Ten of Cups

Element: Water

Imagery: A family stands beneath a rainbow of ten cups.

General Themes: Emotional fulfillment, harmony, shared joy.

Ten of Cups Upright

Ahhh…what a lovely card. Harmony has been restored. Your relational life is abundant and joyful. What more could a person ask for?

The figures in the card look up at a rainbow that covers them, their home, and the land before them. This card calls you home. Family, however you define it, is where your focus should be. You’ve spent a tremendous amount of energy and time in the outer world (all that pentacle energy!), and now it’s time to ground that abundance in hearth and home.

This might be a time when you are more focused on your personal life rather than your professional one. For now, follow your bliss and contentment will blossom.

Lastly, although this card represents the close of a cycle, as all Tens do, we are always unfolding into a new chapter. Similarly, one part of our life might feel like it’s in the Tens while another is at the Aces or perhaps the Fives. That doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the shared joy of this moment. In fact, the more you lean into it, the more your relational cup will fill.

Ten of Cups Reversed

The reversal of this card is less romantic than its upright form. It asks you to enjoy certain relationships for what they are without unrealistic expectations. Knowing people’s limits or the limits of a specific situation can help you appreciate what there is to appreciate without expecting something people or the situation can’t give. This isn’t about normalizing toxic energies, to be clear, but recognizing that not all people need to be pulled close like family.

This card does, however, ask you to seek common ground to forge healthier connections. This is not a time to emphasize differences or instigate conflict. Nourish what is meaningful and generative and leave the rest. Healthy boundaries lead to a flourishing relational life. 

This is also a great card for exploring what love and healthy relationships mean to you.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

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Ten of Wands

Element: Fire

Imagery: A figure carries a heavy bundle of ten wands toward a town.

General Themes: Burden, responsibility, overload, hard-earned progress.

Ten of Wands Upright

The Ten of Wands upright invites you to release unnecessary burdens. Often, we take on responsibilities and labor that aren’t ours to carry. This is especially true for those of us who are in caretaker roles or empathetic professions. We get used to carrying more than we should and normalize the oppressive weight of it. That’s terrible!

This card asks you to really look at what you’re carrying and what you need to let go of. You don’t have to work as hard as you have in the past to bring something to fruition. You also aren’t responsible for other people’s baggage. Just because you have a lot of fire energy doesn’t mean you need to be giving it away.

Be strategic about where you spend your energy and allow yourself to refuel. It is not your responsibility to carry the weight of the world, or even ten wands, on your shoulders.

Ten of Wands Reversed

The reversal of this card reads much the same as its upright form, but with a lighter feeling. You still need to release unnecessary burdens here, but it’s not as hard for you to let them go. In fact, you feel downright energized!

The Ten of Wands reversed gives you permission to let go or ask for help. You don’t have to shoulder things on your own. Playing the martyr is never a good idea, so loosen your grip on things and get support if you need it.

See how light you feel? Move forward with that energy.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

Ten of Swords

Element: Air

Imagery: A figure lies face down with ten swords in their back beneath a dark sky.

General Themes: Painful endings, betrayal, collapse, finality.

Ten of Swords Upright

Ouch. There’s no two ways about it. This is a brutal card. But as with all heavy cards in the tarot, the Ten of Swords paves a path toward healing if we’re willing to sit with the pain and listen to what it’s saying. Like the Nine of Swords, this card wants you to face your fears.

It might sound like hollow encouragement, but there’s no place to go but up when you get this card. You feel like you’ve hit rock bottom. You feel betrayed (literally stabbed in the back) by someone or by a situation. There’s no going back from this point. Your only way forward is to let things end, however painfully. Once you do that, there is hope—notice the sun rising in the distance.

You can’t fix what brought you to this terrible collapse, but you can understand it and take that wisdom into your next chapter. Look for new potential rather than fixating on the pain of the past.

Ten of Swords Reversed

Conversely, this card feels much more uplifting when it is reversed. Like its upright form, it asks you to leave pain in the past. Pick yourself up and move on—with the knowledge you’ve gained from this terrible situation.

This card, in many ways, is about having the courage to work toward a brighter future despite major setbacks and disappointments. What’s more, the reversal indicates that you are ready to move on, both mentally and emotionally.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

Ten of Pentacles

Element: Earth

Imagery: A multigenerational family gathers in an archway filled with pentacles.

General Themes: Legacy, stability, wealth, long-term security.

Ten of Pentacles Upright

Wow! This is a joyful card, though we often don’t think of it in this light, given how grounded it is in sturdy structure. But it is full of abundance—pentacles everywhere—canine companions, family, and a Two of Cups–like union.

Here, abundance is the new normal. Get used to the joys of a full life, including material wealth and meaningful relationships. You’ve come full circle. Now is the time to lean into this next chapter of your life. The Ten of Pentacles reflects the maturation and stability that come with life experience and a desire to always be growing.

Your focus on building a solid foundation has paid off. Your journey from the Aces to the Tens represents the closing of a cycle. So your story isn’t just Ten here, it’s Ten, Nine, Eight…and so forth. Every second of your journey was integral to who you are today. You’ve achieved long-term security—enjoy it!

Ten of Pentacles Reversed

The reversal of the Ten of Pentacles invites you to rethink who you share your abundance with. Energy is everything—be mindful of who you let into your life. This isn’t about isolationist or misanthropic tendencies, but understanding that being open to life and healthy relationships doesn’t mean you have to be open to everything. Instead, cultivate meaningful connections and projects that resonate with your energy. This, in turn, affects everything, from finances to overall stability.

Sometimes this card appears reversed when we’re reluctant to let go of old connections or perspectives that no longer nourish us. They might have been meaningful to us at one point but now feel hollow or draining. This often happens when we’ve outgrown a space or situation and haven’t caught up to that fact yet. Don’t be afraid to embrace new connections—and the good fortune that follows. We often can’t grow professionally or personally unless, like trees, we’re willing to shed what no longer brings us life.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

The Tens

The Tens represent the official end of a cycle. You’ve gone from the early potential of the Aces to the full fruition of your current storyline. These cards usher in strong emotions. They’re either heavy emotions or ones of cleansing and abundance. 

These last cards in the number series can signal the end of a major life event or the beginning of a new one. It can also reflect something as simple and profound as a fundamental shift in perspective. As with all things, the close of one chapter is also the start of a new one. As such, the Aces and the Tens often work hand in hand.

In the end, the Tens offer space to reflect on lessons learned, wisdom gained, and a broader perspective of the world as you close out this cycle. 

Ten of Pentacles

Ten of Swords

Ten of Wands

Ten of Cups

Image Description: Starry background with the words, “The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot: The Tens: Journey’s End, Broader Perspectives, New Beginnings.”

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!