The Queen of Swords – The Professional

Keywords

Mature Air Feminine, Intelligent, Academic, Boss, Integrity, Honesty, Truth, Principles, Standards, Clinical, Sterile, Reserved, Detached, Aloof, Cool, Private, Severe, Perfectionist, Rigorous, Meticulous, Scrupulous, Detail, Concise, Independent, Autonomous, Self-Reliant, Self-Disciplined, Strong, Discerning, Discriminating, Sceptical, Logical, Realistic, Objective, Clarity of Thought, Open-minded, Understanding, Heart & Head, Critical, Constructive Criticism, Alert, Sharp, Astute, Problem-Solver, Advisor, Forthright, Frank, Candid, Direct, Organiser, Delegator, Strategies, Equality, Ethical, Rules, Discipline, Law-abiding, Fair, Freedom, Own Space, Experienced, Professional, Sophisticated, Elegant, Chatty, Talkative, Witty, Black Humour, Quirky, Interesting, Conversation, Communication, Hard Knocks, Pain, Sadness, Repressed Pain/Sadness, Hard Lessons, Denied Suffering,  Military, Mother, Widow, Separated, Divorced, Single, Single Mother, Spinster, Forsaken, Ice-Queen, Iron-Lady, Infertility, Barrenness,

Messages

Take your feelings into consideration when making decisions, Be fair in this situation, Be upfront in your dealings with others, Stand up for what you believe in, Speak up and speak out, Face up to the truth no matter how painful it is, Abide by the rules, Wise up to what is going on around you, Don’t let yourself be fooled, Get to the heart of the matter quickly, Get your facts straight, Anticipate problems,  Keep your head and find a solution, Listen to both sides of the Argument, Keep an open mind, Difficult decisions have got to be made, Weigh up the pros and cons, Keep a clear head, Don’t let you emotions get in the way, Be realistic in your expectations, Find the funny side of the situation,  Don’t be so serious, a little humour goes a long way, Offer constructive criticism, Own your own space,  Be free, Be single, Be independent, Protect your privacy

Now explore the personality of the Queen of Swords below.  If she has turned up in  your reading it means her energies have special meaning for you at this time.

You must ask yourself:  Who is she?  Who does she remind me of?  Is she having a positive or negative influence in my life?  How can I embrace or avoid her energy?  What is she trying to tell me?  Is this how I am behaving?  Is this how others perceive me?  Do I like her or not? Do I want to be more like her? How can I be more like her, If she is not a person then what is her energy trying to tell me? How would this Queen handle my situation? Which part of this Queen am I trying to deny?

Personality Profile

The Queen of Swords combines the inward focus of a Queen with the razor-sharp mind and intellect of her Suit Element.

Being the Watery part of Air this Queen blends her emotions with her mentality giving her the ability to use compassion and understanding in her judgement of others or situations. In this card we are presented with the Queen in profile. Wearing a white dress and a robe decorated with clouds symbolising her element of Air.  She sits on her magnificent throne which is engraved with several butterflies, a winged cherub and two small birds.  Butterflies also adorn her crown. As the butterfly symbolises transformation, these butterflies suggest the ability this Queen has to use her mind and logic to change the way she thinks about the world and about herself. The sky is clear except for a bank of grey clouds that hang on the horizon suggesting she is clear thinking and can manage to keep her head above the clouds or any confusion.  The clouds however, also remind her of a possible cloudy past; of a time when her mind may not have been so clear or had experienced hurt or pain.  The bird flying high overhead represents this Queen’s high ideals, standards and principles.  The birds also symbolise her ability to rise above any conflict or trouble in order to view it from a more objective perspective.  This ability helps the Queen to gain new understanding and insight but it especially helps her to get to the heart of every matter and see the truth in all situations.

The birds also symbolise her desire for personal freedom.  The tassel on her left arm is all that remains of the ropes that bound her in the Eight of Swords as she journeyed through the Minor Arcana.  Even though this Queen is now free in mind and thought she has deliberately left one tassel behind to remind her of how she got tied up or restricted.  She will make sure never to let that happen again. The tassel reminds her of the painful times in her life.  She carries her pain deep inside, far away from prying eyes.

The Queen holds her Sword in her right hand while her left hand is raised in the air.  This Queen is only one of three cards in the Tarot where the sword is presented upright showing its double edge. This Queen has the ability to look at both sides of a situation when making her decisions.  Using her inward focus of a Queen, the double-edged sword also symbolises how she will take her feelings or the feelings of others into account before making any decision.  She consults both her heart and head in matters.

The Queen of Swords is traditionally recognised as the Widow, Separated or Divorced woman, Single Mother or Spinster. However, she also represents the woman who chooses not to marry or prefers being single to being part of a couple.  The Queen of Swords values her freedom and also her privacy.

Together with the Hermit of the Major Arcana the Queen of Swords can represent the sun sign Virgo and on her own any of the Air signs Gemini, Libra or Aquarius.

Sharp, Slick, Savvy and sophisticated, the Queen of Swords stands for honesty before anything else. She has no time for lies and cover-ups.  She is forthright and direct preferring to be upfront about everything even if the truth is painful. She can sometimes be abrupt and blunt in her dealings with others.  This may come across as sharp at times but this Queen means no harm.  She just wants everyone to know where they stand with her.  She believes in constructive criticism if she knows you can do better or are making a mistake.  Her aim is to help and not just sound like a know-all.  This Queen does know what she is talking about.

The Queen of Swords often suggests sadness or a deep pain that is denied or repressed.  Although this woman enjoys communication she is extremely private and self-disciplined.  She may listen to your troubles, offer sound logical advice and provide practical help but she will never pour her heart out to you.  She deals with her own life in her own way.  She is self-reliant and autonomous.  She looks to herself when making decisions as she knows she is capable of making the right choice or taking the right action.  She is a free-thinker and follows her own beliefs.  If the Queen of Swords is a friend of yours you will have to understand and accept that she is not interested in constantly meeting up for coffees and having to spend time together every weekend.  On the contrary, she will love you even more if you leave her alone and are not in her ear or face all the time; only arrive if you have been invited and never demand her presence anywhere.  It will not matter if you do not see her for months at a time as she will pick up with you exactly where you left off and it will seem like you saw her only yesterday.  If the penny hasn’t dropped with you regarding this strong aspect of her personality then she probably has dealt with you at this stage and are no longer friends.

The Queen of Swords is a quick minded, talkative and very intelligent woman.  This woman is methodical and is a stickler for detail and the more detail the better. This trait can lead others to view her as a perfectionist which would not be far from the truth.     Analytical and quizzical, her mind never stops working which can cause this Queen to suffer from bouts of insomnia.  Like the bird that soars high above this Queen she can detach herself from an issue, even if she is personally involved herself, in order to discern exactly what is needed.  She will apply her logical thought processes to work out a sensible and fair way for all.  It may not suit everyone but if emotions are taken out-of-the-way, it will make perfect sense.  She is a born problem-solver and enjoys developing strategies and processes to improve efficiency in her life and work.  She sees to the heart of the matter and knows exactly what needs to be done.  She can also anticipate problems long before they arise and take the necessary steps to provide solutions.

The Queen of Swords is not taken in too easily by anyone or anything.  She has an amazing discriminating mind and can be very sceptical.  Not getting too close to anyone, she can appear detached and reserved by those who sometimes feel intimidated by her severe and clinical approach to life.  She wears no masks and is not out to please anyone.  She is a keen observer and with her penetrating mind will see through the masks that others wear.  Discerning and alert, it does not take her long to spot a phoney or a fake.  If you are looking for straight talking or an honest opinion regarding your choice of partner or course of action then you need look no further than the Queen of Swords.  She will tell you as she sees it; call a spade a spade and will not be behind in coming forward.  She acts out of genuine interest and concern for you.  If you ask her opinion, then that is exactly what you will get.  She does not see the point in trying to paint the picture any other way than as it really is.  Her belief is that it is best you know now even if the truth is painful.  Then you can do something about it before it is all too late.  She bases her advice on her own painful experiences of life and sometimes feels she has been there, worn the t-shirt, bought the DVD and done it all herself.  She knows how the world works and has had her fair share of hard knocks.

On the surface one would be easily led to believe that this Queen is terribly serious and severe.  In fact one of her traditional associations is that of the Ice Queen. This would be painting a very sour and dour portrait of her indeed as in the Queen of Swords we find a very charming and engaging mature woman who is friendly, chatty and helpful.  Articulate and intelligent she makes an excellent dinner guest who will keep the conversation flowing effortlessly.  Well educated, well-read and up to date on current affairs and politics she can hold her own in any topic of conversation.  Other diners find her stories and anecdotes fascinating.  She often has a quirky way of looking at things and can enthrall people with her open-minded concepts and ideas.  Believe it or not, this woman has a wonderful wicked sense of humour that can catch some people off guard.  Her retort or comeback in humours situations is rapid as her mind always finds the right comment at just the right time.  Tending to see the quirky side of things, she often uses humour or black humour to disarm an awkward situation.  She also has the ability to laugh at herself.   The Queen of Swords does love to talk but you will never find her indulging in idle gossip or talk just for the sake of talk.  She loves conversation but it has to be the kind that stimulates her brain as this breathes life into her very soul. Topics that can be discussed and debated suit her best.

Even though the Queen of Swords likes to talk, this woman only ever uses the correct number of words to adequately convey that which she wishes to communicate.  All other words are unnecessary and irrelevant.  Therefore you won’t find her repeating herself constantly or waffling and prattling on for ever.  She gets right to the heart of the matter in seconds leaving no room for confusion or misunderstanding.  She expects her advice to be acted on or her order to be carried out without question or without the need for her to reiterate.

Mentally she is on the ball all the time and can be intolerant of those around her who are not.  Similar to the Queen of Wands, the Queen of Swords is fleet of mind and foot. She can be a whirlwind of mental and physical activity, running here and there with a phone stuck to her ear and a diary full of meetings to attend.  She has an excellent memory which stores a vast amount of data and can be retrieved at will.  This Queen represents clarity of thought and well-formed decisions or plans.  However, because she is Queen and influenced by Water, decisions should not just be based on facts and logical processes alone but also on feelings.  Therefore she would ask you to think carefully about your feelings when making any major decisions.   The Queen of Swords is a woman who has made some mistakes in life. She has had to learn some tough lessons along the way and has worked hard to gain control of herself.  She is in no hurry to make such errors of judgement again and would ask you to think about what you have done in the past and use this information to make sure you don’t repeat any negative patterns.

In relationships this Queen is a shrewd judge of human nature.  Her partner may be lacking in the looks department but will definitely have a brilliant mind.  He needs to be a match for her intellect.  She normally takes her time and is not prone to jumping into bed with the first available man. She will use her mind to analyse the pros and cons of each man she meets and will make her decisions after she has spent time conversing and observing mannerisms and actions.  When her partner does get to know her he will realise that underneath all her sterile exterior lies a wicked but sometimes quirky sense of humour. However, when it comes to romance she is not as emotional as the Queen of Cups.  She does seek love but can sometimes prefer a meeting of the minds rather than a meeting of the bodies.  She is affectionate in her own way, but not in a slushy manner and certainly not in public.  She prefers a no-nonsense type of relationship based on mutual interests and intellectual equality.

The Queen of Swords is generally a professional or academic and is drawn to like-wise partners. Barristers, professors, surgeons, scientists, writers, editors, politicians, psychiatrists etc would all be suitable.  She needs a man whose intelligence and knowledge fascinates and inspires her; a man who is highly qualified and knows what he is talking about.  A man she can learn much from and who will provide a constant stream of intellectual stimulation and in-depth conversation.  Nights out together at the opera or theatre followed by dinner in a first class restaurant would be appealing to this Queen.  You will also find her and her partner attending book launches and exhibitions.

The Queen of Swords would be generally quite cautious when it comes to relationships (remember the tassel on her left wrist reminding her of hurts in the past). She has learnt painful lessons in love and will not be too eager to repeat them again.  She is wary and does not like to share her space unless she is really sure.  She values her freedom and independence and will not be in too great a hurry to give them up.  Her privacy is very important to her, so too is peace and quiet.  She likes to be alone when she wants to be alone and not talk if she does not want to talk.  Therefore she will be reluctant to move in with her partner.  No matter how loving and wonderful her partner may be, if she feels he is not suitable or makes too many demands of her she can clinically and brutally sever the relationship even if it causes her pain.  Compromise may not be an option for her.  She prefers honesty and openness in relationships..  She prefers to deal with issues there and then is she feels the relationship is not working out rather than beat around the bush for weeks.   This Queen would be well suited to a relationship that took her partner away on business for weeks if not months at a time.  Her partner may never get as close as he would like to this Queen of Swords in his life for she will always maintain a certain cool and safe distance from total commitment.  We must never forget that this Queen is quite happy to be alone and can easily replace friends and lovers with books.  She does not need company to keep boredom at bay.

The Queen of Swords as we know enjoys her freedom and because of this can sometimes represent a woman who is single, desires to be single or misses being single in a relationship reading. At times the Queen of Swords can represent barrenness or infertility in relationships but more so when she is reversed.

The Queen of Swords is very well suited to careers in the legal profession, teaching, law, medicine, publishing, counselling or business management. Anything really that uses her mind.  With her element being Air, she can literally take to the air and successfully become a pilot or stewardess.

Extremely professional and ethical she stands by her principles.  She champions fairness and equality in the workplace work place and will fight discrimination wherever she finds it.   She works hard, is very driven and will give her all in her career.  As a boss her staff or work colleagues may see her as fair but strict and formal.  She can be clinical and a bit of a perfectionist but does get the job done. She is competent and efficient.   When there is a crisis or approaching deadline, this Queen does not lose her cool.  Instead she knows how to delegate in order to achieve a positive result.  Any problems are dealt with in a logical and calm manner.  She develops strategies to improve quality, efficiency and standards in the workplace.  As the boss she is open-minded and welcomes the input of her staff during brainstorming sessions and will listen intently to any new ideas or concepts they may come up with.  She is acutely aware of everyone’s individual talents and what they can contribute to a project thereby giving her valuable tools when running a business.  She drives her staff as much as she drives herself and if you work for this Queen she will keep you occupied all the time.  She can sniff out idleness or slacking through closed doors so if you have plans for surfing the net while pretending to read incoming emails she will be on to you in a flash.  A warning will be given, but only once.  She needs staff that are conscientious and can work on their own initiative.

This Queen likes to be in charge and is a force to be reckoned with. She will not see herself as inferior to her male colleagues and has no problem meeting them eye to eye or fighting for their job if necessary. She is the power dressed professional woman who can be quite intimidating to more mere mortals.   However, if any of her staff come to her with a problem she will be there for them and offer sound and logical advice.

The Queen of Swords is often drawn to a career in the army enjoying military strategies and disciplines.  She is also drawn towards politics where she can use her brilliant mind with its abundance of ideas.  She will tirelessly debate over subjects of equality and fairness and develop strategies to make the country a more law-abiding and efficient place.  In fact, she wouldn’t mind actually running the country if she got the chance as she is just the right person when it comes to making tough policy decisions on a national and global level.  When we think of Margaret Thatcher, (The Iron Lady) an ex Prime-Minister of The United Kingdom, we see in her the strength and characteristics of the Queen of Swords in all her glory.

Law is another area she has great interest in and can take her career right to the top becoming Supreme Judge or District Attorney should she choose.  She is honest and thorough.  As a lawyer or barrister, she can analyse the facts and expose hidden motives and agendas with her penetrating mind and sharp observational skills. She can hold her own in a courtroom and will take down the opposition with her razor-sharp questioning skills.  We have seen this Queen portrayed in so many movies as the clinical and cool lawyer fighting tooth and nail for her innocent client.  She will not give up until justice has prevailed and the law of the land has been upheld.

She can also approach the law in a more scientific way becoming a forensics expert where attention to minute detail is a must.  Likewise a career as a detective or investigator would appeal to her enquiring and search-light mind.  The Queen of Swords is intelligent and has an excellent manner of communication.  She would relish a job as a Current Affairs TV presenter or the researcher for a History Channel.  If she decides to,  this Queen can also write for a living preferring non-fiction, biographies or academic studies where facts are more important than imagination.  Other professions may include Editor, Pharmacist, Economist, Psychiatrist and Negotiator.

As a mother she can be critical and hold unrealistic high expectations for her offspring. She will demand straight A’s all round. Her house will be one of order, control and discipline.  She will carry through on any threat of punishment without flinching should her children disobey or break the rules.  She will certainly love her children and view any form of punishment or discipline as necessary for their own good. Her children will love her too but will have a healthy fear and respect for her.

This will not be a household where her children’s friends will be allowed easy access. Any visits will be by arrangement only with a drop off and pick up time agreed in advance. No crumbs on the floor, no licking your plate, no jumping on the beds and only an hour of television a day will be permitted.

Education is especially important to this Queen, so homework and study will be a priority and carefully monitored. She will certainly love to hear what her children have to say and will encourage them to speak their mind and to form their own opinions. Meal times will be quite formal occasions but much will be discussed at the table. She will make sure her children are well accomplished with classes in piano, violin and elocution for example.

The Queen of Sword’s children will never be spoiled.  They will be expected to work hard first and play will come second.  She will expect them to aim for a career as a professional but will not necessarily force them to follow in her footsteps.

 Reversed

Hypercritical/Self-Critical, Perfectionist, Obsessive Compulsive, Dysfunctional, Damaged, Fatally Flawed, Pessimist, Negative, Severe, Cold, Sour, Bitter, Insensitive, Vindictive, Malicious, Nasty, Cruel, Spiteful, Hateful, Vengeful, Enemy, Trouble-maker, Blamer, Manipulative, Ill-natured, Malicious Gossip, Rude, Pass remarkable, Unsympathetic, Cruel, Sharp Tongued, Un-yielding, Punishment, Un-forgiving, Un-lawful, Liar, Cheat, Deceitful, Dishonest, Mind Games, Lessons not Learned, Repressions, Clouded Thoughts, Heart not Head, Counselling, Stress, Separated, Divorced, Wicked Step Mother, Absent/Cold Mother, Fertility issues, Barrenness, Desire for Freedom Solitude/Space/Privacy,  

Here we see the result of a brilliant mind put to not so brilliant use. This Queen reversed becomes dysfunctional down to her toes. She can be a pessimist, negative, cold-hearted and severe.  She becomes cruel and unyielding in her ways and attitudes. She is a fearful character and terrifying opponent. Negative and sour she is a product of her past or upbringing.

When we see one with such potential and intelligence, if it has not been nurtured and fed carefully, all those wonderful abilities go unused. This can lead to bitterness and the desire to punish all.

She may still have a brilliant mind but uses it negatively to stir up trouble whenever she feels like it.  She can be dishonest, lie, cheat and break the law.  She manipulates and creates potentially explosive situations, and like a grenade, pulls the pin, throws it in curious to see who will be left standing when the dust settles.  With her malicious gossip, she can turn friends against each other by carefully chosen words and underhand influence. She is so damaged and twisted herself that she knows no better. She has a habit of always wrangling her way out of trouble. She carefully manipulates the situation using her gymnast-like mind so that the blame comes to rest at another’s doorstep. She can then shift the attention from herself and onto someone else.

She is consumed with negativity and if you spend too much time with her she will have you feeling the same as she imposes her beliefs on you with her fancy twisted words. She will have you believing in no time that the world indeed is a nasty place and that no one is to be trusted.

Fatally flawed, she seeks friendship and love but does not really understand what they mean. Quick to pass judgement on others she is a hardliner and unsympathetic.  In the depiction of this card we see the Queen with hand outraised as if beckoning someone too her. However, she holds her sword in her other hand, ready to strike if the person gets too close or happens to annoy, bore or aggravate her.  With her dysfunctional way of thinking she may not understand why she finds it hard to meet or keep someone.  In relationships she can be insensitive to the feelings of her partner and sharp-tongued. She accepts no responsibility in her relationships and will blame her partner for everything that goes wrong.  She can be a very convincing liar and deceitful.  She plays mind games and sets traps for her partner.  He will have to guard his words closely as she is hyper-sensitive and will find the slightest thing to start an argument over. She causes hair-splitting arguments just for the sake of it and always has the last say.  Her partner will find himself constantly apologising to her for things he is not guilty of.  She is clever and cunning and can be ruthlessly cold when severing relationships.  This woman is capable of extreme cruelty and vindictiveness with her partner and possible violence if surrounding cards back it up.

The Queen of Swords reversed can highlight the bitter separated or divorced woman who is consumed with hatred and blame.  In the upright, the Queen of Swords makes a clean-cut or break from her partner but in the reversed she resists bringing the sword down.  She can neither move on nor forgive.  In all reversed cards we can find the extremes of the upright at play so this reversed Queen may wish to cut the ties but is powerless to do so.  If we think back to the 8 of Swords we see her bound up as a prisoner. She may feel trapped and cannot see a way out of her situation as her emotions and thoughts mirror her reality.  She must be made aware of the tassel on her wrist, reminding her that she can free herself if she can just stabilise her mind and find a workable plan.  The Queen of Swords reversed can also suggest the need to let go after the death of a partner or loved one.  She may also repress her sorrow and grief.  Her presence in a reading can sometimes suggest that counselling may be needed.  Look to the surrounding cards for confirmation of this.

This reversed Queen may suggest difficulty in conceiving and fertility problems.  Depending on surrounding cards she can highlight the buried pain of a past miscarriage or termination.

This Queen reversed may indicate that she has not learned lessons from her past painful experience.  She may be heading for trouble again but is either blind to the warning flags or chooses not to see them.  She needs to be reminded of the tassel once more and of all she escaped and overcame to realise that she does not want to travel that road once more.  This could be the scenario of falling for the same type of unsuitable partner over and over again.  Consciously she knows he is wrong for her. She knows she is setting herself up for pain all over again but somehow cannot help herself. She refuses to listen to the advice of friends as she listens to her heart and not her head.

This reversed Queen may just want us to know that she does not want to be in a relationship as she prefers to be single and free.  She may have no intentions of finding herself a long-term partner or marriage as it would be too restricting.  If in a relationship she may wish to maintain separate homes or separate beds.

If you work for this reversed Queen, she can be hyper-critical and find fault in everything you do.  Intolerant of mistakes and those who do not think as she does, she can belittle her staff in front of their colleagues with her demeaning and disparaging personal remarks.  She can be unfair and guilty of discrimination or bullying in the workplace.  She will demand absolute obedience and compliance with her wishes.  Unapproachable and close-minded she will be unyielding in her policies and will not want to hear your opinion or ideas.  She is domineering and ill-natured and is extremely stressful to be around.

When reversed, the Queen of Swords judgement can become clouded and poor decisions can follow.  Her plans may be illogical or too abstract to be implemented.  If too much Water is present she can find emotions getting in the way of clear thought as she allows her heart to rule her head.  In the upright Queen of Swords we find a woman who can express her feelings and stands up for herself.  In the reversed we find this poor Queen blocked.  She is either afraid to speak her feelings or does not know how.  She needs to get things off her chest but it all gets stuck in her throat and is swallowed back down.  She may feel her opinions don’t count or that she may sound silly.  She may also carry such a secret burden in her that if the truth came out she would be destroyed.  She can be quiet and introvert or possibly just have nothing to say.  On the other hand this lady may never shut-up.  She may waffle on and on, repeating herself over and over, talking just for the sake of talking.  She may lack education and ambition.

However, she can also indicate that there is the tendency to be overly critical and hard on oneself. Her appearance may highlight the presence of perfectionist and obsessive tendencies.  Like the Queen of Cups reversed, she may need to forgive herself or someone else.

The reversed Queen of Swords appearing in a reading may just symbolise the need for peace and solitude.

As a mother, she can become very cold, severe and distant.  Here we can find the Wicked Stepmother archetype.  Discipline and punishment will be part of the weekly household routine.  This reversed Queen is not afraid to slap her child and is too ready and quick with the hand, even in public.  Her bark is every bit as bad as her bite with her scathing and insulting remarks.  Her children can lack confidence and self-belief as a result of constant put- downs.   Her children fear her and dream of the day when they are old enough to leave.  This is not a home where friends are actively welcomed.  Indeed her children, if they can, will escape to friends’ houses for a bit of fun and freedom.  Her children will either turn out like her or be determined to break the mould.  The tragedy is that this Queen is a product of her own up-bringing. She may have been raised by cold disciplinarian parents and so sees no other way to rear her children.  Her children’s saving grace may be a father who can balance the scales with a softer gentle side.

We see this mother when we sit in a doctor’s waiting room as she constantly chastises her child for behaviour that no one else waiting can see.  Everyone is relieved when she is called in as she has created a stressful atmosphere and all feel sorry for the poor child.

With her perfectionist traits, she may be overly critical and demanding.  We must remember how intelligent this Queen is and if she was denied the opportunity to develop her own career potential she may attempt to fulfil her ambitions through her children.  She may force them down career paths they are not interested in as a result. She can brainwash them into thinking as she does and holding the same opinions as her.

She has the ability to turn a son or daughter out of the house for a mistake made or perceived insult. She can set impossibly high standards for her children withholding her affection when they fail to achieve. This is the mother who can calmly and deliberately walk away from her children or refuse contact with them for years remaining stony silent after an argument.

The Queen of Swords reversed is not all bad and we should not be too quick to judge her.  She may deeply love her children but finds it hard to express her feelings for them.  This mother carries a great sorrow or sadness and may suffer from depression or mental health issues. She can highlight the difficult struggle of the single parent trying to combine motherhood with work.  The Queen of Swords reversed can symbolise the stressed parent. .

In the reversed we can also get the flip-side of her nature and find this Queen dithering and mentally undisciplined.  She may be eccentric and views her children as free spirits who must be allowed express themselves as they wish.  She exerts no control over her kids and allows them away with blue murder.  She never follows through with punishment.  Her children will walk all over her.  Precocious and mouthy, they can lack manners and obedience as they are never corrected or pulled up over bad behaviour or cheekiness.

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