Monday, April 10, 2017

Ten of Swords - It can’t get any worse than this.

Today”s question from Willowseast to draw a card with is: "How can I move forward when I feel stuck?" 
I pulled the Ten of Swords from the Original Rider Waite Tarot. It can’t get anymore stuck than this. The figure in this card is pinned down by ten swords and he isn’t likely to go anywhere soon. Since Swords are all about the mind, we can be certain this guy is overwhelmed by his self defeating thoughts and a tremendous amount of anxiety. Nothing is more paralyzing than anxious thoughts racing around in our mind. But the end of his suffering is near. Because he has turned his head towards rising the morning sun in the east: The promise of new day. We don’t have to try to pull these swords out, for  that is literally impossible. By our twisting and turning they would only sink deeper and hurt us more. No the solution is so simple. Focus your mind on the rising sun and the swords will disappear. Breath in and out and then slowly get up and start walking. With every step your wounds will heal and with every breath you will ease you mind a bit more...

13 comments:

  1. I think sometimes the ability to be open-minded comes when all my ideas have gotten me nowhere. Perhaps there is a better way, but I'm going to have to get someone else's opinion about things to find it!

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    1. For me the first step is standing up and get going again. and then the student is ready the teacher will appear :)

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  2. There is no card in any decks that fill me with more trepidation and fear than the Ten of Swords in the RWS. Hateful image. No matter what way I try view it, it will always be negative, always. I hope it does not cloud your day and the promise of the returning light is always with you, and all of us.

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    1. Strange how we all react differently to a card because for me this card feels always hopeful because the darkest hour is often just before the dawn

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    2. this depiction of the ten as human pincushion always makes me think overkill...

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    3. Maybe it is, but it does get the message across :)

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  3. If the swords are self-inflicted this time it takes a lot longer to walk it off. Because we have so much of ourselves invested in the project. Humans...what can I say

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    1. As long as we keep walking, there is progress

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  4. The 10 of Swords is say that you are held down by some betrayal and can not move forward. You are stuck in the past and can not move forward. The past is holding you down.

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    1. Perhaps it does but I do like to focus more on the sunrise than on the Ten Swords. :)

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  5. I agree with your positive explanation of this card which most people see as completely negative.

    It made sense to me after I analysed for myself the Golden Dawn's astrological explanation of this card as 'Sun in the zodiac sign Gemini'. Thoth calls it 'Ruin'. I find nothing negative in either the Sun or Gemini so it confused me for a long time.

    And then it came to me..Gemini is the twins, there's always the thought or the premise bound by its contradiction. Always doubting, the Gemini thought focuses on both aspects, intent being to reconcile the duality somehow. In this card, the Sun, which is the soul/will, is coming out after 'killing' 'doubt'. That's how it can be reconciled..by thinking it over to the extent of 'killing it', the darkness of doubt will lift to reveal the truth. It's the birth of new thought/life from 'ruin' of the old.

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    1. Thank you so much Katy for you sharing your thoughts on this challenging card. The way you describe it, it feels almost like enlightenment

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  6. Pleasure's entirely mine Ellen!! Thank you for your insightful posts..always a treat for the soul :)

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