Learning Tarot – 10 of Wands

The 10 of wands is the last Minor Arcana for the suit of wands. It usually indicates feeling over burdened, overwhelmed, and completely exhausted. Being a 10, we have reached the completion of this suit, and unfortunately for this Fool’s Journey thus far, it has left the individual completely depleted. The man in this card is depicted carrying 10 wands, all by himself. It indicates the struggles and stress one must deal with, whether in a relationship, or in a career. Recall that in the 9 of wands, the individual is making that last stand to keep moving forward, to keep pressing forward, despite his previous injuries and defensiveness from the 5 and 7 of wands. Unlike the 9 of wands, where the individual utilizes perseverance to keep going, in the 10 of wands, this person is at their wit’s end. Simply put, this person feels completely exhausted, drained, and stressed. As with all 10’s, a new beginning is just on the horizon, but 10’s indicate that an ending must occur first.

In the RWS deck, we see this individual carrying these wands alone, struggling, but towards a nice little home far off in the distance. This indicates that the individual strives to make it home for respite and that he is very close to the finish line. His posture shows the struggle of carrying these heavy wands and as being a heavy burden. The blue sky in the background represents the clarity this man has towards his goal. He realizes this burden was self-created, but also realizes that he must finish the task.

I usually see this card when someone is feeling very stressed and overwhelmed, whether making a decision, dealing with a specific circumstance, work situation, or in a relationship. It’s not a very good card to see in readings. However, I have seen it to indicate someone feeling the need to blow off some steam or release built-up stress in a sexual connotation.