10 long heavy Wands are often depicted as a burden being carried by a lone person in this card. They have a path to follow, a place to take the Wands, but with heads down and eyes closed, it’s hard to concentrate on the goal, or even remember why they’re doing it. The difficult weight of the burden and responsibilities pulling them down causes a distraction from the bigger picture, but help is there if they choose to seek it.

Athene Noctua has created a modern approach to carrying a burden in her wonderful deck, The Unfolding Path Tarot. Line drawings and watercolours depict a woman dragging a heavy bag full of Wands up the steps to her front door. It looks like a shopping bag, so her heavy burden is one that she has chosen to bring home, she has spent time and money on acquiring it, whether she really needs it or not. The glittery lights emanating from the wands follow a path up to the door. This seems effortless in comparison to the sharp black lines emanating from the woman’s body, especially from her head with her strained face. She appears to resist the natural flow of things, causing herself to struggle, although there could be an easier way. However her eyes remain closed as she internalises her burden. The golden key around her neck swings freely. She could leave the bag, open the door and return to collect the Wands a few at a time, a manageable amount. She could ask for help in carrying her burden, or open her eyes to see the bigger picture in order to help herself.

The classic image by Pamela Colman Smith in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck shows a man carrying the 10 Wands in his arms as he walks toward a group of buildings. The sky is clear and the place where he is heading looks inviting, yet there seems to be a barrier in front of his feet. His back is bent as he struggles to carry every Wand that he has agreed to accept. What may have started out as creative ideas and exciting projects, have been with him so long that they themselves are sprouting leaves. He did not plan this, they are simply growing around him. His head is down, buried in his burden as he powers on forwards, regardless of where he is going. Maybe he is even using the Wands as an excuse - he can’t possible change course unless he lets go, but how can he let go now that he has taken on all these responsibilities?

Back to another modern interpretation from the Inner Light Tarot by Serena Borsella, shows a young woman balancing the 10 Wands across her lap as she herself balances in a cross legged squat position. She is backed up in the corner of a room, the window behind her, where outside a tree moves freely in the wind. In contrast, the woman is still, tense and fully concentrating on keeping her load of wands in the air. Each Wand could represent a burden or responsibility that she has taken on and she appears unable to move under the weight of them. Would one more Wand tip her off balance? Would it all come crashing down if she didn’t learn to say no, or ask for help and delegate some of the balancing act to someone else?

The 10 of Wands invites us to put the load down, to reflect on what is really necessary and what we can let go of, delegate or ask for help with. The load will only get heavier and harder to bear if we do not look up and around us and try to see our situation from another perspective. Before we loose our balance, crash and burn, it’s wise to ask for help.