Four (IV) of Swords
Keywords
Mental Exhaustion, Stress, Overwhelmed, Retreat, Time-Out, Healing, Peace & Quiet, Solitude, Preparation, Sleeping on your Problems, Re-Grouping, Coming to Terms, Self-Protection, Prioritisation, Spiritual Counselling, Spiritual Support, Keeping Faith, Confinement, Sanctuary, Illness, Coma, Hospitalisation, Intensive Care, Working with the Dead or Dying, Meditation,
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Meaning
The Four of Swords generally suggests that you are mentally overwhelmed and stressed by a particular situation or multiple situations in your life. Intense pressure surrounds you now and you may be finding it hard to think clearly as your mind is overloaded. The upset in the Three is taking its toll suggesting that the situation in question wounded both mentally and emotionally. Unfortunately, now we see that physically you are no longer able to cope. The best thing you can do now is step back and distance yourself from the situation until you are strong enough to face it again. Facing you situation may include choosing to back down from a terrible conflict or row. You may also have to face the fact that a relationship or marriage is over and that your partner no longer loves you. It may be that you have to come to terms with the death of a loved one who is never going to come back.
The Four of Swords typically represents a low time for you. It is a time when friends and family cannot reach you. It can represent a time when you feel that you would be better off dead. You may in fact feel you have died inside. The figure being administered to in the stained glass window may be his spirit begging his creator for release. If there has been a terrible loss in your life, it is time to come to terms with it in order to heal and find stability again.
In your present state you cannot deal with your situation. You need to step back and distance yourself from it. By doing so you can regroup and recharge your worn out batteries. You are running on empty at the moment. It is important to take time out now. It will put you in a much better position to deal with your problems. You need to find peace and quiet and the sooner the better.
The Knight lying on the tomb implores you to do so. When the Four of Swords appears rest is not simply sitting down for a cup of tea. The rest implied may be for a certain period of time and not one that you can rush. You need sleep badly and the deeper the better. You also need to nourish yourself. It is a time to turn your back on your world for a while and retreat into your home, bolt hole or even take a relaxing vacation.
The Four of Swords carries a very real warning of the consequences of not taking care of your mental health during stressful times. If you are coping at present then this card suggests that you are close to the edge and if you do not take the necessary steps to take a break then it may very well be forced upon you. It warns of the potential for mental breakdowns, medical care and even hospitalisation. The person represented by the this card may not be you so it is important to be observant of friends and family when the Four of Swords appears as outside appearances can be deceiving. Someone you know who has been through a tough time may look as if the are coping but the reality may be very different. Confused and feeling powerless they may keep their worries to themself.
When this card appears it may advise that receiving counselling for your issues would be of benefit. Sometimes, when we are in the middle of turmoil and upset, we cannot see the wood for the trees and turning to a calm and non-judgemental third-party can bring clarity and a new perspective. The third-party could be a friend, family member, doctor, counsellor, spiritual or religious guide. It is important not to lose your faith at this time for it is possible to make a full recovery even though you may feel very low right now.
Where your problems are concerned, you need to take a long hard look at them and see what is worth all your worry and what is not. You may think that you have multiple problems but in your state you are probably blowing them all out of proportion. This is why you need to step back for a while and sort your head out. You will more than likely find that there is only one main issue that needs your focussed concentration and the rest is mere dressing around it. prioritise. Deal with the important issue and you will find that the surrounding ones will dissolve and vanish as a result. You are spreading yourself too thin and frazzling your nerves by trying to cover every area.
The Four of Swords also raises the possibility that you may have got yourself into an unpleasant situation and now find that you cannot face people. You may lock yourself up in your home, refuse to answer the door or take calls. You can only keep this up for a period of time and sooner or later you are going to have to deal with the public at large and their opinions of you. You may feel ashamed or guilty of something you have done and have gone to ground and are waiting for the whole thing to blow over.
The Four of Swords is associated with Illness and hospitalisation in general. Surgery or a time spent in the Intensive Care Unit or Isolation may be involved. However, rarely on its own does the Four of Swords represent an actual physical death (several more cards are needed). Therefore it normally indicates a complete recovery after an illness but there will definitely be a period of convalescence as one is confined to bed. Comas may also be suggested but the activity in the stained glass window indicates that the mind or brain is still aware.
The Four of Swords can sometimes represent incarceration or imprisonment.
In a relationship reading The Four of Swords can suggest that you are taking the time out to strengthen and consolidate your relationship. However and very unfortunately it can reveal that a partner has retreated from the relationship. They may be silent, distant and avoid communication or physical contact. You may feel that your relationship or marriage has died. It is important to sit this one out though and not give in to knee-jerk reactions. Remember that the Knight lying on the tomb although appearing very much dead, is probably not. He just needs time to recover and gather his thoughts. The same too could be happening with your relationship and it is very possible that it will survive this time once you allow each other a bit of space. There may be things going on that are not very clear to you at the moment. Perhaps some Marriage Counselling would be beneficial.
The Four of Swords can also highlight that time when you need to heal from a broken relationship. We can all identify with this scenario as we take to the bed and cry ourself to sleep each night. With no interest in even washing or eating, we keep to ourselves and shun all social invitations. This time of despair is necessary and essential as it gives us time to come to terms with the end of a relationship and helps us discover our strengths and weaknesses. If this is you at present then enjoy your scruffy, puffy eyed period as time heals and you will soon bounce back.
Before leaving relationships behind we must also address one of the more negative aspects of this card. Depending on the support of surrounding cards The Four of Swords in a relationship reading can represent finding refuge or sanctuary from an abusive partner. In more extreme cases, but this becomes more evident in the reversed Four, there could be injury and possible hospitalisation as a result of abuse. An abundance of Swords Cards, especially the Five, Eight, Nine and Ten of Swords along with Reversed Court Cards and the Devil of The Major Arcana would really give you cause for worry.
In a career reading very little work is being done except on the inside. It can suggest that the pressure or stresses of your job are getting you down or laying you low. The recession may have caused staff cutbacks and you now find yourself doing three people’s work and it is just too much. If you are in business, then the worry and strain of making bank repayments and finding the salaries for your workforce each week could be slowly but surely breaking you down. You may be at the end of your tether and are finding it hard to cope. You need time off and now. If you have any vacation left to take then now would be a good time. If you can get someone trustworthy to man the business for a week or two then do so. Otherwise you may become ill and will then be forced to take time off due to mental exhaustion.
You are at the edge of the cliff right now. You need to step back for a while to rest and let your thoughts settle. Your mind is on overdrive at present. Once at a distance you need to reconsider your working life. During this time of retreat you may discover that your priorities shift or that you find workable solutions to your problems.
The Four of Swords can represent counselling as a profession or teaching meditation. Your job however, may involve you working with the dead or dying. Working in the funeral business. Alternatively, you may feel that your job is boring you to death or that the love you once had for your job has now died.
Reversed
Keywords
Slow Recovery, Healing, Awakening, Rejoining Life, End of Isolation, Get out of Jail, Mental Strength, Mental Collapse, Lack of Self-Care, Not Seeking Help, Not Listening to Advice, Losing Faith, Near Death Experience, Out of Body Experience, Insomnia
With The Four of Swords Reversed you can look forward to making a recovery after a worrying illness but it will be slow. Take your time and don’t try to rush things or you might undo all the good work. You can soon look forward to being discharged from hospital or being moved out of Intensive Care as your condition improves. It can also represent awakening from a coma or someone who has a near death experience.
When the Four of Swords reverses it is a sign that a period of isolation is coming to an end and it is now time to re-enter life. Not only have you have regained your mental and physical strength but you now have a clear understanding of how things came to be. This has given you a new outlook on life and a firm resolve on how you now wish to live yours. You will be the first person to agree that the break, even though it may have been hard at times, was exactly what you needed. You realise now that you could never have kept going the way you were. You will be determined never to let yourself get that low or stressed again about anything. Instead of wishing that you were dead, you now are so glad to be alive as you begin to see the colour in the world again and make plans for your life. You have certainly learned a lot about yourself and understand that even though you thought you were strong and invincible, it was not a sign of weaknesses to ask for help or to admit that you couldn’t cope. You must proceed cautiously as there may be areas of your being that are still fragile and vulnerable but you are certainly over the worst now.
On the other hand, because this is a reversed card, if you have not taken time out to heal and have just kept going then you may be experiencing serious chronic stress. The figure in this Reversed Four looks like he may very well fall onto the Three Swords (his problems and issues). The choice is his. He can choose to open his eyes and jump out-of-the-way before their sharp blades pierce his skin or he can stay as he is. He may have lost all faith of ever sorting his problems and may think that it would be better all round if he were to fall on these Swords and get it over with. Others have probably approaced him in concern but he is unlikely to have listened to any well-meaning advice. Mentally he may be breaking down. Psychologically, he could be in a very dangerous place and considering taking drastic measures to deal with his situation once and for all. Urgent effort on his part is now essential if he is ever to regain his balance again. Professional help may need to be called in and the sooner the better. Family and friends need to rally round as this person needs serious support if they are to come out of this in one piece. You would need to be alerted to this situation by the presence of other worrying cards in the spread. Again, these cards would be the usual dark and heavy Swords Cards, especially the Eight, Nine, Ten, Devil, Moon Reversed, Tower, Reversed Sword Court Cards for example.
The Four of Swords reversed can also represent the end of a period of mourning after a bereavement. You now have renewed strength, a deeper understanding of life and the acceptance of the death of a loved one. Enough time has been spent grieving and resting up. You are still very much alive and must take your place again in society. You will always carry your loved one in your heart and they will never be forgotten.
unfortunately sleep problems due to insomnia and strong dreams may be suggested this reversed Four and is more pronounced if also found with the Nine of Swords. You may be experiencing some strange nighttime activity such as out-of-body experience or astral travel. You may also be aware of spiritual activity around you during the night. Even though this is more than likely benign and just a sign that you are developing psychically, it can have a very disturbing effect on the quality of your sleep leaving you tired and drawn during the day.
This card can also be the “get out of jail” card and may suggest an end to confinement or imprisonment.
Where relationships are concerned, The Four of Swords Reversed often brings release from a relationship that felt like a prison. If you have sought help or sanctuary from a violent partner, you are beginning to feel stronger in yourself and ready to finally deal with your relationship. You are in a safe place where you cannot be got at so you can now make plans for a new life. You understand that you cannot stay there for ever but through the help of others be they friends, family, professionals or volunteers you are now equipped to stand on your own two feet.
However, you may have a pattern of running to refuges or homes during episodes of violence only to return to your offending partner and give him or her another chance to reform. Undoubtedly, you end up back at the refuge once more. There is a negative pattern and cycle operating which must be broken. You must want this yourself. Exposed and vulnerable, you fail to protect yourself. There may come a day when the violence is taken a step too far and it will be too late then. On the other hand, you may be keeping your domestic violence problems to yourself and refuse to seek help or take refuge. You could be putting up a front to family and friends but are leaving yourself in a very dangerous position as the Reversed Four of Swords can bring serious violence and injury.
If you have had your heart-broken by an ex partner, then the Reversed Four of Swords understands the suffering you endured but acknowledges that now you are feeling strong enough to put yourself back out there again in search of love. So it is a time to start accepting all social invitations. Get out and about and be seen. People have been wondering where you have hidden yourself all these months.
This card reversed can highlight a relationship once thought dead, or on the brink of it, slowly recovering. However, the reversed nature of this card can suggest that the relationship is dead and that there is no point trying to bring it back to life again. You will need to see what other cards appear in the spread along with communicating with the querant. I have found in the past that the querant spots the association quite easily and will be quick to admit that that is how they feel about their relationship or that it is their greatest concern. Let’s face it, the Four of Swords appearing in a relationship spread either upright or reversed has a ‘cold water in the face’ effect on any querant. They may also be just concerned about their partner if he or she is ill or in hospital so tread carefully.
Work wise, you may be going back to work after a long period of time. This is typical of the mother who after years staying at home to raise children eventually decides to re-enter the workforce.
However, you may be going back to work after a long illness or after having to take time off as a result of stress. If this is the case then hopefully you have completely recovered and have coping mechanisms in place to deal with stress from here on. You could also be working in a dead-end job, feeling that you are slowly dying. You may spend too much time working on your own and need to find a more lively place to work where you can interact with colleagues and meet other people. It could be time for a change of job or career. You could however be working in the funeral business or be responsible for performing post mortem or autopsies. Then again you may work in a women’s refuge or home.
Brief Versions – Ace of Swords Two (II) of Swords Three (III) of Swords Four (IV) of Swords Five (V) of Swords Six (VI) of Swords Seven (VII) of Swords Eight (VIII) of Swords Nine (IX) of Swords Ten (X) of Swords
Brief Versions – Wands Cups Swords Pentacles
The 78 Cards – Detailed Study Version (Card Description, Keywords, Upright & Reversed Meanings)
The 78 Cards – Shortened Version (Keywords, Upright & Reversed Meanings)
Copyright © 2006-2013 Vivien Ní Dhuinn
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