the tens

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

cutiecutie	05 Jan 2005
I wanted to know about the significance of the number "10" in tarot... or numerology... whichever can help in a reading... reason is that I've been having pretty much every 10 card (except for the 10 of swords, hardly ever) of the tarot show up in most of my readings... I know sometimes it means completion, but any other meanings?

Fulgour	05 Jan 2005
In numerology, Nine is the number of completion, etc. Ten returns to One, and in the Tarot, it takes awhile to work out the difference between an Ace and a 10. Ten in Tarot has a special quality, it is metamorphic, transforming like a catapillar to a butterfly and back.

Thirteen	05 Jan 2005
I've always heard that 10's are the "spiritual" completion, while 9's are the "earthly" completion. Take for example, this admittedly simplistic definition of the 9/10 pentacles: *9 pentacles is earthly completion, meaning that the person has all the money they need to live comfortably. All that can be gained by the pentacles suit on earth has been gained. *10 pentacles is spiritual completion, meaning the person does more with that money than make himself comfortable. He creates legacies for future generations, donates to hospitals and charities so others benefit. In short, he uses the money to fulfill his spiritual needs, to better the world and allow himself to live on after he leaves it. He elevates his spirit, completes it, and gains the love and adoration of others as well. It's rather like in a Christmas Carol where Scrooge learns that giving away his money brings spritual joy and completion. The only difference is that Scrooge never got to 9/pentacles--he got stuck at 4/pents. 9/pents would have him happily spending the money on himself, feeling earthly completion.

moon_mermaid	06 Jan 2005
I also have trouble to understand the meaning of 10. Great explanations. Thirteen, you example on pentacle is really good. Ccould you give examples on the other three suits, please...expecially the sword, as it seems so negative on Rider version.

Maggie Bell	06 Jan 2005
Thirteen ... I second moon_mermaid's request for info on the 10 of Swords. That's one *heavy* card. Regards, Maggie

Fudugazi	06 Jan 2005
Thirteen wrote: I've always heard that 10's are the "spiritual" completion, while 9's are the "earthly" completion. That makes absolute sense! And, since 9s are linked to the Hermit and to the Sun, I also see crisis - and its resolution, contained (or promised) within the 9s. It makes a form of satisfying completion (3+3+3 or 3X3, or 6+3) on an earthly plane before going up to 10 - the angels...That then makes 11 one up and a very difficult number indeed - both visionary: the one that sees beyond - and dangerous: for what can be better than the spiritual completion of the 10? It is in that extra number that the devil is traditionally thought to slip in: and that is exactly where we can see the XI - Strength card, which can show us fighting against our worse natures, controlling an energy that can be used both for the good and the bad (like all forms of energy). Very good summary, Thirteen.

noby	06 Jan 2005
I shared some thoughts on a different way of looking at the tens in the RWS deck which you may find interesting in this thread. And I love the idea of Nines as "earthly completion" and the Tens as "spiritual completion." Thanks, Thirteen!

Thirteen	06 Jan 2005
moon_mermaid wrote: Ccould you give examples on the other three suits, please...expecially the sword, as it seems so negative on Rider version. Put my foot in it, heh? ;) Okay, let's see....I'm going to keep to the usual Rider images for simplicity's sake--your deck interpetation may vary..... Wands 9/Wands: Wands, at least with Rider, are about energy and passion--what you put your energy and passion into. So here we find that the suit's Earthly completion is that the person has come to almost the end of his energy out-put. He has invested that energy into so many things that he now is physically exhausted, able to only guard and watch over these projects. 10/Wands: So, go one farther and the person is spiritually overburdened as well as physically exhausted. The spirit is near the breaking point--if not broken. The energy and passion is depleated and what was once a joy is now just a terrible burden. Think of a mom with a group of unruly kids. She loves the kids and wants to put all her enegy and passion into them. But as the house gets messy, and the kids demand her attention, and she has to cook for them and see them off to school...she gets so exhausted all she can do is watch over them, she's too tired to do more (9/wands). 10/Wands is where she begins to think of all the things she wanted to do with her kids, dreamed of putting her energy into--telling them stories, taking them to the park, teaching them new things...none of which she can do because she hasn't the time or energy, none of which she may ever be able to do...and the kids are getting older, and time to do those things is slipping away....her spirit breaks under the burden, she cries....You get the picture. Note that both physical and spiritual depletion of energy could have been avoided if the person had been willing to share their burden--if the 9/wands guard had been willing to let others help him and the 10/wands guy had been willing to share the burden. It's only because they insist on keeping these wands all to themselves that they end up exhausted and broken. Cups 9/Cups is easy--this is the feast. The physical completion of cups is having people you love around a table of the best food and wine. What more could you want than joy, love, indulgence? It's pure, earthly bliss. 10/Cups--what more could you want? Why to be able to pass on this joy and love to future generations; to know that your love produces more love. Here is eternal, continuing on not only to those who live after you, but, spiritually, in the here-after. You follow your bliss, you find it, and then you find ways to make sure that others can find theirs as well. That's spiritual bliss. Note the rainbow of promise there, the ability to cross over and continue on. Note also that, as with the pentacles, sharing is the way to go. Swords 9/Swords--I often see the 9/swords not only as having nightmares and anxieties, but waking from them. So you might say, that the physical completion of the 9/Swords is coming back to Earth, waking up. With swords you're all in your head--thinking. 9/Swords is overthinking as far as you can. So much so that it invades your dreams, plagues you every waking hour. But the "earthly" aspect of it is that you can realize that it's all in your head--unlike previous cards where it might be difficult to step back. It's the difference between being told something is true, or fearing/believing that it's true and KNOWING that it's true. 9/Swords is being able to say: "Perhaps I'm blowing this all out of proportion...maybe it's all in my head." 10/Swords--Spritual completion for Swords is an end. The words end, the anxieties end, the fears end. It may end badly, but it comes to an end. Gruesome as the image is, you might say that the man's spirit was finally released from all earthly fears and worries. They may have been valid, all those nasty things stabbing him in the back--but he's free of them at last. There's no more than can or will be said. It will not, if you will, haunt him in the after life. We might also say that the person finally faced his worst fears, finally went into that dark alley and took it in the back--so that he could be free of it all. Spiritual completion for swords is freedom from having to deal with those sharp edges that have been plaguing you. Once again, note that the physical and spiritual destruction done by swords is done because the person was on their own--they didn't seek help, or to share their fears and worries and so get relief. In the Rider deck, at least, going it alone is not, in the end, a good idea. How's that?

Francesca	07 Jan 2005
I am always a little wary of the tens. They often seem like overload as in the 10 of Pentacles or 10 of Wands. Or illusions that are easy to believe like in the 10 of cups. And unless the fellow pictured in the 10 of swords is Rasputin, one or two would surely have done the trick. I see 9's as the completion and the 10's as the step after that, the step after the end of something which can be, or at least lead to, destruction. Now Destruction itself can be a scary thing, but that's what leads to the next begining, to the Ace. Francesca

Fudugazi	07 Jan 2005
Francesca wrote: I am always a little wary of the tens. They often seem like overload as in the 10 of Pentacles or 10 of Wands. Or illusions that are easy to believe like in the 10 of cups. And unless the fellow pictured in the 10 of swords is Rasputin, one or two would surely have done the trick. No, it is 11 that is the overload.

moon_mermaid	07 Jan 2005
Thirteen, your explanation is clear and easy to understand. Hand clapping. Seems like, in 1 - 9, a person is under the influence of an element and is led by the element e.g. 9 of sword, a person's own thinking becomes a nightmare trap. At 10, the person is spiritually awaken. The person realizes how the element influences his life, so instead of bound by the elements, he tries to learn how to live with the element in a new way. Another new cycle.

Thirteen	07 Jan 2005
Thank you, thank you (taking a modest bow). moon_mermaid wrote: The person realizes how the element influences his life, so instead of bound by the elements, he tries to learn how to live with the element in a new way. Another new cycle. Nicely put! I like the thoughts this thread is generating.

maks	07 Jan 2005
Thirteen, thank you for your thoughts on the tens. I'm printing and saving your words to study. Your explanation rings true to my ears.

Adjustment	09 Jan 2005
Thanks Thirteen for the excellent explanation, i can now see more clear the differences between 9 and tens:cool:

Phaedra	09 Jan 2005
I've always worked with the 9 as the peak of the suit, and 10 as the beginning of a shift. You are finished with the issues that suit represents and are ready to pay attention to other issues. I like the idea of 10 of Wands being the burden of your ambitions. You've got what you wanted, now what? Time to move on to the next thing in your life that needs attention. At the 10 of Swords, you've hit bottom. Your troubles simply cannot get any worse and you can only go up. It's rotten, but it's a relief. So get ready for what is next on the agenda. Ten of Pentacles, you've successfully dealt with pragmatic areas of your life, food, shelter, clothing, job (as opposed to career). That leaves room to pick up on things you may have set aside until the practical stuff was dealt with. Ten of Cups, it's your emotional life that has settled in. You can enjoy, heave a sigh, and prepare to see what else you should be looking at.

Fudugazi	09 Jan 2005
Phaedra wrote: I've always worked with the 9 as the peak of the suit, and 10 as the beginning of a shift. You are finished with the issues that suit represents and are ready to pay attention to other issues. I think that means the same things as reaching completion - for completion means the beginning of a new cycle (see the World). And if it is spiritual completion, as Thirteen suggests, then I would say that the tens indicate having integrated the spiritual lessons of the suit and being ready for new adventures.

DollieAnna	09 Jan 2005
understand!

Fudugazi	09 Jan 2005
adam_atom wrote: Helvetica, Why do you say that 11 is the overload? Because 9 and 10 are physical and spiritual fullness. I was thinkin 10 was the overloadbut I'd like to hear more about why you think this. Well, if they are fullness (material and spiritual) - therefore completion, one above competion becomes overload! It is the danger, and the tension inherent in the 11th arcanum (whether Strength - as I see it - or Justice)- it is also the great leap forward to the visionary experience: outside the system (as completed) but born out of the system, is the vision. In traditional Christian numerology, 11 was the number in which the devil could slip, because 10, completion, was the number of Christ, and anything beyond was bound to be bad. I see that as related to the overload idea - though I do not subscribe to the Christian interpretation.

DollieAnna	09 Jan 2005
Helvetica wrote: Well, if they are fullness (material and spiritual) - therefore completion, one above competion becomes overload! It is the danger, and the tension inherent in the 11th arcanum (whether Strength - as I see it - or Justice)- it is also the great leap forward to the visionary experience: outside the system (as completed) but born out of the system, is the vision. In traditional Crhstian numerology, 11 was the number in which the devil could slip in, because 10, completion, was he number of Christ, and anything beyond was bound to be bad. I see that as related to the overload idea - though I do not subscribe to the Christian interpretation. Yes, yes, I see it now. Thanks.

The the tens thread was originally posted on 05 Jan 2005 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.