10 of Wands is a card of overwork. We are *burdened* in this energy. Sometimes that’s very literal, as in we are overwhelmed by tasks and to-do’s, but very often there is an element of emotional labor here, too. The year that I pulled 10 of Wands as my ‘teacher of the year’ card it was so resonant as to be almost comical: my mother ended up in the hospital for a month at the same time my father was bedridden with a spinal issue that resulted in surgery. I was working my full time job, taking care of my 2 children, visiting my mother in the hospital every day, and grocery shopping and cooking for my father. I was dealing with fear about my mother dying, resentment towards my father for not being able to support her, comforting my children who were worried for their grammy, AND working to navigate and heal my relationship with my partner who NO SHIT I was in the midst of breaking up with literally minutes before I got the call that my mother was headed to the ER (we are now engaged, FYI). I mean, you can’t get more 10 of Wands than that. It is often noted in Tarot literature that we should look towards the manor house that’s in the background of this card and remember that this person is doing this work on behalf of something greater, usually their family. That was certainly true in my encounter with this energy, but I don’t think that’s always the case. Sometimes it’s just straight up TOO MUCH WORK, and reflects that we need to take a few things off our plate before we get burned out. This can be especially difficult for those of us with martyr complexes! I’ve also seen this card show up for folks who are in relationships wherein they do all the heavy lifting emotionally and it’s becoming untenable. Whatever our burden is in the 10 of Wands can really cause us to lose hope. The good news is that with 10s, there is a change coming. All 10s relate to the Wheel of Fortune, and as such are a turning point, and the energy here often doesn’t last too long. But we can still be intentional here; there is no need to court the possibility of burn out. 10 of Wands tells us that we can, and indeed we must, ask for help.