A figure is lying down in the dirt. Ten swords are thrust into their back.
Ouch.
Most people unfamiliar with the tarot imagine Death to be the most ominous card in the deck. It isn’t. The Ten of Swords could make a good case, however. The Ten of Swords not only suggests failure and misery, but overkill. There is no doubt here, you are completely and totally fucked. Worse, the tragedy is one that befalls unawares, from behind, suggesting betrayal. And not simply a personal betrayal; the Ten suggests that literally EVERYONE is out to get you.
Swords represent your mental state, so this cards speaks of a major failure in your ability to use your intellect to move through the world. Whether through a lack of competence, or hubris, logic and your big brain have let you down.
Is there a positive aspect to this card? Well, it is harder to get more dead than having 10 swords in your back, so there is that; you can only go up from here. There is a Sun in the sky. This is a personal failing, the world goes on; the Sun rises and falls. Not sure how comforting that is, but if you can come back from this, there is a world to come back to and a place in it for you.
In the meantime you’ll suffer. Sorry. Look to Cups and Wands, your emotional and spiritual selves, to guide you out of this.
