The tenth card of the Minor Arcana appears with the power of the end in its predictions. It is one of many cards in this suit that represents failure, but unlike the others, it comes with the force of disaster that cannot be avoided. The ruin is fatal and the devastation pulsates within the soul, which makes it difficult to recover from the blow received. There’s no running away, just accepting and staying strong to overcome and recover from the impact of the wreckage around you.
Visual description and symbology Ten of Swords
The ten of swords bear the image of a man lying on his stomach, apparently dead, with his face turned to the earth and his body covered with a red cloth. On his back, ten swords in symmetrical order are stuck showing that his end has finally come. The sky is dark and some heavy clouds still hover over the sinister air that surrounds it, however, it is possible to admire the sun on the horizon, a sign of hope and calmer times. The waters are calm now, unlike those shown in previous cards of this suit.
- The man lying on the ground carries the message that he has hit rock bottom, defeated in the midst of battle.
- The red cloth that covers half of her body represents the dignity she still has after leaving this world.
- The ten swords represent defeats that are beyond your control. The six swords buried over the covered part of his body signal that he no longer has anywhere to run or hide, the four positioned over the naked part represent the unwanted endings.
- The dark, cloudy sky represents fear and negativity linked to defeat and death.
- The calm sea represents the new times to come and the peace and tranquillity that is born with sunlight after the darkness of defeat.
- The rising sun represents new beginnings.
Keywords Ten of Swords
Until we go further with the meanings of the Ten of Swords tarot card in love, money and health let’s examine the key words of this card.
Keywords: termination, ruin, despair, failure, deep wounds, betrayal, loss, breakdown, bitterness, crisis.
Reversed keywords: healing, learning, regeneration, recovery, survival, starting over.
Now that the visuals and keywords have been introduced, let’s dive deep into the Ten of Swords’ interpretations of love, relationships, career, money, health and spirituality. And let’s understand how the meanings of this card can be interpreted for the consultant in each type of reading.
Ten of Swords meaning
The ten of Swords is a card charged with the energy of defeat. It portends great disasters and can represent betrayal by people you trust and who are in your circle of friends. It appears in the game to show that something has come to hit you and, most likely, you weren’t expecting it, being completely unprepared to defend yourself against the inevitable. You may have reached rock bottom and the greatest strength for this to have happened came from external actions and energies, what you need now is to understand what hit you and try to get back on top using this as a very valuable learning to be carried with you throughout your life.
Anxiety and fear of not being able to master what happens to you and around you is consuming you and contributing to the defeats and failures you face. Care is needed so that this fear does not materialize in a negative way in situations that are yet to come. The defeat was felt and it must be tasted so that the lessons can be drawn from it, and not to serve as a shovel that will make you dig a deeper hole for yourself from which you will no longer be able to escape.
This card also shows that victimization due to negative situations is blooming within you and this will keep you away from people who are willing to help you. Nobody likes to listen to someone complain 100% of the time in their ears and want to convince them that what they are suffering is worse than the suffering of others. It’s time to realize that your defeats are not worse or better than anyone else’s, they just are what they are, defeats. Be careful not to push away those who will rescue you from rock bottom with their excessive drama.
Love and Relationship
If you are in a relationship, the ten of Swords appears to represent its end. You have already used all possible weapons to rescue the relationship, but perhaps due to lack of attitude on the part of your partner, there is nothing more that can be done and the breakup is the best option for you to escape the sadness and be able to smile again with other relationships or even alone. Betrayal and infidelity may have been the trigger for you to get where you are, that was not forgiven and, when there is no sincere forgiveness, there is no way to stop suffering from the swords that were struck. Move on and build a new path for yourself, it will bring you peace again.
If you’re in an abusive relationship, this card beeps the warning signal incessantly. You are taking serious risks and you need to act now, before it is too late and catastrophe strikes with no turning back. Seek help from competent bodies and lean on the strength that the people who love you provide you. Be a survivor and no longer a fatal victim.
On the other hand, this card may indicate an excess of drama on your part in the face of conflicts and arguments. You have to stop feeling like a victim and start understanding the story in every possible way. Perhaps, the situation is not as tragic as you paint it for yourself. Perhaps, a simple frank conversation will be able to end the suffering that surrounds the relationship and, together, you will connect to something bigger and happier.
If you’re single, the feelings you harboured after your last breakup could be hindering your progress. Even if you have taken the first step towards the end of the previous relationship, you are still not prepared to get rid of the pain of this end. What you need right now is to suffer. Letting the tears you bring in your soul be released so that the hurt can be washed away by them and you can really move on. Do not want to enter into a new relationship carrying with you what the suffering of the past ending caused you, as this will end this new relationship even before generating pleasant memories.
Money and Career
The ten of Swords shows the end of a cycle. You need to cut the ties that still bind you to your current job or project. You’ve put in enough effort and the stress it’s caused you along the way has taken a toll on you to the point of nervous breakdown and extreme physical exhaustion. This may have caused many disappointments and exposed weaknesses that left him powerless in the face of the challenges that have been shown in recent days. It’s no use to keep punching a knife just for pride or ego. It is necessary to radically change its positioning and find a new career alternative, job or internal activity. The position you occupy today no longer brings you satisfaction and this is explicit, but it depends on you ending this cycle in the best possible way, without being even more harmed.
This card also warns of betrayals by co-workers. Someone may be undermining the field around you, just to be able to fill your position or take the lead on a project that is in your hands. If you still have strength left to fight, and this battle won’t make you more stressed than you already are, then fight to guarantee what is yours by right of conquest. Get away from that type of person and work for your own benefit and that of the company. Just remember that some battles don’t deserve our attention, especially when they only serve to bring emotional exhaustion. Think about your well-being before taking any action.
If you own a company or business, beware of betrayal by partners and collaborators. It’s risky to trust too much. Some plays must not be exposed before the game ends.
In the financial field, the ten of swords shows a dark and turbulent time. Losses are being felt and utter ruin may be lurking. It’s time to cut unnecessary expenses and save as much as possible to get out of the hole you’re in. It’s not a good time to invest, don’t take unnecessary risks.
Health and Spirituality
The ten of Swords card appears to warn that the moment is delicate and the time has come for you to pay attention to your health, if you haven’t already. You are about to have a nervous breakdown, and the exhaustion you are in begins to manifest itself in minor health problems. Be careful that these small problems do not turn into delicate diseases. Put your health first and your exams up to date. Seek the help of a professional to heal the wounds of the mind.
In a practical way, this card suggests that a treatment involving acupuncture can be a good alternative to relieve the pain you bring with you.
The ten of swords also shows the break with old beliefs, the spiritual path you have been treading until today may no longer be satisfactory or the best for you at the moment. You feel a little lost and the rescue of your faith may be in other places than usual. Care must be taken not to be deceived by malicious religious leaders.
Ten of Swords Reversed
The ten of swords, in the inverted position, represents the moment to rise again after suffering defeats. You went through a very turbulent moment that left you physically and emotionally weakened and this made you believe that you don’t have the strength to fight new battles. However, the card in this position shows that a fresh start is possible and he is just ahead, waiting for your arrival. You were a survivor, it’s time to pull yourself together and learn from all the difficulties you’ve faced so far.
On the other hand, the inverted Ten of Swords can intensify the force of defeat present in its upright reading. Tragedy is imminent and there is nothing that can be done to avoid it. Total ruin shakes you emotionally and you can’t see a way out. You’re stuck with problems that come back again and again, in an eternal loop.
What’s happening is the result of all the wrong decisions you’ve made along your way. It could have been poorly made decisions, as it could have been because you wanted to avoid facing the confrontation that was being established in front of you, which caused an accumulation that, today, turns against you with redoubled strength and much more fatal. However, despite the force of the storm that hits you, the inverted position shows that your recovery will be complete, as soon as you recognize that you have carved your own destiny. The beginning of a new cycle is announced, and the lessons learned so far will be your weapons for new fights.
Love and Relationship
If you are in a relationship, the inverted ten of swords shows that many scars still need to be healed before you want to continue the relationship. Conflicts and stressful situations should not be covered up just because you don’t want to face them, you need to resolve things with your partner so that they don’t accumulate and end up exploding later on. The fear of an ending may be leading you to keep secrets and lies that will end up causing the relationship to collapse in the future. The relationship will not survive if you keep acting that way. The end is likely to be inevitable, and nothing you do will change that, so stop kidding yourself and face the real situation you’re in. If you can’t solve the problems with the conversation, start thinking about starting over alone. It will be better than keeping sorrows and opening new wounds.
On the other hand, if you allow yourself to hear and be heard, healing for the relationship may be well under way. You’ve already started to put the dots in the “i’s”, and this will help you overcome the challenges you face and move forward more united than before.
If you are single, you slowly begin to heal from the wounds that were left open after the end of the past relationship. Spending time alone can help you understand your mistakes and learn from the feelings you still carry with you. Don’t be in a hurry to jump into a new relationship.
Money and Career
The worst has gone. The ten of swords in the inverted position signals that the stress and conflicts you were facing in your work environment are slowly starting to dissipate and make room for building a healthier and more peaceful place. You may have chosen to quit your job and look for another career or project and it was precisely your decision that brought you the peace you so desired. Anyway, the frustrations and the feeling of defeat are no longer present and this can already be felt in all areas of your life, especially in your health. It’s time to breathe easier, roll up your sleeves and start working with the new one. Lesson learned and stress dropped.
On the other hand, you may not have been able to overcome the difficulties of your work yet. The putrid air emanating from the environment as a whole is pushing him to the limits of his mind and body. You need to act before you run out of strength to get out of the darkness that surrounds you.
In the financial area, this card indicates that you are slowly recovering from a serious financial problem that almost brought you to complete ruin. Keep trusting your instincts and work to completely overcome this phase you are in, but be careful not to end up making the same mistakes and sinking further into the mud. Financial problems can become quicksand and it takes calm and strategy to get out without getting sucked deeper and deeper.
Health and Spirituality
The Ten of Swords reversed points to the improvement in your health. The illnesses he faces today are slowly moving towards a cure. There is still much to be done and professional help should not be ruled out, but stay positive as it will lead you faster to your full recovery.
On the other hand, you may be experiencing great anxieties that cloud your vision and leave you unable to see hope for a better future. These anguish affect you psychologically, dragging you into serious mental health problems. Feeling hopeless and depressed can lead to self-destructive attitudes. Seek help immediately and escape those thoughts that drag you down to the worst of yourself as soon as possible.
In the spiritual realm, this card in the reversed position shows that you have gained a lot of wisdom from the obstacles that have arisen along your path. Even if you suffered some defeats, you managed to absorb all the lessons sent to you. Remaining open to your spirit guides and always listening to your intuition will help you stay on your path, regardless of the challenges that lie ahead.
Ten of Swords Yes and No
The ten of swords represents failure in the face of a sudden and turbulent end. Because it is a card that carries negative feelings such as depression and feeling completely powerless in the face of the inevitable, this card makes this card a no to any question asked by the querent.
Ten of Swords Combinations
The ten of Swords is an ending card. Depending on the cards that accompany it, it can generate positive readings or warnings, in any case, the person must always be attentive to their own decisions so as not to end up getting lost in their path or within themselves.
Ten of Swords and The Empress
You are neglecting your own needs or someone else’s.
Ten of Swords and The Might
In order to save yourself, you are using all your strength to save others. Be careful not to end up spending your energies the wrong way.
Ten of Swords and The Lovers
The relationship is making you lose your own identity. It’s time to find yourself again.
Ten of Swords – Elements, Astrology and Other Associations
Here are the associations with the Ten of Swords tarot card
- Element: Air
- Planet: sun
- Astrological signs: Gemini
- Main dates: 11th to 20th of June
- Kabbalah: Malkuth – Reign
- Yes / No: No
Ten of Swords as Personality Types
When in the upright position, it indicates a person who often finds himself in the midst of battles and delicate situations, some caused by his own dramatic and violent behavior with which he deals with the difficulties that life imposes on him. They are people who can learn from mistakes and know that it is necessary to heal in order to be able to move forward, which is why they tend to distance themselves from others to recover after a long battle, which makes others feel that they are cold and distant people. They harbor an irrational fear of the new, because they believe they are not capable, but they are ready to face it, if necessary.
When inverted, it indicates a person so afraid of failure that they end up living a life of insecurities and terror. They are people incapable of admitting any kind of disability. For them, perfection is not only necessary, but also a way to achieve something desired, which leaves them constantly exhausted. They want to appear to be artificially happy, refusing to demonstrate their weaknesses to others, or even the defeats they have suffered. Deep down they are people with empty lives for fear of
Ten of Swords as Feelings
Failure, exhaustion, disbelief, hopelessness, fear, despair are some of the feelings that form the basis of the ten of Swords cards. Defeats are constant and rock bottom is imminent. There is no way to escape the emotional fragility that helplessness in the face of turmoil causes within oneself. Guilt for dragging people along is inevitable when more people are involved in the defeat suffered.
General questions about the Ten of Swords tarot card
Finally, let’s summarize some general issues that are related to the Ten of Swords tarot card.
What does the Ten of Swords tarot card mean?
The ten of swords carries with it the negative energy impregnated in the defeat suffered. Great disasters happen without you being prepared to defend yourself, and one of the main reasons that led you to reach this level was due to betrayals suffered by people you trust. Be careful before giving blind trust to those around you so as not to suffer later with the inevitable.
Here it is clear that you reached rock bottom and the despair of defeat was felt, as well as the fear of making mistakes again begins to take hold of your chest in a devastating way. Do not allow yourself to be dominated by these feelings, concentrate on understanding what hit you in order to get back on top and use this moment as a valuable learning experience to carry with you for life. Rise up, redeem your weapons and move on, as this defeat serves to prepare you for the new fights that are yet to come.
This card also shows that victimization due to negative situations is blooming within you and this will distance you from people who are willing to help you. Be careful not to push away those who will rescue you from rock bottom because of your excessive drama.
What does the reversed Ten of Swords tarot card mean?
The ten of swords, in the inverted position, brings with it two types of reading. If, on the one hand, it shows that the time has come to rise up in the face of the defeat suffered, on the other, it announces the irreversible tragedy that he is about to suffer.
In the first reading, the moment is to take a breath and realize that the storm has passed and, yes, it has spread its destruction along the entire path, leaving you physically and emotionally weakened and making you believe that there is no possible light at the end of the day. tunnel, however, the restart is possible and is closer than you think. You were a survivor, it’s time to pull yourself together and learn from all the difficulties you’ve faced so far.
On the second reading, there is nothing you can do to avoid being hit by the storm that looms over you. Total ruin is inevitable and the problems you tried to avoid in the past come back in full force to hit you without mercy. But, despite the force felt being destructible, your recovery will be complete, as soon as you recognize that you have carved your own destiny. The beginning of a new cycle is announced, and the lessons learned so far will be your weapons for new fights.
What does the Ten of Swords tarot card mean in a love reading?
If you are in a relationship, this card represents the breakup of the relationship. Betrayals, lies and infidelity may have been the reason for you to get where you are. There is nothing more to be said and nothing more to be done. The end is the only way to start again, with someone else or even alone. The important thing is to recover in order to achieve happiness again.
On the other hand, you might be making a storm out of a molehill. Your dramas may be influencing the negativity in the relationship. Perhaps the situation and conflicts are not as grandiose and irremediable as you think. Try to victimize yourself less and act more. Talk, open up and try to understand each other, so you can overcome difficulties and stay together.
If you are in an abusive relationship, now is the time to act. Danger is imminent and you need to get out of this relationship before it’s too late. Seek help from competent bodies and lean on the strength that the people who love you provide you. Be a survivor and no longer a fatal victim.
If you’re single, don’t let the pain you still carry with you from the end of the previous relationship be impediments to moving forward. You have to heal first, before wanting to surrender to another relationship. Allow yourself to suffer. Entering a new relationship without having healed the wounds of the past ending will make the new relationship end even before generating pleasant memories.
Ten of Swords and a Yes or No tarot card?
No.
Happy reading and see you in the next card, Page of Swords tarot card meaning – Love, Money, Health and more