Bohemian Gothic Tarot
PAGE OF SWORDS
Lighter or more conventional meanings
Alert and on guard * Loyalty to a person or a cause * Defending something that's important to you * Wanting to play fair.
Darker, shadow or more hidden meanings
Not being guarded enough; there's danger about * Bravely facing up to a threat that has to be defeated * A person who acts alone, when it might be wiser to ask for help * Paranoia, seeing enemies all around.The Page of Swords is, generally, a likeable character. Loyal, steadfast and intelligent, he will defend to the hilt those people and causes he believes in. He is a little quick to jump into conflict, mostly because he is so keen to take up any fight that seems to threaten those he feels responsible for. So at times he is too hot-headed and may see a "slight" in comments that are not meant to be hurtful. However, he's a great friend to have, completely loyal and faithful, if a little earnest about everything. If you are close to a character like this, you may sometimes wish he would lighten up a bit.
In The Bohemian Gothic Tarot, the Pages of Wands, Cups and Pentacles are all young girls, but the Page of Swords, though still young, is past childhood and grown into a young woman. This reflects her rather more earnest character; this is not a playful Page, rather someone who feels a lot of responsibility towards good causes and close friends. She takes herself quite seriously.
We see her here standing alone in a graveyard at dusk. She's a little nervous, and on guard we can guess that she's waiting for someone. She is carefully and somewhat formally dressed, and she wears a cross prominently around her neck. It could well be that someone advised her to wear this protection when she told them about the assignation she has arranged. A sad looking angel leans on a sword behind her, lending an air of melancholy to the scene.
The way this card is read depends very much on what you think is the real situation. If this young woman is going out alone to meet something or someone - a phantom, daemon, vampire or simply a human enemy - that she believes is a threat to one of her loved ones, then she is courageous and entirely admirable (although she may not be doing the sensible thing, it's probable that taking some help would be a better strategy). But if she is indulging some sort of egoism or paranoia, imagining that she's doing something heroic when in fact there is no real threat, then what we are seeing is more of a melodramatic fantasy. It can be a hard one to "call" as the meaning of the card can change according to the question and situation. Consider the hard realities about possible threats and conflicts, and the part that this young person is playing in any on-going fights, disputes or legal actions. If there are tangible enemies or attacks then she deserves every support for her bravery in countering them. If the problems are more amorphous or in fact being blown out of proportion, then you might ask if it isn't time to consider taking a less confrontational and guarded approach to everything.
