Western Tarot symbolism
Ten of Wands
The main description centres on a person carrying ten staves. It explicitly acknowledges that the card has several meanings which cannot all be harmonised, then links oppression with gain or success as well as difficulty. The additional list gives difficulties and contradictions when the Ten stands near a favourable card. Position and neighbouring cards therefore modify the reading even within this one text.
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In the sources
The card account
LiteraryThe main description centres on a person carrying ten staves. It explicitly acknowledges that the card has several meanings which cannot all be harmonised, then links oppression with gain or success as well as difficulty.
Comparing the lists
LiteraryThe additional list gives difficulties and contradictions when the Ten stands near a favourable card. Position and neighbouring cards therefore modify the reading even within this one text.
Context & interpretation
The active library scan carries L. W. de Laurence’s name and reproduces material associated with A. E. Waite’s Tarot exposition. This entry follows that supplied edition’s card prose and supplementary lists. Historical divinatory assignments and period character labels are distinguished from the pictured symbolism and from independently supported judgements about people or future events.
Original passages
Source 1
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
oppressed by the weight of the ten staves which he is carrying. Divinatory Meanings: A card of many significances, and some of the readings cannot beOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; card description, active reader leaf 96
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0096
- Original scan leaf
- 102
- Recorded leaf number
- 102
- Current Reader position
- 96
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
Ten.—Difficulties and contradictions, if near a good card. Nine.—Generally speaking, a bad card. Eight.—Domestic disputes for a married person. Seven.—A dark child. Six.—Servants may lose theOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; additional meanings, active reader leaf 150
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0150
- Original scan leaf
- 156
- Recorded leaf number
- 156
- Current Reader position
- 150
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Ace of Wands
A hand from a cloud presents the suit's single stout wand.
Shared source pageEight of Wands
Flying wands carry the numbered suit into an image of swift motion.
Shared source pageFive of Wands
Five youths brandish staves in a scene described as mock combat.
Shared source pageFour of Wands
A garland joins four foreground staves beside a bridge and a house.