Upright
Rest and withdrawal; a needed time-out.
The Four of Swords
Get a little R&R.
Reversed
A more urgent need for rest and recovery; circumstances preventing R&R.
He’s not dead, he’s just sleeping! The Four of Swords shows a knight taking a time out underneath three hanging swords, with a fourth sword under their body. This card shows a need for rest and withdrawal. It comes with the message that you need to take a step back, call a time-out, and recover.
When reversed, the sleeping knight hovers precariously over three swords, and the message of the card becomes more urgent. You need to change your position. Some interpret this card to mean that you need to wake up and emerge from your period of rest before the swords stab you in the vital organs. Others believe that this means your need for rest is quite urgent, but that you have to change positions before rest is possible. Either way, changes need to be made in your life before you can truly relax.