Where the Four of Swords appears, it mainly signifies a time of rest and withdrawal from the arena of life. The querent has a chance to recharge his or her batteries, and to take stack of things.

Often this card seems to indicate the need for a holiday or perhaps, time off sick. It is often not a good idea to ignore needs like these whenever they arise; the result of not doing so may mean long-term stress or burn-out.

This card also means that things may have a tendency to remain "up in the air" so that a course of action may not actually take off. An unsatisfactory situation will not change; this may sometimes be because the querent is unwilling to confront an unpleasant reality. Whatever the actual situation, this card as a Four, tends to see things remaining stationary for the time being.