The Ten of Swords tarot card, like most of the Swords cards, has a harsh message. This is the card of betrayal and hitting rock bottom.
This misfortune might be due to your own actions, or your enemies could be at fault. You’ll often think of being stabbed in the back when you see this card, and it can show a harsh, inevitable ending.
But, although this card can be brutal, the message can also be positive. When you see the Ten of Swords, it can mean you’re accepting your circumstances and allowing things to unfold naturally.
Even though you will be hurt, you know the pain won’t last forever. Learn from this experience and move forward with new wisdom and confidence.
When you see the Ten of Swords card reversed, it can mean change is inevitable, even if you resist. In fact, resisting will just make things harder and you’ll still have to go through the changes in the long run.
Face the situation and know that everything happens for a reason. This reversed card can also signify an unavoidable ending. There’s no way around it; things have been progressing this way for a long time.
But even though you may hit rock bottom, the bright side is that you can rebuild things and make them better than ever before.
This reversed card can also mean you have old wounds that haven’t healed yet. A situation ended badly in the past, and you’re still harboring the pain.
You’ve buried your feelings so deeply that you might not even notice them, but you’ll need to deal with the pain eventually. On the other hand, this reversed card can show you’re ready to release your baggage. It’s time to let go of painful memories and move forward with a sense of hope.
Reading this reversed card using the “blocked/restricted” meaning
Okay, so now let’s talk about how to read your reversed Ten of Swords card. First, you can use the “blocked/restricted” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you look for an obstacle standing in front of the card’s upright meaning.
For the Ten of Swords, this can mean someone is keeping you from hitting rock bottom. There’s someone in your life keeping you afloat, but eventually, you’ll have to take responsibility for yourself.
Say you pull the reversed Ten of Swords card thinking about your uncle. Your parents passed away when you were 12, and you moved in with him shortly after.
The two of you are very close, and he is a strong parental figure in your life. He’s also a very compassionate person and always wants to take care of you and make things easy in your life.
But you’ve had a rough couple of years, and you feel you’re just taking advantage of him. You’ve battled addiction with drugs and alcohol for years, and over the past six months, it’s gotten much worse.
Some days, you don’t even get out of bed, and you don’t know what to do with your life. You know you need to get help, but your uncle supports you no matter what, so it’s almost impossible to motivate yourself.
Here, the reversed Ten of Swords tells you that even though your uncle is protecting you, this is a dangerous life. You could seriously harm your long-term health or even die if you don’t get the help you need. It’ll be difficult, true, but getting clean is the only option.
Talk to your uncle about the situation. He knows how risky your behavior is and wants to help. He can help you find a rehab program that will give you the chance to get clean and start getting your life back on track.
Reading this reversed card using the “opposite” meaning
Another way to read your reversed Ten of Swords card is using the “opposite” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you look for the opposite of the card’s upright meaning.
So with the Ten of Swords, instead of ruin, you’re rebuilding things in your life and making them better than ever before.
For example, say you pull the reversed Ten of Swords thinking about your recent gastric sleeve surgery. You’ve struggled with obesity all your life, so you decided to take the situation into your own hands.
After doing a lot of research and working with your insurance provider, you found the perfect doctor and went through with the procedure. You’ve been struggling with depression for years, but you figured after the surgery, things would be so much better.
But now that you’ve gone through with it and are recovering, you feel worse than ever. You haven’t noticed a big change in your appetite yet and you’re dying to see the pounds melt off.
Here, the reversed Ten of Swords card tells you that recovery will take a while. It’ll be several weeks before you feel better, so take this time to rest and envision your new life. You just took a huge step towards improving your health and quality of life, so be proud of that fact and let the changes come naturally.
This is the start of a whole new chapter, so stay the course and remain hopeful! You’ll start to see results soon and feel better than you have in a long time.
Reading this reversed card using the “worse” meaning
You can also read your reversed Ten of Swords card using the “worse” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards this way, you put the card’s upright meaning in a negative light.
For the Ten of Swords, this can mean the betrayal in your life is causing major issues. It’s time to free yourself from toxic relationships that are only bringing you pain.
Say you pull the reversed Ten of Swords thinking about your boyfriend. The two of you have been together for years, and it’s been a rocky relationship.
Last year, you caught him cheating for the first time, and it was a devastating blow. You forgave him because he swore it was a one time mistake, but since then, you’ve caught him chatting with other women, and you suspect he’s seeing someone again.
You’ve lost the ability to trust him, and you feel anxious and angry all the time. The relationship is no longer secure, and it’s causing you constant pain, but you still love him despite everything.
Here, the reversed Ten of Swords tells you that this relationship is violating your personal values. Staying in a relationship without trust isn’t healthy for either of you, and rebuilding it will be very difficult at this point.
You can try couples therapy, but it sounds like your boyfriend doesn’t know what he wants and isn’t in a place to make a commitment. Things can’t stay the way they are, and the best option is probably to leave the relationship.
Rebuilding your trust will be a process after what you’ve been through, so be sure to lean on your supportive friends and family members as you move forward.
Reading this card using the “no/not” reversed card meaning
Finally, you can use the “no/not” card meaning to read your reversed Ten of Swords card. When you read your cards like this, you put a “no” or a “not” in front of the card’s upright meaning.
With the Ten of Swords, this can mean “no ruin” or “no victimization.” Even though things ended painfully, you’re ready to rebuild and move forward with hope.
For example, say you pull the reversed Ten of Swords thinking about losing your job. You worked as a QA engineer for a mid-level start-up, and it was a horrible experience.
The politics were awful, and there was one woman who had it out for you. She’d been with the company since the very beginning, so she could get away with anything and didn’t like you from the get-go. She put you down in meetings and talked about you behind your back.
The company let you go after over a year of poor treatment and daily stress. It was a painful experience, and you were left in a deep depression for months. But you’re finally pulling yourself out and you’re looking for new positions.
Here, the reversed Ten of Swords tells you it’s time to rebuild and make things better than ever before. Your old job was not healthy and wouldn’t have helped you grow professionally or personally.
Look for a position where you will be supported and given the room to grow. Finding a job at a bigger company might help to remove some of the politics as well.