“Sometimes there’s no way to get the upper hand without taking a few uppercuts.” – Curtis Tyrone Jones You are in the middle of a pivotal point in your life. As tough as things may seem, now is not the time to slack off or take breaks. The changes that you are currently dealing with require your full attention and maximum effort. Beware of distractions and discouragement; they are your biggest enemies right now. You may need to endure some blows in the process, but continuing to fight through the pain will prevent you from being subjected to far worse circumstances should you start to give up or slow down. Remember what is driving you to keep moving forward, and keep your goals firmly in sight. You will get through this; the fact that you’ve survived this long is evident of that. Stay optimistic and appreciate the little victories, as they will be the fuel that you need to keep pushing onwards in the face of adversity.

Things have been rough lately. Maybe you caught them cheating, or perhaps you are dealing with the possibility that a relationship is coming to a bitter end. Right now, the pain that you are facing may seem impossible to overcome. However, you are strong enough to keep going. Letting yourself fall into despair and regret will only hold you back from the healing that you so desperately need right now. Don’t push your own feelings to the side in favor of maintaining the status quo. If you need to confront somebody about the wrongs that they have done to you, now is the time to do it. Take some time to really think about what you need right now, and start taking the first steps towards achieving those things. If you are actively seeking a new romantic relationship, your self-esteem may be suffering in the face of a lack or romantic interest. The hunt for The One is always going to be fraught with disappointment and heartbreak. Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do to completely avoid this. Country music group Rascal Flatts speaks on the beauty of this process in their song “Bless the Broken Road”, where they say, “Every long lost dream led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars.” The road may be broken, but it will lead you exactly where you need to be.

WANDS. TEN.

A man 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 be harmonized. I set aside that which connects it with honor and good faith. The chief meaning is oppression simply, but it is also fortune, gain, any kind of success, and then it is the oppression of these things. It is also a card of false-seeming, disguise, perfidy. The place which the figure is approaching may suffer from the rods that he carries. Success is stultified if the Nine of Swords follows, and if it is a question of a lawsuit, there will be certain loss.

Reversed: Contrarieties, difficulties, intrigues, and their analogies.

You’ve been taking your fair share of beatings at work recently. You dread going into work each day, and every shift seems to drag by while you suffer through your normal work functions. If you are actively seeking employment, you may be suffering in the face of rejection after rejection. While it may seem as though it is impossible to overcome these challenges right now, there may be new solutions that you have yet to consider. What can you do to improve the situation you are in? Do you have a coworker that has been failing to pull their weight recently? Consider talking to them or a supervisor about the situation. Are the demands of your job becoming too much for you to handle? Perhaps it is time to consider seeking a new position, or looking for alternative employment. Does it feel like you will never find a job? Take some time to polish up your application materials and explore avenues of employment that you may not have previously considered. However, this is not a sign that you should quit; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Take the struggle that you are dealing with now and use it as the fuel for your determination to put yourself in a better position. If you continue to stagnate and do nothing to improve your current position, things will never get better. You will make it through this, and your ability to persevere and adapt even in the face of extreme circumstances will shape you into and even better and more valuable employee.

Sometimes, it may feel as though the struggle just isn’t worth it. When The 10 of Wands appears in the reversed position, it is a sign that you need to reconsider the perspective of the position that you are currently in. Remember what you are fighting for, because that is what is making all of this pain worth it. Use this time to reimagine your goals and use them as motivation to keep pushing forward.