Oct 247 min read

Tarot Combination Series - 6 - 10 of Cups + Knight of Swords + 10 of Wands

Tarot Combinations Series - 6

10 of Cups + Knight of Swords + 10 of Wands

"I progress rapidly, strong in courage and truth, towards a destiny of harmony, prosperity, peace and love."

Welcome to the sixth post in the Tarot Combination Series brought to you by Sevenstar Tarot, conceptualized and written by yours truly, Jacqueline Sevenstar.

Let’s continue, shall we?

I believe Tarot is a Key to unlock certain doors in the unconscious of the Self and as well as a Stargate in the vast field of limitless possibility. You, as a soul in a body on Earth in this lifetime have so many experiences. What is incredible about the Tarot is that its 72 cards can represent so many of those experiences and help you navigate them. My intent with these specific tarot combinations is that your Soul receives a specific combination lock to a specific door and experience. Once you have this key code and walk through this door, your Soul can integrate and advance on this Fool’s Journey to freedom, divinity and truth. Once you receive this code, no one can take it away from you, it is yours to keep.

If you’ve found this combination, it was meant to find you and you’re right on time.

Overall Impressions & Insights on this Combination Key :

They say when you start a healing journey that different versions of your Self at different ages will come up into your heart and psyche to be healed. I do not remember where I first heard this concept, but it’s something that has been on my mind. The cards that I drew for this blog post has made me think about this idea in relation to my present circumstances. I’ve sat with these 3 cards for awhile, staring at them standing up on my kitchen table every morning. Every time I walk by I would look at them. The cards are the 10 of Cups, Knight of Swords and 10 of Wands.

My heart hurts a little when I think about what they mean to me. It makes me starkly realize that behind many of my choices prior to this season in my life were made from pain. The pain of being underestimated, undervalued, unseen and diminished. I had recently healed my angry teenager and now it feels like the young woman in her twenties and early thirties trying to make her way in the world is now stepping forward to be healed. I see myself in the charging Knight of Swords. In the order that they were drawn, the Knight is charging away from the 10 of Wands and towards the 10 of Cups. It’s about time, I think to myself.

I have recently read a deeper meaning into the 10 of Wands from the book “Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot” by Lon Milo Duquette. In this book, the word assigned to this card is “oppression.” It also mentions that Crowley says that this card is “Fire in its most destructive aspect” and it is the “lust of result.” Upon reading that for the first time — it hit me. I have been oppressing myself with a fiery ambition for my idea of success.

That’s when I think about the angry teenager and the young woman trying to make her way in the world. It was probably around that time when the hunger for outward success took root. The pain of being underestimated was felt most keenly when trying to get into a college or trying to get a job to make a living. My transcripts and resumes seemed to present me in this average way and I couldn’t help but think about what was missing to make me a more valuable candidate in the eyes of the world. It didn’t make sense to me. I was frustrated. These papers didn’t fully encapsulate what I was capable of. I feel like I had to fight my way in anywhere I wanted to go. “I would show them all,” was often the mantra I would repeat when I was not hired, fired, or passed over for promotions. I am sure there are countless examples of this, but now I realize that this anger, this fire, was born from pain. From heartbreak. From the questions I would silently ask the world, “Why can’t you see me?”

Now in the present time, I can reflect and see how that pain fueled the fire to be seen as a success in the eyes of the world. I wanted to show all of those people who passed me over, underestimated me or undervalued me that I had value. I had something special to share. I think about all the choices in my life where I would make choices based on the potential success of the destination. The result.

There I was, in the 10 of wands. I had so many times worked myself to the bone for the lust of success, for recognition, and the results. I was that person in the card, carrying all those wands doggedly forward, taking on too much, trying to overcome that subconscious pain. To sate that hunger. I am ready to hug my angry teenager and young woman. I want to say to her, “you do not need this kind of fire anymore.” You do not need to move forward and build your life from pain anymore. You can build from love.

I look at the Knight of Swords charging towards the 10 of Cups. If there was a fire of a destructive, oppressive kind, then surely, inversely, there could be a fire of the creative and supportive kind. My eyes are drawn to the rainbow and the embracing couple with one arm embracing one another and the other raised and open. This couple is not like the man carrying all those wands forward in the 10 of wands. I like to imagine the couple as my husband and I, we hold each other and outstretch our hands in celebration and hope of receiving the bounty of the Great Mother’s love. All will be well. Life wants to support me, it does not wish me to suffer.

I do not shame or blame the angry teenager or young woman that I was. She was needed. She brought me here. I have the knowledge, wisdom, experience, skills, strengths and resilience of her still inside me. You did good, kid. You were a fighter and you fought with dignity and purity of heart. Now you are strong enough to realize that you do not need to fight. You do not need the validation of outward success. You can let that go.

I do not think I could have arrived here with this new revelation without the foundation of love that was built. It felt like it was built in secret, quite hidden and by my surprise. This goal was not as central in my mind or the central goal, yet my heart led me here the whole time. It took much time in stillness to see, suddenly, I was surrounded by love and appreciation. I know I am fortunate to find a love like the one I have with my husband. I am, most days, love drunk, silly and dancing with him around the house. He has a wonderful family that took me in and who accept me for I am (not for what I could give). I have these incredible close friendships I treasure. They took time for me to embrace. I had to be willing to tear down the barriers that I built from pain that kept these kind of friendships from taking root and flourishing.

All of this time, in front of my altar, praying for my highest alignment…ha! This is not what I thought I was manifesting. My mind believed that there would be some outward result that showed I had arrived somehow. My heart that feels loved, safe, valued and appreciated has shown me I have already arrived. You made it, kid. That rainbow of promise you were striving for is shining overhead.

It begs the question…now what? My heart is full and I am grinning as I write this. Whatever my heart wants, I suppose.

Special Note: For the Kabbalah enthusiasts, I think it is interesting to note with these cards that we have 10 and 10, which equals 20. This reduces to 2. We also have Fire from the Wands and Water from the Cups. The Knight of Swords is between the maxed out Fire and Water of the suits. I did wonder if this alludes to the Knight is literally slaying inner demons in the mind (Swords suit - Air) and finding a way to balance Fire and Water in his life.

Fire represents creativity, passion and the male aspect of action. The Water is intuition, relationships and the female aspect of non-action/surrender. To me, that symbolizes a Mystic’s natural flow with life. Action and Contemplation. Contemplation and Action. Surrendering for Divine inspiration (through stillness & silence) and then action on that inspiration. Finding a balance where you do not burn yourself out with too much fire, or douse the flame out with too much water. There is a sweet spot between the right amount of water and fire.

There, my friends, is perhaps the formula for the ‘highest’ straight and narrow path to your soul’s deepest desire (the true food of the soul). Food for thought. Pun intended.

Keywords and Phrases for each Card :

10 of Cups

Prosperity . Harmony . Peace . Divine Bliss . Land of Milk & Honey

‘A time of harmonious and peaceful relationships’
‘Returning to the Garden of Eden, experiencing heaven on Earth’
‘My cup runneth over’

Knight of Swords

Active . Courageous . Air . Wind . Butterflies

‘Face your demons and slay them’
‘When things are out of balance and force is needed to bring back harmony, the Knight must slay the beast because lives depend on it’

10 of Wands

Oppression . Overwhelm . Excess . Burned Out . Overexertion

‘Overwhelmed by my own misguided ambition’
‘What ideas or situations do I need to let go?’

That’s all I have for you today. I would love to hear your own interpretation and insights into this combination in the comments below. Of course you are invited to comment at will.

Several Announcements:

Expanded Availability for Online Tarot Reading Sessions!
I will be available for Tarot Readings at Elsewhere Apothecary in Kansas City, MO on Tues, Thurs and Fri from 10am-5pm. Walk-in only. Please be aware I am out of out on vacation, but will return to the regular schedule Thurs, Nov. 7th.
Mediumship 102 - Intermediate Class will be put on the schedule soon for November at Elsewhere Apothecary. It will be a one-night-only 5 person class.