WANDS
ACE OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
Creation, invention, enterprise, principle, beginning, source, birth, family, origin, money, fortune, inheritance.
Upright:
The Ace of Wands in this position encourages energetic movement toward activity. Brace yourself and get ready to spring into action. You may need to make your move soon, so make sure you are fully prepared. Trust your instincts and spontaneity. When the opportunity comes, you may want to seize it without hesitation.
So quicken your senses and raise your antenna. There's excitement in the air, it's time to act on your immediate ambitions.
Reverse:
The Ace of Wands reversed suggests that you may be resisting change, which can seem frightening. Nevertheless, it is to your ultimate advantage not to hesitate even though the situation may seem risky.
TWO OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
riches, fortune, magnificence;
physical suffering, disease, distress, sadness, mortification.
Upright:
The Two of Wands in this position advises you to respect your own decision-making process. Instead of criticizing yourself for indecisiveness, appreciate the various implications of possible choices. Avoid pushing yourself to make a commitment.
Keep meditating, watching the situation and witnessing the forces at work. At some point you will have enough information to see clearly. The decision-making process will be over and the choice will be clear.
Reverse:
When decision-making becomes difficult, look within yourself for the solution. You feel like you are in an all-too-familiar hall of mirrors, unable to recognize the real doorway amidst its many reflected images.
Bear in mind that your future self already knows what choice you made. When you can calm down and access the part of yourself that already knows there is a way out, your options will become clear again.
THREE OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
hope, established strength, nobility, wealth, and power.
Upright:
The Three of Wands in this position advises you to act quickly and powerfully on an idea or desire you have been feeling. This card suggests exquisite timing, staying in the moment, and responding to your instinct or intuition.
Every fiber of your being may be saying this is a great opportunity, even if those around you aren't as convinced. There's nothing to lose from taking a risk; this is a great moment in your entrepreneurial growth. Make your move and sort out the details later.
Reverse:
Rest will restore lack of drive and optimism. The Three of Wands reversed points to a temporary lapse of drive or will. You might have overdone things and burned the candle at both ends.
Give yourself some time to rest and relax. When you're feeling restored, another look at existing circumstances will assure you that prospects are still bright no matter what the immediate setbacks might be.
FOUR OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
rest, peace, prosperity, harmony, romance, and marriage.
Upright:
The Four of Wands in this position supports your good, productive, evolutionary ideas. Concentrate on networking: use your charisma and power to attract like-minded souls so you can significantly increase your sphere of influence -- the more people you can reach, the better.
Your enthusiasm empowers your vision, which is thriving with possibilities. As you share more freely what is on your mind and in your heart, others will see themselves in your vision, so you naturally receive approval, support, assistance and abundance. In your own way, you are addressing a universal need.
Reverse:
Seek stimulation from imaginative individuals to sustain your creative powers. When the Four of Wands is reversed, you may be losing touch with the needs of others; your inherent problem-solving skills could go dormant. You need stimulation and contact with creative individuals of a like mind. Consciously seek it out because it's not going to come to you.
FIVE OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
Violence, strife, rashness, competition, boldness, obstacles.
Upright:
The Five of Wands in this position encourages you to find your natural ambition. Identify what energizes you, what you would fight for, and what you are passionate about -- even when you're tired or discouraged. Strive to make that the centerpiece of your mission.
This is how you find your livelihood and establish your path of service.
Reverse:
When team spirit fails despite all effort, your inner strength can pull you through. When the Five of Wands is reversed there is no way to completely overcome the competitive environment; you are unable to bond with potential partners in a team spirit. You must fall back on your own sense of mission and sense of survival to provide direction.
SIX OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
Good news, victory, pleasure, pride career success, artistic and scientific advancement, and helpful friends
Upright:
The Six of Wands in this position advises taking action on your most burning and passionate convictions, no matter what the social consequences. Continue to articulate and define yourself in light of the torch you are carrying. This inspires others to conceive some new ideas of their own.
You may find yourself becoming something of a leader. Usually, the first person to break away from conventional thought is the one to define a new trend. Under the circumstances, there is a solid need for a fresh voice and vision -- so make your move. Those around you who are ready for change will support your leadership.
Reverse:
The Six of Wands reversed encourages you to agree to take a leadership role even if it's uncomfortable. Along with the admiration and privileges of a leadership role comes the pressure of people's expectations and a certain lack of privacy. You cannot hold up your good side twenty-four hours a day, so surrender to the reality that you will be more visible and accountable now, warts and all. Adjust your behavior to accommodate this predicament.
SEVEN OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
courage, success, defeating the opposition, advantage, and competition in business.
Upright:
The Seven of Wands in this position tells you that the time for peak performance is now. Even if slightly unprepared, you may want to push yourself beyond your usual limits, thinking in larger terms and tweaking your competitive nature. Time and effort spent in preparation could pay off handsomely. You might be the one who vaults right over the heads of those who thought they could outdo you.
Move beyond rhetoric and verbal challenges. Now could be the moment to prove what puts you above the rest.
Reverse:
Coming to terms with a lack of motivation could boost your self-esteem. When the Seven of Wands is reversed you may be actively resisting the expenditure of time and energy required to make yourself useful. You are capable of being a role model but are having trouble accepting the challenge. Until you come to terms with your lack of motivation, you are letting yourself down by allowing your self-esteem to shrink.
EIGHT OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
haste, hope, quick advancement, moving too fast.
Upright:
With the Eight of Wands in this position, learn all you can from recent successful experiences. Take note of what worked before and what did not. You possess awareness as to how to effectively apply your imagination to shape the world in productive and aesthetic ways. Thus, the testament to your talents may be revealed for everyone to see and admire.
Even if you had to leave it all behind, you know you could start all over among total strangers and succeed once again. This valuable self-confidence makes you free to strike out in new directions and not just cling to past successes and previous accomplishments.
Reverse:
Awaken to the changes that are happening in your life; denial does not serve you. When the Eight of Wands is reversed, it is tempting to deny that a powerful chain of consequences has been unleashed in your life. It's very important that you awaken to the changes happening all around you. This is not a good time for you to assume that everything is fine the way it is.
NINE OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
preparedness, strength, victory, stubbornness, power, and health.
Upright:
When the Nine of Wands is in this position, you have done everything you can to bring a situation to a successful conclusion. The full range of possibilities has been exhausted and all the creative energy that is available has already been put to use. This may be a great time to lay down your concerns and enjoy a rest. There is nothing more to bring to the mission unless you regenerate and restore the energy you have put into the cause.
While it is praiseworthy to give all you have for something or someone that means a lot to you, masochism and martyrdom are ill-advised. Take a break. No one can fault you for it now.
Reverse:
Avoid a situation that seems like a losing battle. Seek new perspective. When the Nine of Wands is reversed, it is time to question your motives. Are you truly defending the high ground because of humanitarian motives? Or are you merely competing with others? If you truly don't belong at the forefront when all is said and done, you will not be seen as a hero for obstructing others.
10 OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
selfishness, uncontrollable power burden, a test by fire, a painful heart, and problems soon to be resolved.
Upright:
The Ten of Wands in this position advises you to remember the true, simple heart of your youth and all the idealism it held. Now may be the time to reach deep into yourself and identify your purest, most wholesome impulses. As you do this, allow your optimistic and honorable side to see what's good about the world.
Look beyond the challenges, setbacks, disappointments, and frustrations you tend to see so easily. As you reawaken your inner child, you will refresh your daily life with a joyful purpose.
Reverse:
Lack of perspective on your life may impair your progress. The Ten of Wands reversed suggests that you are struggling to get a sense of perspective on the situation. A lack of objectivity may impair your ability to follow through and bring things to closure.
Try to rest yourself. Then step back to take another look at the big picture. If you feel too exhausted to work toward long-term goals, rest until your vision clears and you remember why it's worth the effort. Clear perspective leads to stronger motivation.
PAGE OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
Courage, beauty, a sudden feeling of love or anger, desire, enthusiasm, a bearer of good news.
Upright:
In this position, this card suggests that you cannot know how to facilitate communication until you have studied your environment. Your task may be to blend into your surroundings so you can gather information and get a clear sense of what is going on around you.
Think of yourself as a secret agent for the greater good. In due time, others may recognize the role you play in the transformation from divisiveness to unity. However, right now you are being asked to watch quietly from the sidelines.
Reverse:
Rather than worry about your image, emphasize the beneficial contribution you could make.
When the Page of Wands is reversed, you may be overly concerned with your reputation or image. You don't want to be seen as a source of controversy or conflict.
Don't overlook the positive contribution you could make. It is urgent that someone stands up for peace, compromise, and harmony even if these values had been pushed into the background.
KNIGHT OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
Departure, absence, flight, emigration, friendliness, a new home.
Upright:
The Knight of Wands in this position advises that you modify your self-image in order to get a sense of yourself as a person of action. No matter what your past patterns have been, it is fully possible to place yourself solidly on the road toward the future.
Not only can you get a clear sense of the proper path, but you will also have enough instructions to be self-directing. Necessary skills and resources are available to you, and the time is right for you to act. Once you get started, you may be surprised how easy it can feel, but don't be seduced by that feeling. There will be comfortable stretches of the road and there will be distinctly uncomfortable ones. Know that any form of motion is better than no motion.
Reverse:
When the Knight of Wands is reversed, it indicates a powerful desire for change and transformation, which others may neither understand nor agree with. Take time to listen to them and try to comprehend why they disagree with you, even though you are anxious to get moving.
Consider what they have to say, as it can help you be better prepared.
QUEEN OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
friendly, loving, honorable
love of money, success in business, and sexual abstinence
Upright:
The Queen of Wands in this position reveals a need to hold your place in the chain of command and respect the hierarchy (at least for now). This may not be a time for you to be at the helm, even if you are motivated by a strong dedication to completing a project or overcoming a challenge.
A perceived deficiency in leadership may make you want to take hold of the reins, but don't do it! Restrain yourself and remain loyal to your higher-ups. Stay focused and energetic. Enthusiastically confront the challenges directly in front of you. Perform in good faith and encourage others to do the same.
Reverse:
Reveal any hidden agendas before they alienate partners or associates.
The Queen of Wands reversed points to a controlling tendency that is no secret, and the people around you have the insight to perceive what is happening. Don't think your hidden agenda is undetected, and don't deny it if it is brought to light. It's more important that your team members trust you than it is to preserve an image
KING OF WANDS
Divinatory Meaning:
friendliness, marriage, honesty, and conscientious
Upright:
The King of Wands in this position reminds us that our lives are designed to bring us to a place of self-ownership. An opportunity for self-empowerment is presenting itself to you now. Recognize that you hold the power over your own experiences in life.
You are the determining factor in this situation and circumstances will proceed in the direction that you steer them. Indecision or doubt are not appropriate responses when clarity and confidence are critical. As you take on a bigger role, you will begin to feel more comfortable.
Seize the opportunity to influence events, because everything is waiting for you.
Reverse:
The wise use of power is to respectfully recognize the authority of others. When the King of Wands is reversed, there is danger in mistaking empowerment for domination, hence a potential for undermining the autonomy of others. Exercise what you think is the best, most positive use of power. Be on guard against any old tendencies to grab the controls and take over.