The Four of Swords in Tarot
The Four of Swords is an unavoidable rest and reflection, and the image shows a church with an imposing tomb of a knight whose figure lies on top of it.
Visual description of the card:
The Four of Swords represents the effigy of a knight lying on a tomb. Their hands are in a prayer position, and the tomb is inside a church. The artwork shows a stained glass window behind the statue, depicting a woman and a child together.
A sword lies beneath the knight, symbolizing that there is only one key issue that dominates their life at this moment.
Three additional swords hang above them, pointing down, perhaps representing a threat but also ready to be used. The knight has lost a battle and laid down one sword, but they still have more weapons for future battles.
The Four of Swords Upright
General meaning:
The Four of Swords, despite the imagery, does not represent death in any literal sense.
This stillness of the tomb and church is telling you that what you need in your life right now is to take a much-needed break so you can recover after a difficult period or situation that has been very challenging or painful for you.
This will be the only way to regain strength and be ready to fight again. It’s a time for deep recovery of your energy, especially mental energy, since swords symbolize logic, thought, and intellect.
The Four of Swords indicates that after any crisis or extreme situation, a period of rest and recovery comes. This is inevitable because there wouldn’t be enough energy to keep fighting one battle after another.
Rest comes so you can regain your strength and let your intellect return to its normal functioning. Now there is serene contemplation, calm meditation, and thoughtful analysis. In this sense, if you are still in the middle of a crisis, the Four of Swords tells you to take a breather.
This is a card that announces a kind of break or truce, and at this moment, you can lower your defenses and pause, even if there is still noise or chaos surrounding you.
However, you understand that a pause is not the same as achieving peace. Difficult situations will continue, even if you successfully overcome the one you’re dealing with now. That’s the nature of life—one challenge after another. Problems are always there, so this card prepares you, letting you rest so you can face future difficulties.
This suggested rest is perhaps much needed if you’ve come from a traumatic or painful situation, like a loss, a separation, or a deep financial setback. In such circumstances, it’s best not to make any decisions during this time because you’re not emotionally or rationally ready to do so.
Now, you need to remain like the knight in the image, inactive, without taking any action. From this calm will arise the strength to deal with these delicate matters later. You also need a bit of solitude and seclusion to accompany this rest. You should isolate yourself as much as possible to process the experiences that have happened to you, as distractions are not the best path.
Your retreat should be inward, and if you can distance yourself from the conflict as much as possible, even better. It’s time to stop and find a way to restore your faith and confidence.
The Four of Swords also shows the need to practically reassess your priorities in life, even if there isn’t a conflict or crisis at hand.
Your relationship, your job, your dreams, your connections with others—all of this needs to be evaluated to make sure you’re on the right track, as this will prevent future crises. When you spot potential issues in time, you can fix them before everything spirals out of control.
As a last possibility, this card may represent an illness that requires bed rest, a stay in the hospital, or, although rarely, even imprisonment.
In the realm of love
The Four of Swords suggests you may be feeling quite disconnected at the moment. It’s important to let your partner know what’s going on with you, but at the same time, you’re not obligated to feel okay all the time just so they feel better.
Your emotions are your own, and there are certain areas that only you can reach. It may be a sign that you need some time apart to reflect. Don’t hesitate to do so.
If you’re looking for love, now is not the time to force things. You’re not in the right space to give, nor are others able to meet your expectations. It’s a time for solitude, but in a healthy way, and it can be very beneficial for your life. Better times will come, and everything will fall into place, but for now, take a break from relationships.
In the area of work
This is a good time to take some time off if possible. It could be a vacation, but even a weekend break might be enough to recharge your batteries. Without a doubt, you need this rest to put things into perspective.
Some things may not be going well at work, but trying to force them won’t solve anything. You need to be patient. If you can’t be, you may need to consider a different job or position.
If you’re looking for work, things may take longer than you’d like. This is a kind of enforced rest. Keep pushing forward and wait patiently.
Regarding money and finances
You may need to take a different course of action if you’re behind on payments and unsure if the money is going to come in. Consider ways to bring in extra income.
If you own a business and are owed money, intensify your collection efforts. If you wait for people to pay voluntarily, you’ll be waiting too long. However, the Four of Swords tells you that this financial stagnation won’t last forever.
In matters of health
The Four of Swords suggests your health isn’t great right now, likely due to the stress you’re under. If you’ve gone through painful situations, depression and sadness directly impact your body.
In some cases, it may indicate a period of bed rest or even a hospital stay to recover from an illness or condition. This isn’t a card of severity—it’s all about resting and recovering.
In spirituality
The Four of Swords indicates a need for space. You need time and quiet to really connect with your soul and the universal energies around you.
Even if you work full-time and have fourteen kids, if you make it a priority, you can find one or two minutes of solitude. Find that moment and take it. Your sanity and your soul are crying out for it.
The Four of Swords Reversed
General meaning:
General meaning: The Four of Swords reversed represents two related but opposing things.
On one hand, it can indicate that despite your need for rest, you keep pushing forward, with anxiety, without pause, leading to exhaustion and stress.
Your body may be at its limit, but your mind keeps forcing things as if disconnected from your body.
This pace can cause you problems, as mental exhaustion and overexertion can lead to mistakes and distractions.
On the other hand, you may be feeling drained, lacking motivation, doing nothing, while your frustrations build up.
It could be your marriage that’s lost its meaning, your job, or existential questions about your role in life. You need to take a step back, relax, rest, and evaluate these situations calmly and objectively.
You feel day by day that nothing is changing, you’re not making progress in life. Many plans have stopped or been frustrated, or things have worked out in ways that weren’t what you wanted. While this has frustrated you, part of the responsibility might lie in your outlook on life—your attitude might be a bit passive.
You don’t take action, letting things happen, and when things are out of your control, the results may not be what you hoped for. The Four of Swords invites you to take action, to be proactive, because sitting back and waiting for things to resolve themselves hasn’t worked so far.
In another sense, you might be avoiding any pause and avoiding analyzing what’s going on with you or your life because you’re afraid of the conclusions you might reach or the results of your actions.
Part of life is pain, and facing it, and the only way to overcome it is to confront it. You need to face whatever is burning inside so you can move forward and let your life take a positive turn, becoming more fulfilling.
In the realm of love
There’s some disconnection in your relationship, mostly on your part, but also from your partner. This likely isn’t due to a lack of feelings or love but is more related to personal, internal matters. So neither of you should take things too personally. Try to take some distance to figure out what’s going on and work things out.
If you’re looking for a partner, you’ll need to step out of your comfort zone, beyond your usual circles. Love rarely knocks on your door by magic—you need to get out and mingle with people to create opportunities.
In work matters
You may feel exhausted and stressed, but you’re not letting yourself stop for a minute. You feel frustrated—there’s no progress, no changes, and you feel you’re not earning what you deserve or doing something meaningful or enjoyable.
You need to stop and reflect, try to look at things differently. On the other hand, things might not be changing because you’re too passive, just waiting for everything to sort itself out.
If you’re looking for work, try searching in new areas, different from where you’re looking now—you’ll have much better chances if you try something different.
Regarding money
The Four of Swords asks you to set aside your anxiety for now, as it’s a bad adviser and clouds your rational judgment, even confusing your own intuition.
Rushing things right now will lead to mistakes. You need to take a break to reconsider things related to your finances or business. Rushing things will only make you err. Be moderate in your spending until you can clarify the situation.
In health matters
The Four of Swords asks you to stop and rest, especially to quiet your mind, though your body needs it too. However, resting and pausing doesn’t mean doing nothing.
The rest is meant to help you take action, to renew yourself and regain strength, and to take action moving forward. This time will help eliminate certain ailments or issues you’ve accumulated.
In spirituality
The Four of Swords recommends silence and meditation, whether in nature or in your room. This is a good time, and also necessary, to reconnect with the source and your vital energy, with your inner self. Praying or reading spiritual texts might help during this time, and after this, you’ll emerge with strength and resolve.
