Page, Suit of SwordsPage of Swords tarot card meaning
Upright and reversedPage of Swords in shortIn short
The Page of Swords is the alert young mind. A red-haired youth strides over a hilltop, sword upright in both hands, glancing back over his shoulder as clouds pile up around him. Curious, quick, watchful, ready for anything.
- Curiosity
- Vigilance
- New ideas
Piece oneThe rugged land
He crosses rough, uneven ground on a hilltop, blue water and far hills behind. Waite says he passes over rugged land. The path is bumpy, so he stays alert.
"He is passing over rugged land..."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe rough ground keeps him on his toes. He's crossing a hilltop with no path, so every step needs attention, which suits a card about vigilance. The water and far hills behind give him somewhere to go. Down here the land is solid, while the sky above him is all motion.
Piece twoThe wild clouds
Clouds pile up all around him, heaped behind his back and on both sides. Waite says they gather wildly about his way. Swords belong to Air, and this sky is busy and unsettled, like a mind full of thoughts.
"...about his way the clouds are collocated wildly."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe clouds are the Swords element made visible. Air belongs to Swords, and here it's crowded and busy, piled behind his back and on both sides. They fill the card the way thoughts fill an alert mind. The page has to watch every direction, and the sky gives him no quiet.
Piece threeThe swift walk
He's mid-stride, legs wide, in a red tunic, yellow hose and red boots. Waite calls him lithe and active, caught walking fast. He never stands still long enough to be surprised.
"...while in the act of swift walking."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe walk shows a mind that won't sit still. He's mid stride, legs wide, on rough ground, always on the move and hard to surprise. The bright red and yellow mark him as young. His sword stays upright as he walks, ready, which makes the walk a patrol more than a stroll.
Piece fourThe upright sword
He holds a long sword upright in both hands, ready, not striking. His head turns back over his shoulder. Waite says he looks this way and that, as if an enemy could appear any moment.
"A lithe, active figure holds a sword upright in both hands..."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe upright sword is the page's readiness. He holds it in both hands, blade straight up, neither striking nor resting. With his head turned, it guards every side at once. The sword links him to the clouds above: a straight line of thought rising into the busy air around him.
Colour, and where else it appearsEchoes
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The rugged land
Mossy green and brown earth with a strip of deep blue water on the horizon: solid ground under a restless sky. The Page of Wands stands on open ground too, warm orange desert with pyramids. He stands still and looks up at his staff. The Swords page crosses rougher, greener ground, and he never stops walking.
Also in -
The wild clouds
Cream clouds with grey shadows: soft colours, crowded shapes, little clear sky. Clouds change across the Swords court. The Knight of Swords rides under clouds torn into long strips by the wind. The King of Swords sits beside a few round, still ones. The Page's clouds sit between them: thick, unsettled, still gathering.
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The swift walk
Red and yellow, warm and young: the bright clothes pop against the pale clouds. The Fool steps out with the same young energy, one foot in the air at a cliff edge, eyes on the sky. He doesn't look where he's going. The Page watches every side as he goes.
Also in -
The upright sword
Grey steel on bright sky blue: the blade is the clearest line on the card, pointing straight up. The Ace of Swords raises the same upright blade from a hand in a cloud, crowned at the point. The Queen of Swords holds hers straight up beside her throne. The Page holds his steady too, on the move.
Also in
Colour notes are ours, read from the picture; Waite does not explain the colours.
Page of SwordsUpright
A curious, alert mind that watches, asks and learns fast. Waite's words: authority, overseeing, secret service, vigilance, spying, examination.
News, a new idea, or a call to keep your eyes open. Watch, listen and check the facts before you act. Stay sharp, and fair with what you find.
Page of SwordsReversed
Waite names the darker side of the same qualities: the unforeseen, an unprepared state, and sickness.
Watching turns into prying, quick words into gossip. Or something catches you off guard. Prepare better, and use that sharp mind kindly.
Yes or noMaybe.
Maybe. Find out more first. Ask questions, check the facts, and the answer will show itself.
Page of Swords in your lifeIn your life
Love
Curiosity and lively talk early on, or a need to ask honest questions. Don't test or spy on a partner.
Work
Learn, research, keep watch. Good for new ideas, study, and work that needs a sharp eye.
Money
Check the details before you sign or spend. Read the small print.
Health
Notice small signals from your body. A card can't diagnose you; if something's wrong, see a doctor.
Spirituality
An eager student. Ask questions, and test ideas against your own experience.
Advice
Stay alert, gather facts, ask before you act.
As a person
Young, quick, curious, watchful and talkative. Sometimes nosy.
Past, present, future
Past: learning, or watching from the side. Present: curiosity and a need for facts. Future: news or a new idea that sharpens your view.
Written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
Symbols and correspondencesAt a glance
- Suit
- Swords
- Element
- Air
- Golden Dawn
- Earth of Air
- Court
- Page
- Upright
- Authority
- Reversed
- Unforeseen
QuestionsCommon questions
Mostly yes: curiosity, learning, alertness. The risk is suspicion and gossip.
Lively talk and curiosity, or honest questions. Keep watchfulness from turning into distrust.
Maybe. Get more facts first.
Waite says he looks this way and that, as if an expected enemy could appear any moment. He watches, and keeps checking his surroundings.
Young, sharp and curious, quick with words and always watching. Waite's list adds overseeing, examining, even spying.
Waite shows a quick, light figure striding over rough ground, sword upright, glancing around for an expected enemy while clouds gather wildly about him.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911Card meanings and quotes: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911. Element, decan and sephira: the Golden Dawn's Book T. Colours, life situations, yes or no and questions: written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
All 14 Swords