Meanings of the Cards
The Tarot is more than a simple pack of cards. The pack itself comprises 78 cards which combine to form the 'arcana' - symbolic representations of ancient wisdom. These are divided into The Major and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana comprises 22 “trump” cards covering pretty much all aspects of human experience (and quite a bit of divine stuff too). The 56 'Minor' cards are split into the four elemental suits of Earth, Water, Fire and Air. Though these Suits have a variety of names, depending upon which deck you happen to be looking at, we stick here with those names accorded them in the Thoth Tarot deck, whose images you see across the site.
The Four of Swords
The Lord of Truce marks a period where we are able to rest and recover, after a difficult time in our lives. It will appear after trauma - the breakdown of a relationship; a troublesome and worrying time financially; an operation or major illness.
There will always have been conflict and stress beforehand, this card marks the kind of breathing space we often need in order to clarify our view of the situation, to gather our strength and to decide how best to move forward. When this card appears in a reading, the first thing it tells us is that it is time to rest, time to stop worrying about the things that have happened.
However, it must be noted that Truce is not peace. This is a respite - a down time in which we can catch our breath, ease our tension and relax for a brief time. But once that has been done, we need to recognise that there is still more to be done - the battle isn't over yet. So when acting under the influence of this card, bear in mind that first you must take it easy, but then you must begin to plan your next step.
If we fail to do that, then when the effect of the Lord of Truce passes away, we shall be left high and dry, with no route planned for our future. And in that case the turmoil which preceded this card may well manifest again.
Sometimes, when the card comes up with a 'person' card, it indicates that a rift can begin to be mended between two people who have been at loggerheads previously. In this case, again, it is important to stress that this card does not indicate peace - as before, much more work will need to be done before the damage is entirely healed. We need to be on our guard, too, for other people running personal agendas which may mean that the 'truce' is more convenient than sincere.