Ten of Swords – The Naked Heart Tarot* by Jillian C. Wilde

Ten of Swords

I get the feeling that we keep thinking we’ve been through the worst of it. Or maybe more accurately, we keep hoping we’ve made it through the worst of it. But by all appearances, that might not be the case. And it’s hard to avoid knowing what’s going on in the world, or avoiding the way it seems to be falling apart at the seams. So when I asked for a bit of additional guidance tor us this week to supplement our visit by the Hermit a few days ago, I chose from The Naked Heart Tarot*. And I chose the 10 of Swords. (Sort of appropriate, given the number of my post!)

I’m wondering if you had the same reaction I did when I first laid eyes on this card. “Whoa!” I said out loud, causing Tigger to lift his sleepy head off his paws and give me a look. I returned his gaze, showed him the card, and said, “Do I really want this to share this message with everybody? It looks like how I feel – and probably captures how many others feel – but yikes. It’s dark.”

It’s true, too. I’m roughly familiar with the ‘traditional’ meanings of most of the cards in the tarot, and the message does seem to be a confirmation of how I feel. But I judged it and found myself wanting something more optimistic.

The problem is, I asked for guidance. It would lack integrity to pick and choose which message to share and which to not.

Ten of Swords

The image is uniquely distressing, I admit. And yet the message – particularly as expressed by the creator of The Naked Heart Tarot* deck, Jillian C. Wilde – does admittedly feel perfect for us to bear in mind over the next few days (or weeks).

The keywords she ascribes are Resolve and Release. Right on so far.

“The rat lies on its side as ten swords are driven down from above piercing its spirit, hinting that the end is near.

The Message. The Ten of Swords represents a time of completion when a much-needed ending to a conversation, idea or discussion is necessary. You’ve already been through every detail, argument, theory, and solution there is to offer, and now you are starting to cycle through them again. Rat energy reminds you that it is time to purge old ways and victim mentality, release the clutter and the story attached to the situation, so you can allow room for new beginnings. Going back through it and over it all will not bring you any closer to resolution. It is time to get to the heart of the wound, and cut out the drama, and bring things to completion. Time to release and let it go. Agree to disagree, or just bury it in the past, so at this stage, you can move forward. You may feel a sense of resistance or sadness as you go through the process, but it is also an opportunity to reflect upon valuable insights. All is not lost, it is a chance to drop the weight of the mental baggage that has cut so deeply into you, give it to the Universe and let it go. The worst is over.

Additional Meaning: Completion, liberation, final discussions, end of arguments, defeat, backstabbed, release.”

Yup. I can definitely see the applicability of this entreaty to release and resolve both on the micro and the macrocosm.

Four of Swords

Underneath the Ten of Swords was the Four of Swords. While I’m not going to say much about it here, just looking at it I’m confident you can glean how it provides the foundation to the top pick. Underlying our ability to embrace the message of the Ten of Swords is the necessity for us to create a safe space where we can embrace quiet and contemplation. A place where we can be alone with our very own thoughts – free of the yammer, blaming, and arguments being levied all around us.

It’s sort of like the black cat in this card is the Hermit from our pick the other night. Yet again, we’re being urged to create space and be alone with our thoughts. We’re encouraged to allow silence to help us sort out what it is that needs to be released and resolved so a new foundation can be created.

We can do this.

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(T-101)