In this chapter of the tarot course we will see, The 10 of Swords and its meanings. What does the 10 of Swords mean in the Tarot? What does the 10 of Swords card mean in love, work, money or health? What is its spiritual meaning and what does it reveal to us? What does the 10 of Swords card upside down or reversed mean?
The 10 of Swords in the tarot
The Ten of Swords immediately presents a tragic and painful picture, but brings a vital message that is important to know.
Graphic description of the card
- The Ten of Swords shows a man lying face down, with ten long swords stuck in his body. A red cape is draped over the lower half of his body, while his upper half remains uncovered.
- The sky has a blackish hue, signaling that there is a general sense of pain, loss and misfortune.
- The card shows, however, despite these sinister images, that there are positive aspects to it: the sea behind the body is still calm and the sun rises in the distance, beyond the mountains, indicating that the darkness will soon dissipate.
- Thus, every new beginning must come from an ending, and with every defeat the seeds of future victory are sown.
What does the Ten of Swords mean in the Tarot?
The Ten of Swords right side up, General Meaning: There is no doubt that this ten means that a very painful moment, in any aspect of your existence, is breaking into your life.
This tragic failure appears practically out of nowhere, it is something that was not in your calculations, that you did not expect and it surprises you practically without any possibility of defending yourself.
If you could somehow foresee this disaster, you may have some weapons to mitigate or cushion the tremendous impact, but most of the time we are facing a picture of a surprise catastrophe.
In total consonance with the image, this card is associated with betrayals, someone who plays you from behind, who stabs you in the back, and the pain comes from the fact that you surely did not expect this betrayal because it is someone you trust.
This can happen in an affective, love, economic, business, family, it will depend on the rest of the reading to know where it comes from, but undoubtedly the surprise generates a devastating pain and sadness.
A central point in this card is that there is in you a deep feeling of victim, which in fact you are, but in a certain way you exploit this condition to the maximum, and you have an attitude of victimizing yourself permanently, expecting understanding and support from others, asking for compassion and for others to feel sorry for you.
Certainly the pain of the betrayal they have caused you may be great, but you seem to wallow in the pain, to feel sorry for yourself, to see yourself and show yourself as a martyr who has done her best in the situation, and you have received undeserved suffering in return.
So this letter tries to make you see the reality of the situation: Your pain and suffering cannot be denied, it has happened, it exists and it is real, but… What is the thin line between suffering the impact and victimizing yourself for everything?
A healthy person suffers from a disaster, assimilates it and tries to get up, while certain people with a lot of conflict, make victimization a permanent state and at the slightest situation expose their condition of “poor me” to achieve the compassion of others. Which of these people are you or want to be you?
There is no doubt that we are facing a complicated situation where there is suffering. Perhaps it is an end of a cycle, a closure, a relationship that ends, perhaps an economic bankruptcy or job failure, but whatever the circumstance or event that occurs, it appears in your life with a purpose and a reason.
It is something that you must surely go through to learn and once the pain is overcome, you will see clearly what the purpose of it all has been and why perhaps it is best that it has indeed happened this way.
Overcoming will happen, because in the same way that even in the darkest night the sun will rise later, it is inevitable that your healing will come after the pain. Here it is a matter of becoming aware of it, of extracting from the pain the liberating and transforming part, and this will bring you the relief of knowing that the day will become clearer and brighter for you.
It is also very important for you to know that there will be no more pain of that origin for you, this is the last suffering that comes from that person or that circumstance, there will be no more from now on, so you can plan ahead, recover hope and optimism, in the certainty that another disaster will not happen again, the worst that could happen has already happened, therefore nothing will be more serious from now on.
It is a sort of final test for your spirit, and clinging to that overcoming is that you must go through the dark night that now lies before you.
Based on this, it is clear that the Ten of Swords asks you to accept the bitter pill that life has offered you, not to resist the pain, and to slowly let go and let go.
There is little or nothing you can do to avoid what is happening, so the smartest and healthiest way out for your soul is to simply accept it, do not resist, let it flow because all this will generate a renewal and a positive change, even if you do not see it clearly now or it seems that it is not possible.
Change will happen, healing and regeneration will occur and the passage of time will show you the purpose behind it all, making you understand that your suffering has not been in vain.
The essential thing is that you use this time of suffering wisely to understand the causes and reasons, the why of this situation that has beaten you to the point of collapse. If these causes have to do with you in a direct way or if you are just an unjustified victim in the event. All these questions and reflections are perhaps necessary for your life and will provide you with valuable answers that will be very useful to you on your path.
In a very literal way, this card speaks about trust, alerting you to be careful. It is very likely that you will be the victim of a betrayal of any kind, and that it will be painful because of the unexpected or unbelievable, mainly.
It can be very hard that this ten comes out as an answer if you have asked if someone is a good person, about a relationship or a business partnership, no doubt no one expects this answer from the tarot, but you should look beyond and know that when one door closes another opens, and that you should not resist the facts and trust, both in you and in the universe, that the best possible way is the one that is, for something is this way, and that will be beneficial for you.
Also this card alludes to betrayals of another kind, as someone who reveals your secrets or sensitive information, generates gossip around you and breaks the trust you had given him.
This ten corresponds to the Swords, with all its load of logical and rational analysis, with its strong imprint of intellectuality, so you should know that even within the painful event that has come to hit you, you have within you the wisdom and intelligence necessary to relate the facts, analyze them, break them down and bring them to an understandable equation that allows you to understand.
And based on this understanding, you can get back up and go again. Learn from the defeats and from that implacable teacher that is pain, use your wisdom to find the positive, recover, arm yourself again, be reborn, new, different, more whole, strengthened. This is the teaching of this hard card.
This card already has a certain similarity to the Major Arcanum of Death, which is not the literal death, but a very deep change, very sudden in this case of the ten, which surely is unacceptable at first. It is a dramatic change, unexpected and not accepted. Only with time and the use of your intellect, reason and logic, you will be able to accept it and unveil the truth it brings.
What does the Card of the 10 of Swords mean in love?
In the realm of love. The Ten of Swords is unfortunately not a good omen. There may be serious problems in the couple for issues of infidelity or betrayal, not necessarily love being played from behind.
Perhaps hidden secrets, business or money issues in the couple, moral faults, unexposed pasts, may threaten the relationship. Also, it is possible to expect a betrayal or an unexpected and painful breakup.
The point here is to accept reality, not to close your eyes to the truth and to ask the right questions. No one can be forced to love you, let go, let go, there is no other way.
If you are in solitude and looking for a love, be very careful with the people you meet, as they are probably not what they say or show themselves to be, and they may promise you things they will not deliver.
What does the 10 of Swords card mean at work?
In the field of work, The Ten of Swords signals that there is a strong possibility that your work situation is coming to an end. There may be surprise layoffs, a raise or promotion denied, someone taking your place, or a huge amount of work and merit that belonged to you being credited.
The possibility of suffering a betrayal in the work environment is very high now, so you must be forewarned, and if it happens, you should not waste time plotting revenge and punishment. Simply accept what you have been dealt and put your energy into a new horizon.
If you are looking for a job, things will take a while. Jobs that seemed possible and secure may vanish overnight, people who made promises to you betray them, and others may snatch away possibilities that seemed so secure. It is time to wait for the night to pass and the sun to rise again, there is no choice but to let time run its course.
What does the Card of the 10 of Swords mean for money and finances?
In terms of money. The Ten of Swords also brings disappointments, whether they come through people you know and trusted, or because of your bad decisions or wrong investments.
It is not the time to play with money in any aspect, and above all, do not make any kind of loan of any kind as the possibility is very high that you will not see it back.
Betrayals for money or economic interests may appear now, especially from people you would not suspect capable. Beware of inheritances and distribution of property, these are delicate situations where sometimes greed and the worst of human beings takes over people.
Money will not be scarce by itself, you just have to take care of it, do not make bad business, do not invest or gamble, until the sun rises again.
What does the Card of the 10 of Swords mean in health?
On your health issues. In its harshest explanation, the Ten of Swords is certain combinations of cards, it can mean a brutal blow, an unexpected and painful diagnosis, a sudden and serious illness.
It does not indicate death per se, other cards are also needed for that, but it can certainly be a distressing health situation.
In its less harsh, and more frequent meaning, this ten points to a tremendous state of physical and metal exhaustion. It is possible that if everything is going wrong in your life, your body and spirit will feel it and acknowledge it. You should rest and try to heal slowly.
What does the 10 of Swords mean spiritually?
In terms of spirituality. The Ten of Swords can mean a deep spiritual crisis, where you renounce or at least seriously question your beliefs, which have accompanied you this far.
That is not bad, questioning things is healthy, but because of this crisis you may feel inclined to other beliefs and at this point you should be careful not to be easily seduced by unscrupulous people.
It is very likely that you will face a time of much anger and disappointment with your beliefs and your faith, and that is part of the emotional healing process as well, don’t be overwhelmed by it.
What does the Ten of Swords upside down or reversed mean?
The Ten of Swords reversed, General Meaning: The suit of Swords is all about intellect, the use of reason and logic to solve problems and exist in a thoughtful way.
In this sense, this card announces a profound mental transformation of beliefs, principles, ideas, convictions, which will be questioned, analyzed and replaced if necessary.
It is a close look at your past and present attitudes, and the conviction that there are things that must happen, surely painful, in order for a healing transformation to take place.
You are seriously questioning your life because your plans for the future and your future concretely depend on it. And this transformation is such that it not only changes you, but modifies the real plane of existence, moves things, displaces people and places.
On the one hand, the card may indicate that you feel a great fear of suffering pain. There is a final decision to be made, a decision to be made, and you have a hard time making it because you know it will cause you pain, or perhaps harm others.
It could be the case of a relationship (love, family, even work) that is over, but you do not end it maybe because you are not ready yet to let go and let go, or maybe the other person is not ready and you do not want to be the cause of the pain, because nobody likes to hurt others.
But as painful or traumatic as this situation may be, you must understand that it is very positive for you and you will soon see that what you decided was the right thing to do.
In another, slightly reverse sense, this ten could indicate that you are resisting a termination that is painful, but also unavoidable. You are not ready for it and you need to build up and prepare your mental and intellectual structure to cope with it.
You know that emotions may get out of control and that the only brake that can sometimes be effective is precisely through reason. The more you resist, surely the more it hurts, and this is but for you, because nothing can really stop things and acting in this way will only slow down your personal transformation.
If you are living this situation, you should really put your best effort to let things go and let the universe lift everything to its rightful place.
Also the reverse Ten of Swords can show that you are panicking about all kinds of ruin or lack, whether emotional, affective or material. The fear of lacking what you need or think you need paralyzes you. Even if this is not a real possibility and is only a product of your fantasy, originated by your own fear, you are always on the defensive and imagining negative scenarios.
Everything bad you feel is going to happen to you, that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. A little resilience is right, because it makes us prevent and anticipate, but permanently seeing the empty glass is very negative for your whole life.
What is the sense of living full of fear even more if those things have not even happened yet or may not even happen? This attitude will only generate more fear, a panic of everything and an overflowing anguish. It is a classic card for people with anxiety disorders.
Another very important aspect that this card can point out is that you are still struggling with the past. You can not close old wounds and everything that ended badly or caused you deep pain, you are still dragging it in you, despite showing or having an appearance and attitude on the outside that suggests that you have overcome it. It is not so.
It is still in you and you have not yet found a way to resolve it, and it is very important that you do so in order to move forward. Confronting old pains can reopen the wounds and that will surely hurt, but it is the only way to heal and overcome them once and for all.
Fortunately, in its most positive facet, The Ten of Swords can indicate that you are already in the overcoming and liberating stage of any traumatic situation.
Remnants of pain may still remain, but you are already in the emotional healing phase, you no longer feel so beaten, you are no longer victimized.
You have managed in an intellectual way to get things back on track. The dawn finally brings light after a dense darkness and you are getting ready to receive the sun’s rays again on your face.
What does the reversed 10 of Swords card mean in love?
In the realm of love. The reversed Ten of Swords signals that you have already taken steps to improve an existing love relationship, that’s a good thing. However, more work may be necessary if this relationship hopes to survive.
Remember that any relationship has two prongs; problems are almost never entirely the fault of one party. There may be some rethinking on your part about whether you’re really in it for the long haul. But the most important thing still has to do with the past and the wounds it has caused you.
You must bring all that back so that you can settle it once and for all, for if you don’t, if you don’t get over it, fear will not let you move forward with any relationship.
What does the card of the 10 of Swords reversed mean at work?
In the field of work. The reversed Ten of Swords can indicate that there are serious problems in your workplace. This doesn’t have to be the end of the world (or the end of your job), but ignoring these problems won’t make them go away.
You’ve reached the point where you can now see what’s best for you, your thinking is clearer after going through the tough times. Have some peace of mind to decide what your next moves are. Is it really better for you to stay where you are? If you’re looking for a job, you may be looking in the wrong places. Think it through.
What does the 10 of Swords card reversed mean for money and finances?
In terms of finances and money. The reversed Ten of Swords may indicate that you are taking some constructive and important steps to improve your financial situation. This is very good.
If you have failed in the past or have made mistakes, you have learned from it and know how to apply it now so that this time things go well. You are slowly starting to get out of distressing situations and everything is on the way to getting better.
What does the card of the 10 of Swords reversed mean in health?
As far as your health is concerned. The reversed Ten of Swords signals that you will be using or thinking about taking some measures that will actually improve your health situation. Try not to think about the rest of your life; you should focus only on the present.
While it is good to take care of yourself for the future, worrying uselessly about tomorrow’s health is something that leads to nothing.
What does the card of the 10 of Swords reversed mean spiritually?
In spirituality. The reversed Ten of Swords can mean that you have finally overcome or are well on your way to overcoming some extremely painful parts of your past.
Now is the time to look forward. Ask yourself how you want to see yourself in a year, or five, or ten.
Living is a long apprenticeship, the unfortunate thing is that we learn almost at the end, with little time left, so anything we can anticipate, anything “before we learn” will make for a fuller life.
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