Persephone had it all. Kidnapped by the god Hades, she realized that the god of the underworld was also the god of wealth, and was stupidly besotted with her. So she worked out a deal: half the year she lived with him; the other half, she went back to the world above to visit her mother Demeter. Likewise, the Ten is saying that you can balance wealth and family, too.

Ares is our King of Wands. At his best, he is a forceful leader that is passionate, dramatic, exciting and bold. He gets results by taking risks, and he gets them fast. In the ancient world, hed be Alexander the Great, conquering through revolutionary military tactics; in the modern, hed be Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Hes telling you to take a risk and innovate.

Like Medea, who teamed up with Jason to steal the famous Golden Fleece, this card is all about conflict and struggle and hard won victory. It promises the power, motivation and drive to get the job done, no matter the odds.

Born on land but ruling the sea, Poseidon combined the active quality of air with the emotional quality of water, and frequently fought in both realms. Likewise, this is a card for making your emotions work for you in other areas: an actor or musician using emotion to bring realism to a performance, or a businessman using charm and diplomacy at work.

Ajax killed himself after his army voted to give his dead friend Achilles armor to Odysseus instead of him. But, had he held on a little longer, he might have discovered that Odysseus would need that armor. Because it would take him more than a decade (and an Odyssey full of misfortunes) to get home. Some time could give you a new perspective now, too.

Our card shows Eros playing piggy-back with a woman, guiding her towards her suitor. But, like with the blinded woman, your road to success may have some small stumbles today. Nothing too serious, but sometimes, it may feel like you have a monkey on your back (or a mischievous god).

Paris eloped with Helen because Aphrodite had promised him the most beautiful woman in the world for his bride. The fact that Helen was already married, and to the crazy king of Sparta, wasnt his problem, now was it? Ummm . . . . You know, enthusiasm is a great and wonderful thing, but maybe a little more thought needs to go into a certain situation just now.

The horai, goddesses of the seasons, were also goddesses of proper timing. It doesn’t take much to throw off a harvest: rains that come too early or too late; cold that lingers a bit too long; planting before you should, etc. Likewise, the four reversed warns that your timing may be off just now. Accept that delays happen, and pace yourself.

History is cyclical -- just ask Clio, the muse of history, on your card. Right now, you may be going through a challenging time. But she would like to remind you that, like the good times, the bad ones never last. There, don’t you feel better?

Karen Chance