Reflections on Swords in the Negative: 10 of Swords - erm...F**k it...

I am saving my favourites for when I am really and truly "in the mood". Ha.
Image wise I love the Anna K Tarot, best 10 of Swords ever, as you can see the figure walking away from the Swords and the blood, he's wounded but the first time I saw this card I thought it looked like he was saying: sod it am going anwyay.

This card can be a mini (or not so mini) Tower moment. Let's look at this in terms of keywords, these I am penning down myself from the "feeling" and meaning of the card:

• Breakdown (mental or literal)
• Ending
• Collapse
• Anguish
• Pain (again mental or physical)
• Exhaustion
• Hitting rock bottom
• Restart
• Self destruction (as in self harm or related self destructive behaviours)

Yes of course it is a 10 so there is a new beginning ahead, but what? And how? Since I am looking at these also from a psychological point of view, I'd say that this would be the darkest side of depression (as if it isn't dark enough), the point reached where "f**k it" could mean going in either direction: beginning or end.
I have seen this card come out to represent someone in spirit that passed by means of suicide (the client told me afterwards), and I would say that this is very much a turning point card. Since it cannot get any worse (really?) where do I go from here? Well the choice would be mine or yours to make. In a spread of course you would have to look at the surrounding cards for the whole story.
Drawing this card as an outcome for a love reading could be an ending or a complete (and not pleasant) rehaul. For career an ending and if you were to look at physical or health matters then this could be indicative of the person being overwhelmed and exhausted. But there are so many combinations that it is difficult to try and be general.

The 10 of Swords is telling you that hey, you know this pain? It ain't going to go away, Not yet. Not unless, like in the Anna K Tarot deck,  you pick yourself up, buy some bandages and move on. Or you'll bleed to death if you choose to stay on the floor.

“Be the flame, not the moth.”
― Giacomo Casanova

The inevitability of Death

Death (as those closer to me know quite well) is one of my favourite cards in the Tarot deck. While there are other cards that can lead to change, sudden transformation and upheaval (Tower, 10 of Swords for example) Death is inevitable. We can change the outcome in general or shape things to suit us better even in the middle of a crisis. But with Death as an outcome (or in a very significant position in the spread), we know that it will happen, eventually.
And yet many of us (including myself) choose to either ignore it or think we can change/avoid it.

A year ago I had a great reading done at the London Tarot Festival, my question was a personal one and the reader had no idea of my situation. I watched her pull the cards out and, one by one, answer a totally different question I did not ask. I was about to make a huge work decision, but I knew that! And the outcome was Death.
She was very kind and apologised (lol) but proceeded to do a lovely and accurate reading, the cards were telling me to focus on work, that what I asked was not relevant and not important at the time. I chose to ignore Death, I gave it a fanciful meaning that I was about to make big changes anyway.
But you see, Death does not manifest quickly, it creeps up slowly and then Wham! You're dead and transformed.
I watched a year go by and every single card manifesting in that reading. I cringed a little with every month passing (it wasn't bad but a hard and difficult path). And then, Death. And I knew that, even though I have given many talks on this card, I still was missing the main point: We cannot run from Death, whatever the situation, it will catch up with us. The Grim Reaper may take a break every now and then but then will follow.
So, if this card manifests for you, pay attention. There may be some changes you still need to make and, a bit like Judgement, if you do not listen they will catch up with you and you may end up losing control and being forced to change and begin again.
Don't get me wrong, I do not think that it is a negative card at all. But, sometimes, in order for something to begin again, something else will need to die. The energies from this Death lending momentum to the new start.
And so it begins.