Queen of Swords

What the card means

Upright

Clear sight, honestly given, softened by having suffered. She sees it as it is and says it as it is - and the only thing separating that from cruelty is that she went through it herself. One hand is raised: ask, and you will be answered.

Reversed

Clarity turned cold and used as distance. Truth held up as a wall. Sometimes bitterness, stored and aimed at people who did not earn it.

As a person

An intelligent, independent woman, direct and honest; often one who has lived through a loss or a divorce, and so sees clearly and is not taken in. Puts the truth above comfort. In shadow, coldness and a sharp tongue.

Love and relationships

Upright

A relationship where things are said honestly and nobody is playing. Or somebody who has been through it and therefore sees without illusion.

Reversed

Kept at arm's length. Or wounded precisely, by somebody who knows where.

Work and business

Upright

A time to name things accurately. Good for appraisal, review, an honest opinion. Your judgement carries more than usual right now.

Reversed

Criticism with nothing offered in its place. Or a colleague around whom nobody risks being wrong aloud.

Money

Upright

A sober reckoning with no hope in it. Look at the figures rather than the promises.

Reversed

Counting everything and allowing yourself nothing.

The card's advice

Tell the truth and leave the person a way to take it. And draw the boundary - you need that more than another explanation.

As the card of the day

A clear, slightly sharp day. Good for honest conversations and decisions. Poor for illusions and for going easy on yourself.

What is depicted

A queen on a throne carved with a butterfly and a cherub, her sword upright, her left hand extended forward. Clouds below her, wind in the tassel. The sword is straight and the palm is open - both at once.

Zodiac sign and correspondences

Air gone clear. By zodiac sign, Libra (the queens are usually given the cardinal signs); more broadly, all the air signs: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.

With other cards

• Queen of Swords + Queen of Cups — two truths: one named, one understood.
• Queen of Swords + Justice — truth and consequence; arguing is pointless.
• Queen of Swords + King of Swords — clarity and judgement together: the decision will be right and not easy.