don't be a hero

The Ten of Wands is the one of the strongest representations of heavy burden in the Tarot. It speaks of strain, deep concern and an overwhelming workload. A querent is definitely doing too much under this influence, and the results are not healthy. Anxiety and exhaustion could be setting in. The message in this card is clear - the time for denial is over. Slow the pace before you completely burn out. There's too much being placed on your shoulders and it's time to identify the sources of your stress and assess how many of them can be done away with. No one is magnanimous and no one should be expected to take on the weight of the world. The Ten of Wands is asking for assertiveness and decisive action. It's time for your voice to be heard. It's time for you to ask those around you who may be directly benefiting from your efforts to share in the responsibilities, not just the rewards. To do this is to recognise that you are important, not just as an agent in some common goal or as a useful contributor to a system, but as an individual.

The desire to work diligently to achieve something worthwhile is understandable and very human, but putting yourself in an early grave in order to complete a project or save a relationship is counter-productive and will only serve to make you and -in most cases- those around you, utterly miserable. When a querent receives this card it might be time for them to ask themselves, 'is this truly worth it?' The theme of expectation is often clear here. Some outside force may be piling on the pressure, whether it's a demanding job, a pushy friend or a domineering family who care more about what they want for you than what you want for yourself. Sometimes, when I've drawn this card for a querent, it has been a warning against martyrdom. Breaking ones back for a sense of self-worth is never going to provide the kind of lasting satisfaction that is better achieved through more balanced living. If a querent is the sort to run around doing everything for everyone, it's often because they feel an inexplicable sense of guilt over taking time for themselves and this needs to be remedied because, in the long-term, it doesn't do anyone any good.

Do what you can. Leave the rest to the winds of change and fate. Don't berate yourself for what you couldn't control. Don't bite off more than you can chew. If you regularly do this, examine the deeper reasons for it. What is missing? Why are you always so hard on yourself? These questions are best answered in deep discussion with the self and this is best achieved when you give yourself at least five minutes without being disrupted by some task you simply must finish! Believe me, the earth is not going to crumble just because you take some time to relax.