Things between you are stopped, able to go neither forward nor back. Neither fought nor grown closer, no one speaks first, so it has hardened just as it is. This card also appears when you cannot make up your mind between two people. Ask yourself whether you know the answer inside but are afraid to face it.
Two covered eyes
Two of Swords: Card Meaning
Two of Swords: Card Meaning
Reading It Upright and Reversed
Two of Swords · Minor Arcana · Swords · Two
Eyes wrapped in cloth, two swords crossed before the chest: the Two of Swords, upright, reflects both a tense standstill where you cannot choose either side and a heart that does not yet want to face reality.
A woman in white sits on a stone bench holding two swords crossed in an X at her chest. Her eyes are bound with cloth, so she sees nothing. Behind her a calm sea dotted with small rocky islets stretches on, and a thin crescent moon hangs in one corner of the night sky.
The swords in both hands weigh exactly the same. Since neither side tips, she cannot lower her arms, and holding out like that for long is not easy. The blindfold was not forced on her by anyone; she tied it herself. The moment she looks she must choose, so she deliberately decided to close her eyes.
I drew the Two of Swords. Is it all right to put off the decision a little longer?
Putting off is plainly a choice too, and it carries its own price. If the situation is still moving and there is room for new information, waiting is wise. But if you have been circling the same worry for weeks, that is avoidance more than waiting. Mark on the calendar how many days you will wait, and you can tell for yourself which of the two it is.
Two of Swords: Love
Upright
Reversed
The story you have been hiding finally comes out. The other person speaks of parting first, or the one who held it in opens up, and the board changes at once. Once the talk is over you actually feel relieved. Whatever the conclusion, it is better than the time you were holding on halfheartedly.
Two of Swords: Money
Upright
You cannot decide between spending or not, putting in or pulling out. You know only half the terms, so the calculation does not finish. What you need now is not nerve but the rest of the missing information. Once you check fees and fine print to the end, half the worry disappears by itself.
Reversed
Settlements you have put off rush in all at once. Overdue bills, contracts you forgot to renew and neglected accounts appear one after another. This time there is nowhere to hide, so handle them in order starting with the smallest amount. Just writing every task on a list makes the load half as heavy.
Two of Swords: Work
Upright
There is no closure on which of two plans to take. Meetings are held again and again but the decision is deferred, and no one steps forward first to take responsibility. If you are in the position to judge, set one standard first. Right now, which yardstick you choose by matters more than what you choose.
Reversed
Stalled work gets unstuck. Higher-ups set a direction, or a deadline forces a conclusion naturally. Even if the answer is not very satisfying, it matters that work has begun rolling again. If you were weighing a job change, you get to see concrete terms around this time.
| Card | Two of Swords — Minor Arcana · Swords · Two |
|---|---|
| Suit | Swords — Element: Air. Thought and speech — it shows what the judgments in your head and the words exchanged have divided. |
| Rank | Two — Two — the place of pairing up or splitting, of choosing. |
| Upright Keywords | A decision on hold · a tense balance · closing your eyes |
| Reversed Keywords | The cost of a delayed decision · a stalemate easing · facing it |
Two of Swords Upright
A decision on hold · a tense balance · closing your eyes
You stand before a fork where you must choose, yet your heart is still undecided. The pros and cons of the two roads are about equal, so you are at a loss for what yardstick to use, and so you have put judgment on hold altogether. Where this card lies upright, the surface looks calm. But inside, you are straining until both arms go numb.
This standstill is not necessarily all bad. Often a conclusion reached after catching your breath is more right than one made in haste while emotions boil. The problem is that what is lacking is not days but facts you need to know. With the blindfold on, sitting for days will not bring an answer. Take off the cloth and look squarely at the situation once, and the scale will settle to one side on its own.
Two of Swords Reversed
The cost of a delayed decision · a stalemate easing · facing it
A flow that was blocked begins to move. The price of a deferred choice flies in like a bill, or outside circumstances change first and only one road is left to choose. Either way, it is now a time when you cannot hold out blindfolded. Reversed, this card points to the moment that blindfold slips loose.
Once you actually face it, you find it bearable. What you truly feared was not the outcome but the time you had to endure without knowing the answer. If you lost out somewhere because your decision was late, handle that first. Today’s task is not a flawless choice but lifting one foot from that frozen spot.
Something to Try the Day This Card Appears
Today, write the two options you are weighing on either side of a sheet, and note only what you must give up if you choose each. Compare what you gain and the scale always stays level, but compare what you lose and one side clearly feels heavier. That heavier side is your answer.
Cards from Other Groups
Swords: 14 Cards
Ace of Swords
Two of Swords
Three of Swords
Four of Swords
Five of Swords
Six of Swords
Seven of Swords
Eight of Swords
Nine of Swords
Ten of Swords
Page of Swords
Knight of Swords
Queen of Swords
King of Swords
A card read on its own means something slightly different from one placed beside other cards. If something is on your mind these days, pick four cards to read on, and if you are curious about your inborn nature, open a Saju reading as well.