Tarot · Minor Arcana · Wands

Ace of Wands

  • spark
  • creative impulse
  • desire
  • beginning

Key facts

Arcana
Minor Arcana
Suit
Wands
Number
1
Numerology
1 (The Origin: the starting point, the seed, opportunity)
Keywords
spark, creative impulse, desire, beginning

Ace of Wands upright

The Ace of Wands is a spark holding out its hand to you. A longing is burning, brand new, and it asks only to become a gesture. Don’t let it cool inside your head, give it a first movement. The energy is here today; it’s up to you to make it into something alive.

Ace of Wands reversed

Reversed, the Ace of Wands speaks of a fire struggling to catch. The longing is there, but the wood is damp, or the moment isn’t quite ripe. No need to force it, gently coax the embers back to life instead. What’s slow to start is often just looking for a smaller spark.

A question to sit with

Which longing is waiting for you to give it a first move?

Frequently asked questions about Ace of Wands

What does Ace of Wands mean upright?
The Ace of Wands is a spark holding out its hand to you. A longing is burning, brand new, and it asks only to become a gesture. Don’t let it cool inside your head, give it a first movement. The energy is here today; it’s up to you to make it into something alive.
What does Ace of Wands mean reversed?
Reversed, the Ace of Wands speaks of a fire struggling to catch. The longing is there, but the wood is damp, or the moment isn’t quite ripe. No need to force it, gently coax the embers back to life instead. What’s slow to start is often just looking for a smaller spark.

Sources

  • Arthur Edward Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, William Rider & Son, 1911.
  • Rachel Pollack, Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Weiser Books, 1980.