365 Tarot Spreads: Revealing the Magic in Each Day - Sasha Graham 2014

Wisdom of Swords Spread

On This Day

The Salem witch hysteria began with a group of young girls playing fortunetelling games, which were forbidden by rigid Puritan dogma.

On this day in 1692, arrest warrants were issued for Elizabeth Proctor and Sarah Cloyce for the practice of witchcraft. Both women ultimately escaped the gallows where nineteen others had swung in an unnecessary and deathly case of mass witch hysteria.

Summation of Spread

Swords reflect the metaphor of the double-edged sword. For every decision, idea, or judgment you make, there is always another side that may be just as correct as the assumption you have arrived at.

Tarot reflects the spectrum of the human condition. The decision to end someone’s life falls under the darkest aspect of the suit of Swords. Nothing is more destructive than a mind set on bloodlust and violence, and the extreme qualities of any suit can be deadly. Swords, typically the most frightening tarot suit, represent the quality of Air—our minds, thoughts, reasoning, and comprehension. Swords represent our intellectual understanding and what we tell ourselves about the world around us. This spread is based on the typical qualities of the suit of Swords.

Cast Your Cards

Cast in the shape of a knight’s sword:

1. Change: What do I need to change?

2. Power: How can I best exercise my power?

3. Oppression: How do I oppress myself?

4. Courage: How am I strong?

5. Conflict: What is bothering me?

6. Intellectuality: How can I reexamine my current situation?

7. Mind: How do I best expand my mind?

8. Action: What action should I take today?