Image: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain/CC0)
TL;DR: According to A. E. Waite in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911), the Queen of Wands is a friendly, respectable woman, possibly indicating love of money or success in business; reversed, it can mean goodness, thrift, or service, but also opposition, jealousy, deceit, and infidelity depending on position. In modern Tarot reading, this card is often understood as confidence, warmth, independence, and inspiration; reversed, it suggests jealousy or lack of confidence. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: be more confident but do not treat the card as a certain prediction, and look back at your own emotions when you feel uneasy.
What is the Queen of Wands in the Minor Arcana?
In the Tarot system, the Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits: Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles. Each suit runs from Ace to Ten and includes four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King. The suit of Wands is generally tied to the element of Fire, symbolising energy, creativity, passion, will and action. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck was printed in 1909, with artwork by Pamela Colman Smith; A. E. Waite published divinatory meanings for each card in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911).
What does the Queen of Wands mean according to Waite 1911?
Waite described the artwork and set out divinatory meanings for this card in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911). He wrote of the suit of Wands: "The Wands throughout this suit are always in leaf, as it is a suit of life and animation. Emotionally and otherwise, the Queen's personality corresponds to that of the King, but is more magnetic." The divinatory meanings he listed: "A dark woman, countrywoman, friendly, chaste, loving, honourable. If the card beside her signifies a man, she is well disposed towards him; if a woman, she is interested in the Querent. Also, love of money, or a certain success in business." For the reversed meaning, Waite wrote: "Good, economical, obliging, serviceable. Signifies also, but in certain positions and in the neighbourhood of other cards tending in such directions, opposition, jealousy, even deceit and infidelity." So, according to Waite, this card carries both the positive meaning of a friendly, honourable woman and can also indicate a love of money or a certain success in business; reversed, it can mean good, economical, obliging, serviceable, but can also be opposition, jealousy, even deceit and infidelity depending on position and surrounding cards. He did not give the meanings "confident", "independent" or "magnetic" for this card.
How does contemporary Tarot reading understand the Queen of Wands?
In contemporary Tarot reading, the Queen of Wands is usually understood as confident, warm, independent and inspiring to those around her. Reversed, this card is usually understood as jealousy or a lack of confidence, with the energy turning sharp. Common keywords today are confident, independent, magnetic; this is the draw-a-card utility meaning the site uses, and it is not the Waite divinatory meaning given in the 1911 book.
In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, what does the Queen of Wands suggest?
In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the Queen of Wands is the image of a woman of the suit of Wands, where the wand is always in leaf, evoking life and movement. This card does not forecast the future; it only suggests a quality to look back on in yourself. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: when you find you need a source of warm energy, pay attention to how you show up with other people. If you feel uneasy or jealous, that may be a time to look again at your own feelings.
What does the iconography of the Queen of Wands include?
Waite did not describe the symbols such as the sunflower, the black cat or the throne in detail in the passage about the Queen of Wands. He noted only that the wands in this suit are always in leaf, and that the Queen's personality corresponds to the King's but is more magnetic. Therefore, the section below sets out only what is seen in the Rider-Waite-Smith artwork drawn by Pamela Colman Smith, and does not attribute to Waite things he did not write.
The central figure and the throne
In the Rider-Waite-Smith artwork, the Queen of Wands is a grown woman seated on a throne. The throne is decorated with lion and sunflower motifs. This image evokes warmth, power and approachability, unlike the coldness often seen in the Queen of Swords or the dreaminess of the Queen of Cups.
The meaning of the sunflower
The sunflower is one of the card's most prominent symbols. A sunflower always turns towards the sun, evoking optimism, joy and a source of positive energy. It also expresses dedication and loyalty, as well as the ability to find light in difficult circumstances. The flower's brilliant yellow is often linked with the Solar Plexus Chakra, the centre of self-confidence and personal will.
The black cat
In the Rider-Waite-Smith artwork, a black cat appears at the foot of, or beside, the Queen of Wands. In Western culture, black cats are often assigned mystery and magic, but in this context it is usually seen as a symbol of keen intuition, independence and the ability to rely on oneself. The cat is a free animal, commanded by no one, reflecting a spirit of self-mastery and non-dependence. It also suggests a link with the spiritual world and with hidden things, using intuition as a tool for orientation.
The Wand and the new shoots
In the Queen of Wands' hand is a wand putting out shoots. Waite noted that the wands in this suit are always in leaf, because this is the suit of life and movement. This fresh wand evokes life, creativity and potential for constant growth. It represents the ability to turn ideas into reality and to nurture them as they grow.
Dominant colours
- Yellow: The colour of intellect, optimism, joy and solar energy.
- Orange and red: The colours of the element of Fire, passion, enthusiasm and action.
- Black: The colour of mystery, depth of soul and latent strength.
How do the upright and reversed Queen of Wands differ?
In the upright position
In contemporary Tarot reading, in the upright position the Queen of Wands is usually understood as confident, warm, independent and inspiring to those around her. The upright card often appears when you need more confidence in yourself, to take on a leadership role and to shine. It does not forecast the future, but suggests a quality for you to look back on.
In the reversed position
In contemporary Tarot reading, when reversed, the Queen of Wands is usually understood as jealousy or a lack of confidence, with the energy turning sharp. This can show up in the form of:
- A lack of confidence: You may be feeling uneasy, jealous of others, or doubting your own abilities.
- Control and manipulation: A woman (or you yourself) may be using her magnetism to manipulate or control others in a negative way.
- Jealousy and possessiveness: In relationships, jealousy can become intense and damaging.
- Losing touch with passion: You may be feeling jaded, lacking motivation and disconnected from what makes you happy.
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: look inward, find the cause of the unease and work to restore balance and confidence from within.
The Queen of Wands in spreads and her relationships with other cards
Her role in a spread
The Queen of Wands usually represents a specific woman in the querent's life, or an aspect of character the querent needs to develop. When this card appears in a position representing a person, that is usually a confident, creative, enthusiastic and influential woman. If she represents an aspect of yourself, it shows that you need to connect with your confidence, compassion and decisiveness in order to handle the current situation.
Relationships with other cards
- With The Sun: This combination amplifies optimism, joy and success. It is an extremely positive combination, showing that the Queen of Wands' confidence is being well rewarded.
- With The Empress: Both are symbols of femininity and creativity. This combination shows a woman who has both the warmth and nurturing of The Empress and the decisiveness and strong character of the Queen of Wands.
- With Two of Cups: This is a wonderful sign for love and connection. The Queen of Wands' confidence and magnetism will attract a relationship of equality and harmony.
- With Ten of Wands: This combination can be a warning. The Queen of Wands may be carrying too many responsibilities, leading to exhaustion. It reminds you that you need to know how to delegate and to take care of yourself.
What is Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion for the Queen of Wands today?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: At work, you might try being more confident in your abilities, but you should not treat the card as a certain forecast. In love, be yourself, and if you feel jealousy or unease, look again at your own feelings instead of blaming your circumstances. As for finances and health, there is nothing guaranteed by the card; keep an optimistic but realistic attitude and take care of yourself.
Quick reference table: The Queen of Wands upright and reversed
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Suit | Minor Arcana - Suit of Wands |
| Number | 13 |
| Main keywords | confident, independent, magnetic |
| Meaning upright | Confident, warm, independent and inspiring to those around her. |
| Meaning reversed | Jealousy or a lack of confidence, with the energy turning sharp. |
Overview article on the topic: Tarot Basics: The 78 Cards And The Meaning Of The Major/Minor Arcana Groups
