11d • General discussion
Have you been curious when I write about Tarot Master?
I am now recording videos for the Swedish cours “Tarot Master,” the suit of Wands. It will be translated to English when I am done.
I thought that instead of just writing about how fantastic this course is—complete with most aspects for each card—you can below see and read an example of one card. This is the foundation, and then for each card you also have; Tarot for astrology, all the Aces card by card, for love, past lives, the Law of Attraction, and how you interpret for the Celtic Cross. Moving forward, there will also be sections for health and spiritual development. There is even how to interpret the cards for the weather or for a car, among other things.
Many wonder which card the Tarot deck begins with—could it be the Ace of Wands? Both yes and no, because everyday energies begin here, but your spiritual development lies in the Major Arcana. More correctly, life begins with The Fool and the Ace of Wands.
But if we stay with the Ace of Wands, which is the first energy—the impulse that leads to continuation, the strong inner drive that pushes you forward because it is already in motion.
This card can be compared to a phallic symbol. You can see this in many decks where they depict the wand in the center with stones or similar on either side. The energy is exactly like that—the driving force that can also be called desire, coming from an erect penis, and equivalent to the energy in the Ace of Wands. Fully charged power that wants to be expressed, to manifest, and that acts entirely based on longing. Not from reason or thought, as the Ace of Swords can analyze before anything happens.
The energy in the Ace of Wands shows an inner urging that can also be compared to survival—not only connected to sex or reproduction. Even though it can indicate desire (and can therefore be a good aspect if you read for love and want development), this energy expresses itself in the same way—impulsive, powerful, active, and completely driven by power and survival. It can be likened to an urge or a longing so strong that you have no choice. You simply act because there is no thought, no feeling, no planning—only an inner necessity that presses until you act.
For something to happen, you need to begin somewhere, and all beginnings always start with a one. An Ace—it never starts with a two. There is always a beginning. It can be the Ace of Wands—it is a one, a new start, and it is the active energy.
You can begin with three other energies, for example Cups to receive a new feeling, Pentacles to create a new foundation, or Swords to gain a new thought. But only with Wands do you have the energy to act. Whatever you do, you always start in one of the energies that the suits represent. Or in the fifth suit, the Major Arcana, which shows that you have full control over all the suits and elements in the Minor Arcana.
Part of the symbolism of the Ace of Wands, or the interpretation people often read first, is “a new job.” Yes, the card can show a new job or a new task—it depends entirely on what you asked when you laid or drew a card. If it is a general reading, it most likely shows a new job. But if you ask about your health, it shows that you are charged with power and energy and has nothing to do with work. However, if the card appears, you have not had this energy with you just before—it is something now developing.
To understand the energy of this card—which is powerful and active—you need to place the aspect and the card in different situations to bring out its qualities. For example, in the five areas that guide your daily life—work, finances, love, health, and spirituality. If the card appears when you ask about love, it shows more desire, lust, than emotion. Because it is an inner drive that pushes outward—a longing that is strong and without thought, feeling, or planning, acting purely on desire.
Wands are a masculine suit, like Swords—they show outward energy, while Cups and Pentacles are feminine and show what is received. Since it is a one and a wand, it becomes a great deal of energy that wants to come out at once—like a built-up impulse that must be expressed here and now. This also makes it a fast energy—you need to keep up. If you ask about finances, it shows that you act, initiate something new that creates continuation—not directly in money, because it is a wand card. If it had been about money as a result, a Pentacles card would appear. Because as the Ace of Wands, it is your inner power that can and will change your finances.
When it comes to health, you can hardly be more powerful than with the Ace of Wands. You are charged with energy, and with it you will build yourself up and manifest your health through action. If it had been the Ace of Pentacles, you would have received a new opportunity, something to build upon. With Wands, you do not wait—you act.
Spirituality also comes through strongly in a wand card, perhaps most of all within the Minor Arcana. The Ace of Wands can also show strong intuition, an aha-experience, where you simply know—with your whole being, your body. From your soul, you have a new power, a new focus, and it is so obvious that you never even question it—your soul is completely convinced.
If you draw only one card to understand your current state and get the Ace of Wands, you are now filled with energy—power-driven, longing, active, and unstoppable. You know exactly what you want and move toward your goal without thought or feeling, guided entirely by an inner drive to manifest what you burn for.
You have a lot of energy with you, and everything is possible. You transform what you come into contact with into the best energy for you. There is no doubt that you truly know what you want from the depths of all your energy and inner longing. You are likely in the process of manifesting or stepping into something new related to activity or occupation. But it does not have to be work-related—it can be a project or even a sexual conquest, since Wands show the inner drive, and here it is newly charged and unused, ready to be expressed. It is as if your inner self tells you that you must experience it, and you move toward it regardless of what comes your way, and with your strong power you manifest what is relevant for you. You need to express the energy, to release it. You are powerful and without hesitation—fast, intense, active, and goal-oriented.
You can also receive this card because you have come into contact with your inner longing, your inner power, and are now recharging your batteries and truly giving it your all from within. You act without hesitation, fully charged with energy. It is a positive card that gives you the power to manifest what is important to you. If you were comfortable, the card would never appear, because it is such a charged energy—which would be a contradiction. Not even if the card appears reversed, because then it shows that you are not in contact with yourself, with your drive and your longing. Then you cannot be comfortable either, because you would be a weak person without goals and without any longing at all—not even the desire to be lazy.
When you receive the card, think logically first—it is a card from the suit of Wands, which means action, power, will, engagement. It is an Ace, a one, which shows that it is a new beginning of something. A new beginning of action—what could that be? Something as simple as getting out of bed in the morning.
Since you are lying there and need to get up, you cannot be in a two or a three—it is a new action. It is something you take hold of through your will. Perhaps it requires strength and engagement—but no emotion (Cups), even though it can be helpful to have a positive feeling about getting up. If it had been Pentacles and an Ace, it would be more about planning and execution rather than taking action.
Because with Wands you act, with Cups you feel, with Pentacles you plan, and with Swords you think.
But since you most likely get out of bed every morning, the card does not need to appear. It is already a pattern. However, if you choose to stay in bed completely unmotivated one day, the card might appear reversed to show your resistance—your lack of engagement and inner drive to get up. That does not mean the card appears every time you choose to stay in bed, but when you change your original pattern.
As long as nothing changes in your planned routine, the cards do not need to show it. But if you lay a star spread for a period, the cards show what is most relevant—unless you begin something new that requires an Ace to appear. If you have been ill for a long time and unable to get out of bed, it is perfect if the Ace of Wands appears. A new strength, a decision, an action, and the will to carry it through—then you will definitely get out of bed if that is your goal.
But the classic interpretation—a new job? Because the Ace of Wands is not really about getting out of bed, is it? Well, it can just as easily be about getting into bed, if desire wants to begin something new. But then it is also something that is not ordinary or becomes so powerful and unexpected that the aspect must appear.
Work? Job? It sounds demanding or even exhausting. Personally, I do not like the word “job” or “work”—it feels limiting, boxed in, something that takes energy instead of giving. To engage in a life purpose or commitment feels more rewarding and definitely more pleasant. The cards have a base energy, and then they show themselves according to your perception and values. If you use the word “job” and see it as employment with fixed hours, then the card will appear when something like that is coming. That is the most common interpretation of this card.
If we go back hundreds of years, before fixed employment, to the time when we inherited professions from our ancestors, where we worked with what we had—if we had land, we cultivated it; if we had a boat, we fished. Perhaps we were educated and had social responsibilities, or a role within the church, or we were warriors. But few women had the Ace of Wands connected to work in that sense, because they most likely did not have work in the way we define it today. The card is about bringing forth an inner drive and acting—starting something new, quite simply.
If you receive the card for the present moment, ask yourself what is happening—are you about to start a new job? Probably not, because then you would not have the time to sit and lay cards now—you would likely be more stressed about beginning something new, which would place you more in a five or an eight. Instead, for the moment, the card shows that you have ignited an inner spark, engaged yourself, received an impulse, created a drive, or simply taken hold of something. Since the card dominates your energy in the present, you should make use of it and truly engage. Bring forth all that power and get moving—this is not the time to hesitate, because this explosive energy can be of great use to you.
If you ask what is important for you going forward and draw this card, it most likely means that you are about to begin something new in terms of work—or perhaps create a new opportunity yourself. There is no doubt that something new is on its way. If it represents the energy you are leaving behind, it shows that you now carry energy with you—you have already received the power you need to act, and you have a drive that you can continue to use.
Thinking logically is important with all cards, but that does not mean there are no spiritual aspects—there are, even in the Minor Arcana. The Ace of Wands can be one of the strongest cards for spiritual development, because here you are truly in contact with your soul’s longing. You listen to the impulse and act without thought, feeling, or logic from the other suits. Wands are closest to the Major Arcana, as they represent energy from within yourself—the inner fire that longs for development and expression. And this applies to work as well—your life’s work is about expressing your soul through what you do.
Some want to show their baking and share joy through something good. Some want to write to inspire and share their thoughts. Some want to grow plants to create harmony where they are placed. We all have different drives, and some of us have many directions for our longing—we want to do so much, and why not? Why limit yourself to only one thing? This is a good card to examine why you act as you do—what drives you from within? Is it conviction or just an impulse? Because somewhere the conviction must come from—the force that moves you to act rather than just feel or think. But perhaps most important is to make use of this power, which is truly strong and fully engaged in its expression.
I would say that this is one of the most positive cards in the deck. To act also means joy of life and a willingness to move forward, to survive, to take care of your life, to take control of what you long for—to act without even the slightest fear. Because fear is not present in this card. Instead, it is inner conviction pushing you forward to manifest, which gives incredible opportunities if you just make use of them.
The card appears as soon as you listen to and act on what your soul longs for—when you truly believe that everything is possible and see your own power, or are convinced that you will make it.
If you look at a shamanic ritual where you turn to all elements—on which I have built the element star—you begin with Wands, which symbolize fire. To reach the ether and the realm of the soul, you enter through the east, where Wands and fire reside. The energy of Wands is important, just like all other elements, and it is important that you find your drive to express your soul’s ability and urging.
The Ace of Wands is also a highly entertaining card, because you truly dare and take on new experiences with this aspect. It is really about stepping outside your comfort zone and developing more of your capacity—daring to try, like the proverb: “Better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.” Because the card also carries symbolism of desire, connected to sex, attraction, and lust, it shows that you act impulsively without thinking about consequences (while the Ace of Pentacles carefully considers what the new will lead to).
If you want to develop through Tarot and not just look at the future, this is the most important card to begin with. Partly because it is the first card, but also because of why it is. The card suggests that you should find your inner spark—dare to listen to what your soul longs for without feeling, planning, or thinking it through. Otherwise, you would have chosen another Ace, not the one with power.
Insight is also part of this card—to look within yourself, find your power, your ambition, your will, and dare to express yourself regardless of what exists outside—to show your unique quality as the individual you are.
The card asks you what your soul’s driving force is—and it is something you should act upon without thinking, otherwise this card would not be relevant. The energy shows that it is so important that you allow your inner energy to truly be expressed. The downside of this card is that it can become too much power at once—others may be unprepared, while you yourself are so fully engaged in what feels most important to manifest. The advantage is that you are charged with energy and can manifest anything—truly move mountains if necessary, because you are in contact with your inner power and the longing within your soul.
With this card, you should act—dare to take hold of what you want to do. Skip all hesitation and truly listen to your longing, and trust that you have all the power you need—at least for the first step. Because it is, after all, only the beginning, and you cannot remain in the energy of one for too long—everything in life requires continuation, moving from one into two—into balance.
Some avoid reversed cards. My advice is to include some reversed cards. If you do not want to see the energy that is out of balance, it will require several other cards to show a negative situation—which may instead create more fear in your mind. The cards show the energy that you yourself create, and if you see it, you have the opportunity to change it.
When the Ace of Wands appears reversed, I jokingly say—it hangs there. Considering the phallic symbolism of the card, there is not much movement in this energy when reversed, which clearly describes the experience of the card’s energy. Reversed, it is not a highlight. A man with potency issues could easily relate to this card reversed—lost power, lost control, lost self-esteem, and no drive at all to manifest anything.
Reversed, you are not even in contact with your inner self. There is no spark at all to manifest anything—least of all yourself. Yes, it sounds dramatic, and it may not be that extreme if the card appears when you draw or lay a daily spread. But one thing is clear—you are not in contact with your inner self. You have no will, you are uncertain, pressured, lazy, unengaged—among other things—if this card appears for your personality. If it concerns an event, it shows that there is no energy or power in something that was on its way to becoming a new opportunity. Because if the card appears, even reversed, you are within that energy—you just have not grasped it. We all lose inspiration at times, the desire to act—that is typical for the Ace of Wands reversed.
If the card appears in a daily spread, it may reflect a smaller, everyday feeling of not wanting to make the effort or not seeing the opportunities in something. But if it appears over a longer period, it is more serious. Something is off if your drive is not in balance. The card may also appear if you are ill—especially in more serious conditions where you do not have the strength to take hold of your power and begin to act.
But what does it mean to receive the Ace of Wands reversed in your spread? Quite a lot—your inspiration is not enough, your energy is depleted, there is no ambition, no drive, total disengagement. All of this is your responsibility, because you are responsible for your own life. Somewhere you have decided that it is not worth it—that you simply cannot be bothered. This can have major consequences—you may miss a job opportunity or not have the energy to take on a project even though the opportunity existed. Otherwise, the card would not have appeared reversed. The energy is there, but completely out of balance.
Perhaps it is time for reflection—to consider why you have stepped back in energy. Why you are not taking hold of something that looked like an opportunity. What is holding you back—lack of trust?
Because you never do something that gives you nothing—even if you withdraw, you see the advantage of withdrawing as greater than taking action. What do you gain by resisting, by becoming angry, frustrated, bitter? By limiting yourself instead of pushing through and taking hold of opportunities that may no longer be available. But you still carry the experience with you, to take hold of something similar in the future. One thing I see as clear—refuse to stay in this energy. Pull yourself together. Even get angry if needed—but refuse to be apathetic and without direction. That is when you allow yourself to be controlled by others, and things will not turn out as you wish.
See it as a wake-up call if you receive this card reversed. Life (the card) is telling you that you have given up, stepped back, lost energy and motivation—and why? What makes you not worthy of acting, of bringing forth your inner power and manifesting what is important to you?
This is the first card that the Tarot deck begins with—the one that life begins with. It symbolizes an energy surge, an impulse, a new force that wants to emerge at any cost—like a dandelion breaking through asphalt. It is the individual’s first impulse and motivation—the expression of the force that moves everything in life forward. Wands and the element of fire represent power and will—inner fire, creation from the beginning. Since the power of thought is strong (even though it belongs more to Swords), use your thoughts to turn this card upright—decide to take control of your life, and you have taken the first step toward turning the card around.
In the Ace of Wands there is a highly charged inner force. The card shows a new dawn, its aspect lies in the east and represents the first spark, the first breath. The number shows that it is an Ace—a new beginning. The suit shows activity. This is a driving force—but only that, nothing more yet. It needs more nourishment, more impulses, and balance—it strives toward the two to reach development. This is one of the most powerful cards in Tarot symbolism. It represents the strongest energy you express—spontaneity, impulsiveness, and a positive impatience driven by an inner desire to act. To release everything that pushes from within. The card often carries the symbolic image of a phallic form, which gives it symbolic power and direction when upright—and unfortunately, when reversed, hidden anger, aggression, and possible power struggles due to lack of foundation and self-trust.
It is often the card that most strongly shows that you have started a new project, a job, and are new and engaged in what you do. It shows strong motivation—an inner longing that you are now beginning to manifest.
Reversed, it shows that you have lost your motivation and your power. You may feel weak, have no will of your own, and no desire to act. Things do not go as planned, and you lack the energy to carry through what you want. You may feel insecure, which can express itself as inner anger, frustration, and a sense of not being enough.
Work
Shows that something new is beginning. There is a completely new direction with will and power behind it. It can be anything from a new task to a new job that is now manifesting for your benefit.
Reversed shows that you feel unmotivated and possibly afraid. You do not have the energy to deal with the tasks ahead, and you may feel that it is not right for you or that you lack the ability to succeed.
Economy
Shows that a new opportunity is coming in, but not immediately as money. You receive a new chance to create and manifest, which will strengthen your finances over time.
Reversed shows that you lose the energy to improve your situation. You do not want to engage or face reality and instead avoid it.
Love
Is love important? Take a pause, breathe, find your drive and longing before you get on someone’s nerves with your attitude—force solves nothing. Shows strong new feelings and experiences, something positively overwhelming and powerful. A passionate energy where you may struggle to see anything beyond the intense feeling within you.
Reversed shows a lack of engagement—you lose desire and may feel trapped in something you cannot overcome. You experience weakness and hesitate to commit to what is offered.
Health
Shows a strong will to live, a spark of energy and strength being reignited. You feel motivated to act, to move. You begin and take hold of something necessary to improve your well-being.
Reversed shows that you are tired and weak. You do not even have the energy to see opportunities, and perhaps you do not want to. You may lose your inspiration for life. Time for a health check—you are losing energy and strength and risk becoming ill, which is unnecessary. We all need to trust our inner selves and allow our longing to come forward. Listen to what is within you and what you want to manifest. Perhaps you are on the wrong path—but is it worth losing your strength over?
Spiritual
If you are working with spirituality, take a pause before allowing someone else to influence your energy. This “someone” could also be a spiritual presence without good intentions. The card can indicate negative influence, and it is important that you reclaim your power by finding your inner strength. Note that reversed does not automatically mean this—it can be an aspect if you are spiritually searching and not feeling well. Upright shows that a strong inner power allows you to overcome obstacles—you can start over with renewed strength. You find your spark and seek something new for spiritual inspiration.
Reversed shows that you are not listening to yourself. You may question who you are and where you belong, and struggle to find or manifest your life vision.
Personality
Shows that you are intense, joyful, powerful, and spontaneous. You have strong empathy and quick thinking—you act while you think. You are driven, capable, stand up against what you do not believe in, and sometimes a bit too convinced of your own excellence, carrying pride.
Element
The Ace of Wands in the east shows the power of the rising sun. Charged after the night’s rest, the energy awakens within you.
The Ace of Wands expresses differently depending on which element is strongest. Even though it is fire, the other elements are alsopresent.
Fire to Fire: Drive
Fire to Water: Longing, desire
Fire to Earth: Enjoyment, receiving
Fire to Air: Action
Fire to Ether: Impulses
When you draw this card
It shows that you are facing something new—something powerful and transformative. But it does not have to turn your life upside down. It can be an impulse taking form, an idea you want to manifest. Since it is fire, you act—you direct your energy outward and forward. You should focus on the new, gain momentum, and follow your impulses.
Reversed shows that you lack motivation, power, and resources, and remain stuck in something old. You may feel irritated that you lack the energy or desire to manifest what you long for. Why do you not dare to take hold of what you long for?
The card’s questionWhat energy within you are you activating when you are in this card?Is it will? Power?Decision or responsibility?Could it be all of them—and in what way?Look at your work situation, your willingness to work—what do you really want to do?What drives you—you yourself, your inner longing, or external circumstances?
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Have you been curious when I write about Tarot Master?
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