RWS Tarot 101 Four of Swords

PAMUYA

Four of Swords
“ I give myself time to rest, laying aside plans and turning within for guidance.” Greer

The very first time I looked at this card I thought I was looking at a coffin in a church with a stained glass window. This picture on the Four of Swords resembled coffins I had seen when visiting cathedrals in England. I thought of permanent rest, death. But after taking classes and reading about tarot I learned something quite different.

The stained glass window has not yet called out to me, and I see it only as a decorative window (perhaps my cards are not clear enough) in a church. It has two figures in it, one perhaps being a saint blessing another person. I have done some research but came up with no clear answers. My answer will come to me in its’ own time, when it is needed in a reading. Here are some threads on the stained glass window.

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=102235 Stained Glass window
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=18186 Stained Glass window

The Four of Swords represents to me a time to give yourself the rest and care that you need, a time to stay silent (as the grave), to meditate. I read this some where, unfortunately I cannot remember where: This card is like the eye of a hurricane, a lull in the storm, take advantage of the calm because your storm is not yet over.

Direct: Don’t over extend yourself, lack of action, meditation, retreat, temporary exile, take time out to think things through.

Reversed: Activity, movement in ones affairs, awakening, ending isolation, inability to rest.

Another tread on the Four of Swords:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=28977 Four of Swords
 

rcb30872

Whenever I look at this card I always think of Rest In Peace, of course, RIP doesn't necessarily have to mean death, it could be just taking time out to recharge your batteries, and a time to spend in solitude, as it were.

I always thought of it as a coffin, but at the same time, there are certain stories and fairy tales, as they could also be called, that comes to mind. There are those that like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, where they have been poisoned, or whatever the case may be, and they are seen as being dead, but they are not dead, they are under some sort of spell, where that spell can only be broken by the kiss of Prince Charming, as it were. Also, now that I think about, the whole Romeo and Juliet story, you know, Juliet drinks this stuff, that makes her body shuts down, to make her appear that she is dead, but she is not, so Romeo comes to her, thinks she is dead, and then kills himself, Juliet awakens, to find Romeo is dead, and so she kills herself. Something like that.

I find it interesting that the three of swords above him are the same colour as the swords in the Three of Swords, but the fourth sword is gold, not silver. Well, considering what I said in the Three of Swords: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=102401 I would say that the revelation has come that whatever illusions that the person has been under and then has seen the truth of the matter, as it were, then the Four of Swords could be the time that is allowed to grief that, or whatever is needed to move on from it, maybe this card indicates that time heals the wounds, as mentioned in the Three of Swords. If that is the case, then that would be a time of just being, not doing much, not rushing, being patient, and the like. Then, if that is the case, what was in the Three of Swords could be seen as a sort of death, and the Four of Swords would indicate the RIP, which would follow a re-birth.

The way the man has his hands clasped together as in prayer, makes me think of meditation, getting guidance from your spirit guides, and for you to be healed, and what not, from God, Heaven, the angels, or whatever else it could indicate. Which makes me also think of meditation, so in meditation you would get a better understanding of yourself. Since you are spending time in solitude and resting, that time could be used to gain better self-knowledge and self-understanding, and from that you would gain more self-love, self-acceptance and self-worth, in a sense.