Ten of Swords
Today, with Venus opposing Pluto and Mercury squaring the Nodes, you may have to think about surrendering to the knowledge that the Universe has something different in store for you than what you’ve been holding onto.
The Ten of Swords is similar to the Death card in that it forces you to accept — once and for all — the need to put something to rest. It could be a relationship, a job, a hope or plan for the future, or it could be a set of belief systems that are no longer aligned with your principles.
Out of all the cards in the tarot, this one best describes the process of conceding defeat and letting go of the fight — thus liberating yourself from further heartache and misery.
In this version of the card, we see the goddess Athena intervening on behalf of Orestes, who lays crumpled in a ball at her feet. He’s been relentlessly chased, taunted and tormented by the furies, avenging his mother’s death.
Orestes is not blameless here. Even though he was acting on direct orders from Apollo, he’s still committed murder. He’s beaten himself up mercilessly, and is consumed with guilt and shame. But Athena steps in and intercedes: “enough,” she says. “Enough.”
If you look closely though, you can see that while Orestes lies defeated at her feet, the sun still rises in the background.
