Ten of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

This tarot card depicts losses and the total ruin of human plans, Game Over. In the foreground of the card lies a sufferer, pierced and literally nailed to the ground by ten daggers.

Above him, a heavy dark sky, covered with clouds, unfolds — a symbol of hopelessness and despair reigning in the soul of the defeated person. However, there is hope for the future — in the distance, the dawn of a new day is ripening...

The upright Ten of Swords tarot card may foretell a divorce and painful parting from a loved one, total bankruptcy, the loss of a large sum of money — in other words, a significant failure in one area of life. The cause of these fatal events in life could be a genuinely evil fate or the treacherous schemes of enemies.

The Ten of Swords tarot often warns of the presence of ill-wishers in your environment, those dreaming of harming, confusing, or ruining your life in some way. And judging by the nature of what's happening, they're managing quite well.

This tarot arcana has an openly unfavorable meaning. You need to be prepared for troubles and shocks, bravely accept them, and simply endure this tragic phase of life. Perhaps there are close people nearby who won't let you slip into the abyss of despair. The Ten of Swords card urges you not to forget that a crisis is a time of turning point, and the end of one life chapter is also the beginning of another. You just have to wait for the dawn...

Key Meanings of the Upright Ten of Swords Card

• Deep despair, personal defeat, disaster, robbery, severe illness, sorrow, lack of control over the situation.
• Financial losses, betrayal, baseness, prison.
• Cessation of struggle, disappointment, regret.

The reversed Ten of Swords tarot card represents recovery from a severe illness or regeneration after an oppressive loss. You've endured the collapse, experienced all the pain, despair, and fear that fell to your lot, and now you're slowly returning to your former life rhythm.

The reversed Ten of Swords in tarot signifies that the dark streak in your fate is fading, a period of rebirth and renewal is beginning, where you can plan for the future and implement all you have conceived.

At the same time, you mustn't forget past mistakes, deprivations, and losses—this is the bitter experience that will guide you out of challenging situations on the path to prosperity when the time comes. Moreover, the reversed Ten of Swords card in a spread is a future success thanks to a long memory of previous disappointments and troubles. Having gone through difficulties, you have become stronger and wiser, and consequently, more successful!

The reversed Ten of Swords tarot card urges you to demonstrate restraint in words and deeds, think through and weigh all actions, not blindly trust the people around you—most likely, this was the main mistake of the past that provoked the crisis.

Key Meanings of the Reversed Ten of Swords Card

• End of a difficult period, contemplation, uncertainty, reassessment of thoughts, views, and plans.
• Gradual improvement of affairs, new rise, renewal of relationships, profit, improvement of health.
• Success, realization of planned, prosperity, benefit.

In love spreads, the upright Ten of Swords card predicts a sudden breakup of relationships and love disappointment. There's a sharp cooling of feelings between lovers or people who are fond of each other, without explanation of reasons and visible prerequisites.

However, it's possible that an invisible breach in the love boat has been there for a long time, but both chose to ignore it. It happens: it's sunny outside, the sails are humming in the wind, but in reality, the relationship is sinking. The Ten of Swords may also signify detachment and "freezing" of all feelings and emotions, when after experiencing a drama, a person doesn't wish to engage in new relationships.

In the reversed position, the card's meaning changes to the opposite, speaking of a revival of feelings after experiencing a loss.

When Reading for a Suitor or Lover

In a reading for a suitor or partner, the upright card indicates that your chosen one in love has experienced some heavy blow. This bitter experience weighs on him, and he hasn't fully managed to recover from it yet.

The reversed card testifies that in love, your chosen one has gone through a very difficult period of disappointments and losses, but is now open to happy, fulfilling relationships.

In business readings, the Ten of Swords card predicts dismissal, stress from overstrain, the collapse of a business project, and a lost struggle for power. It feels like you are an outsider in the ranking of well-being and are at the brink of emotional and physical exhaustion.

Financial resources are at zero, things are going worse than ever, enemies surround you, and there is no sign of relief. The only option left is to accept and embrace everything as it is because you are powerless to change the situation. However, personal defeat often teaches us wisdom beyond the pages of the smartest books and enriches us with experience that enables us to achieve great success.

When reversed, the meaning of the card changes to its opposite, indicating the end of a dark streak in your affairs.

When interpreting this card in a reading for a person, the upright position signifies an individual who has experienced significant misfortunes, defeats, or losses, which they must, but currently cannot come to terms with. This leaves a mark on their thoughts and actions.

In the reversed position of the card, it represents a person whose dark streak in life has come to an end. They have learned much from their mistakes and now look to the future with optimism because all changes lead to the better.

In the upright position, this card advises you to come to terms with the blow of fate. Remember the inscription on King Solomon's ring: "This too shall pass."

Appearing in the reversed position in a reading, the card advises you not to repeat past mistakes and to boldly look towards the future: the best is yet to come!

If the card appears in an upright position, the forecast for your situation is not very favorable. Disappointment may await you, and there is a possibility of betrayal by someone close.

In the reversed position, the forecast for your situation is ambiguous. You can achieve your goals, but only if you avoid repeating past mistakes.

With the 0 card Fool – Health problems, carelessness to oneself, shocking news.

With the 1 card Magician — Terrible news, complete collapse, conscience torment, irretrievable loss, death.

With the 2 card High Priestess — Find a way out of depression, realization of mistakes, acceptance of defeat.

In combination with the 3 card Empress — Mental illness, nervous breakdown, severe health pathology.

With the 4 card Emperor — Problems with consciousness, obsession with false values, suppression.

With the 5 card Hierophant — Defending a diploma, end of a life stage, restraining morality.

With the 6 card Lovers — Crisis, a streak of bad luck, being left alone with problems.

With the 7 card Chariot — Sense of danger, worrying for loved ones, seeing nightmares or ominous signs.

With the 8 card Strength — Defeat at work or in personal life, emotional burnout, professional callousness.

With the 9 card Hermit — Lose faith in oneself, illness or malaise, nervous exhaustion or imagined difficulties.

With the 10 card Wheel of Fortune — A test of strength, flattering but dangerous proposal, extreme measures.

With the 11 card Justice — Insult, being humiliated, receiving a shock.

With the 12 card Hanged Man — Manic state, serious danger, poverty or total dependency on someone.

With the 13 card Death — Illness of a close person, problems with household members, need for professional advancement or reconsideration of beliefs.

With the 14 card Temperance — Suffering as a renewal, going through a difficult stage and tempering the character, light sadness.

With the 15 card Devil — a multitude of bad news at once, knowledge that upset the balance, emotional disorder.

With the 16 card Tower — Becoming a victim of evil intent, cruel bullying, persecution, loss of faith in people.

With the 17 card Star — Star disease, arrogance, loss of work or relationships due to own arrogance.

With the 18 card Moon — Painful detachment, mental problems, heavy blow or bitter understanding.

With the 19 card Sun — Moral relief after hardships, bright memory, mourning.

With the 20 card Judgement — Nervous breakdown, illness due to exhaustion, loss of support from loved ones.

With the 21 card World — Crisis at the completion stage, go through a divorce or dismissal, lose faith in oneself.

With the Ace of Wands - A failed venture, a direct approach won't yield results, one motivation is not enough for success.

With the Two of Wands - Certainty of failure, false promises, inadequate justifications.

With the Three of Wands - Complete failure, dismissal or the end of a romantic relationship, feeling suppressed.

With the Four of Wands - Losing a home or apartment, a dark period, divorce.

With the Five of Wands - Taking on someone else's responsibility, playing the role of a scapegoat, final termination of relationships.

With the Six of Wands - Total failure, ineptitude in leadership, leading a company to ruin, failing to consider the negative consequences.

With the Seven of Wands - A nervous breakdown, losing on all fronts, ending up with nothing.

With the Eight of Wands - Finding oneself in trouble, inevitable end of relationships or loss of job, emotional devastation.

With the Nine of Wands - Remembering past grievances, relying on past negative experiences, living in isolation.

With the Ten of Wands - Heading towards defeat, company's collapse, news of bankruptcy, accumulating debts.

With the Page of Wands - Dismissal or expulsion, a bad start, feeling abandoned.

With the Knight of Wands - Failed adventure, danger of being judged, a painful break in relationships.

With the Queen of Wands - Total failures, a project that won't come to fruition, a vanished prospect, lack of knowledge.

With the King of Wands - Abandoning active actions, career problems, learning something very unpleasant.

With the Ace of Swords - Oppressive understanding, burdensome thoughts, temporary obsession or a complete revision of worldview, bad karma.

With the Two of Swords - The final straw, an irreversible decision, divorce or relationship breakup, a definitive choice.

With the Three of Swords - Shattered hopes, lost love, a cruel blow of fate.

With the Four of Swords - Helplessness, a real threat of a serious illness, feeling defeated.

With the Five of Swords - One failure after another, the effect of a curse or hex, the need for radical changes in life and thinking.

With the Six of Swords - Self-destruction, taking the wrong path or behavioral strategy.

With the Seven of Swords - Outplaying a strong opponent, a long-planned move worked, eliminating a competitor, false bankruptcy or complaints about a difficult life.

With the Eight of Swords - Feeling like giving up, helplessness, reaching a breaking point, clouded consciousness.

With the Nine of Swords - Nightmares or a sense of impending doom, bad omens, nervousness, and psychological distress.

With the Page of Swords - Deceitfulness, mocking others' misfortunes, being scornful or derisive.

With the Knight of Swords - Cynical attitude towards life, maximalism, and fatalism, rejecting compromise, a decisive and categorical man or lover.

With the Queen of Swords - Accidents, tragedies, events beyond a person's abilities and preparedness, the intervention of fate.

With the King of Swords - Punishment, the inexorability of the law, a verdict or imprisonment, the end of the familiar life.

With the Ace of Cups - Inevitable separation, emotional breakdown, profound emotions.

With the Two of Cups - Being dependent on someone dear, painful relationships, or the end of a pleasant connection.

With the Three of Cups - Serious betrayal or deceit, suffering due to one's own trust, becoming disillusioned with people.

With the Four of Cups - Ignoring warnings and encountering trouble, suffering due to one's own foolishness, neglecting safety precautions.

With the Five of Cups - A difficult period, feeling lost in complexities, total pessimism.

With the Six of Cups - Infertility, facing harsh truths, falling into the hands of fraudsters.

With the Seven of Cups - Becoming disillusioned with illusions, the end of the familiar life, insurmountable problems.

With the Eight of Cups - Preparedness for defeat, inner strength helping to endure difficulties, a strong character.

With the Nine of Cups - Reckless self-assurance, when a good person is pursued by misfortunes, realizing the complexity of the situation.

With the Ten of Cups - A crisis of self-identity, breaking away from societal norms, starting a new chapter in life.

With the Page of Cups - Severe betrayal, dashed hopes, the need to start life anew.

With the Knight of Cups - An expected negative outcome, openness leading to failure, emotionalism becoming the enemy of a clear mind.

With the Queen of Cups - Becoming callous, suppressing emotions, experiencing professional burnout.

With the King of Cups - Losing tender feelings, the end of a passionate romance, outgrowing infatuation or becoming disillusioned with a partner.

With the Ace of Pentacles - Putting money above everything, losing capital, needing to start anew, a new beginning.

With the Two of Pentacles - Financial naivety or insufficiency, getting by on random earnings, lacking the means to start over.

With the Three of Pentacles - Going bankrupt, losing a major contract, losing clients, terminating a profitable agreement.

With the Four of Pentacles - Losing stability and confidence in the future, major changes, fear of the unknown.

With the Five of Pentacles - Losing health, being left with nothing, a dire situation, losing the means to sustain oneself.

With the Six of Pentacles - Psychological instability, losing trust in close ones or becoming disillusioned with a specialist, being poorly informed.

With the Seven of Pentacles - A hopeless situation, joyless depression, seeing no prospects, not attempting to change the current situation.

With the Eight of Pentacles - Losing a regular job, being affected by downsizing, becoming disillusioned with one's profession.

With the Nine of Pentacles - A bad idea, a futile project or investment, chasing after empty promises and losing everything.

With the Ten of Pentacles - Sad news, family breakup, feeling oppressed, grieving the loss together with loved ones.

With the Page of Pentacles - Poor preparation, an ill-conceived plan, childishness and ignorance of consequences, a harsh awakening.

With the Knight of Pentacles - A wasted effort, an overly optimistic and unrealistic plan, expecting too much.

With the Queen of Pentacles - False promises of wealth, abortion, shattered trust or reputation.

With the King of Pentacles - Bankruptcy, turned-away luck, a bad businessman or worker, gradual degradation.