Last updated: January 28, 2026
When Ten of Wands appears alongside The Devil in a tarot reading, these cards create a beautifully harmonious combination that amplifies their most positive qualities.
Heavy responsibilities, hard work paying off, and approaching the completion of a major goal. The Ten of Wands represents the final stage of a journey where the burden is heaviest but completion is near. You may feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and commitments, carrying more than your fair share of the load. The keywords most associated with this card—burden, responsibility, hard work, completion—give us insight into its core energy.
Bondage to material desires, temptation, and the illusion of being trapped. The Devil represents bondage to material desires, addictions, and limiting beliefs that keep you trapped in patterns of suffering. This card often appears when you're caught in cycles of behavior that you know aren't good for you but feel unable to break. This card carries the themes of bondage, temptation, materialism, addiction, which interact meaningfully with Ten of Wands's energy.
The earth energy in this combination brings practical wisdom and real-world applicability to the reading's message. Abstract insights become actionable guidance.
When you encounter Ten of Wands and The Devil together, consider what area of your life requires the integration of burden with bondage. The cards don't appear together randomly—their pairing is meaningful and specific to your question or situation.
This combination often surfaces during times when you're being asked to hold multiple truths simultaneously, finding wisdom in the space where both cards' messages overlap and inform each other.
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In love readings, Ten of Wands with The Devil suggests a relationship or romantic situation where energies flow naturally and partners complement each other well.
When these two cards appear together in a love reading, they bring a nuanced message about your romantic life.
Ten of Wands in Love: Relationship responsibilities, supporting a partner through difficulties, or working hard for love. You may be supporting a partner through difficult times or carrying most of the emotional load in your relationship
The Devil in Love: Unhealthy relationship patterns, codependency, or sexual obsession. This card can indicate being trapped in toxic relationships, unable to leave despite knowing they're harmful
Together, Ten of Wands and The Devil suggests a relationship or romantic situation where energies flow naturally and partners complement each other well. This combination speaks to the heart of your romantic situation, asking you to consider how these two energies manifest in your love life.
Trust the connection. This combination indicates that love is supported by the universe right now.
Whether you're single and seeking, newly dating, or in a long-term partnership, this card combination offers relevant insight. For singles, consider how these themes might relate to what you're attracting or need to develop before finding love. For those in relationships, reflect on how these energies play out between you and your partner.
The intersection of burden's energy with bondage's influence creates a specific romantic signature that's meaningful for your situation.
For career and finances, Ten of Wands with The Devil indicates a professional environment where your skills, goals, and circumstances align favorably.
In professional matters, this card combination carries specific guidance for your work life and financial decisions.
Ten of Wands at Work: Professional overwhelm, taking on too much responsibility, or nearing career completion. You may be working toward a major career goal or project completion, but the workload feels overwhelming
The Devil at Work: Career bondage, work addiction, or compromising values for money. This card can indicate jobs that drain your soul, workplace environments that bring out your worst qualities, or careers that require you to act against your principles
The combination of Ten of Wands and The Devil indicates a professional environment where your skills, goals, and circumstances align favorably. These cards together paint a picture of your current professional landscape and the opportunities or challenges ahead.
Move forward with confidence. Professional endeavors are supported right now.
Consider how the themes of burden and bondage apply to your specific work situation. Are there projects that need this combination's energy? Relationships with colleagues that reflect these dynamics? Career decisions that these cards illuminate?
While this combination primarily speaks to career, it also influences financial matters. The harmonious energy suggests stable financial conditions.
Spiritually, Ten of Wands and The Devil together invites you into a period of spiritual alignment where inner and outer realities support each other.
On a soul level, this combination speaks to your spiritual path and inner development.
Ten of Wands's Spiritual Wisdom: Spiritual responsibilities, the weight of spiritual service, or approaching spiritual completion. You may be in a position of spiritual leadership or guidance that feels overwhelming at times
The Devil's Spiritual Wisdom: Spiritual materialism, shadow work needed, or being trapped by false beliefs. This card can indicate using spirituality for ego purposes, being controlled by religious dogma, or spiritual practices that have become compulsive rather than liberating
Ten of Wands meeting The Devil invites you into a period of spiritual alignment where inner and outer realities support each other. This is not a random pairing—the universe is highlighting specific spiritual themes for your attention.
Given this combination's energy, consider incorporating meditation, gratitude practices, and mindful presence into your spiritual routine.
The intersection of Ten of Wands's wisdom with The Devil's teachings creates a unique spiritual lesson. Meditate on both cards together, allowing their combined imagery and symbolism to speak to your soul. What message emerges when you hold both energies simultaneously?
This combination appears when you're ready to integrate burden with bondage of your spiritual understanding. The growth available now requires honoring both cards' teachings.
When either card appears reversed, the combination's meaning shifts toward internal work and blocked energies.
Ten of Wands Reversed: Releasing burdens, delegating responsibilities, or avoiding necessary commitments.
The Devil Reversed: Breaking free from bondage, overcoming addiction, or recognizing personal freedom.
Both Cards Reversed: When both Ten of Wands and The Devil appear reversed together, this signals a period of significant internal processing. External action may be premature—focus instead on inner work and self-reflection.
The reversed combination asks: What needs to be unblocked or healed before these cards' upright potential can manifest?
The imagery of Ten of Wands and The Devil creates a rich visual dialogue, particularly through their shared symbolism of Ten Heavy Wands & Torch in Left Hand and Wand/Staff & Torch in Left Hand.
A figure carries ten heavy wands, bent over from the weight but still moving forward toward a distant town or goal. The burden is clearly heavy, but the destination is visible, suggesting that completion is within reach.
A horned, winged devil-like figure sits on a throne with an inverted pentagram on its forehead. The figure holds a torch in one hand and raises the other in a gesture of false blessing. Two naked figures - a man and woman - are chained to the throne, but their chains are loose enough to remove. They have sprouted horns and tails, showing how base desires have transformed their nature. The entire scene is set against a dark background, suggesting the realm of illusion and spiritual blindness.
Key Symbols: **Horned Devil Figure**: The shadow self and lower nature given form - The aspects of self that we deny or repress, now demanding recognition
**Inverted Pentagram**: Spirit trapped in matter, materialism over spirituality - The reversal of natural spiritual order through materialistic focus
**Bat Wings**: False power and the illusion of freedom in darkness - The appearance of power that actually keeps one bound to lower vibrations
When these cards appear together, notice particularly how Ten Heavy Wands & Torch in Left Hand, Wand/Staff & Torch in Left Hand, Fire & Torch in Left Hand create visual and energetic echoes between the two images. These shared symbols amplify the combination's message.
Shared Symbolic Themes:
Ten of Wands (10) and The Devil (15) combine to 25, reducing to 7—the number of spirituality, introspection, and wisdom.
Ten of Wands - Number 10: The number of completion, culmination, and the end of a cycle. The full weight of manifested fire - carrying all that has been created
The Devil - Number 15: The number of temptation, materiality, and the choice between light and shadow. The energy that tests spiritual development through material challenges and shadow confrontation
The combined numerological vibration of 7 brings the energy of spirituality, introspection, and wisdom. This underlying numerical influence colors how these two cards interact, adding a layer of completing and transcendent energy to their combination.
Ten of Wands
The Burdened Achiever, The Carrier of Responsibility, The Overburdened One
The Devil
The Shadow, The Tempter, The Illusionist
When The Burdened Achiever, The Carrier of Responsibility, The Overburdened One meets The Shadow, The Tempter, The Illusionist, these archetypal energies work together in natural alliance, each supporting the other's expression. Consider which archetypal patterns are active in your current situation and how their interaction might be playing out in your life.
The Major Arcana The Devil brings archetypal weight to the everyday energy of Ten of Wands.
The Devil's Archetypal Journey: After Temperance's balanced integration, The Devil tests that balance by presenting temptations and illusions. This is where the soul learns to distinguish between real limitations and self-imposed bondage, between authentic power and false control.
Ten of Wands's Suit Progression: The Ten of Wands represents the culmination of the fire journey - but with a cost. All the creative projects, ambitions, and responsibilities have materialized, and now they must be carried. This is the weight of success, the burden of fully manifested will. The journey ends not in triumph but in the reality of what triumph requires.
When Major and Minor Arcana appear together, the Major card often shows the larger life lesson or theme, while the Minor card indicates how that theme is manifesting in your daily experience. The Devil's archetypal energy infuses the practical situation shown by Ten of Wands.
Use these questions for journaling or meditation with this combination:
Combined Affirmation
“I have the strength to carry my responsibilities while also embracing the wisdom to recognize my freedom.”
Understanding the astrological and elemental energies behind each card reveals deeper layers of meaning in this combination.
Golden Dawn Title
Lord of Oppression
Planet
SaturnZodiac
SagittariusDecan
3rd decan (20°-30°)
Element
fireNumerology
10
Saturn (Ten of Wands) meets Saturn (The Devil) - this combination blends Saturn's energy of discipline and structure with Saturn's influence of discipline and structure.
About Ten of Wands and The Devil
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