Wands are the tarot suit of action

Of ideas and projects, of fire and movement.

I was delighted, therefore, to draw the Two of Wands as my card for 2015.

I know, I know – picking a single card for the whole of the year seems kinda…scary? Limiting? Over-simplified?

Well, it works for me!

Last year, I drew The Chariot. I hadn’t intended it as my card for the year, but I adopted it as such after drawing it for a business decision. The Chariot is also my birth card. Throughout 2014, it helped me to set myself clear goals, and to work towards them in a focused and energetic way.

This year’s card, the Two of Wands, encourages more of the same.

For me, it’s about focusing clearly on an idea. Really going into that idea, exploring it fully. Mapping it out, creating a strategy, thinking about cause and effect. It’s a very ‘thinky’ card (even though ‘thinking’ is more often associated with the swords suit.)

To understand the Two of Wands better, it’s helpful to see it as part of the wider wands sequence:

Ace of Wands

From the Kitty Kahane Tarot

You amazing idea. It comes to you in a dream, perhaps, or someone simply hands you an opportunity. You get all fired up and excited because you suddenly have this thing that you can’t wait to do. When you get the Ace of Wands in a tarot reading, it’s time to get creative and to act.

This is one of the most exciting cards in the tarot. Wands are magic! Wands make shit happen. It’s a wand that The Magician holds aloft in card #1 in the major arcana, as they prepare to do something completely incredible.

Whoop!

Two of Wands

From the Shadowscapes Tarot, by Stephanie Pui Mun Law

Before you do act, however, you’re asked to spend some time with your idea. When you’re all fired up, it’s easy to leap head first into your project, without a second thought. The Two of Wands, without diminishing the energy of your idea, encourages you to focus for a moment.

This is a chance to sit with your idea. Think it through. Indulge in some planning. 

Let your thoughts ebb and flow for a time – it’s likely your mind is very busy right now. Calm it down so that you can pay attention to the different elements of your idea that pop in and out of your head.

Make notes. Draw a mind-map of your idea, or break it down into goals. Is it achievable? How can you make it so? Are there any barriers in your way, and how can you remove these? What is the aim of your idea, and how can you move towards it?

Three of Wands

From the World Spirit Tarot

Now it’s time for some action! With the Three of Wands, you’re ready to set your plans into motion. It’s that delicious, terrifying moment just before you do it…and then it’s the moment that you act.

As my card for the year, the Two of Wands is encouraging and reassuring.

It permits me to slow down, without taking any of the excitement out of my ideas. It says ‘Beth – you’re bursting with cool things to do and that’s great. How about thinking them through and figuring out how to actually do them?’

From the Rider Waite Smith Tarot

I’m so excited about 2015. The Alternative Tarot Course was launched last week and loads of you have already signed up. Next on my list is the tarot social network you’ve been asking for, a trip to the States, and the Queer Tarot Project! This is a fun time for me (and hopefully, for you, my readers, too) but it could easily get stressful. Keeping the Two of Wands close by will help me to keep a clear head, to plan things properly, and to make the most of all this fiery energy.

Awesome.

PS If you’re really interested in this wands sequence, I wrote a similar post a few years ago: Thought into action – Two to Three of Wands

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