Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

The next several posts are devoted to help you understand the tarot at deeper levels. If you’re a regular reader of my column, you know that tarot cards are a deep part of my magickal work. I consider them essential tools for my own personal path and I hope that you’d at least try working with them. My experience has been greatly enriched with my study of the tarot.

If you’ve ever seen a deck of tarot cards, you know that there are four “suits” similar to modern playing cards. The four suits are wands, coins/pentacles, cups and swords. I’m going to give you an in depth look at at each of the four suits and their number cards. These cards, combined with the court cards, are considered to be the minor arcana in tarot. The major arcana cards are a lot more descriptive, so they are often overemphasized in tarot books. I’ve found that most tarot students take a while to really get the grasp of the minor arcana. It’s my hope that this section will help you do just that.

Each suit of the minor arcana tells a story, going from the ace of the suit up through the ten. The court cards (king, queen, knight/prince and page/princess) have their own specific meanings, which I’ll cover in a different post.

The first suit we’ll look at is the “wands” suit. Depending on your tarot card deck, this suit may also be referred to as rod, staff or stave. Every tarot designer has their own method for drawing or representing this suit, so if your deck is different from the norm, feel free to substitute something for “wand” in the following interpretations.

Ace/One – The first card in the Wands series represents the start or an idea, thought or inspiration. Wands represent fire and action, but in this position the action has not yet come to fruition. It’s the start of an idea that hasn’t yet caught fire. I liken it to the moment that you get a sudden burst of inspiration and are excited about starting something new. When this card comes up, get ready for inspiration and action in a new direction.

Two – In tarot, the two card represents choice and future decisions. In the case of the wands, it’s all about choosing which direction to take. After you’ve had the inspiration and start to lay the groundwork for something new, it’s time to decide whether or not you really want to go through with it.

Three – This is you and your idea, plus another element. It’s a stopping point in the process of taking action, because you realize that you need something else in order to keep going. It could be a partner, more money, more time, a better idea…etc.

Four – It’s celebration time! You’ve started to put your plan into action and have crossed over the hurdle of the four. You can celebrate a bit, but you also need to recognize that there’s still a lot of work yet to be done. The danger of this point is resting on your laurels too long.

Five – This is a card of conflict, and when it comes to the wands it means that the conflict is internal, in my opinion. This may be a resistance to moving any further with your action. You may be feeling conflicted about taking the next step, or wonder if you are going in the right direction.

Six – This card is all about success through hard work. After you have made the decision to keep moving forward, you’ve got to put your nose to grindstone and keep going. You may be tired ad ready to quit, but you’ll be greatly rewarded if you keep moving forward.

Seven – Much like with the five card, this is a period of unrest and conflict. However, this time the struggle is coming from external forces. You’ve thrown yourself into action and now are experiencing delays, questions and other types of resistance from the people or circumstances in your life. This card is a gentle reminder that you need to keep going no matter what.

Eight – This card is action to the extreme! In my deck, there are eight wands flying through the air and if you draw this card, you’ve got a lot going on in your life. All the things you set into motion in the past are bearing fruit right now. The challenge of this card is to keep everything up in the air.

Nine – This card shows success and victory, but it is not the final success that you are looking for. It may indicate that you are coming to the end of this project or period of activity but aren’t quite there yet. Hold on! The end near.

Ten – This card shows that the price of your success may be extra burdens. Although the negative interpretation of this card can be that you’ve taken on too much to carry, it can also indicate that you’ve received a bounty of success.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”