MINOR ARCANA
Queen of Swords Tarot Meanings
The Queen of Swords, in my opinion, is one of the most empowering cards for women to receive. She is a signal to speak your truth, say what you really mean, and be able to express yourself in a way that is completely authentic. When a group of Queen of Swords women gets together, they support each other, they cheer, they shout and they allow space for everyone to have their say.
With the Queen of Swords, we are focusing on nurturing and taking care of the throat chakra. We’re allowing ourselves to say how we feel and to hold back judgement when others do the same. It’s a very compassionate card and one that gives us permission to express and hash out our heartfelt ideas.
Queen of Swords Upright Meanings
In the upright position, the Queen of Swords helps us to nurture the ideas that we have locked within, to allow ourselves the space to dream big and speak without fear or second-guessing. Some of the key meanings of the Queen of Swords are:
-
Nurturing ideas
-
Self-compassion
-
Self-respect
-
Unpretentious communication
The Queen of Swords is an energy that is very free-flowing, judgement-free, and does not place limitations on what we can dream up. It’s a card that can help us to really step into ourselves and be completely authentic, both inside and out.
Queen of Swords Reversed Meanings
In the reversed position, the Queen of Swords becomes an energy that is flipped on its head. Before we were enjoying a judgment-free zone but now we are being overly critical, either of ourselves or of others. We are allowing our emotions to overpower our logical minds and causing a very negative and pessimistic outlook. Some of the main reversed meanings of the Queen of Swords are:
-
Judgemental
-
Patronising
-
Self-deprecating
-
Manipulative
-
Pessimistic
The Queen of Swords reversed becomes someone that is a bit of a gossip, that uses their friendly or approachable persona to manipulate others. In the reversed position, it’s a card that can be very toxic and harmful, both to ourselves and to those we communicate with.
Reading Queen of Swords in a Tarot Spread
When the Queen of Swords appears in a spread it’s time to really delve into your mental world. This could be attending to negative thinking, pessimistic outlooks, or even to start nurturing the ideas and plans you’ve been sitting on for a while. The Queen of Swords gives you a gentle nudge into the spotlight and gives you the floor to say what you feel without having to second guess yourself. It’s a sign that you have something worth saying or that someone is saying something to you that’s worth listening to.
Queen of Swords as An Invitation
As an invitation, the Queen of Swords asks you to step forward and speak your mind. Say how you feel, don’t hold back and put your truth out into the world with confidence and self-love.
For Queen of Swords, this invitation could be the following:
-
An invitation to nurture those big ideas and dreams you’ve been cooking up
-
An invitation to say how you truly feel and to not worry about what others may think
-
An invitation to see where you could be more compassionate with your words
-
An invitation to listen to others and yourself without judgement or criticism
Queen of Swords as Sage Advice
All the Queens are nice gentle advice-givers within their suite. The Queen of Swords swoops in when we are facing a lot of self-doubts to tell us that our ideas and opinions are valid. She pops up when we need that reassurance that our authentic selves are worth listening to.
Some advice Queen of Swords may offer is:
-
Your ideas are valid and worth following up on
-
Always speak to others like you would want to be spoken to
-
If you always follow your intuition and stay true to yourself then the paths you walk down will always lead to a destination that you were always meant to visit
-
Always speak to yourself with love and kindness so that you can give the world the best you have to offer
Queen of Swords as a Lesson
As a lesson, the Queen of Swords shows us how to trust our own minds, as well as how we should treat those around us. She is a lesson in humility, openness and acceptance.
Some lessons that Queen of Swords may offer you are:
-
A lesson in believing in ourselves and our own skills, knowledge and capabilities
-
A lesson in judgement and when it is needed and when it isn’t
-
A lesson in communicating with others in a respectful and accessible way
-
A lesson in the importance of self-communication, self-compassion and self-respect
Queen of Swords as a Redirection
When put into the context of redirection, the Queen of Swords tells us that there may be a better way to approach or think about a situation. She shows us that we need to embrace more emotionally sensitive energy and better balance our logical mind and our heart-mind.
As a redirection, Queen of Swords could symbolise a need to:
-
Communicate in a more open and compassionate way
-
Create strategies that are rooted in our intuitive guidance
-
To take a less stern approach to a situation
-
To stop saying what you think you should be saying and start speaking what you truly believe
Swords
The Swords are the rulers of our communication, thoughts and intellect. We use the swords to separate fact from fiction so we’ve got as truthful as possible information to work with.
In terms of the Queen of Swords, she is the nurturer of our swords, she helps us to tread more lightly when approaching these parts of ourselves. This is much needed, especially when it comes to our mental wellbeing and compassion for others.
Air + Water
The Swords are ruled by the element of air, but the Queens, no matter what suit they appear, have an element of water. This means that she is the watery energy that appears within the realm of air.
It helps to think about physical things such as rain, to really get a feel for the different sides of the Queen of Swords. She is a truth talker but does so in a way that doesn’t aim to offend or belittle the thoughts and feelings of others.
Queens
Queens in the Tarot are the nurturers, they add the emotion back into a suit when it is missing or doubles up on it when needed. They always make sure to tread lightly but are still a force to be reckoned with.
There is a great deal of strength in the Queens but it is much more subtle than you will find in the King or the Knights. They always keep in mind the heart no matter what they are doing.