The Hyper vigilant Page of Swords. Caroline, Tarot Reader, Dublin.

Hi, I'm Caroline, a traditional Dublin Tarot Card Reader. I mainly use the Ryder Waite deck as its symbolism is so expressive and clear.

I thought I would write about the Page of Swords as its meaning can be quite nuanced.

Pages in Tarot are traditionally messengers.

The Swords suit in traditional Tarot belongs to the intellectual realm, or the realm of thought and ideas before they take shape in the physical world (the domain of the Pentacles).

Being youngest of the Court cards, the Pages are the most inexperienced and immature but most curious of their suite - so they represent the very beginnings of things, and the desire to learn and grow.

All the Pages deal with the first potential expression of their suit. The Page of Wands represents the first spark of a new passion, impulse or creative idea. The Page of Cups represents the tender first emotional gesture. The Page of Pentacles represents a new concrete plan rooted in the material world.

The Page of Swords represents the start of something in the realm of thought: a new idea, a new perspective, a flash of clarity.

The Page of Swords has an active, inquisitive mind. He watches, notices, and learns quickly. He is a great communicator, verbal and written.

From an astrological perspective, the Swords suit is mercurial, belonging to planet Mercury. Swords are associated with the element of air, and in astrology, the signs of Aquarius, Gemini and Libra. I would also add that Virgo, where Mercury is exalted, is also a sign that equates with the Swords' sharp logic, intellect and attention to detail.

The suit of Swords as a whole is often most closely associated with Aquarius, the water bearer, yet still an air sign, assessing the world objectively, and somewhat dispassionately. This perfectly shows the duality of the Swords suit - it can be brilliant, bringing sudden clarity and logic to cut through the fog - but the sword is double edged.

The Swords' truth may be cutting. In the same way, the Page of Swords will also have its double edged quality where curiosity can lead to information hoarding, hyper vigilance and control.

The Page of Swords is most naturally represented in the sign of Gemini. After all, the curious Gemini twins are sociable, full of life and bright-eyed with the joys of information gathering. The Gemini twins are eternally youthful, protected by an innocence that stems from curiosity and wonder.

However, as with all the Sword Tarot cards, there is a double edge.

When we look at the Page of Swords, he is of small stature standing on a windy mountain top, wielding a large Sword. It looks like it is taking a lot of his strength to hold his sword aloft in these blustery conditions. The truth is, the Page of Swords may sometimes need to overcompensate for his lack of experience, or immaturity, using knowledge as a tool to appear bigger then he is. With insecurity or inexperience,' natural vigilance can tip into hyper vigilance.

The Page of Swords can, in the context of a Tarot Card Reading, represent the need for control. The Page may collect information, or data, but doesn't yet necessarily know what it all means. In shadow, he may have lots of information but insufficient perspective. He can mistake vigilance for understanding.

the Page's problem isn't that he thinks too little, it's that he may believe enough thinking will finally make him safe. 

In shadow, that same Mercurial quality can become nervousness, overthinking, gossip, suspicion or compulsively gathering information. Think of the shadow side of Gemini, the distrusting, gossipy, dual aspect.

In a Tarot reading, and depending on the question, the Page of Swords can represent paranoia, and the dark side of information gathering - Machiavellianism, scanning for data or leverage.

Before his vigilance becomes hyper vigilance, speaking before thinking also belongs to Page of Swords. Swords are words as well as thoughts, and an inexperienced Sword can be sharp without understanding how deeply it cuts. The Page can therefore indicate bluntness, gossip, defensiveness, argumentative communication or prematurely confronting someone with what he thinks he knows.

At Caroline's tarot, Dublin, I offer traditional Tarot Card readings over email.

Whether you are trying to untangle a complex relationship dynamic, map out a career transition, or understand an energetic block, I will provide you with a beautifully written, illustrated summary of your cards. You can Contact Me with your tarot question any time!

One question is 35 euro and three questions is 60 euro.

Have a lovely week,

Caroline x