"Some men storm imaginary Alps all their lives, and die in the foothills cursing difficulties which do not exist." - Edgar Watson Howe
Element of air power: The Ten of Swords indicates a major disaster of some sort. It shows that a certain force of extreme magnitude has come to hit your life, an event that you may not have foreseen. There is a sense of betrayal indicated here, for the character in the card is stabbed in the back.
Sometimes it feels that there is no control or steady hand to guide us. Despite how much we try, we cannot control everything. We feel that things are beyond our ability to change them. The tale told by the suit of Swords is a powerful metaphor for thoughts and often the mind feels like a battleground. The Swords represent the intellect, a symbol of intelligence and logic, and yet we find that the final culmination of this suit presents a complete and total defeat of the spirit.
We must realize that the Swords are a weapon that can have immense potential for destruction or for good. The story of life as it unfolds metaphorically from the Ace to the Ten is one where an individual can use the mind as a sword for negative or positive reasons and experiences .
The person portrayed believes the swords are external to him when they are are in actuality part of him, and when they inevitably return, he once again suffers. His pain is not the pain of his circumstances, but the pain of fear, of anxiety, of not being able to be a master of his surroundings.
After you felt the hopelessness of the Nine of Swords, what could have happened? Were you overwhelmed by the pressure? Or did you take the final sword upon yourself and admit defeat? The Ten of Swords depicts or reveals to you that even though this situation feels dire and there is simply no way to recover, it is also really how you may be feeling about yourself.
At times of imbalance: The situation may come with feelings of recognition that you have hit rock bottom, that there is no more left for you to give. With that feeling also comes the realization that things can only get better. There is now nothing left to lose and the cycle can start anew. But like with the Eight and Nine of Swords, this realization must be initiated by you. There is an opportunity being presented here to correct all the wounds, but you must make the effort to step up. What has happened, happened, and dwelling in your past wounded state does not serve you and may even prevent you from going forward in your life.
Medicine: Pause and remember that as with the Death card, the end of something means a new beginning. Let go of what you have lost, and focus on the new path forward because that is where your life is meant to go. A good example is a break-up with your partner - though it could be intensely painful, it could also be the beginning of a new sense of independence.
Mantra: I am Healed within my heart, mind, body and soul.
