The ten of Swords is one of those dramatic cards — people see the image in a reading and get upset/become afraid. Students of Tarot like to say that it's nothing to be afraid of, that the card is about the death of something we need to let go of — a defense, an outworn belief, or the thing that really doesn't want to die, the ego. Nothing to be afraid of. Yes, but have you ever noticed a defense going without some furious resistance? There's a reason this thing that needs to die has ten swords sticking out of its back! It's strong, and hard to kill. Sort of like a psychological or spiritual Freddy Krueger, it's not gonna die. Like Rasputin, it will have to be shot again and again before it's really dead, if it ever really is.
So what does this have to do with Malchut of Netzach, the Sovereignty of Endurance? The situation that comes to mind for me with this sefirotic combination is one mentioned earlier: a Vipassana sitting of addithan, a sitting of resolute determination.
Vipassana means to see things clearly, and when you sit with your legs crossed without moving for hours at a time you see some things very clearly. You see your body/feel your body in pain and suffering — and you see your mind's reaction to this suffering. If you're really focused, you can see the shadow in the 7 of Swords trying to undermine your resolve; you can see you mind replaying old hurts and defenses, a stance of defensiveness in the world as seen in the 7 of Wands.
These are the habit patterns of the mind that are pierced with the discriminating insight of the 10 of Swords. And when these habit patterns are seen and recognized for what they are, they die a little. Sometimes we have to learn to recognize them again and again before they totally die. Sometimes we only need to see these housebuilders only once. But once we have seen them, and are no longer enslaved to them, we are truly the sovereign of our soul, we are transformed, free.
This is the level of endurance that is called for in Malchut of Netzach. And the reward is hte ability to see the false idols and golden calves in our own lives. To recognize them for what they are, and in so doing, take their power away; consciously integrating that power into our lives.
May we all have the power to endure seeing our demons, may we have the strength and insight to endure and tranform our suffering, our bread of affliction, into the journey to freedom, consciousness and spiritual responsibility.
Keyn yehi ratzon.
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