Death vs 10 of Swords

Good morning community!
Do you see that the Death card and the 10 of Swords have similar meanings? If not, what are the differences?
I always saw the 10 of swords as a message that all hope is lost, that one needs to move out of a situation, leave a pattern. And this is also was death means...

Leaving aside my standard caveat - no card's meaning is singular or set in stone - and also that context is important - I see 10 Swords as the absolute end and death as having potential for transformation - one is an end, and with very little in the way of positivity; the other can be an end but with a new beginning.

If I stuck with generic meanings, I'd much rather see Death than that 10.

They can both mean the end of something, maybe in a more dramatic way with the 10 of swords, and, as Gregory said, sometimes with no hope for a future.
But in my readings the 10 of swords often means that the querent is pessimistic, he/she thinks that everything goes wrong and that there is no solution. In fact it is not always true, it's just the way they see the situation.
However death is more "objective" for me. When this card appears it often means there is unavoidable changes, that things can't be the same anymore. It can be best or worse, but there is some forces the querent can't act upon.

For me, Death can mean a transformation, just as the Ten of Swords. With death it can be the elimination of old patterns. Out with the old and in with the new. But I sometimes see this transformation or change as something someone is going through that they may not be able to control (such as being laid off from a job). And this end makes way for a new beginning.
As for the 10 of Swords, I see this as a person that has gone through their battles, and are ready for something new. Sometimes hitting rock bottom. The darkness before the dawn. I see it as a card of hope regardless of the situation. Sort of like the only way to go now is up. The worst is over and things will improve. I also sometimes get this card for "the change", menopause for a woman.

For me Death is a Major so it's impact is more profound and is something that's destined to happen whether you want it to or not and nothing will stop the transformation as it is necessary in order for something to move forward.

Like the example gave about getting laid off, that would be Death as it's something you have no control over nor could you stop it from happening. However even though loosing your job is Death, it can now set you on a path that in the past you didn't have time for such as going back to school to advance your knowledge or realizing you weren't really happy in your current position and can now pursue something you truly desire.

As for relationships Death can be the transformation the relationship needs in order to move forward such as a friendship that now becomes romantic or a relationship that turns into a marriage, or a relationship that was happy now over. The relationship takes a transformation that breaks away from the current state and will evolve into a new direction that could still be together or it can break apart. However it will never go back to what it was before.

10 of swords is more so about how you handle endings internally verses Death which is externally. Getting laid off was the Death but how you react to it is the 10 of swords and it's up to you to see it as all being lost or not. Yes you can't get the job back but you don't have to isolate yourself in self pity over it either. You didn't have any power in the fight as you can't hide from 10 swords and although it is the end, it's up to you if you blame yourself or accept that this ending is necessary and move on.

As for relationships the 10 of swords is the end because 1 person has no desire to continue the relationship, forcing the other to accept it's over whether they want too or not.

Death leaves a vacuum, the 10's leave a legacy

Death says: All things pass. Universal truth that. But there is more to the card. There is the acknowledgement (1) That we mourn such losses, and go through low times when there is a passing. (2) There is the acknowledgement that nature abhors a vacuum, and that something else will fill the spot left by this passing. It won't be the same, but it will be new and possibly ease our sorrow. What there isn't in this card is anything saying what might have been left behind. That's for the 10's to discuss. 10's have nothing to say about whether this ending is sad or not, or that something new will come to take its place. But they do have a lot to say about what it left behind.

In fact, the 9's are the suit cards that usually indicate earthly completion of a suit--you've learned all the lessons that suit can teach you. 10's, therefore, examine what is left behind; what continues on after something has come to an end. Cups usually indicates leaving behind strong feelings, like the feelings you may recall having for a grandparent well into adulthood and give to your grandchildren; Pents is often about a tangable legacy, wealth dispursed or children to carry on the family name. With the Wands it is not so optimistic; the creative energy that set things in motion has become routine. Its legacy is a driving force that makes people feel restricted rather than excited.

So, yes, the 10/Swords, as communications and ideas says that words and thoughts are at an end (taken as far as they could go in the 9's). But it also says, "Here is the legacy of all those words and ideas." And that legacy is silence. A message that turns out to be far more powerful and lasting than all those words and thoughts. It could be read as a message on fighting and the ruin it brings. However, I often like to site Hiram story, which is likely the basis for the RWS image of this card. Solomon's architect, Hiram, would not give up his secrets to two murderous thugs and they killed him. This story was told among the Masons, generation to generation. Its moral: silence, even eternal silence, is preferable to speaking to those who will not understand, or appreciate, or will make bad use of what you have to say.

gregory said:

Leaving aside my standard caveat - no card's meaning is singular or set in stone - and also that context is important - I see 10 Swords as the absolute end and death as having potential for transformation - one is an end, and with very little in the way of positivity; the other can be an end but with a new beginning.

If I stuck with generic meanings, I'd much rather see Death than that 10.

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I agree with you Gregory, and I do not solely count on predetermined LWB definitions.
If I understand your answer, the 10 of swords is more negative than Death. It has no hope.

Esk said:

They can both mean the end of something, maybe in a more dramatic way with the 10 of swords, and, as Gregory said, sometimes with no hope for a future.
But in my readings the 10 of swords often means that the querent is pessimistic, he/she thinks that everything goes wrong and that there is no solution. In fact it is not always true, it's just the way they see the situation.
However death is more "objective" for me. When this card appears it often means there is unavoidable changes, that things can't be the same anymore. It can be best or worse, but there is some forces the querent can't act upon.

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I understand you. It means that, because swords represent thoughts, the 10 of swords means negative thinking. It means you are letting your negative thoughts drag you towards the bottom...

It could also mean that someone is blackmailing you ( thus the image of swords planted in the back).

HeatherRose said:

For me, Death can mean a transformation, just as the Ten of Swords. With death it can be the elimination of old patterns. Out with the old and in with the new. But I sometimes see this transformation or change as something someone is going through that they may not be able to control (such as being laid off from a job). And this end makes way for a new beginning.
As for the 10 of Swords, I see this as a person that has gone through their battles, and are ready for something new. Sometimes hitting rock bottom. The darkness before the dawn. I see it as a card of hope regardless of the situation. Sort of like the only way to go now is up. The worst is over and things will improve. I also sometimes get this card for "the change", menopause for a woman.

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This is interesting, because the way you see the cards is contrary to what Gregory thinks, am I understanding correctly?

Marsy said:

For me Death is a Major so it's impact is more profound and is something that's destined to happen whether you want it to or not and nothing will stop the transformation as it is necessary in order for something to move forward.

Like the example gave about getting laid off, that would be Death as it's something you have no control over nor could you stop it from happening. However even though loosing your job is Death, it can now set you on a path that in the past you didn't have time for such as going back to school to advance your knowledge or realizing you weren't really happy in your current position and can now pursue something you truly desire.

As for relationships Death can be the transformation the relationship needs in order to move forward such as a friendship that now becomes romantic or a relationship that turns into a marriage, or a relationship that was happy now over. The relationship takes a transformation that breaks away from the current state and will evolve into a new direction that could still be together or it can break apart. However it will never go back to what it was before.

10 of swords is more so about how you handle endings internally verses Death which is externally. Getting laid off was the Death but how you react to it is the 10 of swords and it's up to you to see it as all being lost or not. Yes you can't get the job back but you don't have to isolate yourself in self pity over it either. You didn't have any power in the fight as you can't hide from 10 swords and although it is the end, it's up to you if you blame yourself or accept that this ending is necessary and move on.

As for relationships the 10 of swords is the end because 1 person has no desire to continue the relationship, forcing the other to accept it's over whether they want too or not.

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Thank you for this generous explanation. You have a point: death is something that happens to you, while 10 of swords is how you react to a situation.... Brilliant!