The Ten of Swords card is one of Tarot's most striking cards, resembling a major disaster resulting in defeat of an extreme negative kind.
The Ten of Swords card is representative of a powerful force of defeat.
Element: Air (Gemini).
The Ten of Swords is ruled by the planet Mars.
This card has different meanings when interpreted upright as it does reversed (upside down, not the same as face down).
| Upright | Reversed |
| Major disaster. A painful ending. Betrayal, being severely stabbed in the back. | Finality of defeat. Unavoidable tragedy. Strong negative emotion. |
| (Yes/No?): No | (Yes/No?): No |
The overall energy of this card is almost horrible.
It's extremely painful.
It represents the finality of something that has been painfully endured.
Depending on the surrounding cards, it could be an indication the the worst (the absolute worst) is present, coming or past.
It's an extremely negative card.
There is nothing positive about the Ten of Swords card.
Meaning of the Number 10
Numbers have various associations in numerology.
The number 10, in numerology, is significant, as all numbers are.
Is definitely a representation of completion.
This can either be completion in terms of success or completion in terms of failure, or neutral terms of completion.
Ten of Swords Description
In the original Rider-Waite tarot deck, The Ten of Swords card depicts the tragic and powerful scene of a man lying face down with literally ten swords pierced through his back as he lay dead.
The sky above is cloudy, fading to pitch black. It is a dark and dreary, depressing atmosphere.
The water behind him is actually still, indicating an end to a very dark storm.
The man may or may not have seen this ending coming.
Tip in a reading: When pulling this card, be aware of the overall energy, as well as the surrounding cards to interpret this complex card.