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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 Spiral Tarot- Ten of Swords, indicate a new hope, a new direction born out of ruin and despair. This is shown by the bright yellow light at the center of the Thoth Card and the Sunlight glow across the dark water of the Spiral Tarot Card. The 10 of Swords card also represents a mental conclusion, long sought, that has been a mental struggle which has rent asunder our plans and left us in an insomniac’s mental paradigm. Therefore, one may have reached a 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 and the crown of thorns, in the Dark Santa Muerte Tarot.
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 insures that they don't.

The Astrological sign of this card is Sun in Gemini. Individuals who have their Sun in Gemini, are very gifted at synchronizing paradoxes, polarities, and/or oppositions. Therefore, they are usually able to look at all aspects of a situation, balancing the positive and negative aspects. This facility also can produce a deep heart-felt fear about the issues of finance, relationships, and creative initiative. With Sun in Gemini, we have Solar Mercury- ruled by Gemini, all is about complete mind and intellect which in this process, the boundaries in-between multidimensionality are about to be destroyed. Therefore, astrologically this card represents the Sun in Gemini in the death suit of Swords and therefore, is the most destructive card in the deck, making this the true physical death card; Death of a loved one, of a personal creation, etc. ; However, many astrologers state that, “The stars impel, they do not compel." This simply means that we are not slaves to our fate, but have the inner-spiritual capacity to considerably improve our earthly life as fate is ours to make. Choices are to be made and a change of perspective is always possible. Don't confuse fate with destiny; Destiny is done by the Soul and that destiny (To Be) is fulfilled by your manifestation. However, fate, is "Freedom of Choice", and belongs to the Self-Consciousness.

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. When we are powerfully intellectual we must also exercise powerful emotional discretion while concentrating our thought on what we want rather than what we fear and thus avoiding the negative swing usually right when we can see successful endeavor looming in the near future.

Qabalistically, 10 of Swords represents Malkuth (Physical World) in Yetzirah (Astral World). The divinatory meaning of both the Thoth and Spiral 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 of the Spiral Tarot, are 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 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 we most fear are nightmares of ruin and if concentrated on through worry or fear, build themselves in our lives. 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 a Tree of Life format, shows us a break in the connection of "as above so below". right above the heart, which indicates our survival mind (ego) has closed itself off from the Higher Self of Spirit and wallows in its own fantasies of fear and love lost. There is destruction of relationships, ruin, death, disaster, complete disruption and failure, fearfully dancing in the almost gleeful ego as it may laughingly plot the destruction of happiness in others who it blames for its failures; Not understanding, that to concentrate and emote these thoughts of destruction, is self-destructive. Not a great card. However, it is also a harbinger of change. The Angels of the Decan, are Dambayah and Menqal.

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. Here is shown the simple Alchemy of 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 minds by the Patriarchy, 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 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? Divination helps us make focused choices. 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 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; all of which creates a fate that is of Ruin. When, reaction creates our performance, life is always "after the fact" and 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 moment.

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. 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! 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 in a "personality", which is a mechanism of the Mind and/or Self-Identity is the Fulcrum of our life and if dysfunctional as thoughts of I AM a failure or stupid, 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 by thinking ill of ourselves or of another, we only supply our body with ill thoughts that confuse our performance and ruin our life!

However, 10's can be notoriously short lived, as they are an end of a cycle, and soon a new cycle begins. 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 new found 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.

The Spiral Tarot - Ten of Swords represents a traditional meaning (Rider-Waite-Smith) that is of letting go of the past to institute healing and recovery. This is not always pleasant, for this process can bring emotion anguish and suffering, where one has totally fallen into a state of defeat. If surrounded with positive cards, it can mean a temporary but fleeting success and slightly improved circumstances. Hence it to is a card of Ruined plans, relationships, and monetary destitution. Hence, a complete failure in relationships and business is expected. However, there are Six swords in this one's back, implying that, betrayal, grief and disappointment await you, but the surrounding cards will often show this is an end of a phase and won't last. Then there are the swords in the legs, implying your motion is impaired, but one sword is falling, implying that your movement forward is improving. So we should expect a bright streak in life, as shown by the waves of light shining from the horizon.

The 10/Ten 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" you position in a Celtic cross reading, go 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.

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 ruin about 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 stepping stone, its debilitating effect is greatly reduced and we are almost there; where ever "there" may be.
• Swords reminds 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 very creative thinker, can help us to avoid being a victim of our own powerful oracle that 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 on 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 think 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.
• No question of positive results, there are obstacles, and limitations, no movement forward is foreseen.

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Traditional Tarot Card Comparisons blog-Rider-Waite-Smith etc.