CARD NUMBER 54. – Ten of Swords.

 

Upright. – Sorrows, torments, tears.

Reversed. – End of sorrows, success in love, happy situation.

“Nothing lasts forever – except forever. That’s the good news. It’s a good thing that nothing lasts forever because things would get terribly boring.” – Frederick Lenz

All Things Must Come to And End

Nothing lasts forever; all physical objects must one day rot and decay, and all that is incorporeal will one day fade into the next phase of life. No matter how we may cling to the past, it will always find a way to slip through our fingers. While this may seem like common sense, it is much harder to put this mentality to practice than it seems. Humans are sentimental beings; we love things and other people so dearly that we cherish everything that they touch, including memories and time itself. Because of this, it is difficult to accept when something has come to and end, especially if it was an important piece of our life. Your life has transitioned into a new phase, and it is time to let go of the things that cannot follow you into the future. This may be a person that has left your life, a job that you’ve lost or been let go from, or even a way of living that you have no choice but to transition out of. The absence of this things has left a massive hole in your existence, one that you have been struggling to fill with any memories and remnant scraps of the past that you can dig up. However, this has left you weak and exhausted, and you’ve finally reached the point that you’re ready to move on. Take this time to let yourself heal from these changes and regain your bearings as your prepare for the next steps into your future. You are especially vulnerable right now; now is the time to make sure that you are able to protect yourself from any further harm. Although the immediate future may feel shaky and uncertain, you will soon find your balance once again.

Major changes in our romantic lives oftentimes come with large amounts of grief, heartbreak, and turbulent emotions. The end of a relationship may leave you struggling to find purpose, and you may feel as though there is no future that exists without your former partner in it. At the same time, initiating a new relationship may be scary in and of itself, as it can dig up old fears and doubts that we had thought we’d long since extinguished. However, the ends of these periods of our lives should not hold us back from the joy that love can bring us in the future. While it is important to acknowledge your vulnerability and protect yourself from further romantic trauma, letting yourself stagnate in one state of being when all signs point to change will only prevent your from achieving an even greater state of happiness. Your romantic life has seen the death of one era, and the subsequent rebirth of a new one. Perhaps a long lasting relationship has come to an end, whether it be sweet or bitter. Or maybe you’ve finally moved forward into a new relationship, but are afraid of the potential complications that romance will introduce into your life. In order to protect yourself from the fears that this new period of your life ushers in, you’ve been clinging on to the final remnants of the previous era. Even though your relationship is officially over, you can’t help but think about them constantly, wondering if you should reach out to rekindle whatever may be left of your romance. Despite the fact that you want nothing more than a relationship with this person, and they appear to feel the same way, you can’t help but be afraid of what it is like to dedicate part of your life to another person. However, this constant struggle between your heart, your sentimentality, and your fears has left you broken and exhausted. Now is the time to let go of this struggle. Let the situation lead wherever it may, and focus on protecting yourself against the changes that may come. Once the situation has calmed down and you begin to see consistency again, then it will be time to let yourself open back up. Whether this be with a new partner or alone, you will begin to find a new sense of peace that you would never be able to find had you allowed yourself to cling on to a time that had long since passed from your life.

SWORDS. TEN.

A prostrate figure, pierced by all the swords belonging to the card.

Divinatory Meanings: Whatsoever is intimated by the design; also pain, affliction, tears, sadness, desolation. It is not especially a card of violent death.

Reversed: Advantage, profit, success, favor, but none of these are permanent; also power and authority.

In reality, one of the most desirable things in a career is consistent work that is able to support all of our financial needs. However, it doesn’t always work out that way. We will go through many jobs, and maybe even many fields, before we find something that best suits our individual needs. Some jobs will be bearable, and others will be downright painful to wake up to every day. We endure all of this in the efforts to find that perfect position that is able to provide everything that we need both financially and emotionally. This process is full of beginnings. However, it is also important to remember that the vast majority of these beginnings will then be followed by an end. Recently, you have experienced a major change in your career, leading to the end of a period in your life that you had grown quite accustomed to living in. Perhaps you recently lost a job, leading to a variety of financial troubles that you hadn’t had to worry about just a little while ago. Or maybe you’ve finally broken out of a seemingly endless cycle of unemployment and have finally found a job that you believe will allow you to begin supporting yourself financially again. No matter how this change has manifested, it has affected more areas of your life than just the ways that you regularly spend your time. As your finances either grow or shrink, you’ve subsequently changed the way that you live day-to-day. Part of adapting to this new situation is to change your way of living appropriately so as to work in conjunction with your new employment status. If you’ve found yourself with more money than you’ve had in the past, it’s okay to ease up on some of the restrictions that you had previously placed on yourself. At the same time, if you are now struggling financially, you will need to let go of the luxuries that you had previously allowed yourself to enjoy without worry. Now is the time to pay close attention to the new economic landscape that you are living in so as to not risk ruining yourself due to ignorance over the true state of your finances. Before making any major moves, take a moment to see how this new situation is going to impact you, as it will prevent you acting prematurely. As things settles, and you gain a better understanding of your current situation, it will be much easier to formulate a better plan moving forward.

While ends can potentially be devastating, it is incredibly easy to make even the smallest change appear disastrous. When The 10 of Swords appears in the reversed position, it may be a sign that you have been overreacting to a recent change in your life. In all reality, it isn’t nearly as bad as you’ve made it seem; whether you are doing it consciously or unconsciously, you have blow the situation way out of proportion. Take a deep breath and step back in order to take a better look at your current situation. Is it really all that terrible? Or is it just different? Once you are able to accept that fact that things are going to be different from here forward, it will be much easier for you to appreciate the great things that will come along with this new chapter of your life. Complaining drowns out the positives, as negativity tends to breed only more negativity.