The Four of Swords tarot card is associated with rest and recovery.
This card suggests that you take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and focus on taking care of yourself.
The four swords represent the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water.
These elements are in balance, suggesting that you are in a state of harmony.
This is an excellent time to reflect on your life and make any necessary changes.
The History And Appearance Of The Four of Swords
The history of the Four of Swords tarot card is fascinating.
It is believed to have originated in Italy during the 15th century.
The cards' four swords were initially meant to represent four different suits of playing cards.
Over time, the card's meaning evolved to become associated with rest and recovery.
If you look at the Four of Swords tarot card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, you will see that there is a knight on top of a tomb, lying there horizontally.
As you can see, the knight is resting in full armor, and his hands are in a prayer position.
As you can see, a sword underneath him represents focus, and three other swords are hanging and pointing down towards him.
Those are the things that he cannot focus on right now.
Additionally, if you look above him, you see a stained-glass window with a mother and child.
Now, let's go over what the Four of Swords means in a reading.
What The Four of Swords Means In A Reading
The Four of Swords tarot card indicates a period of introspection and solitude.
If you get this card in a reading, there are things to know.
This is a time to reflect on your life and make any necessary changes.
The card represents the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water.
These elements are in balance, suggesting that you are in a state of harmony.
This is an excellent time to focus on your personal relationships and ensure they are healthy and supportive.
If you are facing a challenging situation, the Four of Swords tarot card suggests that you consider your options before taking action.
This is not a time to act rashly or impulsively. Instead, it is a time to be thoughtful and deliberate in your efforts.
The Four of Swords can also suggest that you need to take a break from all areas of your life in order to recover fully.
This is a time to focus on your own needs and not try to do too much.
You may need to say no to some obligations in order to take care of yourself.
Now, let's go over what four means again.
If you don't remember from the Four of Wands, four represents stability, manifestation, and structure.
And now, let's review the situation with the writer.
The Ace of Swords moment was when the writer wrote the book.
The Two of Swords moment is when they did not know whether or not to go the traditional way when it comes to publishing or the self-publishing route.
They decided to try going down the traditional route, but they were rejected. That was a Three of Swords moment because that was difficult to handle.
They were heartbroken.
However, now, the Four of Swords moment is to rest and not focus on the book because they need to recharge after facing the devastation of being rejected by the publisher.
Think about it. The only way to recover from such disappointment and devastation is if you have time to rest and use the time to sleep as much as you can.
Sleep is necessary to help you bounce back from anything that disrupted you.
You need sleep to heal from illness, and you need rest to help you develop the energy to manage what issues you are facing.
When you think about it, sleep is everything! If you don't get enough, you will not function, which is a fact!
Even when you do not deal with anything devastating and disappointing per se, you need rest because every day is taxing for one reason or another.
And many cultures realize this, which is why they implement a siesta time during the mid-day for employers.
However, you don't see that in North America; in North America, you are seen as lazy if you take a nap during the day.
So perhaps if North America implemented the mid-day siesta for workers, the overall attitude around working would be better.
People are understandably tired, and many people also don't sleep very well as it is.
Look at Risa Green. When does she get her Four of Swords moments?
She has to not only care for her son but also rush over to help her parents and her ungrateful neighbor.
That also explains her burnout. And it is not a surprise either.
If you do not get enough rest, the risk for burnout is much higher. And what happens when you are burned out?
You will risk facing many health challenges, physical and mental.
And Risa's mental and physical health is likely suffering even more because she does not get enough rest based on all of the responsibilities she places on herself.
And she can delegate a lot of that so she can not only get rest but get the care she needs.
So let's take a look at the Four of Swords reversed.
Four of Swords Reversed
When the Four of Swords shows up in reverse, it can mean you are very deep in contemplation or have not rested enough.
This is when it shows that you are burned out and exhausted.
It can also represent resting too long or too much to the point of stagnation.
And as you can see, Risa is burned out, so again, the Four of Swords reversed plays a more prominent role in her life. She is burned out. I
t is as simple as that.
Here is an interesting thought too.
Did you know that getting too much sleep is just as detrimental to your health as not getting enough?
In fact, according to Medical News Today, researchers say that getting too much sleep may even be worse than not getting enough.
Of course, it is ideal for getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night, but you can get by on six or nine.
But if you consistently sleep for more than nine hours or less than six hours, you will run into problems.
So let's talk about applying the Four of Swords to your life.
How To Apply The Four of Swords To Your Life
This one is simple, but it may not be too easy, especially if you have an extremely full schedule that involves work, kids, family, or other responsibilities.
However, you do know that if you do not take time to rest, you will have problems.
You have to schedule a time to relax, and you also have to schedule time for self-care, which is rest.
You don't necessarily have to sleep during that time.
But think about taking a half-hour to yourself with no distractions and reading your favorite book, taking a bubble bath, or doing something you like that will help you recharge.
You must do that because you will burn out.
So if you feel like you are close to the edge because you have no time to yourself, this is the perfect time to apply this card to your life.
You need R&R, and the next card I will go over is the Five of Swords, which will disrupt your Four of Swords moments, unfortunately.
Episode 043: Four Of Swords Tarot Card