Two of Swords

For some reason, the 2 of Swords has always been a problematic card for me. Is the person in the image refusing to face facts or is she cutting off all external input so she can apply only her logic to the dilemma? Let’s see what Rachel Pollack has to say. This is from her new book, The New Tarot Handbook: Master the Meanings of the Cards

(Image: a sketch for the 2 of Swords from a deck in progress)

With swords held at her shoulders, a blindfolded bowman in a dress as gray as her surroundings sits on a stone bench in front of a pool of water. The theme of balance seems tentative here, as if the mind can only stay at peace by closing off options and especially communication. The Swords suit contains two blindfolded women, who may seem similar but have a great difference. The tied-up woman of the Eight cannot remove the covering from her eyes, but this woman seems to have blindfolded herself deliberately; if she wanted, she could just put down the swords and take it off.

One way to look at her is as someone closed off from other people. Who would dare approach her, with those blades ready to strike blindly at anyone who comes close? Her posture covers–closes off–the vulnerable heart and lungs. And yet, this is not something easily maintained, for the swords are heavy, and they raise her center of gravity so that if something did come close, it could knock her backwards into the choppy waters of emotion.

But consider it a different way: swords can signify purity of thought. We might see this card as a commitment to meditation or some other spiritual pursuit. The blindfold shuts out distractions, while the crossed arms and swords help focus her attention.