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.
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. [6]
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. [7]
Arrien-The Torch of Fire. A deep spiritual desire and opportunity for self-discovery and self-realization that the individual has to draw upon for a year's time.
Cowie-New Idea. Having a new thought.
Crowley-The Root of the Powers of Fire. The essence of the element of Fire in its inception. The primordial Energy of the Divine manifesting in Matter at so early a stage that it is not yet definitely formulated as Will.
Eakins-Force. Transformative high energy. Great energy of new beginnings. A newly discovered source of power. Excitement. Exhilaration.
Fairfield-A New Identity. Planting the seeds for a new, public identity. Beginning to create a new name for oneself or taking on a new role in life.
Greer-Inspired consciousness. Consciousness Raising. Desire for self-growth. New idea. Burst of energy. The first impulse and the passionate will to begin.
Noble-The beginning of fire-spirit, intuition, energy. A rebirth of the spirit. The passions are aroused and creativity is assured. Expansive activity and willpower for whatever one's goals dictate.
Pollack-A gift of strength, power, great sexual energy, and the love of living. Or chaos and things falling apart.
Sharman-Burke-Positive new beginnings and ideas in the element of fire. Creativity, energy and initiative. Can symbolize a new business venture, a new undertaking, new foundation, and creative power with plenty of potential and ambition to progress and succeed.
Stewart-Fire/Light. In one sense the burning flame, while in a higher octave universal light, the energy of being. A balancing, affirmed power, an energy increasing in potency. The god of light in harmony and balance with the dragon power.
Waite-Creation, invention, enterprise, the powers which result in these; principle, beginning, source; birth, family, origin, and in a sense of virility which is behind them, The starting point of enterprises; money, fortune, inheritance. (The card) represents the critical factor for the seed of a new venture - perhaps as yet unseen. An opportunity to be met with boldness, vigor, and enthusiasm. The herald of birth, invention, or entrepreneurship. An innate and primal force released. Also, it may suggest a surge of vitality, creativity, or fertility that can set things in motion.
Walker-Power. Power and the masculine element of fire with its connotations of heat, vigor, aspiration, contest, enlightenment, and avidity to consume.
Wanless-Illumination. Purity, clarity, and honesty. State of enlightenment. Understanding. Having the courage to change and expand. Knowing what gives one energy and vitality.
Riley-Evokes the Force. Unseen self-organizing. The Spirit rising up from within. The drawing of desire, passion, enthusiasm, creativity. Indicates some form of I desire. [8]
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. [9]
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. [10]
When the Ace of Wands appears upright, readers often interpret a call for creativity and ambition.
If the Ace of Wands appears reversed, it is often taken as circumstances delaying progress. [11]
Tarot readers often interpret the Ace of Wands as a sign of new and positive future, especially in the area of occupation.
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.
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.
Readers often see this card as alluding to new, positive levels of health and vitality.
As mind and body are closely linked, this card can indicate a new spiritual influence coming into one's life. [12]
Clouds: Symbol meaning of clouds deal with ambiguity, mystery, and things hidden. Most renditions of this card depict a hand holding a flaming torch thrust out suddenly from the clouds. This is symbolic of our ideas or energy coming out of the hidden places of our psyche and into the light of day. Clouds often deal with hidden agendas that might be keeping us in a holding pattern. They may also indicate underlying beliefs that hold us back from our being our brightest selves.
Rivers: River symbol meanings deal with motion, direction, and the flow of our thoughts as well as our lives. When the river in the ace of wands Tarot card flows into our psychic vision it is a message that we must consider the direction we are taking in our lives. Specifically, since the ace of wands deals with passion and energy, we may want to consider where our actions are taking us. Take the time to reassess one's goals and be confident one is heading in the life direction desired.
Mountains: Symbol meanings of mountains deal with challenges, acquisition, accomplishment and aspirations. Mountains are a symbolic allegory for us in that as we climb them, each step brings us closer to our highest point. This highest point, the top of the mountain, can be a spiritual goal, physical goal, or anything else that we aspire to reach. The mountain is unbending, and inflexible. This makes it a reminder that only we can change how we deal with challenges (because the mountain certainly isn't going to change for us). This being the case, we can embrace the lessons we gain as we take on the challenge of the mountain. We can also rest assured that the peak will always be there as we aspire ever higher to our desired results. [13]
The key meanings of the Ace of Wands: [14]
Tarot is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots, tarot-playing cards spread to most of Europe, evolving into a family of games that includes German Grosstarok and modern games such as French Tarot and Austrian Königrufen. In the late 18th century French occultists made elaborate, but unsubstantiated, claims about their history and meaning, leading to the emergence of custom decks for use in divination via tarot card reading and cartomancy. Thus, there are two distinct types of tarot packs in circulation: those used for card games and those used for divination. However, some older patterns, such as the Tarot de Marseille, originally intended for playing card games, are occasionally used for cartomancy.
The Minor Arcana, sometimes known as Lesser Arcana, are the suit cards in a cartomantic tarot deck.
The Major Arcana are the named or numbered cards in a cartomantic tarot pack, the name being originally given by occultists to the trump cards of a normal tarot pack used for playing card games. There are usually 22 such cards in a standard 78-card pack, typically numbered from 0 to 21. The name is not used by tarot card game players.
The Rider–Waite Tarot is a widely popular deck for tarot card reading. It is also known as the Waite–Smith, Rider–Waite–Smith, or Rider Tarot. Based on the instructions of academic and mystic A. E. Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, both members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the cards were originally published by the Rider Company in 1909. The deck has been published in numerous editions and inspired a wide array of variants and imitations. It is estimated that more than 100 million copies of the deck exist in more than 20 countries.
The Magician (I), also known as The Magus or The Juggler, is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional tarot decks. It is used in game playing and divination; in the English-speaking world, the divination meaning is much better known.
Strength is a Major Arcana tarot card, and is numbered either XI or VIII, depending on the deck. Historically it was called Fortitude, and in the Thoth Tarot deck it is called Lust. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination.
The World (XXI) is the 21st trump or Major Arcana card in the tarot deck. It can be incorporated as the final card of the Major Arcana or tarot trump sequence (the first or last optioned as being "The Fool" (0). It is associated with the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet, 'Tau', also spelled 'Tav' or 'Taw'.
The Four of Wands is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards which include tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the "Minor Arcana".
Five of Wands or Five of Batons is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards which include tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the "Minor Arcana".
The Page of Wands is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards which include tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the Minor Arcana.
Knight of Wands or Knight of Batons is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards which include tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the Minor Arcana. Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play tarot card games.
The Queen of Wands is a court card in the Minor Arcana set of the tarot.
The King of Wands, or King of Batons, is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards which include Italian, Spanish, and tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the "Minor Arcana".
The Ace of Cups is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards. It is the ace from the suit of cups. In Tarot, it is part of what card readers call the "Minor Arcana", and as the first in the suit of cups, signifies beginnings in the area of the social and emotional in life.
The Page of Cups is a card used in Latin-suited playing cards which include tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the "Minor Arcana"
The Queen of Swords is a card in the suit of swords, part of the Minor Arcana set of the tarot.
The suit of coins is one of the four suits used in tarot decks with Latin-suited cards. It is derived from the suit of coins in Italian and Spanish card playing packs.
The suit of wands is one of four suits in tarot, collectively known as the Minor Arcana. Like the other tarot suits, the suit of wands contains fourteen cards: ace (one), two through ten, page and knight, queen and king. When Tarot cards are to play Tarot card games, where wands corresponds to the suit of batons. Tarot cards came to be utilized for divinatory purposes by esotericists such as Eliphas Levi and were regularized into the divinatory form most known today by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Rider–Waite Tarot, created by a Golden Dawn member.
The suit of goblets, more often known in modern times as the Suit of Cups, is one of four suits of tarot which, collectively, make up the Minor Arcana. They are sometimes referred to as chalices. Like the other suits of the Minor Arcana, it contains fourteen cards: ace (one), two through ten, page, knight, queen and king. Historically, the suit represented the First Estate. Tarot cards were originally designed for card play and are still used throughout much of Europe to play various Tarot card games. However, in English-speaking countries, where the games are largely unknown, Tarot cards came to be utilized primarily for divinatory purposes. In modern card games, the equivalent suits are Hearts or Cups.
Tarot card reading is a form of cartomancy whereby practitioners use tarot cards to purportedly gain insight into the past, present or future. They formulate a question, then draw cards to interpret them for this end. A traditional tarot deck consists of 78 cards, which can be split into two groups, the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. French-suited playing cards can also be used; as can any card system with suits assigned to identifiable elements.
Huson, Paul, (2004) Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage, Vermont: Destiny Books, ISBN 0-89281-190-0 Mystical Origins of the Tarot
Banzhaf, Hajo. The Tarot Handbook. Stamford, CT: U.S. Games Systems, 1993. Print.
Decker, Ronald, Thierry Depaulis, and Michael A. E. Dummett. A Wicked Pack of Cards: the Origins of the Occult Tarot. New York: St. Martin's, 1996. Print.
Gray, Eden. The Tarot Revealed: a Modern Guide to Reading the Tarot Cards. New York: Bell Pub., 1960. Print.
Ivtzan, Itai. "Tarot Cards: A Literature Review and Evaluation of Psychic versus Psychological Explanations." Journal of Parapsychology (2007): 139-40. Print.
Shepard, Leslie. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology: a Compendium of Information on the Occult Sciences, Magic, Demonology, ... with Biographical and Bibliographical Notes and Comprehensive Indexes. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1991. Print.
Semetsky, Inna. "Transforming Ourselves/transforming Curriculum: Spiritual Education and Tarot Symbolism." International Journal of Children's Spirituality 14.2 (2009): 105-20. Print.
Riley, Jana. Tarot Dictionary and Compendium. York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 1995. Print.
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