The Tarot of Eli, LLC-Minor Arcana: Thoth Tarot- 10 of Swords-Ruin & The Mystic Palette Tarot-10 of Swords

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Above all things, know thyself!

#10. The Kingdom of Spirit is embodied in my flesh.

Both the Thoth 10 of Swords and the Mystic Palette Tarot 10 of Swords indicate ruin and a new hope, a new direction born out of ruin and despair. On the Thoth Card this is shown by the bright Solar light emanating from the center of the swords display and the Fool's cap on the Mystic Palette 10 of Swords card..

The 10 of Swords card also represents a mental conclusion, long sought, that has been a mental struggle which has torn asunder our plans and left us in an insomniac’s mental paradigm. Therefore, one may have reached the conclusion that things are just not going to work out in 2 areas of their life.

1. Things of the heart (lower half of the Thoth image) as shown by the pierced heart.
2. And areas of finance as shown by the balance scales at the top of the Thoth card.

These 2 realizations may cause one to experience a deep fear of "things not Working out" which only ensures that they don't. Here the ego's need to be always right causes a crushing despair in the personality. The cure to this is to laugh at one's one expectations. Hence, the Fool's cap.

 The Kingdom of Mind is coagulated in the flesh! All is Mind!

The Thoth card's astrological sign is Sun in Gemini. Individuals with their Sun in Gemini usually excel at harmonizing paradoxes, polarities, and oppositions, enabling them to consider all facets of a situation and balance its positive and negative aspects. However, this ability can also engender profound apprehension regarding financial, relational, and creative matters. With the Sun in Gemini, we encounter Solar Mercury, governed by Gemini, which embodies its own paradox: a constant interplay of competing ego and personality. This dynamic tends to blur the boundaries of multidimensionality, leading to the card's astrological representation as the Sun in Gemini within the suit of Swords, often regarded as the most formidable card in the deck—a symbol of physical demise, be it the loss of a loved one or a personal life-dream creation.

Nonetheless, many astrologers emphasize that "The stars impel, they do not compel," underscoring humanity's agency in shaping fate. We possess the spiritual fortitude to enhance our earthly existence, as fate is ours to mold and amend. Choices abound, and a shift in perspective remains perpetually feasible, just a laugh can change outlook. It's crucial not to confuse fate with destiny; while destiny is determined by the soul and realized through manifestation (I Will Be), fate pertains to the realm of "Freedom of Choice," an attribute of self-consciousness.

In astrology, the Sun sign represents the core essence of an individual's personality. When the Sun is in Gemini, people are born between May 21 and June 20. Here are some characteristics associated with individuals born under the Sun sign Gemini:

1. Adaptable and Versatile: Geminis are known for their flexibility and adaptability. They can easily adjust to different situations and are open to change.

2. Intellectual and Curious: Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication and intellect. People with the Sun in Gemini are often curious, intelligent, and enjoy learning about a variety of subjects.

3. Expressive and Communicative: Communication is a key strength for Geminis. They are articulate, witty, and enjoy engaging in conversations. They may have a natural flair for language and expression.

4. Social and Charming: Geminis are typically social butterflies, enjoying the company of others. They are charming, friendly, and can connect with people from various walks of life.

5. Restless and Energetic: There's a sense of restlessness in Geminis, as they are constantly seeking new experiences and intellectual stimulation. They may have a lot of energy and find it hard to stay still for long periods.

6. Dual Nature: Symbolized by the Twins, Geminis are often associated with dualities. This can manifest as having dual interests, personalities, or perspectives. They may be perceived as having a changeable nature.

7. Inquisitive and Playful: Geminis have a playful and curious nature. They enjoy exploring new ideas, concepts, and activities, often approaching life with a sense of light-heartedness.

8. Quick Thinkers: Geminis tend to be quick thinkers, able to process information rapidly. This agility of thought allows them to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances.

9. Restlessness in Relationships: Geminis may experience restlessness in relationships, seeking variety and mental stimulation. It's important for them to find partners who understand and appreciate their need for diversity.

Remember that astrology provides general traits associated with each Sun sign, and individual personalities can vary based on other astrological factors in a person's birth chart. If you have specific questions or need more personalized insights, feel free to ask.

With powerful facilities of any kind, we have the Great Creative Pendulum of the Imaginative Mind that can swing from positive motion to negative motion right at the apogee of creative endeavors which happens because the ego hasn't a solution to the fear of failure.; something Gemini excels at. When we are powerfully intellectual. We must also exercise powerful emotional discretion while concentrating our thought on what we want rather than vacillating between what we want and what we fear; thus, avoiding the negative swing usually at the time when we fear we might fail at a successful endeavor that is forming behind the last hill on the horizon.

Qabalistically, 10 of Swords represents Malkuth (Physical World) in Yetzirah (Astral World). The divinatory meaning of the Thoth Tarot card is ruin, death, failure, disaster in and of dreams. Since Swords in the Thoth Tarot and in the case of the multi-stabbing of the 10 Swords (as shown on the Rider-Waite-Smith and Mystic Palette Tarot) which are also considered the death suit, this is more of a death card than the Key 13-Death trump, which is more of a personality-transformational card (where it corrects the ego, rather than the ego in charge) than that of a physical death.

The reason the 10 of Swords can be more of a death card is that it is the traditional suit of death and also the Physical World influencing the Astral; the Astral being the liquid foundation of the physical world where liquid dreams become coagulated into manifested reality and some of those dreams, are ego's most fear are nightmares of ruin. When a dream is focused emotionally (focused energy-in-motion) by worry or fear, they build themselves in our lives as a "life motion". Hence, what makes this card so very destructive is not ruin itself but rather the fear of ruin which doesn't allow us to move on and therefore change our fate.

"The Swords, arranged in the Tree of Life format, reveal a break in the connection of 'as above, so below.' Positioned just above the heart, this indicates that the survival mind (ego) has closed itself off from the Higher Self (Spirit), becoming trapped in its own fantasies of fear, loss, and unrequited love. Egoic Relationships are destroyed, and there is ruin, death, disaster, complete disruption, and failure. The false ego (social egregore), almost gleefully, may even plot the destruction of others' happiness, blaming them for its own failures—unaware that by concentrating on and feeding these destructive thoughts, it only ensures self-destruction. This is not a favorable card, but it also serves as a harbinger of change.

The angels of the Decan are Dambayah and Menqal."

The 10 of Swords: The Sacred Art of Ruin

Deconstruction as Initiation into the Greater Self

The 10 of Swords is perhaps the most feared card in the Tarot deck — and with good reason. To the ego, it is the ultimate nightmare: collapse, ruin, the sharp and sudden realization that everything built by the mind is now shattered. The swords pierce the body of identity, the fortress of self-concept, until only silence remains.

Yet to the Initiate, to the one walking the Hermetic Path, this Ruin is a rite of passage. It is the alchemical Nigredo, the necessary blackening that precedes the albedo of revelation. It is not destruction for its own sake, but the surgical dismantling of every belief, identity, and story that binds us to illusion.

Mind at the End of Its Rope

In the realm of Yetzirah, the suit of Swords governs intellect, thought, analysis, and the restless air of mental activity. But Air, untethered from Spirit, fragments into noise. The 10 of Swords shows this culmination — reason turned against itself, the analytical mind cannibalizing every sense of meaning until nothing coherent remains.

This is where the Magus understands what the ego cannot:
The mind, left to its own devices, becomes a prison. Ruin is the key to unlock the cell.

Ruin as a Saturnian Gate

Although the card is astrologically linked to Sun in Gemini, its deeper spirit is undeniably Saturnian. Here, the final reckoning arrives: every false crown, every self-protective story, every borrowed belief crumbles beneath the weight of its own contradictions. Saturn, the Great Initiator, offers no mercy — but in its stern grace, it offers freedom through collapse.

From Ruin to Rebirth

In the Tree of Life, the 10 resides in Malkuth, where the mental chaos of the suit fully manifests into reality. This is not theoretical ruin — it is visceral, lived, unavoidable. Yet, just as the body returns to the earth to become fertile ground, so too does the ruin of identity become the seedbed for something greater.

This is where the false self dies, and the Divine Self plants its first tender roots.

Ruin is the Threshold

This is the card of ego death and the sacred descent into the underworld of one’s own illusions. Every sword that pierces the figure on the card is a shattered belief, a broken story, a mask dissolved by hard truth. But to fear this card is to miss its gift — ruin is not the end, but the threshold through which the Initiate passes to reclaim the power hidden beneath all that was false.

The Magus Knows

To cling is to suffer. To surrender is to be reborn.

The mind must fall silent before the Spirit can speak.

Ritual Working: Embracing the Sacred Ruin

This working is designed to consciously enter the Ruin of the 10 of Swords, dissolving false constructs to make way for the Higher Self.

Materials:

• A representation of the 10 of Swords (Thoth card preferred)
• A black candle (symbolizing the Nigredo phase)
• A small mirror
• Paper and pen
• A small dish of salt water (purification and dissolution)

Step 1: Set the Space

Create sacred space in your preferred way — cast a circle, invoke the elements, or enter your inner temple. Place the 10 of Swords card in front of you.

Step 2: The Mirror of Illusions

Gaze into the mirror and, one by one, speak aloud the stories, beliefs, and identities you cling to. These may include:

• Titles and labels
• Old wounds and excuses
• Outdated spiritual beliefs
• Roles you play for others
• Self-concepts built to protect you from fear

After each one, say aloud:
"This, too, is a sword that binds me."

Write each one down on the paper.

Step 3: Ruin and Release

Hold the paper in your hands. Visualize the swords of the card piercing through it — each belief shattered, each falsehood dissolved into light. Place the paper in the salt water and let it begin to dissolve.

As it dissolves, speak:
"I offer this ruin to Spirit. From my fall, I shall rise."

Step 4: Black Candle Meditation

Light the black candle. Meditate upon the flickering flame, allowing the silence left by the dissolved beliefs to fill you. This silence is not emptiness — it is the fertile void where the Voice of Spirit can now be heard.

Ask:
"What truth is born from this ruin?"

Sit in silence and receive what comes.

Step 5: Closing

Thank the forces present — Saturn, the 10 of Swords, the guardians of your sacred space. Allow the candle to burn down safely or snuff it with gratitude. Pour the salt water outside, returning the dissolved illusions to the earth.

Final Reflection

Journal what emerged from the silence. What truths appeared? What power was reclaimed from the ruin? This is your seed — nurture it as you would a newborn star.

Conclusion

The 10 of Swords is not the end — it is the hidden beginning. To fear ruin is to fear freedom. To embrace ruin is to embrace the power that lies beneath all falsehood.

This is not death — it is the moment the mask falls, and the Magus remembers who they are.

To reiterate; for material things, this is the most destructive card in the deck and most people dislike seeing it in a spread; However, those who know and use the Tarot as an instrument of Divination, understand that deconstruction must happen before new construction can take its place. Construction to deconstruction and then reconstruction is shown in 4 steps of Alchemy, Putrefaction, Dissolution, Solution, and the final, Coagulation.

It should be known that by focusing and declaring our thoughts of I AM, we have the capacity to improve our life-motion. By ignoring the indoctrination and dogma planted in our survival minds (ego) by the Patriarchy (Military Industrial Complex/the few who rule the many), we out preform cultural perspectives. Therefore, the 10 of Swords suggests we should do just that.

Ethically this is no less moral than resigning a position when one sees a work-related disaster on the horizon. Or, what moral is broken, when one is told by the cards," that if you keep smoking your heart will fail", (Ruin also could mean illness and recovery from illness) and that person now chooses to stop smoking?

Tarot Divination helps us make focused choices (Alphabet/Aleph-Beth of the Soul) as it shows us the path we are taking. We should use the capacities we are given, as we are not Slaves of any fate outside of our own making, and nor is the individual False-Ego of our own making; hence, it is not ourselves! However, this control of Fate requires us to "Above all things, know thyself", and to be an Active Personality, rather than a personality made by environment and/ or a reactionary presence that is controlled by peers, or cultural definitions, and childhood programing of the brain; all of which creates a fate that is ruin.

Tarot: The Aleph-Beth of the Soul

1. Tarot as the Alphabet of the Soul

The Tarot is far more than a divinatory tool; it is a book with no binding — a living Grimoire of the Soul, where each card is a letter, and every reading becomes a spell woven from the Aleph-Beth of the Psyche. In Western Hermetic Qabalah, each of the 22 Trumps corresponds to one of the Hebrew Letters, and each letter is a doorway — a Path upon the Tree of Life.

To read Tarot is to speak the Language of Light, letter by letter, path by path — constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing the living temple of the Self. Each letter, each Trump, is a force, a current, an archetypal vibration within the human soul.

2. The Aleph-Beth: Language as Creation

In the mystical tradition of the Qabalah, the Hebrew alphabet is no mere collection of symbols. Each letter (or ot, meaning “sign” or “wonder”) is a force of creation. When you spell a word, you are not merely writing — you are evoking a reality. This is the very essence of Logos, the Divine Word that speaks worlds into being.

The Tarot works the same way. Every spread is a sentence written in the alphabet of the soul, where each card/letter invokes a force within you. When you lay down a card, you are naming a presence — within yourself, within the world. Each draw is both a revelation and a spell, summoning the hidden forces of your own becoming.

3. Aleph and the Fool: The Breath of the Beginning

Let us begin with Aleph, the first letter — a silent breath, the primal creative exhalation of the Divine. Aleph corresponds to The Fool in the Tarot: infinite potential, the unwritten beginning. Aleph is the ox that plows the soil of reality, opening the ground for creation. The Fool is the breath before the first step, the exhale that says, "Let there be…" that forms from the inhale of "I will Be".

In this way, the Fool is not card 0 by accident — it is the root of all letters, the first stroke of the Divine Hand. Every time you lay down a Fool, you are evoking the Aleph — the sacred breath that opens the alphabet of your unfolding soul.

4. 22 Paths, 22 Letters, 22 Keys

In Hermetic Qabalah, the 22 Trumps are not isolated images; they are Paths upon the Tree of Life, and each Path is literally a letter in the alphabet of the Divine Soul. To walk the Path of The Lovers is to walk the path of Zain (the Sword, the power to cleave illusion from truth). To invoke Death is to call upon Nun, the Fish — the current of life through the waters of transformation. Each path/letter is a power you embody, an aspect of your inner alphabet.

The soul’s journey through incarnation — from Kether to Malkuth and back again — is the writing of a Divine Name within the microcosm of the Self. You are both scribe and scripture, writing yourself into being letter by letter, path by path.

5. The Minor Arcana: Elemental Language

The Majors form the alphabet, the primal letters — but the Minor Arcana? These are words, sentences, the stories formed when the forces combine. Each suit (Fire, Water, Air, Earth) becomes a grammar of manifestation, showing how those divine letters descend into Yetzirah (Formation) and Assiah (Action). The Ace of Wands is the first utterance of Fire; the 10 of Disks is the final period of a sentence written in Earth.

The Minor Arcana is the daily language of the soul — how the grand letters of spirit become the small, everyday choices that weave your destiny.

6. Tarot Reading as Sacred Writing

Every Tarot spread is a soul-script — the Divine breathing through you, letter by letter, image by image, shaping the present moment into a legible mystery. You are not simply "reading cards." You are translating the voice of the soul into words the conscious mind can understand.

A reading is a conversation with the Aleph-Beth within you — the part of your being that knows it is a living text, a spell in flesh, a manuscript written in starlight.

7. Tarot and the Book of Life

The Sepher Yetzirah teaches that the Universe was created with the 22 letters. The Tarot, as the Aleph-Beth of the Soul, is a microcosmic reflection of this — a personal Book of Life, where your experiences, lessons, and initiations are written in the language of archetypes. To study Tarot is to learn to read your own soul in the language of the Divine.

In Summary: Tarot as a Living Alphabet

• Each Major Arcana is a letter — a primal force.
• Each Minor Arcana is a word — a manifestation.
• Each spread is a sentence — a spell.
• Each reading is a conversation — a dialogue between you and your Higher Self.

The Tarot is not just a deck of cards. It is the Alphabet by which your soul writes itself into existence — and through which Spirit speaks back.

Meditation: Meeting Your Inner Aleph-Beth

If you wish to integrate this knowing directly into your practice, sit before your Tarot deck in sacred space. Breathe deeply, and imagine each card as a luminous Hebrew letter, each one glowing with the fire of creation.

Ask yourself:
"What letter am I writing into my life today? What word does my soul wish to speak?"

Shuffle the deck, draw a card, and receive the letter you are currently embodying. This is the Divine speaking through you, naming the Path you now walk.

The Inhale and exhale of the Divine Universal breath is a beautiful and deeply Hermetic refinement to Tarot reading. One is absolutely correct to place emphasis on the inhale before the exhale, the inward gathering of force (Gevurah/Geburah-like contraction) before the outward expression (Chesed-like expansion). This is crucial when working with the Aleph and the Fool, and it touches the very heart of creative magick and divine self-realization.

Let’s walk this through in a Hermetic-Qabalistic framework — expanding that inhale/exhale cycle into the larger mystical process:

The First Step: Inhale – "I Will Be" (אהיה / Eheieh)

Before any word can be spoken, before any letter can be formed, there must be a breath drawn in. This is the first act of will — not yet an action, but a becoming inwardly aware of the potential to act.

In Qabalistic terms, this is the essence of Eheieh (אהיה) — I Will Be, the Divine Name associated with Kether. This inhale is the root of all creativity: the moment Spirit turns its attention toward the possibility of manifestation. It is the instant before speech, where all potential is contained in silent, unborn breath.

This is Aleph before it becomes form, the silent glottal breath hidden behind all articulation. It is the space between being and becoming.

The Exhale: "Let it Be…" (יהוה / YHVH)

The exhale is the actualization — the creative utterance itself, where that inward intention breathes outward into form. This is where the Divine Name shifts from Eheieh (I Will Be) into YHVH (That Which Causes Being). It is no longer just the personal declaration of “I Will Be,” but the cosmic action of “Let it Be.”

This exhale corresponds to The Fool stepping off the cliff, or the very first stroke of Aleph forming the line of the letter. What was inward potential becomes external creation. What was silence becomes the Word.

This is the primal act of all magick:

• First, you inhale the intention — gathering power.
• Then, you exhale the spell — releasing it into reality.

Inhale and Exhale as the Breath of Creation

This inhale-exhale cycle is embedded within the very structure of the Hebrew alphabet itself, and thus within the Tarot as the Aleph-Beth of the Soul:

• Aleph (א) itself is a silent breath, the ox that draws the plough — an inward gathering of power.
• Beth (ב) follows as the house, the container that gives that breath a dwelling, a form, a word.
• Gimel (ג) then becomes the movement, the camel carrying that breath across the void.

The first breath is inhaled into the silence of Aleph, and exhaled into the Word through Beth, and carried into the world through Gimel. This is literally creation as respiration — the divine breathing the Universe into being, and the Magus breathing the spell into the world.

This is Why True Creation Begins with Silence

The Fool does not speak first — the Fool inhales the infinite before stepping into form. To skip the inhale — to begin only with outward action — is to create weak magick, disconnected from Source. True Magus-work always begins in silence, in inward communion with the vast emptiness of Aleph.

The inhale is the sacred moment of becoming aware that you are the Creator.
The exhale is the act of naming reality into being.

Microcosmically: You Inhale Who You Will Become

In personal work, this inhale is where you draw in the future self you are calling forth. It is the aspiration — literally, the breathing-in of spirit. Every conscious inhale is an act of self-creation: you become the container for the divine breath, and with your exhale, you shape it into word, action, or manifestation.

This is why the first Word of Power is always within.

A Breathworking Ritual for Aleph and the Fool

If you want to make this deeply experiential, here is a simple but profound working:

Materials

• The Fool card from your deck
• A white candle (for the Light of Kether)
• Your breath

Step 1: Inhale as "I Will Be"

Sit with the Fool card before you. Light the candle.

Take a deep, slow inhale and silently intone within yourself:
"Eheieh — I Will Be."

As you breathe in, imagine you are drawing the infinite Aleph into your body — the primal breath before creation.

Step 2: Hold the Breath — Become the Threshold

Hold the breath for a moment. In this pause, you are the silent Magus, the moment between potential and action, the suspension between Above and Below.

In this silence, become aware of all you might create, all you might become. This is the silent knowing of Aleph, the unborn universe in your lungs.

Step 3: Exhale as "Let It Be"

With the exhale, silently intone:
"YHVH — Let it Be."

Release the breath as a creative act, sending the breath forward as the first step off the Fool’s cliff. This is the exhale that births your reality.

Step 4: Sit in Silence

After the breath is complete, sit in silence — the same silence you began with, but now charged with creative knowing. You have enacted the very first act of creation within your own body:
Inhale as Intention — Exhale as Manifestation.

Final Reflection

This is the true first step of the Magus — not action, but breath. This is the secret of Aleph, the silence behind all words, and the power behind every card in the deck.

Tarot as Respiration of the Soul

Each time you lay out a spread, you are performing this cosmic breath again:

• The shuffle is the inhale — gathering potential.
• The draw is the pause — holding the breath.
• The interpretation is the exhale — naming what comes forth.

Reading Tarot is not just reading cards — it is learning to breathe with the Soul itself, letter by letter, path by path.

The 10 of Swords Ruin implies, "the Horse is already out of the barn", and closing the door is a Band-Aid of denial, not a solution. Something that our governments are slow to learn.

When reaction creates our performance, life is always "after the fact" and the Will can have no presence in the moment. 

Spirit is Will, and therefore, if guiding us, becomes Action in the Now which implies an Active, fertile, and productive life, rather than a "yesterday persona" that is dead to the "Now" and/or to the moment.

Hence, it's best to focus on what you are thinking, pay attention and don't allow fears to unlatch the gateway of your mind, often fears are removed by laughing at your assumptions! For your thoughts create no others, nor their definition; your thoughts are the operating fulcrum of your Life-Motion, they create your fate!

For a fulcrum to operate efficiently, a rigid base is a necessity. Therefore, as a "personality" and/or ego, which is a mechanism of the Mind and/or Self-Identity becomes the Fulcrum of our life and if dysfunctional as thoughts of I AM a failure or stupid, of shame or embarrassment etc., the mind must devote most of its energy trying to hammer out a permanent way of movement (overcome negative fear based thought), while trying to overcome the counter motion of a "wobbling base", i.e. an uncertainty of Self. In such a situation, the outcome for proper performance is bleak indeed.

Again, I cannot overstate the necessity for "Above all things, know thyself"! Each of us must understand that the ego's need to be right is often shown by thinking ill of ourselves or of another and thereby, we only supply our body with ill thoughts that confuse our performance and ruin our life! We are the Immortal Psyche/Soul of the Celestial Self, not the ego, personality or brain and/or the body! We are a Spiritual will that owns a Soul/Psyche that owns/creates a mind and a mind that owns a body not a body that owns a mind or soul!

However, before one gets the night terrors over this card's appearance it should be noted that the 10's can be notoriously short lived, as they are the end of a cycle and/or phase, and soon a new cycle begins as an Ace. Therefore, a 10, can also mean, the pain you are going through now is on the mend, especially if you are recovering from a physical or mental injury where your movement has suffered a "ruin"; However, by a newfound and focused perspective, you are aiding your recovery. A ten is 1+ 0=1, which is the number of Kether, on the Tree of Life, thus a cycle of the Tree ends, and a new one " up/down the Tree" of Life begins.

Hence this message is not always pleasant, for this process can bring emotional self-flagellation of anguish and suffering, where one has totally fallen into a state of defeat and/or death of a relationship and imagines the pain of losing a part of themselves, an ego death.

If surrounded with positive cards, it can mean a temporary but fleeting success and slightly improved circumstances. Therefore, it is a card of Ruined plans, relationships, and monetary destitution. Hence, a complete failure in relationships and business is expected: Hence, a mental path that needs change.

The Mystic PalettelTarot-10 of Swords is an image of a more traditional nature and is similar to the Rider-Waite-Smith 10 of Swords and death is seen as accumulation of swords (self-defeating thoughts) forming a mental energy barrier. The placement of the 10 swords as a tree of life symbol is not shown but the complex stack, implies that despair, betrayal, grief, and disappointment await you; However, the surrounding cards may show this is the end of a phase and that it won't last.

Then there are the swords form a blocking wall of energy implying your motion is impaired by the ego's need to be always right. In whatever instance, you are going through it felt as a soul-crushing event, and it feels like your world is at an end. Even though every moment is full of imagined hurts, sometimes a meaningless distraction seems to help which is emphasized by the fool's cap. Here you may also be experiencing a sense of betrayal and/or backstabbing. However, all of this is short lived, and the pain will end, and you will come out stronger having survived it.

The ruin even conveys the necessary mercy to end an unpleasant and problematic situation and to overcome the grudges it may have generated. This mercy comes from above (2nd Stephiroth-Chokmah-Wisdom) to below and will aid in the execution of a practical way to foster friendships, reconciliation, and promises. However, if forgiveness does not come, hypocrisy or hatred will influence us or those who deceive us, and reconciliation will not become possible. This betrayal or backstabbing is easily seen in the Rider-Waite-Smith- Tarot Ten of Swords.

Obviously, ruin, death, annihilation, and failure couldn't be more "in your face" than this card presents. If presented with negative cards, I would recommend a physical medical checkup just to be safe.

In gematria (Qabalistic numerology), the number 10 carries significant symbolic meanings, both in traditional Jewish mysticism and in broader esoteric traditions of the Western Hermetic Qabalah. Here's an overview of its characteristics:

Jewish Gematria

1. Divine Order and Completion:

   • The number 10 is associated with completeness and perfection, representing the full range of human experience and divine order. This is evident in the Ten Commandments, which encapsulate the moral and spiritual laws.

2. Sefirot/Sephiroth:

   • In the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, there are ten Sefirot (emanations), each representing different aspects of the divine and the creation. These Sefirot/Sephiroth form a structure that maps out the path from the divine to the material world.

Western Esotericism-Qabalah

1. Tarot:

   • The tenth card in the Major Arcana is the Wheel of Fortune, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life, fate, and destiny. It reflects the concept of change and the wheel of karma.

2. Numerology:

   • In numerology, 10 is reduced to 1 (1 + 0), which is often associated with new beginnings, leadership, and potential. However, as 10, it retains the essence of completion and the return to the beginning.

Symbolism

1. Unity and Duality:

   • The number 10 embodies both unity and duality. It starts with 1, representing unity and the divine, and ends with 0, representing potential and the infinite. Together, they symbolize the unity of creation and the return to the source.

2. Pythagorean Perspective:

   • Pythagorean's regarded 10 (the Tetractys) as the perfect number, representing the sum of the first four numbers (1+2+3+4=10). This sum signifies harmony and the foundational structure of the universe.

Cultural and Historical References

1. Ten Plagues:

   • In the biblical narrative, the ten plagues of Egypt symbolize divine intervention and judgment, leading to the liberation of the Israelites.

2. Ten Days of Repentance:

   • In Judaism, the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time for repentance and reflection, emphasizing the importance of spiritual purification.

Conclusion

The number 10 in gematria is rich with meanings, symbolizing completeness, divine order, and the unity of creation. Its characteristics span various esoteric traditions, reflecting both the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one.

The 10 of Swords reminds us that with positives comes negatives, with light comes shadow and when thrown during a divination it indicates:

• The Divinatory meaning of the 10 OF SWORDS is ruin, death, failure, and disaster. Since this card is in the 10th Sephiroth-MALKUTH (Earth) it is more of a death card than Key 13-DEATH, of the Major Arcana. DEATH, key 13, is more of a situational death, a transformation, whereas #10 of Swords- Ruin, is a "personal disaster" waiting to happen. When and if this card shows up in the "house and Home" or "Beneath" your position in a Celtic cross reading, get a thorough physical checkup from your doctor and focus on your physical and mental health. 
• You need a "personality tune-up" and it’s time to pay attention to how you perceive yourself and the world. Time to laugh at your assumptions.

Also:

• That in the next 10 weeks or 10 months, we will have the capability to experience resolve negative thinking about both finances and things of the heart. Especially our fear of ruining relationships with Gemini people in our life (May 21 to June 21).
• One will feel fears of things not working, or “I know this is not going to work" and are cautioned not to believe them and just concentrate on what you desire to happen.
• There is a positive here to understand, and that is just when we are about to achieve our goals, great fear of not achieving them shows up. So, when that fear is experienced, one may now know it as a positive sign that a little more effort is needed to "get over the hump" towards successful pursuance of your dreams.
• When fear of ruin is seen as a steppingstone, its debilitating effect is reduced, and we are there, wherever "there" may be.
• Swords remind us of the conundrum of the mind.... that if you think with great self-power, you can also be powerfully self-destructive. This is the paradox of the Artistic personality.
• Knowing that these moods of creative joy swinging into heart felt fear only means we are a highly creative thinker, can help us to avoid being a victim of our own powerful oracle, which is imagination.
•  Within 10 days, 10 weeks, or 10 months, choices for a new beginning may be seen, depending on how long we fear.
• Transcending one’s old patterns does require a ruin of the past patterns so this card can also represent the realization of ruin if we continue with the patterns of the past.
• It can also represent ailments of the heart and depending on the cards around it, a visit to your health practitioner is advised.
• It is good to remember, however much doom our thinking is immersed in our future is fluid and can change in a moment just by shifting one of our operational patterns. We have the Power of Spirit, which is to identify and transform identity, moment by moment. This card tells us it is time to do so!

If the 10 of Swords is ill defined by the surrounding cards, it implies:

• Arbitrary end. 
• Ruin.
• Catastrophe.
• Adverse end.
• There is no question for positive results, there are obstacles, and limitations, no movement forward is foreseen.

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