The Ten of Swords as Advice: Accept That It Is Over

Written by Chaya the Medium.

The Ten of Swords as advice asks you to stop fighting what is finished. Here is how, and what the reversal says.

If you want the short answer, the Ten of Swords as advice says: accept that it is over. Stop reopening the ending; the dawn is behind you.

What the Ten of Swords advises upright

Tina Gong's the Ten of Swords guide at Labyrinthos associates the upright card with failure, collapse, betrayal and rock bottom. In an advice position I read those meanings as an instruction: the attitude or action the card is asking of you, rather than a description of what will happen. The Minor Arcana overview at Biddy Tarot is a useful second reference.

Upright, the Ten of Swords advises acceptance: let the ending be final, stop rehearsing it, and turn toward what is next.

What the Ten of Swords is not asking you to do

The Ten is not asking you to blame yourself.

The Ten of Swords reversed as advice

Reversed, the Ten of Swords as advice says recovery is starting. Get up slowly. A reversed card in an advice position is usually pointing at the habit that is getting in your way, not at a punishment.

The Ten of Swords as advice in love

In love, the Ten of Swords advises letting go of a relationship that is finished.

The Ten of Swords as advice for work and money

For work and money, it advises closing the failed venture and learning from it. Advice from a card is reflection. For decisions with legal, medical or financial weight, take it to someone qualified as well.

One step to take this week

Write one sentence that admits the ending, and then one sentence about tomorrow.

For comparison, the Three of Swords as advice and Death as advice ask different things of you. The the Ten of Swords card meaning page covers the card in full, and the Ten of Swords as a yes or no, the Ten of Swords as feelings and the Ten of Swords as timing cover the other questions people most often ask of it. You can draw a card for yourself with the free daily tarot tool. For a personal interpretation, my guide to an online psychic reading explains how readings work, and the three-card tarot listing and customer reviews are worth reading before deciding whether to order.