The Suit of Wands: Fire, Action, and Creative Power in Tarot

The Suit of Wands is the fire element of the tarot. It represents energy, passion, creativity, and movement. Whenever Wands appear in a reading, they often point to what inspires you, how you act on your ideas, and the fire that drives your choices. But like fire itself, Wands can either light the path forward or burn out of control.

Below is a guide to each Wand card—upright and reversed—so you can understand how this fiery suit shows up in your life.

Ace of Wands

• Upright: New beginnings, inspiration, fertile time for growth.
• Reversed: Creative blocks, lack of focus, frustrating obstacles.

The Ace is pure potential, the spark before the flame. Reversed, that spark struggles to ignite.

Two of Wands

• Upright: Standing at a crossroads, weighing options, planning for adventure.
• Reversed: Fear of the unknown, limited choices, inner conflict.

This card is about vision. Do you expand, or do you stay safe?

Three of Wands

• Upright: Planning, foresight, confidence in future endeavors.
• Reversed: Clinging to the past, failed plans, delayed results.

It signals long-term vision—but warns against stagnation when reversed.

Four of Wands

• Upright: Celebration, community, prosperity, happy connections.
• Reversed: Self-doubt, instability, disrupted harmony.

It often marks milestones—a wedding, homecoming, or joyful reunion.

Five of Wands

• Upright: Conflict, competition, clashing egos.
• Reversed: Compromise, teamwork, resolution, but also intimidation.

This card reminds us that conflict can fuel growth—or descend into chaos.

Six of Wands

• Upright: Success, recognition, public acknowledgment, goodwill.
• Reversed: Pride before a fall, ego issues, feeling overlooked.

Victory is yours—just stay humble in the spotlight.

Seven of Wands

• Upright: Defending beliefs, standing strong, resilience under pressure.
• Reversed: Giving up, losing control, being overwhelmed by competition.

This is the battle after the victory—can you hold your ground?

Eight of Wands

• Upright: Swift progress, movement, passion, infatuation.
• Reversed: Delays, bad timing, missed opportunities.

Momentum is everything here—things either fly forward or stall completely.

Nine of Wands

• Upright: Perseverance, strength from experience, pushing through challenges.
• Reversed: Refusal to compromise, paranoia, exhaustion.

A warrior’s card—fatigue sets in, but the lesson is in resilience.

Ten of Wands

• Upright: Heavy burdens, stress, carrying too much responsibility.
• Reversed: Breaking down, letting go, release from pressure.

The image is clear: carrying the weight of the world. Upright is strain, reversed is relief.

Page of Wands

• Upright: Good news, fresh ideas, childlike joy.
• Reversed: Impulsive, fearful, aimless, lacking follow-through.

The Page invites curiosity, but warns against scattered energy when reversed.

Knight of Wands

• Upright: Adventurous, charismatic, bold action.
• Reversed: Overly confident, reckless, prone to outbursts.

This Knight charges ahead—sometimes too fast. Upright is bravery, reversed is chaos.

Queen of Wands

• Upright: Vibrant, independent, magnetic, full of fire.
• Reversed: Manipulative, jealous, unfaithful, controlling.

The Queen burns brightly but can scorch when she turns shadowy.

King of Wands

• Upright: Natural leader, visionary, energetic and inspiring.
• Reversed: Broken promises, domineering, bitter.

The King is fire mastered—unless ego distorts his power.

Closing Thoughts

The Suit of Wands teaches us how to use fire—our drive, creativity, and will. Upright, these cards encourage growth, boldness, and confidence. Reversed, they warn of burnout, fear, or misuse of passion. When Wands appear in your reading, ask yourself:

• Where is my fire leading me?
• Am I acting from inspiration or from ego?
• What needs to be released so my energy can flow?

The Wands remind us that fire transforms everything it touches. The choice is always whether you let it burn you out—or light your way.

If you’re curious about how the Wands are showing up in your own life, consider booking a tarot session or exploring more in-depth tarot studies through my offerings.