Three of Swords clarified by The Devil

I had done a reading earlier today for a couple I know and the Three of Swords had come up for them (in an otherwise positive reading).
The position of the Three of Swords was "what stands between them".

Later today, after I had put the cards away I took them out again and asked what the Three of Swords stands for and I pulled The Devil.

Now, this is not good. Not good at all. But I guess I am asking looking for a positive spin (hopeless?). This to mean means infidelity or a dangerous obsession or something anyway that if revealed it would hurt them both though I guess only one of them is responsible for.

Well both card are not looking good. There's no real good flow of energy with both these cards, its like one or both is trying too hard to make things work, its like one of them is feeling like they are needing to give up a part of themselves in the r'ship in order to make things work.

Maybe also the r'ship feels cold and not returned, loneliness, like the other doesn't get the other, frustration... and just general unhappiness and a feeling of being bogged down.....like someone is trying sooo hard but its just not returned, like a forced together sort of feeling.

Hmm... Sometimes the three of swords can represent a miscarriage but I'm not sure if that fits. Possibly their was a loss that they were able to work through? As for the devil, it might not be negative sometimes the devil can mean they need to go have fun let their hair down now and then. Sorry if I didn't help.

They have gotten through a rough patch recently (neither one would tell me why and I don't think it matters that I know). But you think this is something that is behind them?
It came up in the "what stands between them" spot. Maybe it just means it still affects them even though they're mostly over it?

jenster said:

They have gotten through a rough patch recently (neither one would tell me why and I don't think it matters that I know). But you think this is something that is behind them?
It came up in the "what stands between them" spot. Maybe it just means it still affects them even though they're mostly over it?

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You've got two seperate thread open on this same question ?

Yes and the "what stands between them" is just that....so obviously they either haven't got through the rough patch....or you needed to pull more cards as to what was next.

Plus your supposed to give feedback to each person individually on their interpretation of the cards they've helped you with.

Sharla said:

You've got two seperate thread open on this same question ?

Yes and the "what stands between them" is just that....so obviously they either haven't got through the rough patch....or you needed to pull more cards as to what was next.

Plus your supposed to give feedback to each person individually on their interpretation of the cards they've helped you with.

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No, one was for the three of swords and this one is the three of swords clarified by the devil. It's a later clarification about the same reading, rather of a card from another reading. It seemed fit to make a new thread.

As for the individual feedback I will get to it (I intended to anyway).

Hmmm...Three of swords may indicate some sort of love triangle or infidelity. Maybe that was behind the rough patch?

Devil may mean some kind of unhealthy co-dependent relationship (past or present).

AngelicCartomancer said:

Hmm... Sometimes the three of swords can represent a miscarriage but I'm not sure if that fits. Possibly their was a loss that they were able to work through? As for the devil, it might not be negative sometimes the devil can mean they need to go have fun let their hair down now and then. Sorry if I didn't help.

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Miscarriage was a meaning I never attributed to the Three of Swords though, now that you mention it, I can totally see it. It doesn't apply to the situation but it might make sense in others, so thank you.

As for The Devil that is a totally new way to look at it too- may I ask you how you arrived to that interpretation?

BlueSun said:

Hmmm...Three of swords may indicate some sort of love triangle or infidelity. Maybe that was behind the rough patch?

Devil may mean some kind of unhealthy co-dependent relationship (past or present).

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After mulling it over I think infidelity might have been it even if (as nisaba suggested) a past trauma that makes it difficult for both to trust seems more likely.

I can see co-dependent relationship with the devil too, I just struggle to make it fit in this context. But thank you.

For anyone still reading/interested, I think I've got it.

This is what resonates most with me considering the situation too as I understand it.

Three of Swords is (in this case) a difficulty to fully trust; I don't think it's about trusting specific people but a difficulty trusting love being a good thing because of possible terrible past experiences. So people who have those issues when they do find someone they could really trust they have trouble and probably feel very bad because their mind tells them one thing ("go ahead, you can trust her/him") but their past experiences make them be prepared and maybe even assume the worst.

So in this psychological state (where you are sure that the person you love will hurt/betray you) it is easy to give in to base impulses in order to escape (The Devil). It could be a substance, it could be sex with other people, it could be as "simple" as giving in to your own rage.

And in this light The Three of Swords clarified by The Devil makes sense. Either one or both of them is probably terrified of getting hurt again and might (or might already have) hurt the other in an attempt to stop feeling so bad all the time.

But whatever the case this actually is a real and concrete obstacle in the flow of a relationship and definitely something that I could see as "what stands between them".

Thank you to anyone who contributed, if you have any additional thoughts I'd love to hear them.