DruidCraft 3 of Swords

Whitestar

I tried searching under this topic and couldn't come up with anything...

I love this deck and have been working with it for many months.

But I can't get my head around the 3 of Swords.

So I'm asking...

I was wondering if anyone could share what they think of the image on the card. What does it mean to you??

What feelings does this card evoke in you??

I'm at a big loss with this card. I have almost mixed feelings...

Thanks,

Whitestar
 

WalesWoman

I've had problems figuring out this card too, and "cheat" by going with the usual meanings for it.

But the tree has been wounded, and the knots things remind me of how insects take advantage of wounds in trees, that they invade the tree unless it can ooze sap and it dries to make a protective barrier. So the tree has healed over, but it has left a scar, making it vulnerable to infestation. The three swords are pointed down, to allow the tree to heal, but could be what created the wounds in the first place.

The swords rest on a stone heart, that maybe one has to harden their heart a bit, so the swords can't harm it.

So in one way, wounds heal and leave scars and make you more vulnerable to parasites... allowing them entry will eventually weaken the tree to disease and rot. A stone heart can't be penetrated nor hurt, but it is heavy and grounded, so can't grow or experience anything either.

Funny this card showed up for my daily reading, and here is your entry on it.
 

Whitestar

Hi Waleswoman,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this card!

I liked the point of vulnerability that you brought up. Yes, the tree's wounds may be older and have healed a bit, but the vulnerability is still there...and may be the reason for the stony heart!!!!

In fact, after your enlightening thoughts on this card :) I am making sense of a past reading that included this card.

Thanks for helping me broaden my understanding of this card!

Whitestar
 

HellzBelle

Sharing my own notes

I adore the DruidCraft and am still working my way through the individual study of each of the cards. Most done but still a few to get through.
I'll share my journal notes with you, but it may help you to understand how I come to putting my thoughts down on paper by telling you of my personal method of study.
I pick apart the symbolism within the image, and by this I mean each and every bit of it. I identify the plants that appear, the colour of clothing, how the suit symols are arranged, the body language where there is a person portrayed,.....everything I possibly can. I have a general symbolism dictionary I've developed for myself through my studies of several decks so far, and for each individual deck I have a separate journal and work through the deck this way, so I basically end up with a deck specific symbol dictionary card by card.
These are my notes, they may be of some help to you. If you want, I could type up my symbols interpretation for this card too and send it to you by pm if you'd like. It will help you to maybe better understand how my own study method (and my head!) works.Just let me know and I'll happily do it for you.

Just briefly, for the 'scarred wood' my interpretation notes are this " wood is supernatural knowledge/higher understanding; suggests that through seeking this we can be inspired to heal our wounds, and continue into the future, we may not be able to forget them, but we can get over them and use the wisdom of their experience to grow stronger, to heal ourselves through understanding the pain and suffering we have felt to make ourselves stronger."

For the 'stone heart' I've written "with the sword pommels resting on it, suggests thinking about those things that have happened in the course of time, through lifes experience, that have caused one to harden one's heart against the pains caused, and to protect against future suffering. One can either develop a heart of stone, become emeotionally indifferent, uncaring or one can use the experience to become more emotionally stable and secure in oneself through understanding, to understand can protect one from being hurt in the same way in the future."

"The image of this card suggests having experienced emotional pain and suffering in the past and the lingering effects it may be having in one’s life.
The image suggests that time spent reflecting on these experiences can bring a greater understanding of them the knowledge as to their cause and the inspiration required by one’s spirit to move beyond them.
One can remain rooted in the past, dwelling on painful experience and hardening one’s heart so that further suffering will not be experienced, so one protects themselves in a sense, but that doesn’t really allow one to heal oneself of those hurts and move beyond the experience because it may be ever present in the mind and inhibit future expansion, of self and life.
Alternatively, we can understand that heartache is not forever, we may be reminded of its lingering effects but we can use the knowledge of the experience gained through time spent reflecting on how to use that greater understanding to heal ourselves and restore our emotional stability so that we can move beyond the sorrow they have caused and realise the greater potentials of ourselves and future life.
Wisdom through experience can make us stronger in ourselves, and allow us to become emotionally stable so that we can see our way beyond the heartaches we feel and secure the future contentment of mind, body and spirit."
 

Whitestar

Thanks for sharing Reba!
 

Mignonne

Wow...

Thank you so much guys! Your interpretations are amazing.

I think the meaning of the card has well and truly sunk in now in a way that makes perfect sense.

Wow :)
 

geministar

Reba, thank you for sharing your own journal notes on this card. I was having trouble with this card like Whitestar was and your own notes really helped me grasp a better idea of the card.

Waleswoman, I really liked your ideas too.

I drew this card as my daily quite a while ago and I really couldnt find any connection with the card on that particular day. Maybe I was having a bad day but now reading this thread has broadened my knowledge on the 3 swords.
 

carol_earth

Reba said:
I adore the DruidCraft and am still working my way through the individual study of each of the cards. Most done but still a few to get through.
I'll share my journal notes with you, but it may help you to understand how I come to putting my thoughts down on paper by telling you of my personal method of study.
I pick apart the symbolism within the image, and by this I mean each and every bit of it. I identify the plants that appear, the colour of clothing, how the suit symols are arranged, the body language where there is a person portrayed,.....everything I possibly can. I have a general symbolism dictionary I've developed for myself through my studies of several decks so far, and for each individual deck I have a separate journal and work through the deck this way, so I basically end up with a deck specific symbol dictionary card by card.
These are my notes, they may be of some help to you. If you want, I could type up my symbols interpretation for this card too and send it to you by pm if you'd like. It will help you to maybe better understand how my own study method (and my head!) works.Just let me know and I'll happily do it for you.

Just briefly, for the 'scarred wood' my interpretation notes are this " wood is supernatural knowledge/higher understanding; suggests that through seeking this we can be inspired to heal our wounds, and continue into the future, we may not be able to forget them, but we can get over them and use the wisdom of their experience to grow stronger, to heal ourselves through understanding the pain and suffering we have felt to make ourselves stronger."

For the 'stone heart' I've written "with the sword pommels resting on it, suggests thinking about those things that have happened in the course of time, through lifes experience, that have caused one to harden one's heart against the pains caused, and to protect against future suffering. One can either develop a heart of stone, become emeotionally indifferent, uncaring or one can use the experience to become more emotionally stable and secure in oneself through understanding, to understand can protect one from being hurt in the same way in the future."

"The image of this card suggests having experienced emotional pain and suffering in the past and the lingering effects it may be having in one’s life.
The image suggests that time spent reflecting on these experiences can bring a greater understanding of them the knowledge as to their cause and the inspiration required by one’s spirit to move beyond them.
One can remain rooted in the past, dwelling on painful experience and hardening one’s heart so that further suffering will not be experienced, so one protects themselves in a sense, but that doesn’t really allow one to heal oneself of those hurts and move beyond the experience because it may be ever present in the mind and inhibit future expansion, of self and life.
Alternatively, we can understand that heartache is not forever, we may be reminded of its lingering effects but we can use the knowledge of the experience gained through time spent reflecting on how to use that greater understanding to heal ourselves and restore our emotional stability so that we can move beyond the sorrow they have caused and realise the greater potentials of ourselves and future life.
Wisdom through experience can make us stronger in ourselves, and allow us to become emotionally stable so that we can see our way beyond the heartaches we feel and secure the future contentment of mind, body and spirit."

Reba, those were some excellent observations. I would like to add my own, because I am not sure of my interpretatoin of this card and it bothers me!

It took me a long time not to try and make the heart seem impaled by the swords, which is what I am used to seeing in the 3 of swords, and that caused a bit of a block, but basically I see it this way, so far..

The sword pummels on the stone heart suggest to me that no matter how much we close our hearts after heartbreak, there will remian a heavy dull ache as opposed to the searing pain usually depicted.

The stripped bark suggests to me that we have completely exposed ourselves to the beauty of love, surrendered our soul, but our soul has been pierced none the less. While time may diminish the scars, just as the weathering and aging of the tree will hide the wounds, some elements of the pain we experienced will remain with us.

The roots tell me that we will have a tendency to cling on to these fears and seclude ourselves, perhaps even subconsciously embrace the pain in some way by holding on to it.

I find this card reversed quite frightening, the sword points will puncture the very same wounds, the swords are clean and threatening, fearful, menacing as there is nothing binding them to the stone heart.

Has anyone got a positive interpretation of the DC reversed 3 of swords? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts if you have.
 

Arania

I like those interpretations.

My own is that the stone heart is a place of sacrifice of some kind, where the sap of the tree is used in rituals. The lifeblood of the tree heals and serves others, but to achieve this, the tree must suffer. We might be the tree or the people using it, depending on context.
 

Starshower

3 of swords

The shape made by the 3 swords is the symbol of modern Druidry, especially that used by O.B.O.D, the Druid Order of which the creators of this tarot are Chosen Chief & senior members.

The 3 diverging swords = the 3 rays of 'Awen' - the Celtic 'flowing Spirit' . /l\
Many people wear this symbol as a silver or wooden pendant - or even a tattoo. It is connected with Freemasonry. Among many other things, it shows wisdom coming out of suffering.

Hope this helps.