Grief can be a burden, but also an anchor. You get used to the weight, how it holds you in place. ― Sarah Dessen
The Court Cards of the Minor Arcana work in one of two ways--they either represent people in your life, or aspects of the Self. These sixteen cards (four in each suit) hold attributes of the suit and of the Court position (King, Queen, Knight or Page), and in this way give us markers as to who this person might be. Each Court Card, individually, has its own sort of reputation. And the Queen of Swords most definitely has a reputation...
Here is the beautiful Queen of Swords, faced to the future (in a Tarot reading, this is the Future), reaching out. Her sword is pointed up to the Heavens. Her feet are planted on earth. So much of the detail of this card tells us about this Queen. Firstly, the one most noted in Tarot circles is her Victorian mourning bracelet. It tells us this Queen is mourning the King, or a child, or even a divorce. Her reputation is one of ruling alone.
This grief (and if you have ever felt profound grief might understand this aspect of the queen) informs her every decision. She is determined to make decisions based on prioritizing what is important and what is merely noise. This is what anchors her, so to speak. She is not someone grieving in a way that is maudlin, or overly emotional. Her pain is written on her no-nonsense sensibilities, informs her decisions, but she does not wear her heart on her sleeve, and she never feels herself a victim.
So, this Queen is independent, self-assured, knowledgable. I often refer to this aspect of the Queen first in my readings, because grief has reprioritized the Queen's life. All swords have a reputation for cutting through the bullshit, but the Queen has that reputation in spades. She has no time to hear petty grievances. Her time is too precious. And so, she can be someone who speaks her truth, uses few words to do it, but is a powerful, wise woman. People listen. Often, she has a reputation to those who do not know her of being a bitch, but to those around her, they accept her way is straight-forward, honest, and respectable.
Swords are quite intellectual as a suit, and so this Queen is run by her logic, intellect, and quick wit. Her heart chakra faces toward the future. That is her passion, after all, to create the future she wants. Her strength is her mind, so turn to this queen to figure out how things work, analysis, judgment and plans forward. And so, she isn't someone who is terribly reflective or stuck in the past. Her experience and the strength of her decisions make her someone to regard with great respect.
Swords are also the Air sign of the Tarot, so look for this woman to be Libra, Aquarius, Gemini. She may be a writer, librarian, communicator, teacher.
A great affirmation for this card might be:
I know my truth and speak it with authority and wisdom.