Ten of Wands Tarot Card Meaning

A man carries ten heavy wands, trying to keep them together, bowed over by their weight. The image on this card implies that the Querent has complete control of all the many things he wanted control over. He is the leader, the boss. But this means that all the burdens are his as well.

The qualities of Wands--passions, temper, creativity, energy, spirit, ambition-need some restrictions, as in the eight of wands, to make them faster and more efficient. When they become too restricted, however, or given so many tasks that the energy is parceled out into many portions, then nothing can thrive. All the energy can do, at best, is maintain itself.

We often see this in life. Someone comes up with a great idea and starts a movement. The movement has energy, drive and creativity. It grows and thrives. Then it becomes hugely popular, which we might think is a good thing, but turns out to be the ruin of it. It gets weighed down by bureaucracy, rules, legalities. Likewise with a small business that gets too corporate, or a family where mom, dad and kids sign themselves up for too many activities. All energy goes into maintaining a status quo rather than allowing or fostering change and innovation.

This, alas, is where Wands comes to if it goes all the way around to that final turn. The message of the card is rather like that old saying, "it used to be about the music!" Too much success or achievement can make you lose sight of your passion for something. Especially if that success requires you to manage a cumbersome music empire rather than just playing the music.

When this card shows up, it's time to let the querent know that they're weighed down by too many responsibilities. This is the Nine of Pentacles plus one. They've not only weighed down their body, but their spirit. They need to scale back or delegate authority. Most of all, they need to remember why they wanted to do this in the first place. They need to rediscover their passion for the thing rather than be burdened by it.


Learn the Ten of Wands meaning in reversal in our reversed card meanings.

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