Tarot Arcana Ten of Swords: Inevitable End

Description: A man lies on the ground with ten swords stuck in his back. The sky is black from the night, but the dawn is already visible.

The main meanings of the card in the upright position:
1. despair (it can't get any worse);
2. a huge loss;
3. death of some part of you (or some trait of your character, habit, outlook);
4. the end of a stage in life;
5. artificial, violent end («not at the right time»);
6. a bitter moment of parting with someone or something;
7. moving to another job, getting fired, giving up an occupation;
8. «drawing the line»;
9. warning: are you in a hurry?
10. the mind can destroy relationships, suppression of feelings;
11. stress, disaster;
12. robbery;
13. serious illness;
14. at the bottom;
15. travel, probably by water.

The main meanings of the card in the inverted position:
1. there will still be disappointments, but the last ones;
2. improving health;
3. great personal success, prosperity;
4. authority, power;
5. profit, success;
6. even more problems than in the upright position;
7. fleeting success.

A man lies face down on the riverbank; ten swords, reminiscent of grave crosses, are stuck into his back. The sky is black, but beyond the river it is already dawning: a new day is approaching.

In the Aquarius Tarot, this card depicts a horseman desperately throwing himself straight at the swords placed against him.

This card symbolizes despair, a situation when everything is going as bad as it can be, and enlightenment seems to never come. However, the meaning of the card is rather optimistic: this is the tenth, last card of the row of swords, after it a new suit begins, a new period of life. There is no point in getting upset now: nothing can be fixed in the past anyway, isn't it better to rest and gather strength for new work?

In the inverted position — «it's not the end yet», some disappointments are still ahead of you, but they will be the last, and after them a bright period will come anyway.

(E. Kolesov «Azbuka Tarot»)

DESCRIPTION: A dead man lies on the ground, pierced in the back by ten swords. The dark and gloomy sky above enhances the sense of tragedy. The fingers of the dead man's right hand touch in a ritual gesture implying completion. Element: Air.

EXPLANATION: Although this card may initially seem to suggest a violent death, it is more likely to speak of a great and profound loss. If you draw this card, you may well feel that all is lost, either at work or in your personal relationships. Perhaps the hatred and aggression you experience from others is overwhelming you, or your business plans are coming to nothing. Another explanation may relate to your personal relationships. Perhaps a part of yourself has died, and you are now opening yourself up to something new and inspiring. The number Ten represents completion, but symbolically, death also leads to rebirth. Your lower, ego-driven self must die so that your higher self can open to spiritual awakening.

REVERSED CARD MEANING: Improved health, great personal success and prosperity.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LESSON: An ending is also a beginning. It is the end of one chapter of your life and the beginning of a new one. Before you move on, you must discard some of your old-fashioned, outdated views.

(N. Drewry «Tarot. A Step-by-Step Guide to Studying»)

Like the Death card, the Ten of Swords represents completion, the end of something, a separation. The difference is that Death means a natural end, while the Ten of Swords means an artificial, sometimes violent end, that is, coming «at the wrong time». And, although such an end is often accompanied by difficult, painful experiences, this is not necessarily so: such a multitude of swords symbolizes the powerful force of the mind, which has decided to «draw a line» under something. These could be important, enriching experiences, but they could also be unpleasant situations, bad habits or a difficult, unfavorable period in life. One way or another, this is a bitter moment of parting with someone or something. What feeling we have at this, a tragic loss or relief, as after a surgical operation, can only be determined by the context. In the same way, whether such an intervention was necessary or not, whether it was timely or not, only the other cards of the layout will tell us.

WORK: A decisive, even abrupt cessation of work, resignation from a position, parting with a previous activity. In practice, this is most often leaving and moving on to a new occupation. Less often — small changes, for example, moving to another job within the same company or suddenly canceling a previous assignment.

CONSCIOUSNESS: Here this card most often means that we are «drawing a line» under our past, straining our entire mind and will for this. These can be either individual ideas and beliefs, or a worldview as a whole. However, a certain element of artificiality inherent in this card always serves as a warning: have we rushed into our decision, are we giving up something really important, are we passing by a valuable life lesson, resisting it only because it contradicts our previous views?

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: In this area, the Ten of Swords turns into the most dangerous, crisis-ridden side. It can also indicate the severance of some truly unnecessary, bad connections, but most often it means that we use all the power of reason to suppress our feelings, digging a hole for ourselves and refusing something extremely valuable, risking the destruction of good human relationships.

Tens in Tarot

The number «ten» is associated with the Wheel of Fortune, the planet Pluto, which rules Scorpio and the eighth house. Pluto is the planet of death, birth and transformation; in a cycle, a period of growth and decline is replaced by a new period of growth. Like the Wheel of Fortune in the Major Arcana, Pluto speaks of great changes that fate is preparing.

Ten of Swords Upright

Key words and phrases: Life crash. Failure. Defeat. Decisive turning point. Forced change. Emotional rupture. Life-changing decision. Business collapse. End of sorrow. Death of illusions. Constant threat of stalemate. Breakup. Pain. Time to let go. Theft. Negative thinking. Stress. Misfortune. Loss. Devastation. Bankruptcy. Robbery. Split. Rolling into a pit. Disaster. Serious illness. Deadly confrontation. Dangerous situation. Collapse. Divorce. Separation. Difficulty. Risk. Crushing blow. Failure with a bang. Possible travel (possibly by water). Surgery. Need for injections. Medical examination. The only way out is up. Until a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it will not grow.

Situation and Advice:You have hit rock bottom. Your plans are not working. You have reached the bottom. A situation or relationship is coming to an inevitable end, and you may be on the verge of depression because of it. You have done everything in your power, and now you must either end the situation or accept the inevitable. The process of ending is accompanied by a sense of loss and deep sadness. You may feel emotionally isolated. Change is being forced upon you, and you are, alas, unable to resist. The loss may be related to a legal case, a career, a serious illness, or a breakup with a person who means a lot to you. It may be that your depressive state requires professional medical help.

Echoes of what has already ended may still have a negative impact on you. You have lost the battle. There is nothing you can do to save what must die. Just remember that after the darkness of night comes the dawn. You must let go of outdated conventions and false beliefs and make way for the future. Like the Tower, the Ten of Swords can represent a clearer understanding of a situation and the destruction of false beliefs. Sometimes a journey (especially by water) can cause separation.

People:Those who have hit rock bottom. People who have suffered a great loss. People who are in danger.

Ten of Swords Reversed

Key Words and Phrases: (Positive Meanings) Change for the better. Improvement. Reducing problems. Completion of a cycle and new beginnings. Darkness dissipating. Disasters left behind. The power of prayer. Help from others. Asking for help from a higher power. Returning from “death.” Getting rid of a threat to life or health. Light at the end of the tunnel. News of someone’s death or of a person who is dying. Obituary. The worst is over. Even the blackest cloud has a silver lining.

(Negative meanings) Drastic changes. Constantly arising problems. A very serious illness. Return of past difficulties. A breakup. Death. The worst is yet to come.

Situation and advice: You may receive news of someone’s death or serious illness. Prayer or an appeal to higher powers will help ease your pain. You are recovering from a period of emotional confusion, pain and sadness. The worst is over and your problems will gradually begin to resolve. Recent pain can teach you a valuable lesson. Improvement lies ahead. You or a loved one will survive a risky situation.

People:Those who survived. People who suffered for a long time. Those whose lives were in danger. People who returned from «death».

The meaning and inner meaning of the Ten of Swords Arcana

The meaning of the ten of swords in the upright position:

• Crying, Tears, Sobbing, Moans, Sighs, Complaints, Grief, Sadness, Sorrow, Suffering, Despair.

Other meanings of the ten of swords tarot in the upright position:

• unexpected trouble, great difficulties, failed plans, ruin, failure
• collapse, catastrophe, pain, grief, devastation, unfulfilled plans, defeat not due to one's own fault

From the entire tarot deck The Ten of Swords card is the most feared. It signifies disaster and ruin, bringing suffering and hopeless despair. The Client will face a complete failure of his plans or enterprises, probably due to the treacherous actions of enemies. The only consolation in such a situation is that the solution to the problem is somewhere close, and the Client will be able to get back on his feet.

The Ten of Swords indicates that the questioner will face tears, pain and sorrow, misfortune, grief and devastation. Collapse and failure. Unreliable relationships with friends. Be prepared for your plans to end in failure. All is lost.

Reversed interpretation:

• Benefit, Win, Profit, Success.
• Favor, Favor, Benefaction.
• Influence, Power, Dominion, Empire, Authority, Power, Capture.

Other meanings of the reversed ten of swords tarot:

• advantage, profit, success, power, might, difficulties come to naught.

The reversed ten of swords tarot card has several meanings, some of which are directly opposite to others. We adhere to the point of view that the inverted Ten of Swords means victory, success, achieving what you want. Another option implies even greater problems for the inverted position than for the upright one, a complete collapse of everything. You can choose a third option for yourself: possible improvements, but only temporary and fleeting, the benefit or success will not be permanent.

Inner meaning

A series of events that began with triumph ends in grief. The Ten of Swords Tarot predicts grief, tears and sadness either now or in the near future. This is not necessarily a card of death (like the Nine), but a card of pain, failure and devastation. At best, the card cancels out good fortune; at worst, it aggravates the misfortunes that other unfavorable cards have predicted.

Even friendships or other close relationships will be temporary or insufficient to help you overcome the unfortunate ending of your plans. Any improvements will be short-lived. Worse, a disastrous ending can permanently undermine your self-confidence. You must work as hard as you can to prevent what is threatening you.

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