The Ten of Wands
The Lord of Oppression is a hard card to come to grips
with, for it indicates blocked or thwarted Will. We
want something badly, and yet we seem to stand no
chance of getting it. We feel frustrated, irritable
and disappointed.
If a situation marked by the 10 of Wands goes on for
too long, we will begin to feel trapped and deeply
unhappy. We will begin to lose faith in ourselves, and
our abilities to make our lives into what we want.
There are a couple of things to bear in mind if the
influence of the Lord of Oppression is a fairly
fleeting one - sometimes we have to wait for the right
moment to get our heart's desire.
However it's worth bearing in mind, if you ever read
on a specific situation, and this card comes up in the
final result position, the reading is probably telling
you not to waste any more effort on a conflict that
you cannot win. Sometimes we are better off just
walking away.
The long-term appearance of this card carries a
warning with it that you really cannot ignore. If the
10 of Wands is a regular feature of your readings for
some time, you are probably hurting yourself more than
you care to admit. You are not fulfilling your needs,
and you are leaving yourself open to negativity.
Time to get a little bit of Ace energy in there, and
sort things out!
Working with the Ten of Wands
The Lord of Oppression can be a tricky influence,
because it indicates blocked energy and thwarted Will
- both of these can work against us in our lives,
causing frustration and confusion.
Very often the reason that this situation arises is
because we are unable to clearly communicate our
feelings on a given topic, to somebody who has strong
influence over our lives. We repress our inmost needs
and, instead, present a bland and safe mask to the
outside world.
So on a day ruled by this card, there are certain
processes you need to go through in order to work out
what the problem is. First of all, consider whether
this is a fleeting effect which will pass tomorrow or
the next day. If so, then the chances are that regular
use of the affirmation will clear your path.
However, if you find that you've been feeling a bit
frustrated for a while, today is the day to get to
grips with that. Isolate the things that you really
wish you could tell people around you who matter. Then
consider why you might not be speaking your mind.
There can be many reasons for this - some of them
useful and others damaging. Work out whether your
silence is serving you well or ill. For instance, it's
not usually a very good idea to tell your boss that
some of his habits drive you insane with frustration
;-) If you discover that you do have unexpressed
feelings in a situation where it would not be wise to
express yourself out loud, then write everything down,
and then vent your annoyance by ripping the paper up
into several tiny pieces (don't go directing it at the
person.just at the habit, action or event). That
should get some of your irritation out of your
system!!
If you cannot express your feelings because you're
prevented by circumstance - you are out of touch with
the person concerned; you're angry and frustrated
about a world event; there seems to be no possible
route to the people you need to talk to...the paper
trick could work well again. Or alternatively,
visualise the person/people you need to speak with,
and then tell them exactly how you feel. This act can
have a quirky effect in that it often produces a
response from the person on the other side of the
discussion!
And if, finally, you are not expressing yourself
openly because you feel that you do not want to do
this, you need to consider why. Are you scared of your
reception? Are you worried about upsetting somebody?
Are you standing on your pride? Or do you simply see
no point in expending the energy?
If you're scared of your reception...well.considering
the frustration that may be building up - perhaps this
is a good moment to feel the fear and do it anyway. If
you are worried about upsetting somebody,
remember.inadvertently perhaps.they are upsetting you.
You can express your truth without being unpleasant if
you consider what you're going to say.
If you're standing on your pride, I expect you'll have
to see whether you think doing that is worth causing
you this much irritation. And if you cannot see the
point, try the visualisation technique to free
yourself from repression, or talk the situation
through with a friend. Or write it all down and think
it over. One of these will work!! .
Affirmation: I release all repression so my Will flows
freely.