Four of Swords
The Four of Swords shows a red bear curled in a den beneath tangled roots with four swords planted above, symbolizing a protected hush and sanctuary. It signifies chosen retreat, rest, convalescence, meditation, and the restorative stillness that allows body and spirit to heal. Upright, it urges stepping out of clamour into sleep, prayer, clear thought, and setting firm boundaries so insight can return. Reversed, it warns that withdrawal can become avoidance, anxiety can prevent true rest, or that the season of withdrawal is ending and action is required. The card counsels balance: avoid burning out by forcing through hardship, but also avoid hiding so long that opportunities pass.
Keywords
Visual description
A red bear curls within a dark den beneath tangled tree roots. Four distinct swords are planted in the earth above the den, their blades pointing downward among patches of snow. A pale sky and a bleached branch frame the scene while the roots twist like ribs around the hollow. Cold light picks out the snow and the bear’s muzzle.
Meaning
Beneath the roots the forest bear sleeps, and above the soil four swords stand like warding posts that keep the world at bay. This is the hush of chosen retreat, the hibernation that lets sinew and spirit knit after strain. Upright, the Four of Swords invites you to step out of the clamor and into a sanctuary of sleep, prayer, and clear thought, like the bear sacred to Veles dreaming under the World Tree. Lay burdens at the threshold and let the body mend; insight will return after stillness. It may signal convalescence, meditation, or a strategic pause before the next campaign. Reversed, the den grows cramped and rest curdles into avoidance, or anxiety keeps you from truly resting, or else the season of withdrawal is ending and you must stir. Beware burnout from pushing through winter, yet also beware hiding so long that chances pass. Whatever the season, set firm boundaries—the four blades mark the edge where peace is kept.
Slavic Legends Tarot
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