The Three of Swords is often associated with heartbreak, betrayal, and sorrow. However, it can also represent strength in the face of adversity.

The three swords can represent the three stages of grief: denial, anger, and acceptance.

The Three of Swords is not necessarily a bad omen despite its negative connotations.

It can simply indicate that something problematic is happening in your life.

The three swords can also represent the three aspects of yourself that you need to work on: your mind, body, and spirit.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of this card, let's go over its history and appearance first.

The History And Appearance Of Three of Swords

The Three of Swords is a tarot card that has been around for centuries.

Its origins are unknown, but it is believed to date back to the Middle Ages.

The three swords on the card represent three different aspects of life: love, loss, and pain.

The three swords can also be interpreted as mind, body, and spirit.

When you look at the Three of Swords tarot card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, you will see a heart with three swords piercing it.

That represents words and actions inflicting pain upon someone.

You also see dark clouds in the background mirror as that means heartache, but there is one thing to remember about storm clouds.

They dissipate, and the initial blow of heartbreak does too. But here is the thing. Storm clouds come and go, and so do pain and grief.

Some types of pain are easier to overcome than others.

And some pain never entirely goes away, especially when it comes to the effects of trauma.

Let's now go over what it means to get the Three of Swords in a reading.

When You Get The Three of Swords In A Reading

You should know a few things about the Three of Swords tarot card. First, this card is all about heartbreak, pain, and sorrow.

If you see this card in a reading, these themes will likely be present in your life.

The Three of Swords can indicate that you're going through a tough time or about to experience some heartache.

It's essential to be prepared for this so that you can handle it in the best way possible.

Remember that this too shall pass, and try to stay positive despite the hardships.

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If you're facing difficulties in your relationship, the Three of Swords can indicate that there may be some problems ahead.

However, it's important to remember that all relationships go through ups and downs.

So this card can also suggest that it's time to let go of someone causing you pain.

The Three of Swords reminds us that life is full of ups and downs.

It's important to stay strong during the tough times and cherish the good times.

Remember that this too shall pass, and eventually, you'll come out the other side.

If you are going through a tough time, the Three of Swords can be a reminder that you are not alone.

Many people have gone through similar experiences, and knowing that should help you realize you are not alone.

Lean on your friends and family for support, and trust that things will eventually get better.

Now, let's review.

Aces are new beginnings, and twos are duality or partnership. Threes are creation, groups, and growth.

So first, let's talk about that writer who had the idea to write the novel and did it, the Ace of Swords.

Then after cleaning it up, they had to make a difficult decision to either go the traditional route when it comes to publishing the book or self-publishing, which is a hard choice to make.

The Two of Swords represented that situation.

So the writer decided to go down the traditional route, but since the publisher rejected them, that was a Three of Swords moment.

That caused a lot of devastation, heartbreak, and sadness.

They don't know why their work was not worthy of acceptance, and that rejection became very heavy on their heart.

And it is not hard to see how the Three of Swords plays a role in Risa Green's life.

All of the trauma she endured caused so much heartache in her life.

She is always understandably heartbroken.

In addition, having a child with significant special needs who is her only child brings out a lot of grief.

There will never be milestones she will be able to celebrate, such as experiencing life involving dating, driving, graduation, and working.

There will never be marriage in the cards, no grandchildren for her to enjoy, etc.

It is safe to say that Risa is extremely heartbroken over so many things in her life.

When you have depression or C-PTSD, this card is constantly present in your life, even if nothing devastating has happened in your life recently.

And this is honestly why it gets to me when others say that happiness is a choice because I feel that is a toxic positive statement.

When you are working hard at managing your depression or trauma and having a tough day, the only thing you should focus on during those moments is surviving.

So telling someone in that situation that happiness is a choice is highly invalidating.

So now, let's talk about the Three of Swords reversed.

Three of Swords Reversed

When the Three of Swords shows up in reverse, it can mean two things.

First, it can mean holding in pain and negatively talking about yourself.

Or, it can be a sign that you are moving past the pain and being more optimistic.

Perhaps you have forgiven the one who hurt your feelings.

Though from personal experience, this is a very touchy subject for me.

I know this is a very touchy subject to many who have experienced trauma.

However, forgiveness is not necessary to move on, as I think the best thing to do, for me anyway, is to work on pretending that the one who hurt you no longer exists.

The best thing to do when it comes to pain is to find a way to cope with it.

And if you find something that works, whether it is forgiveness or not, that represents this card in reverse.

Now, how do you apply the Three of Swords in your life?

How To Apply Three of Swords In Your Life?

It sounds counterintuitive to apply a card of this nature to your life, upright anyway, and I will not even recommend using this card reversed.

The reason is that this card is a reminder to you that your emotions are valid!

If something very upsetting happens to you, even if you think it is minor compared to what happens to other people, such as not getting the job you wanted, you may try to stuff your feelings.

The Three of Swords is reminding you not to do that!

You have to feel your feelings, no matter how ugly they are.

Because they are valid, and if you don't feel them, they fester, and you will have a much harder time working through them.

It is important to feel those emotions and let them process through you so you can move forward.

And hey, if someone throws toxic positivity at you by telling you only to think positive after something upsetting happened to you, ignore them and remember that your pain and sadness are valid.

And it is essential to let those feelings move through you.

The next card I will go over is the Four of Swords, a respite card.