A man lies on the ground, somewhat worse for the wear for having ten Swords thrust through him. There appears to be some blood on the ground near him. The sky is mostly black. This looks utterly bad, though there are a couple of oddities that might take away some of the grimness.
For one thing, the man’s hand is formed into the sign of blessing. In the distance, the sky lightens somewhat – perhaps this is the bottom; maybe the only way to go from now on is up.
I sometimes wonder whether this card also hints at drama. Let’s face it – how many Swords does it take to kill someone? One or two ought to do it. Ten seems like overkill. Maybe someone is exaggerating the gravity of the situation. This isn’t to say that the pain isn’t real – certainly it is. But possibly someone is trying to garner sympathy. Still, even one Sword thrust through you is going to hurt.
The man was stabbed in the back, so there is a suggestion of treachery. This wasn’t a sword fight. This wasn’t any kind of fight; it was an attack from behind, a betrayal.
Often people say that this card means that the worst has come. We are at the lowest place, the very bottom. From now on, things can only get better. This is a comforting notion, and it may be true. However, experience suggests to me that quite often when you say “it can’t get any worse,” the Universe shows you otherwise. It’s not wise to say that, just as we don’t (or shouldn’t) say that a ship is unsinkable. You’re just asking for trouble.
At any rate, the fact that this man was able to form the sign of blessing, and that the sky is lightening in the distance, suggests that indeed things are taking a turn for the better.
In a reading this card might be a warning to be alert to someone who might want to stab you in the back. Usually instead of Swords, people use words, talking behind your back. You might not have any way to defend yourself against that, since often you don’t even know it’s happening. In an employment situation, a former employer may be giving bad references.