"Racking Up Achievements That Border On The Unreal..."

If Serena Williams was merely a tennis star, then her victory at this weekend's Wimbledon championship (against her sister Venus) would be just another feather in her cap. But it's obvious to everyone that she's so much more than that; rather than try to blend into the quiet, WASPy world of tennis, she's turned its expectations and image inside-out at every opportunity, becoming a major celebrity and fashion icon. With their friendly rivalry and insane winning streaks, she and Venus have changed the sport forever -- people try to act normal about it, but if I ever saw her in person I'd scream like a girl at a Beatles concert, and I don't even really care for tennis.

That sort of outsized, long-term accomplishment is what the Ten of Coins is all about. The Nine has already set the pace at which your earning potential will blossom, providing pretty much everything you might need; should growth persist unchecked, you'll practically have a dynasty on your hands, rocketing beyond mere felicity and racking up achievements that border on the unreal.

If that seems impossible to attain, it's even harder to maintain. Becoming well-established means tolerating more scrutiny and responsibility. Everyone's standards for you will change; when you win, you'll win for everyone, but when you lose, everyone will feel the tremors and sell their stock. Normal family drama can become downright Shakespearean as the power dynamic shifts to accommodate your new weight. Those who can handle this kind of pressure long-term make immense personal sacrifices in order to do so, and those who aren't suited for it feel only the burden of their success, and none of the happiness.

Compared to the number Nine, there is a great round symmetry in Ten that is hard to defeat, a balance that is hard to upset -- but in the earthbound suit of Coins, that can be a liability; you need to exercise and stay flexible, lest your senses dull to the natural ebb and flow of your world and your place within it. This card challenges you to embrace good fortune when it comes, but not blindly. Examine yourself for signs of complacency, materialism, or plain old dissatisfaction. Your money, success, responsibilities should always be taking you somewhere new, so if you find yourself just running victory laps, maybe it's time to set off on a new adventure and let someone else win for a change.

(Not you though, Serena! I hope you're still knocking us out with white trench coats and Swimsuit Editions for a good long time! *swoons*)

Previously On Arcanalogue: The Ten of Coins