Ten Of Swords Clearing Meditation For Renewal And Release

My name is Sarah,

And today I'll be guiding you through a Ten of Swords clearing meditation.

The Ten of Swords tarot card often shows a figure lying face down,

Pierced by ten blades.

A dramatic image of endings,

Betrayal,

And surrender.

This tarot card appears when we've reached rock bottom,

Or the close of a painful cycle.

When everything feels broken and final.

And yet,

Within this card lies a gift,

The chance to begin again.

When all has been stripped away,

And we stand at the threshold of transformation,

The Ten of Swords is not just an ending,

It is the clearing that makes space for renewal.

In this clearing meditation,

We will name the heavy chapters of the past,

Honor them,

And then we will release them.

We will let go of what no longer serves us,

So we can step forward lighter,

Freer,

And open to new beginnings.

Begin seated or lying down.

There is also the option to take up the posture of the Ten of Swords,

Lying face down,

Back open to the sky.

When you've found your seat,

Let your body become heavy.

Let yourself truly arrive here in this space,

In this moment in time,

In your body.

Close your eyes and begin to bring your awareness to your breath.

Bring your next inhale through the nose,

Slow and spacious,

Filling up.

Open mouth exhale,

Let it go,

Release.

Let the outer world dissolve for now.

You are entering sacred ground.

Imagine yourself standing at the edge of a forest in early autumn.

The air is warm,

But crisp.

Above you,

Sunlight filters through leaves in vibrant hues of amber,

Gold,

Russet,

And a deep burgundy.

With each breath,

You inhale the scent of rich earth,

Wood smoke,

And fallen leaves.

You begin to walk along a gentle path.

You notice that you are not alone.

You are watched over by the unseen and timeless presence of guides,

Ancestors,

And your protectors.

They walk beside you in reverent silence,

Bearing witness and offering loving support.

As you walk down the path,

Your feet crunch softly on the leaf-littered trail.

To your left,

You hear a babbling brook,

Trickling over smooth stones.

Its voice is soft and constant.

Birdsong floats in the air,

Weaving with the wind in the trees.

With every step,

Your body softens.

You feel safe here,

Held by the forest.

You are walking toward a place that exists only for you.

As you round a bend in the path,

You see it.

A sanctuary.

Your sanctuary,

Nestled by the stream.

Take a moment to choose what form it takes.

Maybe it's a round,

Glowing tent,

Its entrance flanked with lanterns.

Perhaps it's a treehouse,

High among golden leaves,

With soft stairs leading up and wind chimes singing softly.

Maybe it's an enclosed wooden rotunda,

With vines woven around a domed ceiling,

Lit by a central skylight.

Maybe it is something else entirely.

Let it reveal itself to you now.

Whatever you choose,

Know that this place was created just for you.

It is perfect.

It is sacred.

It is safe.

Its energy recognizes you and welcomes you home.

As you step inside,

A hush surrounds you.

This is not an ordinary place.

It is a sacred space,

Created by your soul to tend to what hurts and to transform what is ready.

The space welcomes you immediately.

The light is soft,

Golden.

The air smells faintly of cedar and warmth.

There are large cushions,

Woven rugs,

And places to rest.

Perhaps there are crystals or candles that glow around the perimeter.

Maybe there's a cup of tea waiting,

Or a crackling fire in a cozy hearth.

Your space,

Your sanctuary,

Wraps you in comfort,

Like a hug for your soul.

Find and settle into your seat in this sanctuary.

It is a seat just for you.

Feel how supported you are.

There is no pressure,

No rush.

Just you,

This moment,

And the timeless,

Universal presence that watches over you with love.

In your mind's eye,

See yourself lying in this sanctuary.

You are safe to meet your pain here.

Not as a victim,

But as a sovereign soul,

Reclaiming power from every wound.

Now,

Bring your awareness to your back.

You begin to feel the presence and energetic pressure of ten swords.

Burdens,

Beliefs,

Memories,

Embedded like weights that you've carried for far too long.

You are ready and safe to release them now.

They will not harm you.

They are ready to go.

One by one,

You will draw them out.

Let's begin the sacred act of removal,

Release,

And transformation.

The first sword rests in the base of your spine.

This sword holds betrayal,

Sharp,

Ancient,

Unforgettable.

It pulses with the ache of loss.

Someone you trusted abandoned,

Deceived,

Or harmed you.

The wound still echoes.

Take a deep breath into this space.

On your exhale,

Begin to gently draw the sword of betrayal out,

Removing it tenderly.

As it comes free,

Say to yourself,

Either aloud or perhaps in your mind,

I was betrayed,

But I am not broken.

I rise stronger,

Rooted in truth.

I no longer need to carry this pain.

As you say these words,

Acknowledging this wound,

The sword softens in your hand.

It transforms into a stone,

Smooth and grounding.

You place it beside you.

This is your new foundation.

The second sword of self-doubt glows at your solar plexus,

Deep in your belly.

It hums with self-blame.

This sword has stolen your confidence,

Told you lies about your power,

Your radiance,

Your voice.

It has told you not to trust yourself,

To shrink your light,

And to question your instincts.

It tells you that you should have known better.

Take a deep breath into your belly.

As you exhale,

Draw out the sword,

Hold it with compassion,

Saying,

I honor my younger self.

I release the illusion that I should have known then what I know now.

I can trust myself.

My power is radiant and real.

I am safe to take up space,

Boldly and brightly.

As the sword leaves your body,

It becomes a sunbeam,

Golden,

Warm,

And radiant.

The light from the sunbeam pours back into your belly,

Filling you up and fueling your life force energy.

The third sword of abandonment is heavy in your heart.

This is the absence,

The emptiness,

Left by those who did not say stay,

Those who did not see you.

The ache of what was never given,

Or a longing that went unmet.

On your next inhale,

Breathe in love.

Exhale,

Pull the sword from your heart and say,

Though I was left behind,

I was never alone.

I am safe to give myself the love that I desire.

In your hand,

The sword blooms into a wildflower.

Place it over your heart and smell its uplifting,

Beautiful fragrance that was made just for you.

At your throat lies the fourth blade.

This is the sword of silencing.

The silence aches,

Words you couldn't say,

The truths that you've swallowed.

You held back your voice,

Your full expression.

Inhale,

And as you exhale,

Draw the sword out of your throat with a steady hand and say,

My silence was my survival.

Now my voice is free.

My voice is a sacred gift.

I am safe to speak my truth clearly and without fear.

As you say these words,

The sword becomes a feather.

Light and free,

Lifting on the breeze,

It floats into the air and dances.

Your voice,

Your breath,

Your truth returning to you.

The fifth sword lies deep,

Buried in your left shoulder.

Loss.

A dream that died too soon.

Maybe this is a person,

Perhaps it's a place,

Or a past version of yourself that you once held dear.

This sword carries longing.

Inhale into your left shoulder.

With a gentle exhale,

Pull the sword out slowly,

Honoring what it meant to you.

Say,

I honor what I have lost.

I thank this experience for what it taught me.

I now carry only what nourishes my spirit.

I can release what no longer serves me to make space for something new.

As you say these words,

In your hand,

The sword becomes a delicate shell,

Echoing the beautiful memory.

You tuck it into your palm with tenderness.

The sixth sword pulses in your right shoulder.

Injustice.

This one is heavy.

It represents the things that were not fair,

The moments in life that were cruel or unbalanced.

All that wounded you.

You breathe out the weight of it.

On your next inhale,

Exhale,

Pull the blade,

Lift it out steady and sure,

Saying,

I was not treated justly.

But I remain whole.

I restore my own balance.

As you pull out the sword,

It transforms into a mirror,

Bright,

Clear and clean.

As you gaze into it,

You see yourself,

Whole,

Undiminished.

The seventh sword rests between your shoulder blades.

It holds burnout and overgiving and tells you that you are not doing and being enough.

It is sharp with pressure,

Perfectionism,

Urgency and the exhaustion of pushing beyond your capacity,

Carrying more than what is yours.

Take a deep breath into the space between your shoulder blades.

On the exhale,

Gently pull the sword out.

Feel the lightness returning and say,

I release the belief that I must prove myself through doing.

I do not have to carry the world.

I am allowed to rest,

To receive,

To replenish.

I am safe to invite in support when I need it.

As you say these words,

The sword transforms into a golden cup,

Smooth and open.

You place it beside you,

Ready to be filled.

Buried deep in your belly at the sacral chakra lies the eighth sword,

Shame.

Old,

Sharp and aching,

It was never truly yours.

It impedes your creativity,

Your desire,

Your pleasure,

Your sacredness.

On your inhale,

Breathe into the belly.

Exhale,

Draw the sword free saying,

I release inherited shame.

I return to my sacred wholeness.

I am free to love myself fully and completely.

In your hand,

The sword becomes a pearl,

Luminous,

Made of pressure and time.

It glows softly,

Casting light all around you.

The ninth sword pierces the crown of your head.

Isolation.

This sword whispers like a shadow,

Telling you that you don't belong and leaving you feeling lonely,

Misunderstood.

You questioned if anyone could truly see you.

The aloneness of being different,

Deep,

Unseen.

The ache of no one quite understanding you.

Before lifting out the sword,

You look around,

Recognizing the timeless presence of your ancestors and guides surrounding you with loving support.

You breathe.

On your exhale,

Lifting the sword out gently,

Release it with a sigh saying,

Even in loneliness,

I was never lost.

My soul is one with the universe.

My place in the world is sacred and true.

This sword transforms into a flame,

Small and steady.

It rises,

Hovering above you,

A light in the dark to protect you and to show you the way forward.

The final sword rests in your spine.

It rattles loosely,

Marking an ego death.

A moment when everything fell apart and your identity dissolved.

You stood at the edge of unknowing.

This sword is different.

You lift it out with reverence,

Saying,

I release who I needed to be.

I welcome who I am now and who I am becoming.

As you remove the sword,

It becomes a key,

Silver,

Ancient.

A doorway appears in your heart.

It unlocks something deep inside you.

A new beginning.

Now breathe into your back.

Open,

Unburdened.

Ten wounds transformed.

Ten truths honored.

Your pain has been seen and transmuted.

Feel your sanctuary filled with light,

Warm air.

The glowing symbols of transformation surround you.

The stone.

The sunbeam.

The flower.

The feather.

The shell.

The mirror.

The cup.

The pearl.

The flame.

And the key.

Rest here.

Soak in the spaciousness.

Know that this sanctuary and these symbols remain within you.

Each one a part of you.

Tokens of power.

Each one a new beginning.

You may return here whenever you wish.

Place your hands on your heart.

Say,

I honor what I have endured.

I honor what I have become.

I rise whole,

Sovereign,

And radiant.

Breathe in softness.

Breathe out strength.

You are lighter.

You are whole.

You are profoundly safe.

When you're ready,

Gently begin to move your fingers and your toes.

Maybe you find a long body stretch.

Maybe you find a smile on your face.

Return slowly and carry your ten treasures out with you into the world.

Namaste.