i'll just do the math
I've been reading Papus lately and these aren't his words but it sort of goes like this: 1 is active and the ace of swords is pure intellectual insight coupled with an overly passive two, which in swords lacks the clarity usually associated with the suit. This causes creativity shown by the three of swords to take on painful overtones. Here's the offspring(which deals with RWS imagery and the Crowley name):
THE THREE OF SWORDS
The stark picture, provided by this card, straightforwardly stabs at the obvious meanings of sorrow or suffering. A powerful image on the Three of Swords offers dismal skies with three swords impaling a heart to symbolize slicing truth as it pierces emotions. This card represents external events cutting through the physical body or feelings of a person. Even honesty can slice into fragile human emotions. Brutal dialogue, physical rejection or an uncaring attitude wound as deeply as swords. The Three of Swords is a misty jewel of many facets but each shines with suffering. This card shows alienation; betrayal; sadness; separation; misery or loss. Stormy events seem especially painful when they strike unexpectedly. Often this three suggests a series of disheartening events if it appears in a spread. Each Swords card offers lessons and the Three of Swords is the cruelest instructor in this suit.
In a double-edged suit, this three can show either the intention to inflict or ability to overcome injuries. Preparing for an injury the Three of Swords predicts, reduces emotional distress or prevents it entirely. This card teaches us to expect agony in our lives but that is not the primary lesson. Although it appears dreadful, pain becomes essential to existence. Without pain, there can be no pleasure. It makes sense, that to appreciate a bounty of pleasures available in this world you must experience the ravages of grief. Evidently, not only humans but also most life forms exhibit an instinctive tendency to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Being hurt provides the stimulus to overcome pain and regain a tranquil existence. Emotional anguish presents unique potential to learn from errors and eventually grow wiser. Rainy skies, featured on this card, show a bleak time but clear sky follows rain. When disaster strikes, lightning-like pain tends to cloud your vision but as Emily Dickenson writes, wisdom is “never quite concealed: The Apparatus of the Dark; to ignorance revealed.” From agony, we ultimately gain the insight to move on from a stormy past. Life continues, despite a feeling of futility.
The Three of Swords departs from positive traits in numerology that express spontaneous creativity. In this card, expression takes on a painful form as the Swords story offers three in an unbalanced state. On this path, the number scatters energy and has difficulty manifesting positive values usually found in three. Generally, the numeric three is sociable, friendly and acknowledges joy as a motivator but this three offers grief. Voltaire said, “Tears are the silent language of grief.” By seeing past tears, you still gain clarity of the Swords, as an element of vision, usually associated with three but optimistic numeric traits reverse along this third path of the Swords saga. As numerology drifts into dark areas, three offers someone so delighted with the joy of living that life becomes frivolous and superficial. By scattering abilities with little sense of purpose, they tend toward escapism and become moody. If any of this describes you, take this card as a warning. The round shape of three implies that what it emits usually returns. Perhaps Karma is a problem on this path.
All positive numeric values are lost due to the lack of balance this card presents but keep in mind in numerology; three imparts a promise of growth.
Learning from life is a key issue when this card appears because it draws energy from the lesson planet Saturn in the sign of Libra. An Influence of Saturn usually brings sorrow and disappointment into relationships. Though Libra even seems out of balance as it energizes the Three of Swords, it still gifts this card with good judgment. Slicing directly into the heart of a primary lesson offered by this suit, the Three of Swords teaches that pain offers mental clarity, which leads to wisdom. By perceiving pain as an opportunity to develop, you instantly allow life to become less threatening. Ominous clouds might still hang low on the horizon but if you no longer characterize a challenge as painful, it loses potency. In recognizing only anguish, you lose sight of the solution. Instead of looking at pain, focus on the lesson it teaches. Whether you attain wisdom from Tarot or living, pain – not pleasure, is the best teacher.