Suit of Wands
| Card | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Ace of Wands | (divine) inspiration, venture, opportunity |
| Two of Wands | vision, ambition, fearlessness, accomplishment, aspiration |
| Three of Wands | learning (?), strategy, planning, validation, effort, productivity |
| Four of Wands | joy, |
| Five of Wands | play, contest, rivalry, discord, contention |
| Six of Wands | leadership, confidence, success, victory, exaltation, tribute |
| Seven of Wands | struggle, obstacles, setbacks, resistance, opposition |
| Eight of Wands | |
| Nine of Wands | ego, limitations, hubris, glass cielings, defensive, protective |
| Ten of Wands | labour, integration, routine, settledness, burden, exhaustion |
| Page of Wands | awe, passion |
| Knight of Wands | out-of-control, wild, stoic, coping |
| Queen of Wands | calm, ease |
| King of Wands | agitation, active |
The Wands Themselves
Interestingly, the way wands are depicted in this suit differ from how the Magician’s wand that he’s actually holding, which appears to be a much more artificial, less organic object.
The contrast is striking, in fact. The wands we see in this suit are almost like twigs fresh off the ground: they are quite literally elemental and untamed, possessing the natural features of wood such as an uncut/untreated shape and leaves growing from its stalk.
To me, this suggests a primordial quality of “magic,” if you would, that exists prior to our own meddling in the forms of nature.
Consider, if you would, what it’s like to go on a hike as a child, or even as a fun-loving adult: you find a cool stick on the side of the path, and you pick it up. Maybe it’s a walking stick, maybe it’s a wand. When I was a child, it could very well have become either! So there is something in piece of wood that inspires us so, compelling us to create and manufacture tools and dwellings out of uncarved wood.
The uncarved block of a sculptor, out of which he must remove bits of the material to create a form of their choosing. What’s required is discernment and imagination, both of which we see in this suit. We see the wands used as structures, tools, furnishings, or guideposts in this suit—for good or ill.
And yet this is not always the best policy. I am reminded of Laozi’s uncarved block, used to represent a newborn state, beyond polarities and distinctions:
Know the male Yet safeguard the female And be a river gorge to the world. As a river gorge to the world, You will not lose your real potency (de), And not losing your real potency, You return to the state of the newborn babe.
Know the clean Yet safeguard the soiled And be a valley to the world. As a valley to the world Your real potency will be ample, And with ample potency, You return to the state of unworked wood.
Know the white Yet safeguard the black And be a model for the world. As a model for the world, Your real potency will not be wanting, And with your potency not wanting, You return to the state of the limitless.
When unworked wood is split, It is made into utensils. When the sages are employed, They are made into head officials. There is no cutting, however, in the very best tailoring.
— Dao de jing, trans. Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall
The original purpose of wands was to act as an extension of your arm for magickal purposes. Much like a pointer, it focused your attention and concentrated your will. But do not forget to remain whole as you do so. These endeavours do not exist in isolation, and this struggle with potency and its uses is the theme of the suit (de).