4 of Swords

Keywords: withdrawal, introspection, regeneration. 

This card guides us to pause, to spend time in solitude, to still our mind, take stock, and review the past in order to be able to gain wisdom by understanding our situations in a new and realistic light. 

Quote from Einstein: I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me. 

 From this card we may receive an enlightenment or an illumination after a period of necessary retreat. So many of us take our holiday during summer months but the winter season offers more seclusion during these short days and long nights. Winter is the traditional time for retreat and seclusion, the time for recuperation of mind, body, emotion and spirit! 

The Four of Swords in the Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson is titled The Zombie Toad. This rare amphibian was discovered in the Amazon rainforest in 2021 by a PhD student. It informs us that successful people take regular rest breaks. It is during these times that things automatically fall into place. The best course of action might be no action at all. Now is the time for stillness. Can you allow yourself to lean on others, take yourself out of the action for a while, lie down, sleep, dream and feel! 

From Insight Tarot by Stanislav Reshetnikov: 

4 of Swords: Sanctuary where transformation takes place. Meditation for recovery. Interrupted activity and forced calm. For many this is not a pleasure, less often it is enjoyed as an opportunity to let go, get away, collect one’s thoughts, be around oneself, and take a breath. 

But this time-out is a necessity now, it bestows a sanctuary, even if someone regards it as an exile; it is what is called a retreat. It is a tomb and a cradle at the same time, a place of accumulation, concentration, and transformation; in this sealed environment, like in an airtight retort of an alchemist, a transformational process shall happen. 

Upright position: Forced calm, temporary relief, accumulation of powers, isolation, absence, deep concentration, meditation, analysis, self-discovery, spiritual practice, conscious processes of acceptance, containment, a different point of view, truce, lull, 

Reverse position: end of a period of isolation or rest, resumption of contacts with the outer world, awakening, readiness to act, return to work. 

From the text of The Dreamer’s Tarot Journal by Barbara Moore: “We have a lavish stained glass window, a woman rests with her arms crossed over her chest. Four swords hang on the walls around her, representing the problem or problems that surround her. The situation still exists but she has, for the moment, removed herself to a quiet, peaceful state of being. This card suggests that you have situations, troubles, or problems that need resolution. However, this is not the time to deal with them head on. Rather, it is time to take yourself away, calm down, and heal a bit, so that you can approach your issues refreshed. Quiet, peaceful reflection and meditation will bring clear insight so that you can handle the situation to your benefit. If reversed, this card indicates a wilful and unproductive ignoring of the situation. There is no refreshment, no insight. Instead there is either denial or useless obsessing. Use your intuition. The window above the woman depicts the story of the shepherd finding a lost lamb. How does this play into the meaning of the card? One sword is hanging upside down, what does this signify?”

Rachel Pollack is a US leading authority as a respected author, historian and teacher of Tarot. She is a trans-icon, a versatile writer and an accomplished deck designer and artist. I have taken this meaning of 4 of Air from Shining Tribe Tarot (2001) where she gives us the 4 of Birds. “This image comes from a healing meditation of a woman recovering from a long illness. In her vision, she saw herself resting on a ledge, warmed by the Sun with a cool breeze blowing, and mist from a waterfall spraying over her. All the elements supported her healing: Fire from the Sun, Water from the mist, Air from the wind, and Earth  from the mountain. The 4 of Birds links this image of healing and rest to the vision quest found in several Native American nations. We see a woman wearing a bird mask who has climbed a mountain to seek an encounter with spirits. Despite her dedication, she must stop and rest, and we see her relaxed with one hand resting in a small pool of water. At this moment, when she does not actively seek or call for it, a vision comes. The bird swirls down to her side. Many of us work diligently for growth, self knowledge, inspiration, or enlightenment. These things, however, do not come from determination. We cannot command aversion to appear to us. Often, such hard work my mask a fear of the emotions which will come if we let ourselves relax. We tell ourselves we won’t change, or wisdom, but will try to control what happens. And so the card promises truth and healing in those moments when we stop struggling. Upright: Rest, withdraw from the purpose of healing, discoveries, a knowledge when we least expect it. Reverse: Return to the world, renewal.

Birds represent the link between Earth and Heaven, divine intervention, elevation and enlightenment. They also represent life and beauty. The air moves and though we don’t see it, we see its effects. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit arrives on a breeze. Our first breath is the inspiration of life. Air is vital to life. It can be gentle or forceful. Nothing can be accomplish without it, even for a short space of time. 

Meditation: Find a place of quiet seclusion where you can create a sanctuary, close to nature and where you can feel safe and nurtured. Spend this time without technologies. Keep it simple. Think of your every blessing. Aim for truth and clarity, and an abundance of insight and good feelings. Make yourself comfortable. Take some deep breaths, close your eyes and allow your breathing to return to normal. Focus on the breath. Count 4 breaths and repeat this easy contemplation. Allow your body to be breathed. Take you attention within your body to where your thoughts feel most secure and comfortable. There, within the void, you will find is a discovery. Sit within this silent space until you experience your revelation. This will be your personal 4 of Air message! 

Article published in The Cartomancer Magazine by Wendy Stokes https://Wendystokes.co.uk