Minor Arcana: Wands Flashcards
Ace of Wands
Beginnings of a new enterprise.
Start of noble quest.
A birth or conception (especially if this card is near the Ace of Cups in a reading).
Ace of Wands
Reversed
Destructive pride.
Rushing forward without thinking.
Failed initiative, due to lack of preparation or a false start
Two of Wands
Authority, guardianship, fore-sight, vision.
Power and energy wielded and kept in reserve.
The splendor and wonder of a world waiting to be explored, or the fruits of a long and laborious life.
Two of Wands
Reversed
Surprise, which can be pleasant and welcome, or a horrific shock.
Blindsided by fate.
Misinterpretation of events.
Three of Wands
Generosity, an enterprise or partnership, or a fair trade mediated by someone of good character.
This card is sometimes connected with sea travel or trade, and sometimes with philanthropy.
Voyages of discovery.
Three of Wands
Reversed
Failure of over-ambitious plans, getting overextended.
Inability to look past one’s own experience and take joy in something new.
Four of Wands
Celebration, success, revelation, completion of a great task.
Can also mean a wedding or a partnership of some other kind, or an armistice.
Four of Wands
Reversed
Being left at the altar, literally or figuratively.
A wrench in the works, a last-minute complication, or a damaging natural event.
Five of Wands
Ordeals, tests, battle and the glorious chaos of ambition.
This card can represent the more idealized side of armed conflict (the reality tends to show up in the suit of Swords).
Fighting to achieve one’s goals, especially against other people.
Five of Wands (Reversed)
Disputes resolved by an outside party, turning to the courts, for instance.
A battle abandoned or not fought fairly.
Trickery.
Six of Wands
Riding home in triumph.
A hero in victory, arriving to enjoy the fruits of his efforts.
The reward after the battle, the recognition for a job well done.
Six of Wands
Reversed
Someone else steals the recognition of your victory.
Disloyalty and betrayal. Ingratitude.
Seven of Wands
Individual courage and strength.
Beset on all sides by opponents, but with a significant advantage: self-reliance.
Seven of Wands
Reversed
Hesitation, indecision, embarrassment in public. An untenable situation. An unwillingness to ask for help.
Eight of Wands
Urgency, speed, energy being expended quickly (possibly too quickly). Haste and rash decisions. Infatuation and ill-advised passion.
Eight of Wands
Reversed
Inertia, slowing down to a crawl, delays.
Jealousy or internal disputes.
Nine of Wands
Recovery from illness or injury.
Holding strength in reserve or letting it build against a true threat.
Patience, security and defensive positions.
Nine of Wands
Reversed
Adversity from a tenacious foe.
Waste of saved resources.
Ten of Wands
Selfishness, heavy burdens, taking on the work of others in addition to or instead of fulfilling one’s own responsibilities.
Being damned with faint praise or receiving a “reward” that turns into an albatross.
Ten of Wands
Reversed
Being tricked into taking on the work of others through deceit or subterfuge.
Abandoning one’s responsibilities entirely.
Page of Wands
Clever, enthusiastic, witty and vivacious person.
An energetic lover or a faithful apprentice.
Page of Wands
Reversed
A lazy, spoiled or shallow person.
Indecisive and theatrical — confuses being “eccentric” with being interesting or educated.
Knight of Wands
A powerful and decisive, but inconsistent and fleeting person.
A man of action, if not foresight.
A harbinger of danger, though rarely bearing a direct threat.
Knight of Wands
Reversed
A cruel or bigoted person.
Someone with a lot of misdirected energy, or some genuinely wrong beliefs.
Queen of Wands
A warm, affectionate and stable woman, someone who is well-established in her community.
That also means, though, that she is stubborn and set in her ways.
Queen of Wands
Reversed
She is unpredictable and inconstant, likely to turn on friends and see opponents where there are none.
She is virtuous, but is too cognizant of her virtue, and uses it as an excuse for rash action.
King of Wands
A moral man, but not a dogmatic one.
The King of Wands is passionate and intelligent, but his passion has been tempered by years and he relies more on instinct and observation than education.
He is proud, courageous and kind, but demanding.
King of Wands
Reversed
Morality is tainted with fear and callousness.
His code has to be the rule of the land, not just his own personal outlook, and he probably has the power to enforce it.
