Ace of Wands

The Ace of Wands is the first card in the suit of Wands. It usually stands for creation, invention, and birth. The starting point of an enterprise.

The Ace of Wands from the Rider-Waite Tarot deck.

General description

In the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, Pamela Coleman Smith depicts the Ace of Wands as a hand issuing from a cloud grasping a stout wand or club with leaves falling from the wand to the Earth.

Divinatory meaning

The Ace of Wands will represent the effect of suddenness, of the incidental, even accidental. It denotes something that is making its appearance all of a sudden; a sort of manifestation, creation such as the birth of a child. This, by the way, is generally considered to be a joy for the parents, but may not be for the soul, which has to accept once more the limitations of life in a body of earth.

This card is strongly tied to acts of creation, as embodied in the element of fire. The creative flame that burns in all artists will be evident throughout the entire suit of Wands. However, this creativity can be tempered by the ill effects of the flames: for artists struggle amid their burning desires and may find themselves consumed if not careful.

If reversed, the card can mean: Fall, decadence, or ruin. Also, a certain clouded joy.