Ace of Wands (tarot card)

This article is about the Tarot card. For the children's television show, see Ace of Wands (TV series).

The Ace of Wands is a tarot card of the Minor Arcana, arcana being Latin for mysteries. The cards of the Minor Arcana are considered to be lesser compared to the Major Arcana because they discuss the minor mysteries of life, less important archetypes.^[1] Modern tarot readers interpret the Ace of Wands as a symbol of optimism and invention.

Ace of Wands from the Rider–Waite tarot deck

Introduction

Tarot's pictorial symbolism embodies intellectual, moral, and spiritual ‘lessons’ constituting collective human experiences across times, places and cultures. Tarot establishes this much sought after connection between ‘self’ and ‘other’ akin to the famous ‘I-Thou’ relation in Martin Buber’s metaphysics.^[2]

The ace card in a deck is considered the trump card. This card in a reading signifies success in all aspects. The success is backed by luck. This combination of success backed by hard work and luck is what forms the basis of the Ace card in the Tarot deck.

The element of the wands suit is fire. The key words are Passion, New Ventures, Success, good luck.^[3] Therefore, wands are enthusiastic, inspirational, and spiritually minded. Wands correspond to the zodiac signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.^[4] The four suits, related to the modern hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades, are swords, cups, pentacles, and wands.^[5]

An Ace-Ace pair shows that a new spirit is entering one's life. It draws on the energy of the Ace of Wands: creativity, excitement, adventure, courage, personal power.^{[citation needed]}

History

The Minor Arcana consists of the suit cards. The leading French occultist of the late 19th and 20th centuries, who wrote under the name of Papus, rebuked certain of his colleagues for using only the Major Arcana for divination, and insisted that the entire pack is essential; and all occult theories of those whom Papus rebuked were in better accord than he with the true facts of the matter. The suit cards are in no way special to the tarot pack; its inventor can have imbued it at most the trump card with esoteric meanings, since the others were not of his invention, but only rather faithful copies of the Islamic cards from which European ones were derived.^[6]

Description and imagery

There are different versions of the Ace of Wands as well as different interpretations of their meaning.

One is that a hand comes out from a cloud holding a flowering wand. In the distance is a mountain peak surmounted by a castle.^[7]

Another says that the image found on the Ace of Wands card is the rod with which Moses used to strike the water out of the rock or the club of Hercules.^[8]

Meanings and interpretations

Upright

When the Ace of Wands appears upright, readers often interpret a call for creativity and ambition.

Reversed

If the Ace of Wands appears reversed, it is often taken as circumstances delaying progress.

Work

Tarot readers often interpret the Ace of Wands as a sign of new and positive future, especially in the area of occupation.

Love

If the reader is single, this card may be seen as the indication of the beginning of a new romantic relationship. If one is already committed, the Ace tells that the relationship will undergo a 'new beginning,' and those in it will rise to new levels of understanding each other.

Finances

The appearance of this card has been interpreted as the sign of a turn for the better in terms of fortune and wealth, and sometimes it can even indicate gifts of money, or inheritance from unexpected sources.

Health

Readers often see this card as alluding to new, positive levels of health and vitality.

Spirituality

As mind and body are closely linked, this card can indicate a new spiritual influence coming into one's life.