The Ten of Swords represents materialization on the intellectual level of human expression. Ten of Swords upright: good habits. Ten of Swords reversed: bad habits.
The Ten of Swords represents the sphere of materialization on the intellectual level of human expression.
The respective faculty of consciousness is functionalization, e.g., the formulation of a functional plan, which results from the activities of the ten spheres and twenty-two paths of the Intellectual Tree.
If we repeat mental activities often enough, they materialize, meaning they become habitual. A second expression of this faculty of consciousness is habitualization.
Science estimates that 95% of mental activities are habitual. Consequently, 95% of our actions, decisions, and reactions to experiences are habitual too. 95% of the time, we are on autopilot.
Habits are two-edged swords. We need habits because we don’t want to think about walking, eating, and driving. But bad habits lead to failure. Failures reinforce bad habits, which lead to more failures, and so on. For this reason, many tarotists consider the Ten of Swords an inauspicious card and offer meanings like destruction, painful endings, wounds, betrayal, loss, crises, failure, collapse, defeat, ruin, and breakdowns. But we can use this faculty of consciousness also to create good habits, which will lead to success, growth, and healing. Further, many of the mentioned meanings refer to external situations, which are matters of the Bodily Tree. Since we are on the intellectual level of human expression, meanings like mental crisis, faith crisis, or nervous meltdown are more accurate.
When the prize is great, the price is high. Improving habits is tedious, but that can be life-changing. Bad habits cause vicious circles. Good habits initiate virtuous, benevolent circles, or positive feedback loops, which take us — repeatedly — to success.
If the querent’s question pertains to an undertaking, an auspicious Ten of Pentacles calls for producing a detailed, functional plan and coming up with action items for the Bodily Tree to execute.
An inauspicious Ten of Swords may signify negative habits that lead to failure. Examples of such negative habits are: not asking for help, setting unrealistic expectations, compromising too early, and focusing on the negative.
It may also indicate unclear action items or moving targets. This is where the secondary meanings of fluctuation, inconsistency, and agitation come from. In this case, the otherwise stabilizing and solidifying faculty of the Ten of Swords turns our affairs into shifting sands on which we can build no castles.
And it may signify a disconnection from the Bodily Tree. The respective symptoms are: ivory tower thinking, analysis paralysis — the inability to make decisions or take action because of over-analyzing, armchair intellectualism, and intellectualization, a psychological defense mechanism of someone talking or thinking about emotional issues in an intellectual, analytical way to avoid feeling them and taking action to remedy them.
If the querent’s question pertains to adversity, an auspicious Ten of Swords calls for the thorough analysis of adversity. This is where the secondary meaning of the end of delusion comes from.
It also calls for creating positive habits. This could mean improving attitude (emotional habits), getting out of thinking ruts, or making behavioral changes. This is where the secondary meanings of overthrowing limiting conditions, the break-up of restrictions, and victory over adverse forces come from.
In the case of adversity, an inauspicious Ten of Swords may indicate negative habitual reactions to experiences. For instance, we find rude traffickers irritating. If we give in to this irritation, we will become rude traffickers ourselves. When fear responses become habitual, they turn into chronic worry, aka anxiety. When aggression becomes chronic, it turns into anger.
Ten of Swords Symbolism
The ten swords in the picture form a complete Tree of Life. Hence, the image symbolizes the result of the activities of the Intellectual Tree, which is a mature plan.
The upper triangle represents the higher self and its higher intellectual activities (the initiation of ventures, principles, and understanding).
The square symbolizes human personality, and the lower triangle points toward physical/bodily manifestation, for the Bodily Tree to perform.
Human personality bridges the above and the below, the higher self and the external world. Mind the form of the square: it suggests order and reason, which symbolize a constructive and reasonable use of the human personality.
Although the number 10 signifies results, it also marks new beginnings. The number 10 gives us the image of the completion of a cycle (0) and the beginning of a new one (1) – in this case, a bodily/physical cycle.
The Five Psychological Core Meanings of the Ten of Swords
We derive the psychological meanings of Tarot cards from their position on the Tree of Life. In the Enlightenment Tarot framework, the Ten of Swords represents Malkuth of Hod, i.e., materialization on the intellectual level of human expression.
Every Tarot card represents a faculty or power of consciousness. We can use faculties of consciousness constructively and destructively, which produces either a fortunate or an adverse state of mind. Hence, every Tarot card has five core meanings.
These are the five core meanings of the Ten of Swords:
- Power of consciousness: Functionalization
- Constructive use: Habitualization, automation, creating good habits
- Unconstructive use: Creating bad habits
- Auspicious state of mind: Functionality, motivation
- Inauspicious state of mind: Dysfunctionality, demotivation
Reflective Questions
If the Ten of Swords appears in your spread, it may be beneficial to ask yourself the following questions:
- Which daily habits are subconsciously shaping the direction of my life — for better or worse?
- In which areas of my life am I on autopilot, and how can I become more aware of those areas?
- Which negative habit has been reinforcing cycles of frustration, and how could I interrupt it?
- What positive habit, even if small, could create a virtuous circle of success if I committed to it?
- How do I typically respond to adversity — and does that response empower or limit me?
- What limiting beliefs or thought patterns am I ready to overthrow to create openness and freedom of thinking?
- How might I reinterpret painful endings in my life as opportunities for reorganization and growth?
- In which areas of my life are actions and thoughts disconnected?
Ten of Swords Summary
The Ten of Swords reminds us that while destructive habits can trap us in vicious circles, constructive and empowering habits hold the key to transformation, resilience, and wellness.
Where Do Tarot Card Meanings Actually Come From?
The meanings of Tarot cards come from various sources. The most common are:
- The position of the Tarot cards on the Tree of Life
- Astrological correspondences (signs, planets, & houses)
- The symbolism of Tarot cards
- Intuition
- Meanings that pertain to fortune-telling
Most of the Tarot card meanings you can google are astrological correspondences and go back to the Golden Dawn and Arthur Edward Waite. Astrological meanings have dominated because Astrology favors fortune-telling. But Astrological meanings are unsuitable for (psychological) Tarot readings.
If you are interested in an overview of the astrological correspondences, you can download a high-resolution chart by subscribing to the Enlightenment Tarot.
Tarot card meanings are a bit of a mess since the meanings that pertain to their position on the Tree of Life mingle with astrological correspondences, symbolic interpretations, and fortune-telling connotations. That’s tedious to memorize. Further, tarotists’ opinions, knowledge, and linguistic backgrounds shaped some of these interpretations. Last but not least, many meanings are fuzzy, contradictory, and overlapping. If you want to understand why they overlap, read the article How to Deal With the Overlapping Meanings of Tarot Cards.
The meanings of the Enlightenment Tarot are based on an objective and holistic framework: the Tree of Life and the four levels of human expression. The resulting meanings are transparent and logical and, hence, easier to memorize.
What Various Tarotists Say about the Meanings of the Ten of Swords
Let’s explore what various tarotists wrote about the Ten of Swords.
Tarotists emphasize the astrological significances of Tarot cards since these lend themselves to divination and fortune-telling. The Ten of Swords corresponds to the third decanate of Gemini, ruled by Mercury and sub-ruled by Aquarius and Saturn/Uranus.
Gemini is associated with the Lovers/Relationship card.
The primary characteristics of Gemini are intellectual, inquisitive, and dualistic.
The second decanate adds the following characteristics to the mix: adaptable, intuitive, and original.
Gemini rules the third house, which governs intellectual pursuits. This is the house of science, education, communication, correspondence, documents, and books. The Relationship/Lovers card shows the correct scientific attitude: harmony between our cognitive and creative abilities (the man and woman) and receptivity toward intuition (the angel).
The third house is also the house of brothers, sisters, cousins, short journeys, letters and other correspondences, documents, writings, books, and education.
Aquarius rules the 11th house, which is the house of social networking, aka the house of friends. This house rules the collective influence of society and other groups, as well as friendships, acquaintances, and other non-transactional relationships.
The 11th house is also the house of kindred spirits, who enjoy each other’s company.
Aquarius is associated with the Revelation card. Accordingly, this house is also the house of dreams and revelations, including revelations that lead to the invention of new technology.
The woman in the card illustrates the secrets of the mind and meditation.
What Paul Foster Case Said About the Meanings of the Ten of Swords
For the Ten of Swords, Paul Foster Case proposed the keyword destruction.
With this, Paul emphasized the unconstructive use of the respective faculty of consciousness. To destruction, he added the meanings of failure, desolation, and misery.
Likely, he assumed that the average person of his time wasn’t equipped to handle this faculty of consciousness. And indeed, intellectual forces can be destructive, in particular, if wielded by a person in the grip of the sense of separation, a bitter person, or a person trapped in an aggressive ideology.
Paul added that, in material affairs, this card heralds sudden and unexpected changes, not always unfortunate in the long run, but disappointing when experienced.
In spiritual matters, the Ten of Swords foretells the end of delusion, the overthrow of limiting conditions, and the break-up of (mental) restrictions.
Because the tenth sphere symbolizes the end of a cycle, the meanings of the Ten of Swords in divination may signify ultimate victory over adverse forces (the opposite of destruction). Indeed, we use the faculties of the Intellectual Tree to overcome our challenges. Hence, the Ten of Swords may signify solutions, or rather, a proper plan that can lead to a solution.
Paul added that this card may also foretell interference from others (the house of social networking), loss through indiscretion in writing (the third house connection), or signing unfavorable contracts. How he arrived at the latter meaning is unclear, since contracts are matters of the 7th house governed by Libra.
Paul emphasized that this card is not a card of sudden death.
What Arthur Edward Waite Said About the Meanings of the Ten of Swords
Arthur Edward Waite also considered the Ten of Swords predominantly inauspicious and that it signifies affliction, tears, sadness, and desolation. The card’s design suggests utter failure since the figure is stabbed by ten swords. This symbolizes that all spheres of the Intellectual Tree are working against the querent or were misused by the querent.
Arthur suggested that the card may also foretell pain, but agreed with Paul that it isn’t a card of violent death. But it may signify mental death, i.e., a mental breakdown.
An auspicious Ten of Swords may signify advantage, profit, success, favour, power, and authority, but none of these are permanent. Mind that some of these meanings, like profit, belong to the Bodily Tree.
Followed by Ace and King, the Ten of Swords may foretell imprisonment for a girl or a wife, and treason on the part of friends.
For a soldier at war, it may foretell victory and consequent fortune. That makes one curious what kind of fortune a soldier can gain in war.
What Etteilla Said About the Meanings of the Ten of Swords
Etteilla, a French occultist, wrote that the Ten of Swords may signify sorrow or winnings.
Sorrow is a valid inauspicious meaning since it pertains to the results of the misuse of intellectual faculties.
Winnings is a less fitting meaning since winnings belong to the external world and the Bodily Tree. It fits better with the Ten of Pentacles.
What Papus Said About the Meanings of the Ten of Swords
Papus, another French occultist and the founder of the Martinist Order, wrote that an auspicious Ten of Swords may indicate uncertainty in the hatred.
Remember, we already struggled with Papus’s meaning of the Nine of Swords, which is the duration of hatred? As mentioned, hate is an emotional response to blamestorming, i.e., making someone or something responsible for one’s adversity. Think of the Nine of Swords as the energy to blamestorm. The Ten of Swords would then introduce doubt in blamestorming. How Papus arrived at this meaning is unclear.
What Gregor Mather Said About the Meanings of the Ten of Swords
Gregor Mather, the founder of the Golden Dawn, believed an inauspicious Ten of Swords signifies tears, affliction, grief, and sorrow. We already covered these meanings above.
An auspicious Ten of Swords may indicate passing success and momentary advantage. This interpretation is interesting. It carries the meaning of intellectual success or an intellectual advantage, which may not materialize. This would indicate a severed connection to the Ace of Pentacles and the Bodily Tree below. Has it ever been evident to you that you needed to do something, but couldn’t get yourself to do it? This is such a case of disconnection between the Intellectual and Bodily Tree. Another example is getting stuck in analyzing and discussing psychological issues without ever taking action. Mind, such perpetuated psychological analyses are subject to an emerging criticism of psychoanalysis.
What Mme. Le Marchand Said About the Meanings of the Ten of Swords
Mme. Le Marchand, a celebrated 19th-century Parisian fortune teller, suggested that an auspicious Ten of Swords foretells good fortune in marriage.
An inauspicious Ten of Swords may foretell ill fortune at the gaming table. The querent will likely lose a lot of money, which will lead her to abandon this practice. In old age, she will be blessed by the birth of a daughter, whom she will name Fortuna.
This is an interesting interpretation since gambling is an intellectual vice.
The Psychological Framework of the Enlightenment Tarot
Every Tarot card represents a faculty of consciousness. We can use faculties of consciousness constructively and destructively. This produces favorable and adverse experiences.
We can express faculties of consciousness on four levels:
- The spiritual level (wands/fire/intention)
- The creative-feely level (cups/water/imagination)
- The intellectual level (swords/air/intelligence)
- The bodily level (pentacles/earth/bodily action)
The four tools on the magician’s table symbolize these four levels:
- The wand (spiritual)
- The cup (creative-feely)
- The sword (intellectual)
- The pentagram (bodily)
These tools correspond to the four so-called elements: fire, water, air, and earth.
For this reason, the Enlightenment Tarot wands are made of fire, the cups consist of water, and the pents are composed of earth. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to illustrate something made of air, since air is invisible. For that reason, all swords are made of crystal to show at least transparency.
The Enlightenment Tarot derives its meaning from the Tree of Life and the four levels of human expression. This is an objective, holistic framework that reveals the psychological imports of Tarot cards and their faculties of consciousness. Read more about this framework in the article The Psychological Framework of the Enlightenment Tarot.
The Enlightenment Tarot project attempts to rediscover the original meanings of the Tarot cards that pertain to their position on the Tree of Life. These meanings are simple, clear, and easy to memorize.
*This framework is compatible with Paul Foster Case’s qabalistic system.
Do you want to learn more About The Enlightenment Tarot?
If you want to delve deep into the psychological meanings of Tarot cards, read the book Tarot of Life.
If you are curious about how the Enlightenment Tarot came about, read this article.
If you are interested in learning how to perform psychological Tarot readings, subscribe to receive a free copy of a guide on how to perform psychological Tarot readings.
If you are looking for a psychological Tarot deck, you have come to the right place. The Enlightenment Tarot derives the cards’ meanings from a holistic and transparent framework that is easy to learn and memorize. All major and minor arcana carry psychological titles, and the court cards display psychological profiles. Have a look at the Enlightenment Tarot deck here.
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This exceptional Tarot deck is based on an objective and holistic, psychological framework: the Tree of Life. All minor and major cards feature psychological titles. For example, the Magician has the title ‘Attention’, and the Six of Cups has the title ‘Decision’. The court cards exhibit psychological profiles. For instance, the Queen of Wands stands for a willful woman: generous or stubborn, resolute or revengeful, intense or tyrannical, magnetic or dangerous.