Ace of Wands Tarot Meanings
The card of inspiration, creation, and beginnings.
Last Updated: April 16, 2024.
Pictorial Symbolism in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck
The artworks from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck contain deeper esoteric meanings that tarotists love to decipher.
The Ace of Wands is depicted as a hand emerging from a large cloud, holding onto a wooden wand that’s sprouting leaves. This imagery is above a bountiful land of lush green grass, trees, a flowing river, distant mountains and a castle.
The symbolism of this card represents new opportunities, growth, and joy, but the constant reminder (by the mountains) that whilst the journey may be one worth taking, it won’t necessarily be void of any sort of challenge. But it’s always worth facing up to those challenges to surpass them – you’ll always be better off for it. Most of the wands suit contain themes of travel and movement, as well as the staff shape, supports themes of sex too.
The Ace of Wands key correspondences
Upright keywords | Inspiration, potential, boldness, fun, growth, action, enthusiasm, power. |
Reversed keywords | Disappointment, delays, stuck in a rut, creative blocks, distractions, hesitation, missed or wasted opportunities. |
| Yes or No | Yes |
| Numerology | 1 |
| Element | Fire |
Ruling Planet | Mars, Sun, Jupiter (all the planets linked to the 3 fire signs). |
| Astrological Sign | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. |
What does the upright Ace of Wands mean in the Tarot?
This Ace is all about new beginnings and welcoming in fresh opportunities as it encourages positive action and movement. You’ll face this time with a newfound sense of adventure, creativity, and a daring attitude.
This is the time to follow your heart and chase the directions that vastly appeal to you, accept opportunities that sit right with you, and know that this is a period full of wondrous potential. This Ace also calls upon you to follow your intuition, to tune in with yourself spiritually, and whilst it does acknowledge how positive this time is for you, it’s you yourself that needs to keep up the drive and momentum.
So bask in the great feelings this period brings, but also work on how to continue taking them forward – this will only benefit you!
When pulled in the upright position, the Ace of Wands is associated with inspiration, potential, boldness, fun, growth, action, enthusiasm, and power.
What does the upright Ace of Wands mean in a love reading
If you’re in a relationship, then the presence of the Ace of Wands indicates that you and your partner are about to embark on a new journey together. You’re starting your next chapter together, whether this be marriage, purchasing and/or moving home, or welcoming in a baby.
This Ace is one of the minor arcana’s pregnancy cards, so if you have been trying to conceive, then know this card is an encouraging one to receive around the subject! Time’s looking to be grand for your partner and yourself, so enjoy whatever this next stage is about to bring you. If you’re single, then the Ace is nudging you to go for it!
That person you like? Go for it! There’s no need to hesitate or hold back. Shoulders back, chin up, a confident smile, now go for it!
What does the upright Ace of Wands mean in a career reading?
The Ace of Wands, in relation to career, can signify that you’ll be coming into a new job soon! So, if you’ve been applying for work, know that something will come your way soon! However, this could also mean that you could be facing something great like a promotion at your current job – a well-deserved one!
You’ll be full of creative energy during this time so it’s absolutely encouraged to utilise that in the workplace with any tasks or projects you have, it’ll help you get through them.
The Ace of Wands as feelings/emotions
If you are asking the tarot how someone feels about you, pulling the Ace of Wands suggests that this is someone that really enjoys having you around! They see you in a very positive manner and your presence around them is always favoured.
They have an interest in getting to know more about you, your likes and dislikes, and everything that makes you the person that you are, and they do so keenly. Your company is treasured and they may even be sexually attracted to you.
The Ace of Wands as a person
As a personality archetype, the Ace of Wands represents someone that is fiery, confident, successful, and immensely strong-willed! They want success in all fields of life, and oh boy are they going to do their best to go and get it all! They want to do it all, to achieve it all, and they gave the boldness and willingness to do so.
This individual will ooze determination and enthusiasm, they persevere, and thankfully usually their attempts pay off! They enjoy moving forward in all aspects, are openly passionate, and typically enjoy creative crafts! They are very much the Trailblazer archetype.
The Ace of Wands as advice
This Ace is telling you to go, go, goooo! Take action, move, trust in your intuition, and go for it! Seizing the moment is very much favoured right now, luck and positivity are on your side, so be prepared to grab what you can.
Take a chance, and act upon your ambition, you may be surprised by the results you’ll yield. It’s a positive card regarding motivation, and excitement combined.
What is the zodiac or astrological sign associated with the Ace of Wands?
The Ace of Wands tarot card is associated with all of the fire signs in the zodiac: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. These signs are known for their boldness, determination, and enthusiasm. The fire signs are also associated with creativity and potential, which are themes that are commonly associated with the Ace of Wands.
If you are a fire sign, you may find that the Ace of Wands resonates particularly well with your astrological energies and can provide you with additional guidance and inspiration as you pursue your goals.
Is the Ace of Wands a yes or no card?
Yes, yes, and more yes! This Ace is an absolute beacon of positive energy, and can very much symbolise new beginnings and new opportunities, so of course, it’s a yes card!
Below are some of my interpretations, as an experienced tarot practitioner, based on different types of questions:
Question: “Will I get the job?”
Card interpretation: This Ace is a good omen to pop up in career readings, so when asking about a new job, it’s looking good! This card suggests new beginnings and new opportunities, so something is coming up in your career path soon! You’ll be receiving good news, so it’s highly likely you’ll receive a positive message with regard to a job opportunity – whatever comes your way!
Question: “Is this new person in my life good for me?”
Card interpretation: This will be someone that no doubt brings a whole new spark to your life! They will be full of positive, fiery, and creative energy, and could influence you to find your own drive to move forward, seek your own success, and so on. They could become an incredibly positive influence on you, and their quite spiritual and carefree nature means they aren’t here to use and abuse you, this won’t be someone that’s out to hurt you intentionally, and they most likely won’t bear you any ill will.
Question: “Will I achieve my current goals?”
Card interpretation: Whilst this card is typically about newfound drive and energy, this doesn’t necessarily mean your goals will change. But it could mean that you listen to your emotions more and come to realise that your current goals don’t line up with your heart’s truest desires. So, this could be a call to tune in with yourself and to chase after what truly means the most to you. However, it could just mean that you’re on the right path, but you’ll be finding new motivation, new drive, a new direction, and a newfound sense of determination to propel yourself even further towards that finishing line.
Question: “Should I start my own business?”
Card interpretation: New ventures are very much favoured right now, as the Ace of Wands is always a good omen when it comes to business/work/career-type questions specifically! It denotes success, so long that your business idea is in line with your passions, it has to be something that gets your own personal creative juices flowing. If this business is something that’ll make your heart sing, then now is the time to take the plunge!
What does the reversed Ace of Wands mean in the Tarot?
Right now you’re dealing with a period of lacklustre, disappointment, and potential delays in various areas of your life right now. However, you may unintentionally be the one actually stopping yourself from progressing.
Are you causing your own setbacks? You’re definitely stuck in a rut and need to do something about it one way or another. You need to find that fire in yourself again. Eliminate distractions and get yourself back on track!
When pulled in the reversed position, the Ace of Wands is linked with disappointment, delays, being stuck in a rut, creative blocks, distractions, hesitation, and missed or wasted opportunities.
What does the reversed Ace of Wands mean in a love reading?
If you’re in a relationship, then this reversed Ace can suggest that you’ve lost the passion for one another, things have become dull, there’s little excitement, and you’re not really feeling the ‘magic’ of the relationship anymore. This Ace is imploring you to take control of this and to find ways to actively bring love, fun, and passion back to your relationship.
If you’re single, then this Ace can mean one of two things, either you’re experiencing an incredibly poor time with having successful dates actually take place, or whilst you’re on any dates that actually go ahead, you’re either holding yourself back too much and coming across as very uncommitted, or you’re being too overly emotional and intense – and both of these ends of the scale can very much put potential partners off.
That may be why things aren’t progressing with any of them in the way you wish! It’s time to think about your approach to these dates; it’s fine to be reserved or passionate, but make sure that isn’t completely dominating everything you do and say. Find the middle ground for a bit!
What does the inverted Ace of Wands mean in a career reading?
If you’ve been applying for jobs, then the reversed Ace of Wands doesn’t usually bode well for success. Expect disappointing news following any job application(s) and/or interview(s), unfortunately.
If you aren’t applying for work, then this reversed Ace in your existing career can suggest you’re getting frightfully bored, you aren’t feeling challenged, you aren’t feeling the flow of your creative juices – there’s no excitement right now for you.
Projects, tasks and new ventures may be failing in front of your eyes, which is just feeling like setback after setback for you. Think of it like spiritually they wouldn’t connect with you long-term anyway! So use this time to decide where you really want to go long term.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Ace of Wands tarot card is a powerful symbol of inspiration, potential, boldness, fun, growth, action, enthusiasm, and power. When this card appears in your reading, it is often a sign that you are being called to take action and pursue your goals with determination and enthusiasm. It may also suggest that you have the potential to achieve great things and that you should be bold and confident in your pursuit of success
Despite its association with mysticism and occultism, the tarot has grown to become much more than a simple “fortune-telling” tool. For many tarot practitioners, it is a complex system made of symbolic imagery and psychological considerations (Jungian archetypes for example) that can be used for self-exploration, meditation, and personal transformation.
The 56 lesser arcana cards relate to the day-to-day events of our lives, the more mundane aspects of our existence. Even though that part of the tarot is about the “smaller picture”, it symbolizes the constant choices we make that shape our lives, our characters, and ultimately our destinies.
Have you ever had a reading where the Ace Of Wands appeared? What was the outcome? What does that card mean to you personally? How do you interpret this card in your own tarot practice?
Share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments below. Additionally, If you want to know more about the different tarot cards, feel free to check out my complete list of all 78 tarot cards and their meanings.
Written by Amy
Outside the weird and wonderful world of my craft, I like to cosplay and fully dive into the fantasy genre across all forms, from books to video games and everything in between.
Learn more about the Suit of Wands
This page is part of our comprehensive list of the 56 minor arcana tarot cards & their meanings. If you enjoyed the read, then you’ll love the following articles.