace and war, a clash of sides.

In the upright position, the Two of Swords is a bit like the Major Arcana of Justice. The same blindfolds, edged weapons and a female figure. In this regard, the card shows detachment from what is happening, a guide to inner feelings and one’s own point of view. This is a completely closed Arcana. He personifies the emphasis on logic, hidden intent. A person is not going to open his heart, trust anyone. In the context of the situation, the 2 of Blades speaks of pitfalls, secrets. Important information is hidden from the querent, they do not allow to see the full picture of what is happening. There are no compromises here, so the slightest mistake can pay dearly.

The Two of Swords symbolizes a lack of empathy, an obsession with only oneself. At the same time, any life event is only gaining momentum, judging by the image of the growing month. More on the Arcana are conflicts with other people, controversial situations, a clash of interests. This is a difficult time when you have to put up with something unpleasant. At the same time, the balance is quite fragile – any inaccurate action can destroy it. A person has to endure, the situation makes him adapt. There is tension in the air. The card symbolizes the appearance of trouble, the raising of sensitive topics.

Love and Relationships (Upright)

• The need to hold on to each other and insincerity.
• Negative emotions of partners, lack of love, happiness.
• The ban on personal life, the fear of letting someone closer.
• Closed heart, disappointment, past grievances and pain.

In the spread of love, the appearance of the Two of Swords is an unfavorable sign. There is no trust and harmony in the couple. People often quarrel, perhaps hate each other. However, they have to be together. Frequently these are marriages of convenience, abusive relationships. In front of a partner, you need to walk on tiptoe and not raise controversial topics in a conversation. Any slightest oversight – and the querent will pay for self-will. Such a love affair exhausts, kills the nervous system. But over time, deviation from the norm is accepted and becomes the usual state of affairs.

For singles, the Two of Swords will signal the continuation of a difficult period. Now is not the time to build a personal life. Perhaps the fortuneteller has any significant problems that require an immediate solution. The card also speaks of the inability to open up at the moment, to let the opposite sex approach. The questioner simply radiates the energy of fear, distrust of the world. Past grievances made me put on armor and beware of similar painful experiences.

Career and Finance (Upright)

• Medical, military or scientific career; field of exact sciences.
• Huge responsibility for someone else’s fate, health, life.
• Engaging in a dishonest game, dangerous money transactions.
• Concealment of the financial situation, the impossibility of payment.

In the context of work, the Two of Swords falls on work in the field of legislation, medicine or the exact sciences. Other people’s fates depend on the actions of the querent. The card indicates the presence of great responsibility, complexity and importance of the profession. The querent may be a surgeon, a military negotiator, or an atomic physicist. All decisions on the Arcana must be supported by verified facts. If the work of the fortuneteller does not apply to these areas, then the Two of Air shows conflict situations. These include: a clash of opinions between the team and superiors, a tendency to stand their ground.

In terms of finances, the Two of Swords denotes dangerous money fraud. The querent is involved in some kind of illegal business or is hiding funds from taxation. Directly, the Arcana does not show the presence of a huge amount of money. However, the questioner has something to hide. Sometimes this information refers to the querent’s employer. The fortuneteller does not receive the finances due. Someone systematically deceives him. It is also a situation when a person himself cannot, for some reason, dispose of what he has earned.

Health and Spirit (Upright)

• Vata Dosha is the element of air in the human body.
• Respiratory system, saturation of organs with oxygen.
• Non-susceptibility to other people’s influence and isolation.
• Self-sufficiency, fearlessness, orientation inward.

In the spread of health, the Two of Swords has a correspondence with the ears, the respiratory tract. This is the circulation of oxygen in the human body. In the upright position, the card shows the balance. The querent has a sharp ear, a quick reaction. The brain copes well with loads, can withstand long-term stress. In physical terms, the Arcana symbolizes medium or high growth, lean physique. Fast metabolism allows you not to gain excess weight. The lungs work well, all organs are fully saturated with oxygen.

The psyche on the card Two of Swords is completely closed. The person keeps himself apart, does not let him in. He does not rely on external evaluations of his own behavior. In a positive aspect, such self-sufficiency allows you to cope with difficult situations alone. This is an inner strength, the ability to soberly look at things. The querent is inclined to play it safe, once again, does not act at random. He also doesn’t trust personal secrets to others, which is a smart choice.

Situations and Questions (Upright)

• Isolation from reality, withdrawal from society, from people.
• Focus on spiritual transformation and self-discovery.
• Work with internal negativity, psychotrauma, pain.
• Division of the world into black and white or duality.

In the context of spirituality, the meaning of the Two of Swords will be positive. The adept separated himself and the surrounding world. There was a split, disidentification of the personality with external reality. The man went deep into himself, began to analyze the inner feelings. At first, the world will seem like a hostile place. A person may meet with misunderstanding, rejection of the proposed ideas. Other people sincerely do not understand why the querent wants to radically change something. This is a normal reaction dictated by the fear of losing social approval. However, everything that happens is only the beginning of a long journey.

The Two of Swords asks questions: “How do I feel right now?” and “What is imposed on me by society?”. You should separate your own aspirations, ideas, thoughts from strangers. Some inner impulse pushes the seeker to search for himself. The transition stage will inevitably bring suffering, so sooner or later you will have to live through it. But this patch must be torn off the existing wound. In order to be spiritually transformed, one must reach the very bottom of life.

Meaning of the Reversed Two of Swords Tarot

• Internal conflict, invented problems, crisis.
• Paranoia, fear of losing control over the situation, life.
• The need to give up on something, to stop standing your ground.
• The influence of the past on the current, as well as psychological trauma.

When reversed, the Two of Swords changes its basic meaning. Now it becomes more positive, but still has some hidden negative. Tension and readiness for battle are dictated by internal delusions, and not by reality. If you turn the card over, then the water is at the bottom, and the stone platform is at the top. The Moon becomes waning. Intuition and prudence fail, turning into real paranoia. A person loses critical thinking, the ground leaves from under his feet. He himself closes the road to happiness. Contradiction and duality are exhausting, do not allow you to make the right choice.

The situation with the reversed Two of Swords becomes less acute. This is the end of a fight without rules, a fight for survival. In some cases, the position of the Arcana hints at an imminent change in the situation, avoiding traumatic events. Perhaps the reversed card shows factors that have been influential in the past. Now they become just echoes of the problem. Along with the High Priestess, the Two of Swords in the opposite sense symbolizes a secret, hidden motives. But now there is a chance to get a clue. The waiting time is coming to an end, soon it will be possible to talk about any progress in the situation. But for now, external circumstances still weigh on the querent.

Love and Relationships (Reversed)

• Mutual cooling, a way out of the conflict, fatigue to quarrel.
• Parting, unwillingness to stir up the past, to save something.
• Subsidence of pain, completion of the period of loneliness, solitude.
• The desire to forget old grievances, to move towards new horizons.

The reversed Two of Swords Tarot gives to the love spread a less negative connotation. Acute conflicts are gradually subsiding. People get tired and lose interest in quarrels. However, the transition from the active phase to the calm one can also talk about a possible separation. Partners cool down to each other, do not want to stir up the past. A unilateral order is also possible – for example, when only one person has calmed down, and his passion continues to escalate the situation with his unwillingness to open up, to seek compromises.

For lonely people, the reversed Two of Swords predicts not quick, but changes. There will be a desire to take off the armor, relax. This is not a quick process, it will take time. To completely get rid of the memories of the past, the questioner will have to trust the world, lower the weapon. Internal contradiction – the desire to build relationships and, at the same time, the fear of pain, will come to naught. There is no reason to close now – it’s just past beliefs.

Career and Finance (Reversed)

• Refusal of opportunities, unwillingness to work at this place.
• Wrong profession, lack of perspective.
• Closed money channel and lack of material resources.
• Difficulty earning money to provide for family and yourself.

If the Two of Swords fell upside down, then this is an indication of some kind of mistake, a miss. A person chose the wrong profession, did not realize himself in it as a person. Also, the position of the Arcana symbolizes the complexity of self-determination. The querent cannot make a choice, does not know what to do. It is difficult for the questioner to fulfill his duties. The fortuneteller does not know how or does not want to communicate with people, clients. There is no question of any career growth. Most likely, a person is now not focused on professional development or does not like his job at all.

In terms of finances, the reversed Two of Swords symbolizes the presence of problems. Money comes hard. You have to fight for every bill, to prove your worth. Loans with high interest rates, debt obligations that are difficult to fulfill, often pass through the Arcana. The situation has a "double bottom". Pitfalls will make themselves felt at the most unexpected moment, when the querent is already on the hook.

Health and Spirit (Reversed)

• Otitis, bronchial asthma, even chronic lung diseases.
• Cough, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, inflammation.
• Complete detachment from reality, isolation on the verge of frustration.
• Schizophrenia, delusional ideas, belief in one’s superpowers, a gift.

If the card lay upside down, then the Two of Swords symbolizes health problems. It can be stuffy ears, sinuses. The inflammatory process begins. This also includes issues with the lungs – pneumonia, tuberculosis. It is difficult for the querent to breathe, coughing, expectoration of sputum are possible. The body is painfully thin, emaciated. Alopecia may begin – the hair will become thinner, will fall out. Nails are dry and brittle. Sometimes the position of the card directly indicates blindness or hearing loss.

In the context of the psyche, the Two of Swords in the opposite form speaks of complete immersion in oneself. The person loses touch with the world. His inner ideas about things become an indisputable truth. For example, a person can wishful thinking, interpret dreams and mental images as a real revelation. Often such people claim to have psychic abilities, but are unable to prove it. Such behavior is dictated by the lack of due attention to the person of the querent.

Situations and Questions (Reversed)

• Escape from problems into oneself, closedness, obsession.
• Fear of opening up, facing the truth, being honest.
• The influence of emotions on well-being and thoughts, psychosis.
• Trying to avoid pain, ignoring the presence of problems.

In terms of spirituality, the reversed position of the Two of Swords symbolizes making a mistake. In an attempt to disidentify from reality, the person completely escapes into the inner world. She loses contact with society, external circumstances. It is very easy to go crazy here, wishful thinking. The miss lies in the denial of negative feelings, events, manifestations. This is a huge reserve of energy, which in this case plays against the querent. You still have to work with the negative, otherwise it will become a destructive weapon directed against the person himself.

The Two of Swords Reversed asks questions: "What am I strongly denying?" and “How to deal with feelings?”. There is only one way out – complete acceptance of the situation. Personality needs to learn to be more hardened, stronger. Escaping reality will only make matters worse. This attempt to get rid of pain is a common mistake. The negative is transformed only through the heart. In this case, the person, on the contrary, is increasingly closed from what is happening.

Two of Swords: Combination with other Tarot Cards

Advice and Warning of the Two of Swords Card

As a piece of advice, the upright Two of Swords speaks of the importance of keeping your composure. Now it is worth focusing on inner feelings, your thoughts and guesses. Intuition will not let the querent down. You need to keep your finger on the pulse and at the same time slow down a little, reduce activity. The Two of Swords also warns of the danger of hasty decisions. The situation requires a subtle approach. No need to draw any conclusions based on the external manifestations of people. The truth is hidden under a certain image. Therefore, the fortuneteller should not be guided by refusal or agreement. All decisions on this card can change more than once.

The reversed Two of Swords advises to abandon the plan. The querent is only wasting time trying to figure out a situation. This is some object inaccessible to him, which is actually not needed. You should lay down your arms – there is nothing to fight for. As a warning, the Two of Swords in the opposite form indicates the danger of focusing on internal sensations. Intuition should not be trusted. Fears and personality conflicts do not allow to move and develop. The forced stop can last too long if the questioner does not pull himself together.

Two of Swords: Daily Card Meaning

As a card of the day, the Two of Swords direct promises a certain detachment, a desire to retire and think. The querent today may feel that the desired goal is not given so easily. One gets the impression that there is some kind of barrier, an invisible wall separating a person from his dreams. Relations with loved ones, working negotiations – everywhere there is an awkward pause, silence. The situation has hung, there is no certainty. There is also a high risk of getting rejected. The card shows delays, unforeseen situations, problems. All this will have to wait, because there is no other way out. Today is not a good day to be active.

The reversed Two of Swords predicts even greater apathy, unwillingness to do something. A person will spend the day alone with himself, in an attempt to calm down, protect himself from a hostile outside world. But this is a forced rest, dictated by fatigue. Today there will be a desire to close, withdraw into oneself. Perhaps in this way, the person is trying to cope with the problems that have piled up. However, relatives will not understand such behavior and will try in every possible way to “stir up” the querent. But these actions will further push for solitude. Today, you should not wait for good news or try to improve the current situation.

Suit of Swords