ELEMENT
Air
SWORDS POWERWORDS
Mind / Thoughts / Communication
TEN OF SWORDS POWERWORDS
The End
QUICK MEANING
This card means that something that is tormenting you is now coming to an end. Your mind is made up. You are at rock bottom.
TRADITIONAL MEANING
Traditionally the card means endings and the possibility of new beginnings (dawn in the horizon).
CARD DESCRIPTION
A person is lying face down on the ground with Ten Swords stabbed into their body. It looks horrific and there is a sense of finality. The person lies on the beach with blood flowing from their wounds. In the distance is a flat serene sea, mountains and a new dawn. If you look closely you can see he is making a hand gesture.
SYMBOLS
Man on the Ground
This man is lying on the ground. Is he dead? I am not sure. See ‘Gesture of Right Hand’ below. Perhaps he is after the stabbing and is looking serenely at the dawn and the calm sea. The worst may be over.
Gesture of Right Hand
This is the gesture that the Hierophant makes. It is a hand gesture of blessing and benediction. This gesture can only be made by active hand muscles. So though the man is on the ground stabbed, he is giving the blessing gesture. Perhaps this whole event is a ‘blessing in disguise’. Perhaps the wounds might be deep but there is indeed hope.
Ten Swords
The ten swords stab deep into the body. From the wounds flows blood and also ‘false blood’ of the material flows from under the swords. These swords represent defeat, desolation, breakdown, breakup and ‘rock bottom’. It is not likely that is will get worse than this.
Dawn
This card is similar to the Death card in that a dawn and the new possibilities of a new day is upon us. Hint of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the group from which the creators of the Rider Waite Tarot were part of (Arthur Waite and Pamela Smith). Dawn means a new beginnings, the possibility of something fresh. In this card, something needs to die to make space for something new.
Beach
Often the beach is associated with fun and relaxation. The person lies on the beach and is repose. Its a death scene or is it actually a rebirth scene?
Sea
This may be a dark card but the sea is calm and tranquil. There is no storm or big waves. Peace. Peace. Peace…and that is what follows after this card energy passes. Whatever is happening is about to pass and peace follows.
Mountains in distance
The card indicates the end of a long journey and the beginning of something new.
ABOUT THIS CARD
There are times in our life where we just hit the bottom. We are wiped out either emotionally, mentally or spiritually. There is a sense we cannot get any lower than this. There is a finality to this card. It represents the end (like the Death card and its own dawn) and the final phase of a cycle has ended. It is complete and unavoidable.
I see the Ten of Swords when a divorce or separation is happening. The anxiety and fear of the Nine of Swords has passed. The separation is happening – there is no going back.
The Ten of Swords for women can often be about the end of unhealthy relationships. Friendships that are draining. Family that are like vampires. The end. Finished.
I see the Ten of Swords when a woman gets ‘laid off’ work. Or financially she hits the big world of debt and it affects her mentally.
I see the Ten of Swords when a woman is coming out of her ‘dark night of the soul’ and whatever reason put here there. I recommend you read the Nine of Swords because it can really explain the follow up card of the Ten of Swords.
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU EXPLORE THIS CARD MORE
What do I need to let go of?
What things are pulling me to rock bottom?
Is there a way for me to finally acknowledge that I have had enough?
Do I need to finish things?
List three ways that I can let go in my mind of what was?
Do I see that this ‘end’ is actually a blessing?
GOLDEN DAWN / QABALA
The Hermetic title for this card is ‘Lord of Ruin’.
On the Tree of Life, the Number Ten cards sit on the Sphiroth Malkuth which represents Kingdom or Planet Earth.
After the energy from the Divine enters Kether at the top of the Tree of Life, it next flows to Chokhmah. Chokhmah is the place of wisdom. The energy then flows onto Binah which is the energy of understanding. Then the energy leaves this upper triangle of energy (called the Supernal) and flows down to Chesed, the energy of Mercy. Then the energy flows to Gevurah which is a difficult Sphiroth representing severity and possibly suffering. Then the energy flows to Tiferet which is at the center of the Tree of Life. It represents balance and harmony. Next we move to Netzach which is victory and then onto Hod which is splendor. Then we move onto Yesod which is Foundation and directly under Tiferet in the middle pillar. It is balanced. It is the place where all the above energies now have the ability to become manifest and real. What we think, we become. More importantly, what we feel we become. Finally the energy moves down into Malkuth which is Yesod come into the world and create the planet we live on and everything in existence. The essence of the Creator goes through various stages until it comes to the final stage of being. Therefore we can conclude that all of life and the world around us contains a spark of the Creator. All the 10 cards in the Tarot represent completion of the suits energy. The swords energy is focused, targeted and strong. Swords energy must be managed well and the Ten of Swords indicates ruin and desolation.
ASTROLOGICAL
Ruled by the Sun in Gemini
TEN OF SWORDS REVERSED
When this card is reversed the card shows that the end has been accepted and the dawn is now lighting up the bottom of the card and the day has begun. Recovery and regeneration is now possible.
Two important questions to consider with a reversed Ten of Swords:
Am I ready to lift myself off the ground and begin a new day?
Can I acknowledge the past, let it go and move on?