- 10 of Wands: "Life is a constant struggle. I do not know how much longer I will be able to take care of everything. What will they all do if I fail one day?".

- 10 of Pentacles: "Yes, my boys, hear their petty squables: they have it all, mostly through my efforts, and they still seem unable to appreciate it. Good thing I still have you, my faithful companions".

- 10 of Swords: "Oh, I am done for!... All have abandoned and betrayed me... Everyone and everything I once trusted with my heart and soul has turned out to be false and traitorous... They stabbed me and left me to die alone and helpless... Good bye, cruel world... good bye...". End of Act X.

- 10 of Cups: "See, dear! We have finally everything we dared hope for: we can live a simple life in this beautiful country and raise our children free and happy. Our joy knows no limits".


In these four cards I am struck by the fact that most of them are about perception: the wands perceives himself as the only one able to carry all burdens (my mum is like that, hee, hee); the pentacles are unable to perceive the good things around them; the Swords sees himself as a total victim with no hope at all; only the Cups seem to be able to appreciate what surrounds them.

So, maybe focusing on labor (wands), not valuing what we already have (pentacles), exaggerating our wrongs through the constantly stabbing rational mind... can only be overcome by the loving vision of the cups. Love can put things in a new and satisfying perspective.




This Ancestral Path 10 of swords seems to have a ninja as the assassin, so is a bit more sinister: the victim was not making it up, after all.

Robin Wood's 10 of pentacles seems to give happiness all around, so the whole family is contented with their everyday life.

And, finally, the Ancestral 10 of wands does have a real burden that she lovingly embraces: she is working for herself and her children and that is the only goal she can afford to think about.

i love the arch with the pentacles, that's kind of cool looking!   the mother and her children is great! love the art work!  it for sure says something different to me that the RW decks.  its like i will protect you no matter how heavy the burden!

The 10 of swords.... this card appeared to me few days ago. i was already confused when i did this reading and this card signifies a very big heartache or shock which is followed by some kind of a new hope but after a long while.

I was already worried about an issue, and there u go, two days after, i lost my best friend...

I always have doubts about the meaning when i perform a reading, but this time, the result was so quick....

It left a lot of sorrow in my heart, yet... as the card signifies, there's nothing left to be done.  

sorry to hear about your lost.    

when in reading you have to go with you intuition (feelings) when reading for yourself or anyone else.

i had that card come up for a friend and they were freaked out by it. "well that can't be good" she said.

I always use my feeling during a reading.. actually, some friends ask me to read for them but i just refuse when i am disturbed or not being able to concentrate... some people consider that i am snobbish, but that's not true... i will not read for someone when i am so un prepaired... i need my on atmosphere and i can't do it just when i am asked to do it.

Do u guys face this too?