A man carries ten staves in a bundle so wide he cannot see over it.Ten of Wands

Ten of Wands · Reversed

What does Ten of Wands reversed mean?

Ten of Wands when it comes out upside down, blocked, internalised, or in excess, depending on how you read reversals.

Reversed

Putting the load down, delegating, or refusing to take on more.

The good reading is genuinely good and usually follows a long upright period: somebody finally saying no, or asking, or letting a thing fail that was never theirs.

Sometimes collapse under the weight, or offloading responsibility onto somebody else unfairly, which is the same relief obtained at another person's expense.

Upright

Overwhelm, overcommitment, carrying more than is yours.

The goal is in sight and you are too loaded to enjoy reaching it, which is the particular cruelty of this card: nothing has gone wrong, and that is why it is so hard to justify complaining.

In an advice position it is direct: delegate or drop something. Not reorganise, not work harder, not get up earlier. Reduce the load.

Keywords

Upright: burden, overwhelm, overcommitment, responsibility, strain

Reversed: delegating, release, collapse, shirking

Journal prompts

  • What am I carrying that belongs to someone else?
  • If I could drop exactly one thing, what would it be, and why have I not?

Draw it for yourself

Reading about a card is not the same as drawing one. A single-card reading takes about a minute and answers your question rather than a general one.

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