Queen, Suit of SwordsQueen of Swords tarot card meaning
Upright and reversedQueen of Swords in shortIn short
The Queen of Swords is the clear, honest mind that sorrow shaped. A queen sits in profile on a stone throne above the clouds, sword straight up, one hand open. She has known loss, and it made her direct, independent and hard to fool.
- Clear thinking
- Independence
- Honesty
Piece oneThe clouds
Soft cream clouds pile up low under clear blue. Waite's meanings for her are sad: widowhood, absence, mourning, separation. The clouds stay low and the sky above is clear. Grief has passed and left a clear head.
"Widowhood, female sadness and embarrassment, absence, sterility, mourning, privation, separation."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe clouds keep her company low on the card, under a clear blue sky. Her cloak is printed with the same clouds, so she seems made of the weather around her. Air is the element of Swords, the mind. Waite's meanings for her are grief and loss, and here they sit low, with her head up in the clear above them.
Piece twoThe stone throne
Her throne is grey stone, carved with curling scrolls and a calm human face. Waite mentions only her royal chair. In ours the carved face looks out quietly, as still and serious as hers.
Why it is hereThe throne gives her weight and permanence. It's grey stone, carved with scrolls and a calm face, so her judgments sit on something that won't move. The carved face looks out as steadily as she does. The stone seat and the upright sword together make her a ruler whose decisions stay made.
Piece threeThe stern face
She wears a gold crown over a red veil, her face calm and serious. Waite says her look is severe but chastened, and knows sorrow. She sees clearly because she has suffered.
"...her countenance is severe but chastened; it suggests familiarity with sorrow."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereHer face carries the card. Waite reads severity softened by sorrow: she has lost something and learned from it. The gold crown says authority, the red veil a warmth she keeps covered. Her other hand stays open in the air, so the face can be stern while the gesture invites you in.
Piece fourThe upright sword
She holds the sword dead straight, pointing at the sky. Waite rests the hilt on the arm of her chair; ours grips it above the chair. A straight sword, a straight mind. She won't bend the truth.
"Her right hand raises the weapon vertically..."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe upright sword is her judgment. She holds it dead straight, point at the sky, the line her mind keeps. Her other hand is open and raised, so she offers and cuts at once. Waite says she doesn't stand for mercy, and the straight blade agrees. The clouds can drift around her; the sword stays put.
Colour, and where else it appearsEchoes
-
The clouds
Cream on sky blue. Blue is air, the mind, the Swords element; the cream softens it, the way her open hand softens the sword. The King of Swords keeps the same calm round clouds beside his throne. The Three of Swords shows grey storm clouds and rain over a pierced heart. Her clouds are the soft, white kind that come after.
-
The stone throne
Cool grey stone, dark in the carving: hard and lasting, like a decision she won't take back. The King of Swords sits against the same carved grey stone, tall as a pillar. The Queen of Cups has a carved throne too, pink and mauve, set at the edge of the water. Hers is the warmer stone; this one stays cold.
Also in -
The stern face
Red veil and copper hair on blue sky: warmth, held in by a cool, steady gaze. Justice wears a gold crown and red robes too, and holds an upright sword like hers. Justice adds scales and weighs both sides. The Queen keeps no scales; she judges by what she has been through.
Also in -
The upright sword
Silver on open, cloudless blue: the clearest sky of the Swords courts. Justice holds her sword the same way, straight up, with scales in the other hand. The King of Swords also keeps his blade raised beside him. The Ace of Swords is where this upright line starts, rising from a hand in a cloud.
Colour notes are ours, read from the picture; Waite does not explain the colours.
Queen of SwordsUpright
Clear thinking, honesty, independence, often learned through loss. Waite's meanings are sad: widowhood, female sadness and embarrassment, absence, sterility, mourning, privation, separation.
Many readers today see the strength those losses build: someone who tells the truth, sets clear limits and needs nobody's approval. Speak plainly. Keep your judgement clear.
Queen of SwordsReversed
Waite's words: malice, bigotry, artifice, prudery, bale, deceit. The sharp mind turns cold or cruel and uses words to wound.
Watch for bitterness from old pain, in you or in someone near you. Honesty without kindness wounds.
Yes or noYes, if it's honest.
Yes, if the situation is honest and clear. Look at the facts without wishful thinking, then decide.
Queen of Swords in your lifeIn your life
Love
Honesty and clear boundaries, or time alone after a separation. Say plainly what you need.
Work
Sharp judgement, good analysis, straight talk. A fair, demanding boss or colleague.
Money
Look at the numbers coldly. Keep feelings out of your spending.
Health
Clear information helps, so ask direct questions. A card can't diagnose you; if something's wrong, see a doctor.
Spirituality
Truth through experience. Grief faced honestly turns into wisdom.
Advice
Tell the truth kindly. Keep your head clear.
As a person
Independent and sharp-minded, often older, plain-spoken, acquainted with sorrow.
Past, present, future
Past: a loss or separation that taught you hard lessons. Present: clear sight and honest words. Future: independence and good judgement.
Written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
Symbols and correspondencesAt a glance
- Suit
- Swords
- Element
- Air
- Golden Dawn
- Water of Air
- Court
- Queen
- Upright
- Widowhood
- Reversed
- Malice
QuestionsCommon questions
Mostly yes: clarity and honesty. Waite's meanings carry sorrow and separation, so a hard time may sit behind the strength.
Honesty, boundaries, independence, or time alone after a breakup. Clear talk beats hints.
Yes, if the facts support it. Decide with your head.
Waite says her left hand is extended, arm raised. Our palm is open, as if welcoming the truth. Waite adds that she does not stand for mercy.
Clear-headed and independent, someone who has known sorrow and speaks plainly. Waite links her to widowhood and mourning.
Waite shows a queen with her sword upright and her other hand out, her face severe and marked by sorrow. He says she stands for neither mercy nor, despite the sword, power.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911Card meanings and quotes: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911. Element, decan and sephira: the Golden Dawn's Book T. Colours, life situations, yes or no and questions: written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
All 14 Swords