Bohemian Gothic Tarot
ACE OF SWORDS
Lighter or more conventional meanings
A new opportunity looks promising, but it will demand your intellectual efforts * Clear, sharp thinking * Feeling certain that you are on the right track * Grasping a wonderful opening -you need to think hard how to use it to your best advantage * Winning an argument or debate * Applying clever analysis at the beginning of a project.Darker, shadow or more hidden meanings
A tempting but dangerous opportunity arises * A challenge that demands both your courage and some sharp thinking- Applying too much force to win an argument * Entering into a project that will end up causing conflict.The sword here looks like a magical symbol rather than an actual physical sword, for after all, who would leave a bright sword stuck into the earth of an ancient graveyard? It reminds us of other mythical swords, most of all the "sword in the stone" that the young King Arthur had to take out and possess in order to claim his inheritance. The sword in this picture seems also to be daring us to grasp it, but if we do so, we should consider the consequences - it may represent a challenge, an opportunity, the start of a risky but exhilarating adventure, or a project that will require both intellectual thinking and a strong sense of purpose and will.
The tarot Aces all carry the promise of new and exciting ventures. The Swords Ace is specifically about opportunities that require clear thinking and analysis together, at times, with a degree of forcefulness. Traditionally, this card has been considered to mean "go ahead" when it appears right-side up, and "don't do it" when it is reversed. This may be a useful shorthand way for approaching interpretation but in reality there are likely to be more subtle connotations. The card's appearance in a spread may tell you to go ahead with a new project if you are prepared to put in the necessary determination and intellectual work. It could stand for something as huge and lofty as founding a new educational movement or as mundane and pragmatic as a commitment to read some new books or take an academic course. It's a promising card but do remember that like all the Swords it can carry a sharp edge. The Ace of Swords throws out a challenge as well as an invitation. It ask us to think as well as to act - are you capable of grasping that sword?
