Readings
Two Cards
If you are trying to make a very important decision in your life and you don’t know which path to follow, if you are really doubtful about the consequences the crossroads tarot spread will help you to find your way.
Ten of Swords
Upright
Painful endings, deep wounds, betrayal, loss, crisis
The Ten of Swords indicates an unpleasant yet necessary ending. For example, a relationship may get to an unexpected end, your job may be ended. It is as if this conclusion has come out of the sudden and shook your world. You could have never assumed it, but now it has arrived, leaving you thinking as if the world has crashed around you. You are suffering the pain of this unexpected end.
When the Ten of Swords shows up, you may be the victim of another person’s betrayal or dishonesty. You may feel as they stabbed you in the back. The pain is deep not because their behavior is painful, but because this indicates the end of your connection with them.
Even if you have been hurt or deceived, you now have a choice to pick yourself up and move forward with your life, rather than hoping someone will take compassion on you.
Therefore, the Ten of Swords is admitting your current condition. You no longer hold change but let it happen, even if it creates pain. You understand that there must be a difference to help restoration, and you allow it to occur.
The good message is that the Ten of Swords indicates the final difficulty – no more sadness will happen to you from that source. You must feel the full meaning of what has happened before you can move ahead and start again.
Pick yourself up and think about what occurred to you, and what you can acquire from the event. When you do this, the pain will fade, and you will shortly see why all of this required to occur so that you can develop into your whole potential.
Reversed
Recovery, regeneration, resisting an inevitable end
The reversed Ten of Swords shows that you are fighting an undeniable transformation or ending because you are not able to face up to what is occurring. However, the more you hold, the more this situation will continue to hurt you, so it’s time to get this over with so you can start again. Believe that everything is appearing for a purpose.
The reversed Ten of Swords urges you to review and free any perspective of your life that is not helping you. Rather than staying on your hurtful past, it is necessary to look forward and realize how these issues free you up.
Finally, the reversed Ten of Swords can show up as a pleasing sign that the pain and sorrow you have been experiencing is stopping. When this card is upside-down, the swords look to be falling, liberating him of the pain. You are clearing the memories of the past and letting yourself the chance to move forward with hope for the future.
The Emperor
Upright
Authority, establishment, structure, a father figure
The Emperor is the father figure of the Tarot deck, suggests that you are adopting this protective role (regardless of whether you are male or female), affording for your family, and protecting your loved ones.
Similarly, the Emperor represents a strong and charismatic leader. Status and power are necessary to you, and you are most comfortable in a leadership role where you can direct others. You have a clear vision of what you want to manifest, and you arrange those around you to manifest your goal. You listen to the advice of others, but you prefer to make the final decision.
The Emperor reflects a system defined by rules and regulations. You create law and order by applying policies or guidelines to a specific situation. Be strategic and highly organized in your approach by sticking to your plan until the end.
The Emperor card also implies world knowledge and expertise. You have gained valuable wisdom and living experience, and now you enjoy offering guidance to someone who might benefit from it. You may be a teacher, coach, boss, or just a good friend who likes to take the knowledge and pass it on so that others can be as wise and powerful as you.
Reversed
Domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, inflexibility
The reversed Emperor requests you to assess your relationships with responsibility and discipline. Are you expressing too much or too little of these in your life right now? Are they serving for you or against you?
In the reversed position, the Emperor can be bossy and inflexible in his thoughts. The card can suggest an over-use of authoritative power. It could be you or another person, often a boss, partner or family member. And it may be because of deep insecurities and self-doubts.
Recognize the position of power in your life. Are you declaring your power and dominance in a way that leaves others feeling weak? Or are you giving away much of your personal power to please others? Try to find a solution where you start from a place of personal power and enable others to do the same. Power can be equally distributed – you don’t need to take it from others, nor do you need to give yours away.
Sometimes, the reversed Emperor asks you to stand up to authority. You may feel fed up with an oppressive boss or a hierarchical organization and feel forced to enter a more flexible and adaptive environment. Maybe you aspire to be your own boss and work independently by starting up your own business.
In a love reading, the reversed Emperor hints that you may be in an unbalanced relationship and it‘s making you unhappy. Your partner has become overbearing, possessive and dominating. This dynamic is putting tension on the relationship and blocking the flow of energies between you.