Ten of Wands

Carrying too much, and nearly home.

The picture

A man bends forward under a bundle of ten wands, gripping them in both arms. The wands are pressed so close to his head that he cannot see past them. Ahead of him, not far off, is a town with houses and trees.

Upright

Ten closes a cycle and opens the next. The fire of the Ace has become all this: every project, promise and responsibility you picked up along the way.

This card holds a mirror up to the load. It shows you how much you are carrying and how you are carrying it. Nothing in it says you have failed. He is still walking, and the town is close.

Look at how he holds the wands. Bundled up in his arms, blocking his own view. A different grip, or a few set down, and he could see where he is going. The Ten of Wands often turns up for the person who says yes to everything and then wonders why they are tired. He picked up every one of those wands himself, and he can choose how to hold them.

The cycle is nearly done. What you choose to carry into the next one is up to you.

Reversed

Reversed, the mirror still holds, and I read it as too much or too little. Too much, and the load has become heavier than one person should carry. Too little, and you have put everything down at once, and the relief is starting to feel like drift.

It can also be turned inward: the weight nobody else can see, such as worry, old duties or guilt. To tell which, write down what is in your arms. The list usually shows you which wands were never yours to carry.

When it turns up

Which of these wands could you hand back?

If you would like the cards read against your own chart, my readings are here.