In this reimagining of the Three of Swords, we are drawn into a scene where the familiar motif of a pierced heart becomes a target—layer upon layer of concentric hearts, each arrow cutting through the center. Here, the heartbreak is not simply passive, but deliberate, as though each shot has been aimed with precision. Pain is not random; it comes from forces that know exactly where to strike.
The figure standing before the target with open arms reflects a posture of vulnerability, even surrender. Their chest is unguarded, suggesting that to live with an open heart is to risk being pierced. The cockatoo, perched to the right, calls out like a witness or a messenger, reminding us that heartbreak speaks, teaches, and echoes far beyond the wound itself. On the left, a hovering saucer introduces the unexpected—the idea that heartbreak sometimes comes from realms we cannot fully understand, influences outside our grasp.
This card asks us to sit with the sting of grief, betrayal, or loss, but also to recognize that pain often carries meaning. Just as the arrows land in the heart’s center, sorrow reveals what matters most to us. There is no heartbreak without love, no piercing without care.
Upright Meaning: Heartbreak, loss, sorrow, necessary truth revealed, the cutting clarity of pain, deep emotional lessons.
Reversed Meaning: Release from old wounds, forgiveness, recovery, perspective gained, or denial of grief that still longs to be felt.
Bonnie’s Perspective: The cockatoo reminds us not to silence our cries. Heartbreak, though wounding, must be voiced—whether in mourning, song, or raw expression. Healing begins when the pain is witnessed.
The Tarot Midwife 