Queen of Swords Tarot Meaning: Upright and Reversed

What does the Queen of Swords mean upright and reversed? We explore its symbolism, interpretation in love and career, and what it reveals about feelings, advice, and yes/no answers. 

Queen of Swords Keywords Upright and Reversed 

• Upright: Mental dexterity, organisation, independence, perceptive understanding, rational and reasonable. 
• Reversed: Spiteful, aloof, cold, and defensive. 

Queen of Swords Description and Symbolism 

The Queen of Swords is depicted as a serious character. She sits high on her throne. In her right hand, she is comfortably holding a sword pointed to the sky, and her left hand extends as if she has something to offer. The sky represents hope and refreshment; it is a spring sky, very different from the winter settings in many of the Swords cards, and this indicates something that’s emerging, ready to grow, a sense of renewal. The clear sky indicates a clarity of mind, as this is a rational thinking card. There is a bird under her head, which symbolises the mind’s ability to transcend trivial issues and see the bigger picture. 

Upright Queen of Swords Meaning 

The Queen of Swords has a responsible, mature outlook on life, and it’s dispassionate. This is not an overly emotional card, it’s about looking at things in the cold light of day and being wise and a little bit clinical in the way you distill information. 

In the mythology around astrology, numerology, and tarot, the feminine is often associated with emotion, but not so for the Queen of Swords, she is not about feeling. This card is all about intellectual ability and the desire to judge or weigh facts and information in an impartial way. It indicates discernment over sentimentality and attachment. This card encourages you to ask questions like how, what, when, why, and who, and to be relentless in getting to the truth, and not getting distracted by the feelings evoked on that journey. This doesn’t indicate a lack of compassion or empathy, but it does indicate that those emotions sometimes have to be put on hold to discern the truth. 

Love Meaning Upright Queen of Swords 

If you are dating or involved in the “game” of love, this tarot card indicates that you are taking time to weigh your options. You are not easily swayed by love bombing or romance. You have a highly independent streak, you enjoy your own company, and you may be quite happy to live on your own. You’re able to take your time to judge any new relationships with a clear head, as you are not overtly attached. 

This particular card indicates caution in attaching, and you should not be swayed by nostalgia or sentimentality. This doesn’t mean that you won’t use your heart at all in matters of love, but you’re using a blend of head and heart, in terms of rational thought and intuition, to weigh your options. Although you are open to a new relationship, it has to be the real deal, or you just won’t waste your time. 

If you are in a long-term relationship or married, you will need more space. You may even need a pause or a period away from your partner so that you can reboot and experience life away from the partnership. If a relationship is too suffocating or intense, you can feel quite angry, and there may be a lot of tension. 

This indicates a period in your life where you enjoy the intellectual side of the relationship far more than intimacy, and you definitely don’t have time for drama. If a partner is excessively needy or confrontational, you will definitely want space to be by yourself. This shows the ability to make a clear-headed, wise, and reasonable decision about your relationship’s future. 

Career Meaning Upright Queen of Swords 

This indicates success, recognition, and achievement for those of you who work in an intellectually competitive environment, the business world, or if you are involved in problem solving as part of your business. 

This tarot card also represents a time when you should seek business advice, and the person who brings you that advice could be a very astute woman consultant, an expert, or an accountant who understands your business and is able to put you in the picture through clearly describing what you should do, and her advice could make all the difference. 

If you’re looking for a career, look for a career where you will be able to make decisions, use your intellect, solve problems, and apply logic. This is less favourable for starting a career in the arts or humanities. This card represents an opportune time to make financial decisions, simply because you are thinking clearly and you won’t be drawn by impulse to the wrong decision. 

Health Meaning Upright Queen of Swords 

In terms of health, the problem when you see this tarot card is that it represents that you are suppressing emotions, and this may have a negative impact on your health. You may not be allowing yourself to experience happiness and joy, or even being spontaneous. You may be forcing yourself to remain calm, collected, and reasonable at all times, when you should really make time to blow off a little bit of steam. This is a good time to get advice from an expert on a health matter, but do your research and draw opinions from a number of experts. 

Spiritual Meaning Upright Queen of Swords 

The Queen of Swords tarot card is not as meaningful to the spiritual world, simply because it’s based around thinking, analysing, fact-finding, and drawing conclusions in a pragmatic way. However, systems of spirituality around stoicism could be very appealing to you right now, as they combine logos with philosophical context. This can be a great time for those of you who want to study philosophy seriously and with intent, and if you embark on that, it can help you understand your spiritual path in a way that’s also more logic-based. 

Feelings or Actions Meaning with the Upright Queen of Swords 

What this card signifies is that either yourself or a key person in your life is taking a step back from emotions and looking at things in a cool and clinical way. It does suggest that there is a need to look at facts and to be quite logical and objective with the way you draw conclusions. 

You may naturally be dialling back emotion and stepping away from drama so that you can get a clear read on what you should do, or perhaps you will consult with a third party who is not involved in the situation, and who can therefore give you a better and more impartial perspective on what decisions you should make. 

The key advice with this tarot card is that whatever you’re doing, you need to take an impartial approach, or be exposed to an impartial viewpoint, so that you can understand best what to do. If a situation has become saturated with tension, emotion, and frustration, it’s very hard to see a way through. 

Reversed Queen of Swords Meaning 

The reversed Queen of Swords is opposite to the upright Queen of Swords, because when you see this card you are thinking more with your heart than your head. You are feeling quite restless and impulsive, and you may have feelings of anger and emotional frustration that are leading you to decide things based on anger, spite, or revenge, rather than what’s best for the situation. 

What you have to realise is that your perceptions are perhaps distorted by some toxic emotions, and you need to deal with those emotions first before you can make the best decision for the situation. 

Love Meaning Reversed Queen of Swords

This reversed position warns against getting caught up in a whirlwind romance. You could have recently met someone and everything may seem absolutely wonderful, you feel head over heels in love, but perhaps there are things you need to understand which will have an impact on this relationship. So the message is: don’t get swept away in a love bubble. Give yourself time to step away from the relationship, get advice from friends, and understand whether this person is really good for you, or whether you’ve got rose-coloured glasses on. 

If you are in a long-term relationship, this can often be an angry time. You may be wanting to play games or manipulate your partner. Sometimes you’re out for revenge or to hurt your partner because you feel angry and bitter about hurt you’ve experienced. It warns against any action in a relationship based around competitiveness, revenge, or getting one over your partner. Try to resist those urges, as they can be very destructive. 

Career Meaning Reversed Queen of Swords 

This reversed card suggests you have to be careful of a toxic situation at work. Try not to get involved in office politics and gossip. There are potentially negative people around you at work, and their actions or reactions to situations can be drawing you into some sort of saga, and this is not conducive to your success. It’s important to stay focused and not lose track of your goal. 

It may also be the case that a partner is not really supporting you, or maybe doesn’t even agree with your recent career decisions or goals, but that shouldn’t put you off. Stay focused and keep your eye on the ball. 

Spiritual Meaning Reversed Queen of Swords 

With this tarot card, the temptation to take action and do something that will make you feel better may be strong. This action may be engaging in an argument, seeking revenge, looking to be proven right, or acting in a way that is a little bit provocative. However, this card encourages you not to pursue those urges. Rather than doing something negative to get back at those who have hurt you, do something positive for yourself that will benefit you, because the saying “revenge is a dish best served cold” actually means cold for you too, as the revenge has little lasting satisfaction.

Health Meaning Reversed Queen of Swords 

Rather than getting frustrated about other people who are not “seeing you”, perhaps neglecting you emotionally or not giving you the care you need, look after yourself. Be more self-confident and assertive. Make time for yourself, and don’t wait for others to fulfil your needs. Go ahead and fulfill them yourself. 

Feelings or Actions Related to Reversed Queen of Swords 

The message is: step back, don’t act in anger or in haste. Analyse what you’re doing and why. There’s a temptation to indulge in negative emotions and to seek to do things to release your frustration, but it’s very important that you focus on yourself and be sure about what you truly want. 

Queen of Swords in the Past, Present, and Future positions 

Past

You may have gone through loss, disappointment, or situations that demanded tough decisions. The Queen here reflects the wisdom gained through hardship and learning to find your voice, protect your independence, and see situations clearly without illusion. These lessons still influence how you approach decisions today. 

Present

You are being asked to step away from sentimentality and assess your situation objectively. Whether in love, work, or personal matters, this card indicates that clear thinking will lead to the best outcome. Now is the time to trust your intellect, ask the hard questions, and make decisions based on facts rather than feelings. 

Future

You may soon be called upon to make an important decision that requires fairness and clear judgment. Your near future will ask you to remain independent, honest, and mentally sharp, ensuring that your choices align with integrity and self-respect. 

Queen of Swords — YES or NO Answer 

The Queen of Swords leans toward YES, but only if the question is clearly understood and the decision is made with logic, authenticity and emotional detachment. 

Upright Position: A clear, rational yes based on facts rather than feelings. If your question involves truth, boundaries, communication, or making a mature decision, the answer is yes—provided you are willing to risk some hurt feelings in order to see the situation as it truly is. 

Reversed: Leans toward NO. It suggests decisions driven by anger, resentment, bitterness, or emotional distortion. In this case, it warns against acting until emotions settle and perspective is restored. 

Advice and Meaning of the Queen of Swords

This card encourages you to be independent in thought and action. Take control of your life. Do things that make you feel alive and that bring satisfaction and a sense of reward. 

This is a cue to act on your own instincts. Don’t worry about what your partner or friends are doing. Be the master of your own destiny. Don’t wait for an opportunity to knock—go and create an opportunity for yourself. 

In some cases, however, if you are feeling very emotional and feel you’re unable to make a good decision, get advice from an impartial third party who can put you on the right track. 

Summary 

This tarot card is all about telling it like it is. It’s not about being cold-hearted, but it is about stepping away from emotion, sentimentality, and nostalgia, and seeing things clearly. See through all the nonsense. Detach yourself from people who are subjectively pursuing goals or seeing points of view that are based in emotion. 

It’s very important to be analytical, to understand the actual facts, and to focus on those to get you to the right decision. It’s also a nudge to spend time getting to know yourself, being true to yourself, and understanding your own opinions, thoughts, and impulses away from other people. It’s vital to connect with your own rational intellect and establish a clear-headed game plan.