4 of Swords

Ok....so by now you will have worked out that I am fed up, bored, and pulling my hair out...

So....next question....

The 4 of Swords. Why are there 3 Swords hanging downwoards, and one lying on it's side?

Is there any special meaning to the one on it's side? A greater burden, or trouble for instance?

Ang x

I think you should read it the way it has meaning for you. Is there an idea you have not considered? One that you are "leaving on the side for later consideration"? Like, "I will not focus on that idea now, that thought. I will put it aside and come to it another time".

balenciaga has a good point - you should investigate what that lone sword means to you. (And I bet it'll mean different things in different contexts.)

But as shown at Albideuter the imagery isn't the same among all 4 Swords. Some decks show the figure clutching one sword, suggesting an idea that one won't/can't let go, even when relaxing. Other decks show all four swords in similar states.

In many iterations of the card, the lone sword is part of the coffin (that's not what it's called, but I'm having a brain fart right now). So even if the person wanted to grab hold of it, he can't. This could represent an idea that one is unable to grasp at this point in time.

What do you think the lone sword means?

Rodney

Ange said:

The 4 of Swords. Why are there 3 Swords hanging downwoards, and one lying on it's side?

Is there any special meaning to the one on it's side? A greater burden, or trouble for instance?

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In past discussions the history of this image has been gone over and it's really pretty fascinating. The idea was that when knights went off on crusade, they arranged for their sarcophagus or coffin to be made, in case they died. If they came back alive, they'd got to the church and lie in the coffin for a while, a form of penitent prayer and reflection. They would meditate on the fact that they could have died, but didn't. For what purpose had their life been spared?

The medieval version of therapy for survivor guilt and PTSD, as it were. I'm sure, to lie in your own coffin and think of your time on the battlefield, in a foreign land, away from family and such, how others died, but you didn't, was a very powerful sort of inward reflection. It was a way of debriefing the soldier, a way of helping them lay the their time in that land as a soldier to rest. When they rose up, they were supposed to know what they'd been spared to do for their family, homeland, and god.

As for the swords on the card, note that three are hung point down--point down indicates no fighting, the sword at rest or at peace. These, to me, are mementos of those who died, hung to honor them, to remember them. Also to indicate that the fighting is over. The battle has been won/lost, decided. The single sword below, IMHO, stands for the sword the man at rest would have been buried with had he died in battle. He didn't, so he's not holding onto it, but he is resting above it. It is what he meditating about. Living by the sword. Dying by it.

In the end, the sword you rest on stands for that one thing that is occupying your mind. The reason you came into this quiet place to recover and heal, mentally or physically. The thought that you have to come to terms with before you can rise up from that resting place and return to the world fully restored, knowing what you are and what your purpose in the world is going to be.

Thirteen said:

In past discussions the history of this image has been gone over and it's really pretty fascinating. The idea was that when knights went off on crusade, they arranged for their sarcophagus or coffin to be made, in case they died. If they came back alive, they'd got to the church and lie in the coffin for a while, a form of penitent prayer and reflection. They would meditate on the fact that they could have died, but didn't. For what purpose had their life been spared?

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Very interesting, I've never head of this before. Can you point to some sources to validate this idea?

I've always thought that the 3 hanging on the wall are from the Three of Swords.

That having been dealt with, and the person moved on, hence they hang downwards, they now rest and think.

The one sword that is left is the thing they have to decide how to move on...

That's how it's always seemed to me....but I just thought I'd ask...

Ang x

Ange said:

I've always thought that the 3 hanging on the wall are from the Three of Swords.

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I like this idea! I especially like it given that the 3/Swords card has them all crossed, but now they're lined up, as if the complexities of the situation were worked out, put into place, hung up as a problem that the person is "over" or getting over. Nice observation!

Basic Elements said:

Very interesting, I've never head of this before. Can you point to some sources to validate this idea?

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My knowledge, alas, is second hand. Here is the original thread where I learned about it: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=11180&page=3&pp=10

And here is the original quote:

In days of old, when knights were bold....

A history lesson can help you better understand this elusive 4 of Swords fellow.... In the middle ages, Knights were the super jocks of their time. When they went out on crusade, or rescued a damsel in distress, or slayed a dragon, or whatever they did, it was a big public dog and pony show... they were in the spotlight and life was often moving at the speed of light. Image was everything!

Life was full of danger, so when a knight left for a crusade or a mission, there was always the chance that he wouldn't come back alive. Since image was so important, most knights were hesitant to leave their funerary arrangements to anyone else, because they wanted to make sure that they were remembered in the way that they deserved. Leaving a legacy was important as well. So, before a knight went away to do battle, he would prepare his funeral in advance, usually including a chapel and a fancy sarcophogas bearing their likeness in carved relief on top.

If the knight actually DID come back from his adventure alive, the truly chivalrous ones would take some time to rest and recuperate and reflect on whether or not they were true to their mission, their king and their god. Some of them did this by literally laying down in their coffin in an act of humility and contrition.

This is the image that is being shown on the Waite-Smith 4 of Swords. This makes the card about reflection, recuperation, getting in touch with one's basic nature, etc.

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The poster was Mojo. I don't know if they're still on AT, but you can try e-mailing them for the source of this.

I might read this as the 3 of Swords decision having passed, the querent is now resting from the fallout. As Swords denote communication and outreach, the 4th Sword might stand for the Sword that will be picked up when the querent is healed and ready to tackle the next thing or to communicate.

To me, the RW image has always reminded me of a hospital bed rather than a tomb: the horizontal Sword is the bed, the three vertical ones are the folds of a privacy-curtain around it. I barely see the other elements of the card.

It's about healing in private to me.