10 of Wands

 The ten of wands card has always been a bit of an obvious one, for me, in regards to understanding the symbolism of the picture. That being said, it means a variety of things depending on what the focus of the reading is and the other cards pulled alongside it.

The ten of wands portrays a man carrying a large bundle of wands, probably too large for one person to carry. The way he is walking, face buried in the sticks, leaning forward with feet spaced widely apart, it is clear he’s focused on the task at hand. In the background, we see a few buildings and some full trees, placed in front of a bright blue sky. Does he even know that he is missing the view of such a gorgeous scenery? Is he aware that he could have someone assisting him in carrying the wands? Wouldn’t it make it so much easier and possibly quicker to get some help?

What were really seeing here is a man who has become a workaholic. He has become so focused on his work that he doesn’t realize he could use some help. Asking for help would actually make the work go by quicker and he wouldn’t have to lose focus on the entirety of his life. He has become a workaholic and as a result he is not able to see anything else going on, right in front of his face. The beauty of the day has escaped his view. But what makes someone become a workaholic?

When I pull this card in a reading it is often a warning about not only overworking but becoming so hyper focused on work that other parts of your life are escaping you. It is also a sign that you have been overworking to your detriment, and only as a distraction from something you should be working through, usually emotional. It’s a sign to outsource and seek some assistance so that you don’t become so distracted by work that life passes you by. Alternately it can also mean that you are coming to the end of a long streak of hard work that is going to reap a lot, but it will probably result in burn out. As usual, the meaning depends on the surrounding cards and the question asked.