Page of Swords

authority
vigilance
examination

Upright meaning

Alert curiosity: Waite gives authority, vigilance and examination. Watching closely and thinking clearly.

Reversed meaning

Reversed, Waite notes an unprepared state. A prompt to gather facts before reacting.

unprepared state

Symbolism

A lithe figure holds a sword upright while walking swiftly over rugged ground, clouds wild around him.

Group: Minor Arcana · Swords
Element, astrology: Not given by Waite, so we give none

Source

Our own plain-English summary of A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (London: Rider, 1911), Part III §2 (The Lesser Arcana). The keywords are Waite’s own words. Waite’s fortune-telling lists also contain harsher terms; we keep to the reflective readings he gives and never state an event as certain.

Tarot is a tool for reflection, not a prediction of fixed outcomes. This is not medical, legal or financial advice.

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