Tarot Cards of Heartache
A deep dive into the tarot cards that reflect heartache, grief and emotional struggle. From betrayal to disappointment, discover how these cards help us process pain and find healing.
By Tony Fox Tarot – March 10, 2021
Heartache is one of life’s most difficult but universal experiences. Yet, in the Tarot, it’s not something to avoid — it’s something to understand. These cards offer insight into the pain of loss, betrayal, disappointment and grief. They speak to the wounds we carry and the strength we discover through facing them.
3 OF SWORDS
Heartbreak cuts deep, but clarity follows.
Each sword piercing the heart in the 3 of Swords represents pain from the past, the present, and the future. This card often appears during times of intense grief — a lost loved one, a breakup, or emotional wounds that refuse to heal. The 3 of Swords teaches us that heartache isn’t just something to endure; it’s part of what makes us whole. Through sorrow, we deepen our understanding of ourselves and our capacity to love.
QUEEN OF SWORDS
Heartache met with clarity, strength and resolve.
The Queen of Swords speaks to the sorrow of mourning and the lonely terrain of grief. Her pain is deep, but she stands with dignity and resolve. As a symbol of emotional maturity, this card reminds us that heartache, though isolating, also reveals our resilience. Her sword — sharp with truth — cuts through illusion. She grieves, but she grows.
THE DEVIL
Unhealthy attachments and emotional entrapment.
The Devil reflects heartache born from toxic dynamics — control, obsession, jealousy, addiction, or betrayal. It often appears in relationships marked by mistrust and emotional entanglement. While intense, this card offers a powerful lesson: heartache here is avoidable. When we replace fear and possession with honesty and compassion, we begin to break free.
5 OF SWORDS
Conflict and betrayal leave emotional scars.
In the 5 of Swords, heartache comes through conflict, bitterness, and emotional warfare. This is the card of no winners — just hurt on both sides. It may represent a personal or professional fallout, one where ego has overtaken empathy. The message: revenge may feel powerful in the moment, but healing only begins when the swords are put down.
10 OF SWORDS
Emotional rock bottom—an ending that hurts but heals.
This card embodies the rawness of betrayal — being stabbed in the back, perhaps multiple times over a long period. The 10 of Swords is dramatic and final, showing the end of a painful chapter. Yet its message is hopeful: the worst has already happened, and the dawn is breaking. Healing is now possible, even inevitable.
5 OF CUPS
Grief and regret cloud the heart’s vision.
The 5 of Cups is the sorrow of loss — often emotional, sometimes spiritual. The cloaked figure in the card mourns what’s been spilled, unable to see the two remaining cups still upright. This card invites us to honour our sadness, but not to become consumed by it. Over time, perspective returns. What’s left can still be meaningful.
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Tarot Cards of Important Change
Explore five powerful tarot cards that represent significant life changes—The Chariot, Wheel of Fortune, Death, The Tower and Judgement. Each card offers unique insight into the nature of transformation, whether it’s through personal growth, fate or sudden upheaval.
Major Arcana | Card Meanings | Change
By Tony Fox Tarot - 19 Jan 2021
Change is one of the few constants in life—and the tarot has plenty to say about how it shows up. The following Major Arcana cards each reveal a different facet of change: from determined effort and destiny’s hand, to inevitable endings and spiritual awakenings. Whether you’re in the midst of transformation or seeking guidance, these cards offer insight into how change is unfolding for you.
🛡️ The Chariot – Change Through Determination
Focused action brings forward momentum.
The Chariot signals change driven by focus and willpower. It’s about harnessing both thought and action to move forward with clarity and purpose. When this card appears, it reminds you that success is achievable through direction and discipline. Change, in this context, is something you command—steering your life where you want it to go.
🎡 Wheel of Fortune – Change Through Chance
Unexpected change through chance and fortune.
The Wheel of Fortune represents unexpected change, twists of fate, and life’s serendipitous turns. Often, this card brings positive shifts—moments where the universe conspires in your favour. It can also symbolise karmic cycles and the deeper spiritual opportunity to rise above life’s ups and downs through awareness and self-realisation.
💀 Death – Inevitable Transformation
Endings clear the way for renewal.
Death heralds change that cannot be avoided. It asks us to surrender what no longer serves us, even when it’s uncomfortable. Personal transformation, endings, and new beginnings all fall under this card’s domain. Like the snake shedding its skin, we’re reminded that growth only happens when we let go of the old to make way for the new.
⚡ The Tower – Radical Breakthrough
Upheaval reveals truth and growth.
The Tower reflects sudden upheaval and the collapse of illusions. When things are built on shaky foundations, dramatic change becomes not only necessary but inevitable. Though confronting, this card ultimately brings clarity and freedom—it’s the lightning strike of truth that sets transformation in motion.
🎺 Judgement – Awakening to Your Truth
A call to rise, reflect and transform.
Judgement is an inner call to evolve. It asks you to rise to a higher version of yourself and embrace meaningful change rooted in self-honesty. Often appearing at life’s crossroads, this card symbolises spiritual rebirth, accountability, and the decision to live with deeper authenticity.