X of Swords - What's positive about it?

Pargatho

I've always struggled with this card. The Tower I can see how it's positive. "At least it was false, at least you can move forward. It might hurt, but at least you will be able to build a foundation at the base."

But how in the heck is the X of Swords positive whatsoever? The imagery is always so dark and macabre. It literally scares me whenever I see it. So if you were trying to be optimistic - what's the most positive thing about the X of Swords?
 

lantana

The positive to this card is that you can go no lower. This is rock bottom, so the only place to go is up. Whatever happened, it's at the very least over now, unlike in the 9 or 8 where you're still suffering. You can pick yourself up off the ground and move on.
 

Pargatho

The positive to this card is that you can go no lower. This is rock bottom, so the only place to go is up. Whatever happened, it's at the very least over now, unlike in the 9 or 8 where you're still suffering. You can pick yourself up off the ground and move on.

I guess I just don't have enough patience as a human being to see that as net positive (even though it is). I'm always too focused on the "here and now" to see THAT far beyond. But that description does make a ton of sense for what is going to happen in the near future.
 

Qofcups

I agree. ROCK BOTTOM. There is only one way to go now and that's UP. Its all over--Thank God! lol

I always had a hard time with this card too, until I went through a rock bottom moment, after more than a year of what felt like a free fall--I finally felt like I could breathe again. I lost everything (my husband, my home, even my kids for a few days, my job) and all I could feel was relief that I was able breathe. And with that breath the weight of the world was lifted off of me. I was able to stand up, and take a step forward. The best feeling in the world.
 

Pargatho

I agree. ROCK BOTTOM. There is only one way to go now and that's UP. Its all over--Thank God! lol

I always had a hard time with this card too, until I went through a rock bottom moment, after more than a year of what felt like a free fall--I finally felt like I could breathe again. I lost everything (my husband, my home, even my kids for a few days, my job) and all I could feel was relief that I was able breath. ANd with that breath the weight of the world was lifted off of me. I was able to stand up, and take a step forward. The best feeling in the world.

Yeah it's making more sense to me. I just did a spread that I was really hopeful for and got this in my future. And I thought it was referring to abject misery and failure about the question. But I think it might have to do with another aspect of the topic, and it's starting to make more sense. Thanks for your time!
 

JDusk

In addition to what the others have said - I absolutely agree - I find it can sometimes be about *acknowledging* defeat or suffering. Maybe it's about taking a look at a toxic relationship and realizing it's killing you, that you need to end it and move on or you'll continue to suffer. Maybe you've been lying to yourself about how bad a situation has gotten and you need a reality check. Or maybe you've been going through a really rough patch without much support, and it's telling you that your feelings are valid, that you have a right to feel like crap right now and it's not all in your head, you're not just being melodramatic - and that itself, even if it's counterintuitive, can be a healthy and positive thing for you to hear.

I think it can also signal that a fight is over. Even if you lose, it at least means you're out of that conflict and can move on.
 

Pargatho

Thanks for the perspective and game-changer! I feel better now. Hehe.

Basically, I'm trying to get out of debt in three-years so I've been doing everything I can to raise income and lower bills. I am trying to start up my own business and I asked the Tarot if it would work out. The X of Swords was in my future / answer area.

But I also signed up for a debt relief program. If you are unfamiliar with these programs, you basically stop paying your bills and sign over power of attorney to a company and they'll negotiate your debt for you. While they work, it damages your credit score in the short term and creditors can still harass / attempt to collect debts / even sue you. So, after reading the feedback, I see that the X of Swords is probably referring to that process sin the near future: that I've hit rock bottom and going to be fielding 50 phone calls a day from the credit card companies I'm not paying.

Does this seem like a more accurate interpretation?
 

tarot_quest

It's not only about reaching the lowest point

I don't know if it can be of any help, but I almost always see the 10 of swords as over-thinking, big time. It's when you make something worst than it really is only by the power of your own mind. 9 of swords relates to anxiety, but 10 of swords is the culmination of your thoughts. So in your case, you might be over-thinking all details and possibilities related to your debts, this new business and the support program.

On a completely different note, 10 of swords can be someone with an extremely smart mind, able to produce different hypothesis and work under pressure in a chaotic environment. In other words, inspecting every detail and elements of a problem/situation can sometimes be very positive in a work context, when writing a novel or trying to find a new research hypothesis.
 

Pargatho

I don't know if it can be of any help, but I almost always see the 10 of swords as over-thinking, big time. It's when you make something worst than it really is only by the power of your own mind. 9 of swords relates to anxiety, but 10 of swords is the culmination of your thoughts. So in your case, you might be over-thinking all details and possibilities related to your debts, this new business and the support program.

On a completely different note, 10 of swords can be someone with an extremely smart mind, able to produce different hypothesis and work under pressure in a chaotic environment. In other words, inspecting every detail and elements of a problem/situation can sometimes be very positive in a work context, when writing a novel or trying to find a new research hypothesis.

That's interesting because not three days after I signed up for the program I became friends with an accountant.
 

Thirteen

What you will and will not communicate

In the RWS deck, the 10/Swords tells the tale of Hiram, Solomon's architect. He's a big deal when it comes to the Masons. Which makes the 10/Swords one of the most important minors in the deck (if you belonged to the Golden Dawn order, as Waite, the author of the deck, did). The story goes like this: Being an architect/master mason in the ancient world was like being a rocket scientist in today's world. The smartest and most brilliant of the brilliant. And Hiram was chief architect for the wisest of kings, creating that king's temple. He knew all kinds of architectural secrets. He passed these onto his fellow, master masons. But lesser masons working under him wanted to know these secrets, too. They accosted Hiram, but he refused to tell them anything. So they murdered him. Found out, they were executed.

He was, in short, a martyr for the sake of knowledge and wisdom, and the message of the story was that a Mason should be willing to die rather than spill Masonic secrets.

So. What's positive about this card? You know what information you value; and you have a very strong idea of who should and should not be told this information. If Swords are about the intellect and communication, this is the card where the person (you) says, "I cannot communicate what I know with just anyone." This card can indicate knowledge, secrets or intellect so above the rest that it cannot be parsed out, and your refusal to share it might create resentment. The resentment isn't positive...but what you know, having that rare wisdom...and having the strength of mind to know who you will and will not communicate with...that's positive.