The Tens – Completing the Circle

10 of Wands – Neutron Star
When a very big star dies it explodes as a supernova and its core collapses into a small, bright and extremely dense remnant known as a neutron star. Neutron stars are so compacted that they are the heaviest form of matter known to exist. This sense of heaviness is aptly reflected in the 10 of Wands, where all this weight and density has become a burden. The completion implied by the ten becomes overkill in wands; the load has become just too much to carry. This is the card of the control freak at breaking point, unwilling or unable to share or delegate. The fiery energy of wands has become consuming rather than inspiring.

10 of Cups – Spiral Galaxy
Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a spiral galaxy and this is probably how we imagine them all to be – a ball-like core with long, swirling arms containing billions of stars. These spiral arms are bursting with activity, full of stars being born and dying. The glorious abundance of star birth shown in the 9 of Cups is taken one step further to create this swirling cycle of life. Galaxies go on for a long time, and this long-term abundance and happiness is symbolised in the 10 of Cups. This is the enduring contentment of a happy marriage rather than the heady thrill of a quick affair. The 10 of Cups is one of the most beneficent cards in the tarot, presaging emotional satisfaction lasting a lifetime.

10 of Swords - Star Death
Very large stars die in dramatic explosions known as supernovae. The explosion throws off layers of material that go on to form sculpted clouds of dust and gas. The effects of gravity pull these clouds into beautiful formations and patterns known as planetary nebulae. The 10 of Swords shows a situation where the worst has just happened – the “explosion” in your life has come and gone and you are left with its remnants. This ten is not much liked or anticipated in a tarot reading, but there is a positive aspect to it. If you have experienced an all-time low in your life, an utter defeat or terrible blow, the 10 of Swords indicates that the worst is over and a new (and perhaps beautiful) dawn is about to break.

10 of Pentacles – Solar System
The solar system comprises the sun, the nine known planets and a belt of asteroids. All the planets probably evolved from stellar dust left over from the birth of the sun, so in a way they are all “related.” The solar system is like the harmonious family symbolised in the traditional 10 of Pentacles. All the planets orbit in the same direction and on the same plane (with the exception of Pluto, the black sheep of the family!). Like a diverse, multi-generational family sharing the commonality of blood, the planets share the sun’s sustenance but have little else in common. This ten does not have quite the same sense of harmonious contentment as the 10 of Cups. Instead it has a sense of a disparate group united by common cause. There are tensions and imperfections, but happiness is achieved through mutual tolerance and creative compromise.