A man lies face down, pierced by ten swords, under a black sky, yet dawn breaks on the horizon. It is a painful end, rock bottom: it cannot get any worse, and from here the only way is up.
The bitter end: the worst has happened, and dawn is already rising.
Waite’s keywords (1911): Pain, affliction, tears, sadness, desolation; not especially a card of violent death.
Reversed
Reversed, recovery begins: survival, regeneration, slowly rising again.
Slow recovery, survival after ruin.
Waite’s keywords (1911): Advantage, profit, success, favour, none of them lasting; power and authority.
In love
Upright A painful end in love; total betrayal.
Reversed Recovery after a painful breakup.
In work
Upright Failure, collapse of a project, the end of a job.
Reversed Recovering after a professional failure.
In money
Upright Financial ruin; the bottom.
Reversed Slow financial recovery.
At home and in the family
Upright A painful ending in the family.
Reversed The family recovers.
On your path
Upright The end of an illusion; spiritual rebirth.
Reversed Regeneration.
Its counsel
Upright It is over. Let it be over.
Reversed Get up slowly. The dawn has come.
Correspondences
- Arcana
- Minor Arcana, suit of Swords
- Element
- Air
- Rank
- Tens: an ending, and the weight of fulfilment
Swords
Ace of Swords · Two of Swords · Three of Swords · Four of Swords · Five of Swords · Six of Swords · Seven of Swords · Eight of Swords · Nine of Swords · Page of Swords · Knight of Swords · Queen of Swords · King of Swords