Clouds frequently symbolize the element of air, which is associated with higher thought, intellectual ideas, and abstract thinking. (That's one reason you see so many clouds in the Swords cards.) Rain clouds sometimes symbolize doom, gloom, and disaster, and clouds can obscure our vision and dim our optimism. However, every cloud really does have a silver lining: rain can be cleansing, too. Rain can bring healing. And rain can also guarantee fertility and health.