Ten of Wands
Ten of Wands Tarot Card Meanings
UPRIGHT: Burden, extra responsibility, hard work, completion
Upright Ten Of Wands
The Ten of Wands notes that you are taking on an extra burden, a heavier workload, or greater responsibility. Even though it is weighing you down and making things tougher for you, you understand it is only temporary, so you are willing to put in the hard work now to accomplish your goal and reap the rewards later. For example, you may work extra hours to save up for a family holiday. Or you may help out a friend with moving house, knowing they will return the favour when you move later in the year. Or you may care for a sick family member, adding to your responsibilities at home but knowing your loved one deeply appreciates it.
Sometimes, the Ten of Wands appears when you are unconsciously taking on extra responsibility and finding yourself feeling weighed down, exhausted and burnt out. You may try to do everything at once, even though you know it is adding extra pressure to your daily life. The Ten of Wands asks you to stop and examine your current lifestyle or work. Assess which activities or tasks are urgent or important, particularly concerning your broader goals. You may need to use various time management or prioritisation methods to determine where best to spend your time and which tasks you can drop. Your goal needs to be higher efficiency while also freeing yourself up for rest and relaxation when you need it.
The good news is that the Tens in Tarot represent the completion of a cycle, and with the Ten of Wands, the end is in sight! You have been pushing yourself to your limits and working very hard towards your goal. Now, you are taking those final steps on the path to realising your dreams. Sure, you might collapse in a heap of exhaustion when you get there, but you know it will be all worth it and well earned!
The Ten of Wands can also show that even with the achievement of your goal, some significant responsibilities and commitments come with it. When you reach a point of completion, you become starkly aware that you must now carry on with the duties you have laid out for yourself, to ensure ongoing success. The trouble is, however, that these responsibilities may become too much to bear and you are struggling to let go. It is like the business owner who creates a flourishing business but is unprepared to delegate some of his or her responsibilities to the staff and ends up working seventy to eighty hours a week. The inspiration and creativity that came with the initial goal or vision disappear and everything becomes hard work all too quickly. Thus, it is essential to let go of or delegate some of your responsibilities to free you up to still enjoy life.
Upright Love Meaning:
Heavy burden of love, love creates responsibility, stress creates issues in relationship
Love may feel like a heavy burden with the 10 of Wands tarot love meaning. Other aspects of your life, like work or finances, may have weighed on you lately, making it difficult for you to be romantic. Sometimes, the stress may make you feel like your love life is just another burden for you to carry, instead of something that can help you carry your burdens. If you’re attached, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It can ease your lover’s worries, lighten your worries, and can also be a chance for the two of you to become closer together. If you’re single, don’t be afraid to spend some time on your own; everyone needs to focus on themselves before they can focus on finding a partner. Take care of yourself.
Upright Career Meaning:
Being overworked, work burdens being carried alone, needing help from colleagues
The ten of wands is a card of burden. This principle can apply easily to your work life. When upright, the ten suggests that you are feeling overworked. It might be that you have too many projects for you to handle on your own. See if it is possible to delegate or share your load with others. Collaboration and delegation are your greatest aids at this time. Do not be afraid to ask for assistance or speak up about an uneven distribution of work. If your workload is not particularly heavy right now, it might be that you find the tasks at hand uncommonly difficult or draining. It is still okay to ask for a hand if you need one.
Upright Finances Meaning:
Financial burden, large unavoidable expenses, struggling daily
There is a financial burden weighing on you if you find the ten of wands upright regarding finances. This can take many forms. You could be faltering on debt payments or have other outstanding balances to consider. It might be that a large expense like school or a business loan is especially pressing right now. You might talk to someone about how best to resolve these issues. Do not do anything brash or generally inadvisable, but know that a professional might have dependable solutions that will help set you up for long term success.
Reversed Ten of Wands Tarot Card Meanings
REVERSED: Doing it all, carrying the burden, delegation, release
Reversed Ten Of Wands
When the Ten of Wands reversed appears in a Tarot reading, it is often a sign that you are trying to do too much by yourself. In your effort to be everything to everyone, you have found yourself struggling under the weight of it all. Delegate and share the work – you don’t have to do it alone. And be firm in saying no to the things you know you can’t take on. It is imperative you put your self-care and personal well-being first; otherwise you’ll burn yourself out and be of no help to anyone. It’s just like they say, 'Put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others'.
Similarly, the Ten of Wands reversed suggests that you are carrying a heavy weight on your shoulders, but you are keeping this private and are unwilling to share your burden with others. You may be grappling with emotional trauma, carrying a dark secret, or dealing with increased responsibilities. However, you do not feel comfortable sharing this with others, by talking about it or asking for help. In effect, you are pushing away the people who can help you. It may also be a huge relief to you when you do share some of this burden with others, as they are ready and willing to support you.
Sometimes, the reversed Ten of Wands shows that you are holding on to this burden when you do not need to do so. If you are feeling weighed down by your present circumstances, look at ways you might lighten the load. Can you delegate certain tasks and responsibilities? Are you worrying about matters that do not concern you or cannot be changed? Do not become a martyr and take on more than you can realistically handle. On the positive side, if you are going through a challenging time, then the Ten of Wands reversed assures you that this time will soon pass and you will be able to set down this weight.
You may also be actively identifying those activities that do not bring you any value in your life, and you are releasing yourself from these additional responsibilities. Consider going through a purging process, clearing out old clothes and selling old furniture, to declutter and simplify your life. You will benefit from better organisation and prioritisation and enjoy the lightness that comes with such release.
Reversed Love Meaning:
Failure to share burdens with partner, finding emotional support from partner
You and your partner are meant to weather the burdens of life together, but one of you may still find it difficult to be vulnerable. Heavy burdens are not being shared, and that can lead to deterioration of your relationship. Instead of working as team, one person may be hoarding all the responsibilities, perhaps with the best of intentions, believing that it protects the other from stress, or worse, not trusting the other person to be able to help. If this is you, trust your partner; give them the chance to help you. When someone loves you, they want to see you happy, and helping you won’t be a burden, but a pleasure.
Reversed Career Meaning:
Relief from work burdens, finding support, delegating tasks, burn out
The ten of wands in this context represents an ending of work burdens. There are two ways this relief of pressure could have come about. One way you might have achieved this end was by successfully delegating work. Potentially, your realization that there was simply too much for one individual is being rewarded. Having better spread the bulk of your previous concerns out over a group, they now do not negatively impact any individual too terribly, and you are able to relax a bit. If you failed to delegate responsibility when it was required of you, you likely broke under the pressure of too many demands. Either way, you are no longer overworked and will have a quiet moment to recover.
Reversed Finances Meaning:
Relief from financial burden, finding assistance, deeper economic trouble
The ten of wands, when reversed here, has two potential meanings. It might be that you are coming out of a time of economic trouble. If you have taken steps to resolve the core issues that were undermining your finances, the ten can signify that you are finally able to take control of the situation. As a result, your finances will improve soon. Alternatively, if you have not worked to understand what is upsetting your financial state, you might be descending deeper into economic troubles. This card is situational to your life so consider how well you are in control of your finances to determine the meaning. Sometimes the other cards can help suggest which of the two readings is correct. More likely than not, however, if you cannot answer what steps you have taken to command your finances, it is likely that you have not acted decisively enough.