Three of Swords tarot card from the Simply Tarot deck

Three of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The Heartbroken

✦

Heartbreak • Betrayal • Grief

The Three of Swords shows a painful situation. You feel let down or even betrayed by someone close to you; an inevitable but upsetting part of life. There is little you can do other than to accept the situation and allow time to heal.

When the Three of Swords appears, a deep-seated argument or disagreement has occurred with someone close to the Subject. This has been building for some time and the outcome can be painful; in some cases it can refer to a betrayal or a separation.

The Subject will be left feeling emotional, hurt and confused. Although heart-breaking, the Subject can now make better decisions about their future. If this particular set of events had not taken place, the Subject would have been trapped in an unhappy situation with no hope of improvement.

So whilst this situation is unwanted, the positive message is that they now have hope of finding true happiness because they are freed from the conflict that has been binding them.

⌵

❦

Love & Relationships

Pain has already entered the story here. Betrayal, rejection or emotional separation cuts through illusion sharply, leaving little room to pretend everything is untouched. Some wounds heal cleanly; others permanently change the shape of the heart that carries them.

◈

Material Life

Loss reshapes the practical world as much as the emotional one. Separation, betrayal or painful disappointment leave visible fractures in routines, plans or the sense of safety once built around another person or situation. Grief changes structure long before healing fully returns.

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Notes from the Artist

The Swords are not aligned in neat rows but are at angles and pointing in on two sides, with one facing directly down between them. This represents conflict between two people and the possibility of being forced apart because of the conflict. The clouds are stormy and turbulent which represent a difficult time which needs to be endured before the sun shines again.

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From the archive

The Original Artwork, Reimagined

Before Three of Swords became part of the Simply Tarot collection you see today, it was drawn and painted by hand for the original 2011 Tarot House Deck. The style has evolved, but the meaning and character of the card remain at its heart.

Original hand-painted Three of Swords tarot card by Patricia House from the 2011 Tarot House Deck — 2011 **Original 2011 artwork Three of Swords** Hand-painted by Patricia House

A Sword in the centre of the image points directly downwards between two Swords slightly angled inwards. Darkening clouds swirl as if charged with harsh energy. — Today **Three of Swords reimagined** The current Simply Tarot artwork

The original first edition

Buy the Original 2011 Deck

The card shown above is part of the original 78-card Tarot House Deck. Every image was drawn and painted by Patricia House before the deck was professionally printed by Cartamundi in the UK. A limited number from the original print run are still available.