The Ten of Wands: A Guide to Demystifying the Tarot Card of Burden

Learn All About the Meaning of the Ten of Wands Tarot Card!

A luminescent, ethereal looking goddess appears on the Ten of Wands Tarot Card

Between the lines of burden and responsibility, between the confines of enthusiasm and hard work, lies the Ten of Wands. It’s not just a card, but also a symbol that is the encapsulation of work, effort, and toil at its very core. 

This card is about taking on more than you can handle in all areas of life, work, and love.

It does not necessarily signal toward an important or worthy toil, necessarily, it just signals toward a work that you’re heavily exerting yourself for. Can you think of anything that’s not only crowding your mental space lately, but also draining physical energy through repeated effort? 

Whether you answered yes or you answered no, if you’re looking to connect with this card and delve into the Ten of Wands tarot card meaning, read on!

Let’s Talk Tarot!

Have you ever found yourself yearning to learn more about the order and meaning behind your life’s events? Do you feel a growing sense of intrigue every time you see a deck of vividly colored, intricately illustrated tarot cards? Maybe the otherworldly forces that dictate the chaotic shenanigans that seem to be your life are starting to pique your interest! Well, look no further! 

In this article, we’ll explore a few of the key aspects to understanding the holistic meaning behind the Ten of Wands card in your tarot deck, including:

  • Why Should I Learn More About Reading Tarot? 
  • A Crash Course in Cards 
  • The Ten of Wands Tarot Card Meaning
  • What Else Should I Learn About this Tarot Card?

Well...Why Should I Learn More About Reading Tarot?

Tarot isn’t just for the super-spiritual—it can be a practical, helpful tool, too! A variety of people use telling tarot as a fun way to gain a sense of clarity and control over stressful situations in their day-to-day lives. 

Whether it be offering guidance about an ex, or even just about giving some foresight into financial issues, having your tarot read can truly be a holistically beneficial experience—bring some closure to your higher self!

Not only can telling tarot connect you with your deepest desires and innermost struggles but making your own deck can be a fun spiritual exercise to help you really connect with a deck of your own, too!

Giving yourself a tarot reading can be a great way to gain insight into your inner desires and deepest issues

A Crash Course in Cards

What Makes a Card Unique?

In a standard deck, you’ll find 78 individual tarot cards, each with a specific meaning and special significance that will come into play when pulled. When you’re reading the cards you’ve pulled, it isn’t only important to pay attention to the card's physical orientation—you should also pay attention to the card’s position, or whether it’s facing upward or downward when pulled.

How Should I Use My Cards?

One important part of using your cards is really homing in how you feel like you should associate the meaning and symbolism of the card you pulled. Divination is so reliant on connection! It's important to really connect with a card one-on-one, and not to get too caught up in the textbook meanings of what the card itself stands for, while also still keeping present in your mind their individual auras. Try to close your eyes and think about how your intuition is calling you to interpret it, as almost all of this divine practice is very subjective!

Tarot can be a fun and different way to connect with those around you on a deeper level. Using a tarot deck with a partner or a significant other can be an extremely beneficial way to become closer, not only spiritually, but also emotionally, as well! 

However you decide to use your deck of tarot cards, familiarizing yourself with the individual cards and their backgrounds will help you to make your metaphysical self-analysis to be as simple as possible! 

Now, onto learning about the Ten of Wands Tarot card meaning!

A woman holding wands/staffs appears on the face Ten of Wands Tarot Card
The Ten of Wands Card is for sure a card that should let you know you need a day off! Image courtesy of Pinterest

The Ten of Wands Tarot Card Meaning

In a tarot deck, the Ten of Wands card is, essentially, the card of burden. It’s the card that symbolizes futile efforts in work and creative projects. 

Perhaps it’s time to reconsider your methods and reevaluate your intentions. Take a few minutes to call to mind the sense of idealism, the sense of innocence and ambition of your youth. Remember when you wanted to be a firefighter, a ballerina, or a spaceman? We had it so easy back then!  

Experiencing Imbalance

This card is about taking on more than you can handle, in all areas of life, work, and love. This card doesn’t necessarily signal an important or worthy work, necessarily, just a work that you are heavily exerting yourself for. Can you think of anything that is not only crowding your mental space lately but draining physical energy through repeated effort, as well? 

The most important thing to remember is that you must seek balance in all things. With balance, comes peace. With the ever-evolving environment of work culture these days, it is becoming dangerously easy to find yourself in a metaphorical office space all day, every day. 

Productivity is indeed an important workplace virtue, however, it can start to take the shape of a toxic, ugly word when it becomes the only thing the world seems to base a person’s worth upon. 

Introspection and Feeling Burnt Out

As you may have already guessed, pulling this card should prompt you to look inward. Ask yourself—why am I feeling burnt out? How can I reconnect with myself and the world around me?

For example, if you’re an artist, perhaps you find yourself facing a tough case of writer’s block, or maybe you find that you’re just straight-up out of ideas (usually at the worst time possible). Maybe you just cannot stand the sight of your projects anymore!

Maybe you’re up against a tough deadline and just need some last-minute inspiration! Try taking some time away from the hustle and bustle of your work to spend time outdoors!

Some time alone in nature or a walk in the woods are great practices for mindfulness exercises! Image courtesy of Jake Weinstein

Trust Us,on’t Give Up!

No matter how fed up you feel with the trials and tribulations of life—you must push onward! Just because you’re running on empty doesn’t mean you aren’t still running!

Perhaps taking the time to reflect with some journal prompts, or even simply lighting some incense to create an atmosphere of mindfulness, will be just what you need to return to your work feeling refreshed and reenergized with your priorities back in your sights! 

Put YOUR needs first, and the fruits of your labor will surely flourish in time!

What Else Should I Learn About this Tarot Card?

Although we’ve gone over the general interpretations of the Ten of Wands card, it is important to know the more technical spiritual characteristics and meanings of this tarot card. 

Continue reading and you will find the necessary explicit pieces of knowledge about the tarot card we’re learning about!

Key Facts About this Card 

Description of this card: The Ten of Wands card features an illustration of a man or a woman carrying a large bundle of sticks, or perhaps logs. The individual featured appears to be struggling, usually, to a degree with the burdening load being carried or strapped to their back. 

Keywords associated with this card: Burden, Struggle, Exhaustion, Overworked, Procrastination

Numerology associated with this card: 1, 10

Astrological Connections to this card: Fire signs (Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo)

Arcana: Minor Arcana 

Element: Fire

There is so much more to the world of Tarot and Spirituality than a single card could ever tell! Check out some more articles to learn more about individual tarot cards like this one

The Ten of Wands tarot card is a card so deeply intertwined with chaotic, tired energy. In fact, it’s so tied in with the idea of an annoyingly painful struggle we often forget that, sometimes, hard work can be a good thing, too! Good things come when we strive to do well!

We have to remember that in life (even though it seems totally crazy at times), our struggles can propel us. A life spent just numbly gliding through without any challenges really isn’t a life to live, now, is it? 

Now, go forth, and blessed readings, my friends in spirit! 

Have you ever pulled the Ten of Wands Card during a Tarot Reading? Did anything you read in this article resonate with you? Let us know in the comments down below!

Allison Jaecke

Allison Jaecke is a multimedia artist, and writer based in Pittsburgh, and Erie, PA. She is currently pursuing her B.S.A.E. in Art Education from Pennsylvania Western University and is planning to go on to pursue an additional M.F.A. post-baccalaureate. You can connect with Allison on Instagram, Facebook, or Linkedin.
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