You may learn about some of the meanings and uses of the sword cards in a tarot deck. This article highlights the cards six through ten.

The Six of Swords is a symbol of purposeful retreat or abandonment. Sometimes problems truly are too great to be defeated. It may be necessary to remove yourself from the situation, as the boat steering man in the tarot illustration is doing. But this decision must be made rationally with contemplation of the past and future. This card represents moving on from painful things to find peace and happiness elsewhere, all the while balancing thoughts and emotions.

The Seven of Swords goes into double edged sword territory. The tarot card represents confidence and intelligence. The person identified with this card is often a trickster or some kind of con artist. They work solo, distrusting others. Indecision can take them down various path before they choose one. This sort of behavior can lead to a hollow victory or a loss if the card is putting someone else in the position of trickster. If whatever goals you have in front of you force a degradation of your moral integrity, reset those goals. It won't be worth the price paid.

The Eight of Swords bears an illustration of a person tightly bound. In a tarot reading, this card represents some sort of restriction- often caused by the self. You may be paused in inaction due to a lack of confidence or a fear of failure. Something is preventing you from moving forward (or at all) and needs to be overcome. Doubt and fear can only tie you up in knots and render you immobile. But there is hope in this card. The figure does not have their feet bound. They can walk away from this if they drop the feelings that put them there in the first place.

The figure on the Nine of Swords tarot card is in bed and just awoken from a nightmare. Bad dreams are often signs of held unto fear, regret or doubt. These feelings are deep, with roots in the spirit. They need to be dealt with and conquered or else they will take up permanent residence and you will never have a sense of peace. Be aware that the mind can make things seem infinitely more gruesome than they are. Conquering these demons will not be as hard as you think but it will take effort and strength. If this lesson is not picked up on, the punishment of the Ten of Swords may befall you.

The Ten of Swords is what happens if the lessons of the other Swords cards are not learned- annihilation. The harmful failure or major disaster that brings about the feelings of this card will be unexpected. It could be the result of some bad karma coming back your way. Unfortunately, most of the time with this card you'll just have to bear what hits you. On the other side of this darkness is light- if you are willing to do some self evaluation and see (and learn) what lessons you have missed thus far. It is the culmination of all of the Swords cards and the turmoil and juxtapositions contained within their sharp boundaries.