General Interpretation and Meaning of the Four of Swords - Upright & Reversed

The Major Arcana Tarot Card Four of Swords represents a knight who is lying horizontally on a tomb. He is in the complete guard of himself and is covered with complete armor. His hands are rested in the position of praying. While one sword lies beneath the knight, which is an indication of a single point of focus that lies in front of him. Three other swords hang above him that point down towards his head. The glass window that is stained lies above him shows the image of a woman and child together.  

General interpretation and meaning of the Upright Four of Swords 

In the general context, the upright position of Four of Swords indicates anxiety, tension, fear, distress, etc. There might be something that is going on in your life that can be overwhelming and is harming your mental health. You might be feeling mentally overloaded. This Minor Arcana card assures that the problems that you are presently facing in life will surpass soon. The impact isn’t going to be as heinous as you might be thinking and solutions are there to the problem.  

This card is suggestive of the fact that you are allowing the negative energy to enter your life. This is making you impulsive and you are unable to find your feet on the ground. The card indicates and focuses on your mental position rather than the problems that you are encountering. You need to contemplate your thoughts and actions. This card is suggesting it is your time to seek calmness and patience. You need to think rationally and logically plan the next step that can provide you with an adequate solution. The Four of Swords indicates the need for peace and it is the time you need to introspect on yourself. The card calls for relaxation and sanctuary.  

Love & Relationships (Upright) 

In a love reading the upright position of Four of Swords indicates that there is some kind of tension between you and your partner. Both of you are out of rest and to keep the relationship stable, there is a need to reconnect. There has been some fear of losing and the anxiety has affected you and your partner badly. The card suggests that there is a desperate need for some peace. Either one of you is feeling disconnected from the other and might be some kind of peace, solitude, and distance from the other person. The connection might be a little overwhelming for one of you at this moment owing to some internal as well as external pressure. To find the common ground of equilibrium, there is a dire need of taking some quality time away from stress to reconnect back with your partner.  

If you are single and the Four of Swords comes in your love reading it indicates that it is your time to introspect on yourself and seek some kind of solitude. This will help you gain the knowledge that you are trying to seek. You will be able to have a better perception of the kind of partner that is going to be suitable for you. If you are jumping into a relationship solemnly out of fear because you don’t want to spend time alone, it is your time to separate yourself from such distressing thoughts.  

Money & Career Interpretation (Upright) 

The upright position of Four of Swords in your career and financial interpretation is that you are facing immense pressure in your career. The workload on your plate is overwhelming which is harming you. You are being drained mentally and finding it difficult to cope up with your immediate surrounding and pace. At the office or at your workspace you might be feeling out of place. This is making you anxious as a result of which it is your time to take a step back and relax. You have to get yourself back on track.  

In a financial reading, the card signifies you are under a lot of financial pressure and stress. You believe that things aren’t going to change. But, be assured it’s just your perception and reality aren’t the same.  

Health Interpretation (Upright) 

The card indicates that you are feeling extremely pressured owing to certain circumstances in your life and suggests you take some time off and rest. If you are not careful about your health now, the situation might go out of your hand and you might even have to be hospitalized. Your anxiety is affecting your health.  

Spiritual Interpretation (Upright) 

The Four of Swords in the spiritual context is an indication of the need for sanctuary and solitude. You are desperately in seek of peace and the only way to achieve it is by listening to your inner wisdom. To gain adequate knowledge, you might have to seek spiritual counseling.  

General interpretation and meaning of the Reversed Four Of Swords 

The inverted position of Four of Swords indicates that you are awakening from spiritual and mental distress. You are gradually finding your strength and belief. After a dark of isolation, you are finally in peace being in a position of solitude. The Minor Arcana card indicates that you are slowly recovering from the pain and anxiety and you are healing from inside.  

Alternatively, the reversed Four of Swords can also suggest that your stress and anxiety level has reached a point that you are burning out mentally and might face an immediate mental breakdown or collapse if you don’t start the healing process immediately.  

Love & Relationships Interpretation (Reversed) 

The reversed position of the Four of Swords in a love and relationship interpretation indicates that your relationship is now slowly recovering. There was a period of stagnancy and both you and your partner have been feeling anxious about the relationship. However, the dark period is now slowly disappearing as you are now being able to understand each other in a better way. This card signifies reconnection and rebuilding the relationship.  

However, alternatively, the card also signifies that the stress and anxiety have reached a point where you and your partner are experiencing uncomfortableness. Maybe the relationship has reached its threshold and is finally going to break through. Both of you have been pushing the relationship but things are not working out in between the both of you.  

If you are single and the card appears in your love reading, it indicates that you are now gradually recovering from a period of mourning after your previous relationship which gave you a lot of scars and bad experiences. You are slowly coming out of your isolation and preparing yourself to connect with the outside world again. On the other hand, the card can also suggest that your fears and anxiety have become so pronounced that you have completely lost faith. You have accepted the fact that happiness isn’t for you and the dreams of having a happy secured relationship are broken forever. In this case, you should suggest counseling that can guide you in the right direction. It is a good idea to see the perspective of the other person and allow them to help you.  

Money & Career Interpretation (Reversed) 

The reversed Four of Swords in your career interpretation is an indication that you are completely exhausted. You are working without taking any kind of break. This has been impacting you and you might end up falling sick. The card suggests that it is wise to take some break and get your emotions and stress under control. This will help you strategize your next moves and give you a better perspective.  

Alternatively, the card also suggests that your stress and anxiety have reached their pinnacle where out of frustration you have already started looking for another job. In financial reading, the card indicates that you are recovering after a period of immense tension and financial burden. You are feeling a little relieved after removing the huge block of rock on your shoulder.  

Health Interpretation (Reversed) 

The health reading for reversed Four of Swords suggests that either you are healing from a prolonged period of illness and stress. Or else, on the other hand, it can also indicate that you are pushing yourself too much. You might find it incapable of handling poor mental health and yet not taking proper control of your emotions. Maybe at this point, you are burning yourself out thus by pushing your limits way too further than advisable. This can cause a mental breakdown or might suffer from sudden collapse.  

Spiritual Interpretation (Reversed) 

The reversed position of the Four of Swords in the spiritual context is an indication that you have lost faith. There is nothing more regretful than the life you have. After facing a period of immense distress and spiritual crisis the fear and anxiety have made you believe that you need to succumb to failure. There may be instances where you have offered spiritual guidance when you have been constantly rejecting it. It is time for you to take some rest and focus more on meditation.