Hello! Welcome back.
In our last lesson, we concluded our study of the Major Arcana by weaving all 22 cards into the grand narrative of the Fool's Journey. You learned how this story acts as a powerful map for life's major chapters and significant transformations.
Today, we begin our exploration of the Minor Arcana, which represents the more everyday experiences, thoughts, and situations that fill those chapters. If the Major Arcana cards are the milestones of life, the Minor Arcana are the daily steps we take.
Our learning outcome for this lesson is to interpret the upright meanings of Wands numbered cards (Ace through Five). This is our first step into the four suits, beginning with the dynamic and fiery Suit of Wands. Just as the Major Arcana tells a story, so does each suit. We'll trace the beginning of the "Journey of Wands," from a raw spark of an idea to the first taste of challenge.
For your goal of using tarot for personal reflection, understanding the Wands is crucial. This suit governs the very energy that drives us to create, to pursue our goals, and to express our passions—be it in a career, a creative hobby like your ceramics, or personal development.
Let's ignite this new phase of your learning.
The Journey of the Wands: An Introduction
Before we dive into individual cards, let's frame our discussion. In the previous lesson, we saw how The Fool moves through a series of archetypal encounters. Each of the four Minor Arcana suits also contains a journey, a narrative progression from the Ace (the pure essence of the suit) to the Ten (its ultimate expression or conclusion).
The Suit of Wands is associated with the element of Fire. This element represents:
- Passion and desire
- Creativity and inspiration
- Ambition, career, and willpower
- Energy and action
The story of the Wands is the story of how a creative spark or a new ambition is born, acted upon, and brought into the world. Let's look at the first five cards that begin this journey.
The First Steps: Ace through Five of Wands
We will now go through each card one by one. For each card, we'll explore its core meaning and how it represents a step in the journey of creative action.
A fantastic, detailed guide for these cards is the following video from the Sacred Tarot channel. The presenter explains the symbolism clearly and connects each card to the next.
Learn Tarot. Lesson 4: The Suit of Wands. Part 1.
This video, 'Learn Tarot. Lesson 4: The Suit of Wands. Part 1,' provides a thorough explanation of the Ace through Five of Wands. We will use it as a reference as we break down each card.
You don't need to watch the whole video at once. I will point you to the specific timestamp for each card as we discuss it. The focus is on the RWS imagery and its meaning.
1. Ace of Wands: The Spark of Potential
The journey begins with the Ace. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, a hand emerges from a cloud holding a blossoming wand, offering it as a gift.
- Core Meaning: New beginnings, inspiration, potential, creative energy, a new passion or idea.
- The Narrative: This is the "epiphany" or "green light." A new idea for a project, a surge of passion for a new hobby, or a burst of ambition appears. The key is that this is raw potential. It's a gift that must be accepted and acted upon to become real.
For a concise and encouraging take on this card, read the 'Ace of Wands' section from the resource 'The Suit of Wands' on This Might Hurt Tarot.
Read the short text under the heading 'Ace of Wands'. The author calls it 'The Green Light' and emphasizes its 'YES! GO FOR IT!' energy.
Now, please watch the segment on the Ace of Wands from the "Sacred Tarot" video you opened earlier.
- Watch from 00:51 to 04:53. Notice the emphasis on the wand as a "gift of potential" that must be "grasped by human hands."
When the Ace of Wands appears in a reading, it's an invitation to start something new and follow a surge of inspiration.
2. Two of Wands: Planning and Decision
After receiving the spark of the Ace, you must decide what to do with it. The Two of Wands shows a figure holding a globe, looking out from a castle parapet. He holds one wand and another is secured beside him.
- Core Meaning: Planning, making decisions, foresight, taking the first steps to make an idea concrete.
- The Narrative: The raw potential of the Ace is now "in human hands." The figure is no longer just receiving the idea; he is owning it and planning his next move. He has the world in his hands, symbolizing that he has everything he needs to begin, but first, he must choose a direction.
Let's continue with the "Sacred Tarot" video.
- Watch from 07:42 to 11:25. The presenter discusses this card as "potential grasped" and introduces the concept of dominion—you now have control over the potential and a responsibility to shape it.
The "This Might Hurt Tarot" resource calls this "The Travel Card," urging you to get out your map and start plotting your course. You are moving from daydreaming to planning.
3. Three of Wands: Putting the Plan into Action
With a plan in place, it's time to act. The Three of Wands depicts a figure on a cliff looking out at ships sailing on the sea. He has set his plans in motion.
- Core Meaning: Progress, expansion, foresight, waiting for initial results, being on the right track.
- The Narrative: The ships have been sent out. The project has been launched. This card signifies that you've moved past planning and are now in the early stages of execution. There's an element of patience here; you are waiting for your "ships to come in," trusting that the work you've started will bear fruit.
Let's see what the video has to say about this stage.
- Watch from 12:32 to 17:07 in the "Sacred Tarot" video. The key idea here is "wheels in motion." The work has begun, but the results are not yet known.
A great modern analogy for this card, from the "This Might Hurt Tarot" website, is that of an intern. An intern is on the right career path and working hard, but they haven't reached their final goal yet. They have a good view of the future and are making progress.
4. Four of Wands: The First Milestone
Your ships have come in! The Four of Wands shows a scene of celebration—a canopy decorated with garlands, with people celebrating.
- Core Meaning: Celebration, harmony, achievement, community, stability, reaching a milestone.
- The Narrative: This card represents the successful completion of the first phase of your project. It's a joyful resting spot, a moment to celebrate what you've accomplished so far. In the RWS deck, this is often seen as a wedding or a homecoming—a happy, stable event. It's not the end of the journey, but it's a significant and happy milestone worth celebrating.
Return one more time to the "Sacred Tarot" video.
- Watch from 17:07 to 22:32. This section refers to the Four as "perfected work" or "initial completion." The wedding analogy is explored: it's the culmination of one phase (courtship) and the beginning of another (marriage).
When you see this card, it’s a sign to acknowledge your success and share your joy with others.
Test your understanding!
Imagine you've been working on your cold ceramics hobby. You've spent weeks learning the techniques (Two of Wands) and creating your first set of pieces (Three of Wands). Now, you've successfully sold them at a local craft fair. Which of the first four Wands cards best represents this feeling of accomplishment and celebration?
Show answer
The Four of Wands. This card perfectly captures the joy, sense of achievement, and community celebration that comes with reaching a significant first milestone.
5. Five of Wands: The First Challenge
After the happy celebration of the Four, the journey introduces a new dynamic: conflict. The Five of Wands shows five young men in what appears to be a mock battle, with their wands clashing.
- Core Meaning: Conflict, competition, disagreement, challenges, creative differences.
- The Narrative: After achieving initial success, you now face challenges. This isn't a serious battle but rather a form of competition or strife. It could be creative differences with collaborators, competition in your field, or the internal struggle to improve and hone your skills. The stability of the Four is "upset" by the energy of the Five, pushing you out of your comfort zone to grow stronger.
Let's finish our viewing for today.
- Watch from 24:40 to 28:18 in the "Sacred Tarot" video. The presenter makes an important distinction: this is not a battle with animosity, but more like a sport or a "play fight." It's a "struggle to learn," like martial arts practice, where you build skills through challenge.
Another interpretation, from "This Might Hurt Tarot," calls this the "Pointless Conflict Card," suggesting low-stakes, annoying disagreements. Both views are valid. The Five of Wands can represent productive, skill-building competition or frustrating, petty arguments. The context of the reading will tell you which is more likely.
A Practical Technique: Image and Symbol
To deepen your practice, it's helpful to have techniques that go beyond memorizing keywords. This next resource offers a simple, powerful method: look at the suit symbol (the wand) and notice its relationship to the surrounding image.
Learn Tarot - Class 2: The Suit of Wands (Full Beginner Course)
The video 'Learn Tarot - Class 2: The Suit of Wands' by Joe Monteleone introduces a practical technique for interpreting cards on the fly. We'll watch a short segment where he explains and applies this.
Please watch from the beginning to 10:09. First, he recaps the meaning of Wands (fire, career, ambition). Then, starting at 02:45, he explains his two-step technique. Finally, he applies it to the Ace through Five of Wands, offering a slightly different, very direct perspective on each card.
This technique helps you reason through a card's meaning, which is excellent for personal readings. For example, in the Five of Wands, the wands (symbolizing creative energy/ambition) are being used against each other. This immediately tells you the theme is conflict or competition related to those areas.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have taken our first steps into the Minor Arcana and the fiery Suit of Wands. You've learned the first five "chapters" of this suit's story.
Key Takeaways:
- The numbered cards of each suit tell a narrative journey, similar to the Major Arcana.
- The Suit of Wands is associated with Fire, representing passion, creativity, and ambition.
- Ace of Wands: The initial spark of an idea or passion.
- Two of Wands: The planning and decision-making phase.
- Three of Wands: Acting on the plan and waiting for initial results.
- Four of Wands: Celebrating a first major success or milestone.
- Five of Wands: Facing competition, conflict, or challenges that push you to grow.
You now have the foundation for understanding how creative energy manifests and develops.
In our next lesson, we will continue this story by interpreting the Wands numbered cards from Six through Ten. We will see how the conflict of the Five is resolved, what true victory looks like, and what happens when the fire of ambition is taken to its ultimate conclusion.