Another one of the most striking and ominous cards in the deck, the Ten of Swords shows a man lying flat on the ground with his face facing the dirt. He is covered with a red cloth from the chest down to his legs. Ten long swords are stabbed into his back, he may not have seen this end coming. There is a terrible stillness in the air: the sky above him is black and cloudy indicating the fear and negativity associated with death. The waters in front of him are still, with no ripples – adding to the eerie stillness and finality of this card. Looking into the horizon, in the east, the sun is rising, and the weather seems very calm despite the darkness. The Ten of Swords seems to intimate that this is the lowest point in one’s life, and it cannot get worse than this. At least, even in this state, the sun is rising.
Upright Meaning Guide
Ten of Swords Upright Tarot Card Key Meanings:
Backstabbing, betrayal, enemies, bitching, badmouthing, bitterness, doormat, failure, ruin, collapse/breakdown, exhaustion, inability to cope, curses, rock bottom, hitting a wall, dead-end, severing ties, goodbyes, nail in the coffin, exaggeration, overly dramatic, martyr, attention seeker, playing victim, attack, violence
General Meaning and Interpretation (Upright)
In a general context, the Ten of Swords is not a good omen as it can represent backstabbing betrayal, badmouthing, bitching behind your back, bitterness, and enemies. It is a Minor Arcana card of failure, ruin, collapse, severing ties, goodbyes and the final nail in the coffin of a relationship or situation. It can signify nervous breakdowns, chronic fatigue, exhaustion and being unable to cope. It can also represent hitting rock bottom, hitting a wall or being in a dead-end situation. The Ten of Swords can also indicate someone playing the victim or martyr, being overly dramatic, attention-seeking or exaggerating. It can also signify violence, attacks, and curses.
Love & Relationships (Upright)
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Ten of Swords is not a great omen as it indicates breakups, divorce, separation, bitterness or severing ties. If this card relates to a breakup, you will probably already be aware that the relationship is in serious trouble. This Minor Arcana card is telling you that you need to accept it. This card can also indicate betrayal and infidelity. Alternatively, this card may simply indicate that you are being overly dramatic, attention-seeking or playing the victim with your partner. If this is the case, it could be the final nail in the relationship’s coffin if you do not stop that behavior. If you are in an abusive relationship, the Ten of Swords warns you that you are in serious danger. You need to take immediate action to ensure your survival and safety. If you are single, the Ten of Swords can be an indication that you are still reeling from your last breakup. Even though you know the relationship was unhealthy and had run its course, you were not ready for it to end on some level and are still struggling to come to terms with the finality of the breakup. You need to take some time out to heal and to rediscover who you are and what actually makes you happy independently of a relationship.
Money & Career (Upright)
In a career Tarot reading, the Ten of Swords is not a good omen, it can indicate that you have hit a dead-end in your job or that your time in your current role may be ending and you may be severing ties. It can also signify that you will be the subject of people badmouthing you and backstabbing or bitching behind your back so keep your ears open and be on the lookout for colleagues trying to undermine you. It can also indicate that you may have been overdoing it on the work front and pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion or collapse. You may be hitting a wall and you need to take care of yourself as you will be no good to anyone if you burn out. If you are in business this Minor Arcana card is not a welcome one as it can signify ruin, failure or the collapse of a business. In a financial Tarot spread, the Ten of Swords is not a good omen as it can indicate financial ruin and failure. Be extremely cautious in your financial dealings at this time and don’t take unnecessary risks as this is not a time to gamble.
Health (Upright)
In a health Tarot reading, the Ten of Swords is not a great omen as it indicates that you have hit a wall and you need to stop and deal with your health. Chronic fatigue, exhaustion, collapse, and even nervous breakdowns are all represented by this card. You need to put your health first when this appears in your Tarot spread. However, this card can also simply indicate that acupuncture may be beneficial to you with the swords in the image representing acupuncture needles.
Spirituality (Upright)
In a spiritual context, the Ten of Swords usually indicates that you may be severing ties with an old belief system. It can also be a warning to be on the lookout for people in your spiritual circle that may be disloyal or dangerous as this card can indicate curses or betrayal.
Reversed Meaning Guide
Ten of Swords Reversed Tarot Card Key Meanings:
Rising above problems/haters/bitchiness, over the worst, surviving disaster, being saved, things getting better, NDEs / OBEs, escaping ruin, pulling yourself together, learning from past hardships, fears coming true, being beyond help, worst is yet to come, despair, total ruin, relapse, problems coming back,
General meaning and interpretation (Reversed)
In a general context, the Ten of Swords reversed can represent things getting better, getting over the worst, surviving/ being saved from disaster and escaping ruin. It is a Minor Arcana reversed card of pulling yourself together and learning from past hardships. It can signify something coming back from the brink of death or failure, Near Death Experiences and Out of Body Experiences. Alternatively, it can signify fears coming true, the worst being yet to come and being beyond help. It can also represent total ruin, despair, relapse, and problems coming back.
Love & Relationships (Reversed)
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Ten of Swords reversed can indicate a relationship coming back from the brink of failure or collapsing completely and being beyond repair. If you are in an abusive relationship, the Ten of Swords reversed can suggest that you will escape the relationship, be aware that this card can indicate an extreme escalation in the abuse. You need to get to a safe environment as staying could prove fatal. If you are single, the Ten of Swords reversed can indicate that you are starting to recover from a nasty breakup and overcoming the despair that the breakup caused. It implies that you have learned a great deal from the hardship and have learned to rise above the anger, hate or bitterness. Alternatively, this Minor Arcana reversed card may simply indicate that you are relapsing into total despair after the breakup, unwilling or unable to accept the outcome.
Money & Career (Reversed)
In a career Tarot reading, the Ten of Swords reversed can indicate that you have gotten over the worst of the stress in your job or have severed ties with a job that was pushing you to the brink of collapse. Alternatively, it can indicate that a terrible work situation is pushing you over the edge. You need to ask yourself if it’s worth it, there are other jobs out there which could be a lot healthier for you. If you are in business, this Minor Arcana card reversed can either represent a business coming back to life or a collapsing completely. In a financial Tarot spread, the Ten of Swords reversed can indicate either being saved from financial ruin and failure or total financial ruins such as bankruptcy, the supporting cards should indicate which applies.
Health (Reversed)
In a health Tarot reading, the Ten of Swords reversed can indicate health improving and surviving a serious illness or disease. However, it can also represent a near-death experience, inability to survive and suicidal thoughts overwhelming you so look to supporting cards for confirmation. If you are struggling, seek support! There are plenty of people and organizations who would be happy to help you.
Spirituality (Reversed)
In a spiritual context, the Ten of Swords reversed usually indicates that you come through past hardships and learned lessons from them that you will bring forward on your journey through life. You may have gained a lot of wisdom and empathy for others from these experiences. On the other hand, it can indicate that you are refusing to accept the lessons, which is leaving you stuck in a negative spiral. Try to sense what your spirit guides are telling you, they are all around you, lovingly guiding you through this. The Ten of Swords reversed can also indicate near death and out of body experiences so you may find that astral projection comes easily to you at this time.
Reference:
Labyrinthos, 2019, 11/13/19, (https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/ten-of-swords-meaning-tarot-card-meanings?_pos=10&_sid=18b5a7f6f&_ss=r)
Lisa, 2019, 11/13/19, (https://www.thetarotguide.com/ten-of-swords)