Tarot Basics - The Wands

Tarot Wands Defined
The Tarot archetypes are simply pictures representing life and the stages and experiences we all go Energy Light from birth until death.  They are symbols of all life cycles.  The Wands archetypes are those of Fire and of Intuition.  The nature of the wands is that of making plans for the future.  Keywords for Wands include:  personality, self-image, careers, aspirations, sense of direction, purpose, inspiration, enthusiasm, and energy.

As we travel Energy Light the cycles of life, we use different parts of our being, the personality or spirit.  Those personality functions are pictured by archetype in the 56 cards in the four suits of the Tarot, (Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles).  We also encounter events and people who fit the symbolic archetypes.  Carl Jung described the archetypes as:

• Wands - Fire - Intuition

• Swords - Air - Thinking

• Cups - Water - Feeling

• Pentacles - Earth - Sensing

• Major Arcana = One's Life Journey

• Minor Arcana = People and Events along the way (Wands, Pentacles, Swords, Cups in the card decks)

The cards are laid in a spread to answer a question (a reading) usually on the topics of love, relationships, family, wealth and money, stress, problems, life decisions, health, careers and work, meditation, daily guidance, prayer, and personal growth.  Order Your Personal Tarot Reading Today

Archetype Meanings & Keywords of the Wands in Tarot Cards

Wands represent your ideas, or thoughts on an energetic or vibrational level.  Thoughts are transmitted like pictures and become our vibrational pattern. This pattern becomes our cycle of life. Unless we change our thoughts the pattern will remain the same, life never really changing.

Wands represent fire and passion. It usually stands for ambition, career, creative endeavors, religion and/or philosophy. Anything a person might put their energy and soul into, such as teaching and leadership. This is something you have to do, whether you are recompensed for it or not. It is something that burns inside of you and you need to act on it.

The wand symbology portrays what is happening to our thoughts.  The symbology will show if they are confused, as represented in the five of wands; or if they will be victorious and bring many rewards as represented in the six of wands. Wands are the beginning of all actions.  

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  Ace of Wands

Keywords: Creative beginning
enthusiasm - energy
inspired confidence - good idea
desire to change - New Idea - New spark of energy for a new passion
A new thought, which becomes stronger to be reflected into life to begin the journey to realize their visions, dreams, and desires.  The call is to begin the journey and allow the new to grow and mature.  Discovering a new spiritual path, philosophy, cause or career choice. Energy goes up, one feels the heat wants more of it.  They take up the wand and start to walk.

Two of Wands

Keywords: Boldness - contemplation
time for initiative - originality - waiting - personal power
mature and noble - choosing between the old and the new
Contemplating ideas, paths and thoughts
There are two choices in this step of the journey and one must choose one path over another.  The call is for making a decision about where to put passion, energy and undivided focus. The use of instinct and intuition is needed in making this choice.  A new path or choosing a more family older, fixed, and more comfortable path.

Three of Wands

Keywords: Strength - initiative
exploration - looking to future
creative leadership - confidence - get a perspective
Putting thoughts into action.
This is the card of "waiting for the ships to come in". The person has invested their passion in something - a new career, a big move, travel, a new journey.  The call is to realize that the journey may in fact be real and and is worthy of one's effort.   Ideas are firm, ready for the testing phase.  Standing in a position of strength and feels positive about the choice made.

Four of Wands

Keywords: Celebration - finish first stages
freedom - excitement - peaceful harmony
beauty - happiness - dream manifests
Ideas have been tested, and have flourished.   Now it is time to celebrate the rewards of the choices made instinctively.  The foundation of the house (self) has been established.  The ships have come in.  The foundation is strong and solid and supports a very positive future.  Revel in the initial success of the journey.  Excited passion and happiness are at this phase.  The choice of path in the new ideas is supported vibrationally and universally.

Five of Wands

Keywords: Conflict - competition - struggle
frustrating - too many paths - quarrels/strife - aggressiveness
Confusion of too many ideas and choices.  Scattered thinking
The call of the card is to make the effort to untangle their thoughts and proceed ahead in clarity.    A good place to start is looking at priorities.  This is the dawn of the realization that there is competition, others with just as much clout, similar ideas, equal energy and focus, and drive and ambition.  Conflict and power struggles, smooth sailing meets choppy waters.  Inner doubts and fears will arise, leading to confusion and panic.  How to be in a group and yet be oneself.

Six of Wands

Keywords: triumph and reentry - pride in work
honor and acclaim - recognition - reward
good news - harmony
Victory is assured from the fierce competition in the last step.  A choice was made to stand out and be different.  The call of the card is that oneself above all others make themselves a champion of the people.  The crowd offers honor and oneself offers the people a champion who makes wise choices and will fight for individuality. One is putting unique concepts and framework ideas into practice and will soon receive the rewards of them.

Seven of Wands

Keywords: Defiance - aggressive determination
conviction - act to overcome
a test - stiff competition
Unsure of ideas - fighting for ideas.  One defends with one wand against six others. This is the "under siege" card. The stakes are high, and suddenly one is under attack, often when they're tired or vulnerable. This is when others look at what one has done and get jealous or greedy, must suffer criticism and others try to take over one's life path or life choice.  The call is to take back control, stand one's ground firmly, not to surrender and to be fearless

Eight of Wands

Keywords: Progress and hope for a successful outcome
news & messages - new growth - quick action needed
more time needed - time to act
Ideas will very soon be in physical existence
This card is a call for movement and expansion.  Ideas and steps taken shoot across the sky, loft ideals, a reach for the universal.  They will be projected into the life and become reality. As the wands hit.  Fast. No need to slow down or be impatient, with this card, you can really move, change, do. 

Nine of Wands

Keywords: Endurance - persistence
will power - stubborn - stamina - strength
committed - determined - steadfast - defending - wisdom of time
Wounded while defending ideas and one's path is not new on the journey.  One has fought this battle before and will fight it again.  This card is a call for belief in ideas, strength of one's convictions, even though one feels on the defensive. The card reminds one that leadership,  reserves of energy and strength are there for the final push. Completion of all one has worked for is right there, all they need do is go for it

Ten of Wands

Keywords: Burdens - restrictions - too much to handle
struggle - not free - heavy weights
Too many Ideas and thinking about many things.  Instead of the inspiration and creativity of earlier, the volume of ideas and burdens has become an enemy, a force to be reckoned with.  The call of the card is to see the forest and to see the trees, find one's priorities, and focus on them.  Energy must be balanced so as not to be expended on useless endeavors. Delegate,  put down some burdens, especially those which are not yours to carry.  Only then can one find the energy, leadership, and strength to complete one's personal journey. 

Page of Wands

Keywords: Message challenge: be creative - be enthusiastic
be confident - be courageous - be a leader
find the spiritual philosophical option
Contemplating new thoughts.  Have a new idea and is concentrate on it.   
One has a small degree of control over life, as represented by the number of salamanders with their tails in their mouths.  Life is a cycle and continuous.  Pursue this idea, path, belief, philosophy.  It is strong . The call of the card is to find the new attitude, which comes from a new thought or belief  towards a given situation

Knight of Wands

Keywords: adventurous - daring - hot-tempered
cocky - restless - charming - passionate
impulsive - aggressive urge
Putting ideas into action in a headstrong, perhaps insensitive manner. 
The call of the card to to keep one's foundation under control so ideas can be put into action.  Be prepared, be ready for the battle of life.  One at this stage, knows they  will have to fight for the survival of the chosen path and is prepared to do so.  Be prepared for speed, often exhibiting the grand gesture of self-assured, passionate, charm to accomplish the end goal.

Queen of Wands

Keywords: Energetic - cheerful - charming
explorative- assured - passionate
adventurous - a mature woman
The call is to use the feminine principle to radiate warmth and energy, humor and spirit.  But exercise caution because one can be burned by hot, passionate, restless natures.  The call of the card is to be creative, to do, to travel, to entertain, all with boundless energy.  There  is a tendency to allow emotions to rule.  To avoid the pitfalls, maintain focus and do not be distracted.  Others will attempt to keep one from the journey and/or the goal.  Keep focused.

King of Wands

Keywords: Forceful leader - independent action
inspiring and bold  - charismatic leader
strong wisdom - mature man - projecting ideas
The call of the card is to have wide ranging and all encompassing perception.   Project far into the future with thoughts, combined with the global perception will enable balanced judgments in order to achieve spiritual and philosophical goals with well thought out and planned leadership. Expansive, full of energy, charisma, fun. This is one who loves danger, adventure, challenges, and leading the charge, no matter whether followers love or dislike them, this person leads.

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