In the Rider Waite Tarot card deck, the Page of Swords shows a young man standing on a hill, holding a sword while the wind whips through his hair. This card deals with mental fortitude, decisive action and using your mind wisely.
Appearance and Symbolism
The Page of Swords depicts a young man standing in the middle of some very rough terrain with a sword held in both of his hands. The wind whips around him and we can see his hair flying out with the force of it. A tree in the background is also being blown by the wind, and in the sky we can see a flock of birds and thick clouds; scudding across the sky with the wind.
The birds we see in the sky in this card are symbols of our higher thoughts and matters relating to our spirits. Birds are the creatures of the air and so we can see that they represent higher ideals. Of course, birds are also representations of freedom and ascension – of freeing ourselves from our worldly problems and taking flight.
When we see birds in the Tarot, we are reminded that we should do our best to take ourselves to a higher level (emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually) and free ourselves from the bondage of the material world. We have to let our hearts take flight.
Clouds are all about revelation and showing things to us that we didn’t know were there. As an image, imagine the deep fog and mist of our deepest thoughts and emotions. When we experience and epiphany, that proverbial lightning strike, it is as if it comes out of nowhere.
Depending on the card we are looking at, clouds can also be a symbol of concealment or confusion or even clouded judgment. That being said, clouds are typically held to symbolise messages from the divine and higher thought.
The earth that we see this young man standing on is a symbol of stability, terra firma, if you will. Even though the wind is howling through this card, pulling at the young man’s hair and the tree we see in the background, he stands firm on the earth, both feet planted. Even though the earth he is standing on is rough, he is still standing and resolutely holding on to his sword. This symbol ties back to the fact that this card is about fortitude and decisive action, and belief in the power of our minds.
Interpretation
If you have gone to a Psychic Tarot reader, card readings will tell you that this card shows someone who is perceptive – someone who can cut through the distractions and get to the heart of the matter. This person is someone who has great mental agility and is excited for the future and the possibilities held therein.
This card gives a very positive message. Even though the landscape around the young man is rough and the wind is blowing, he holds on to his sword – knowing that things will get better, that the storm will pass. This card tells us that there will be a period of joy coming in the future, and the bad times will not last forever.
This card tells us about the importance of ideas and communication. It pays to exercise your abstract-thinking abilities because you will be able to spot the weaknesses in your plans and systems. You can save yourself a whole lot of pain if you troubleshoot things in your mind before jumping in headlong.
When you see the Page of Swords you must know that he is someone who trusts his judgment and believes in the power of his mind. This is something we can all learn. The Page is the type of person who will use reason and his powers of speech and communication in order to make his point – he does not need to scream and shout or physically harm people, and neither should you.
Inverted Interpretation
If you see the Page of Swords in the inverted position, that tells you that you might be acting hastily and doing things without thinking them through properly. There might be a lot of energy that you feel is behind you and you might want to jump into something, but you should look at the way you are going about it. Don’t let your mind race ahead of you.
This card inverted can also indicate a situation where someone is all talk and no action. Ask yourself whether this person is you, or someone close to you. Be honest and you will be able to deal with whatever is coming your way.