TAROTTwo of Wands
Upright
Making decisions for the future. Moving out of the comfort zone. Personal ambition and ego.
Choosing a direction at an important crossroads.
Making plans to expand, possibly from a fortified comfort zone. Travel to somewhere new is a possibility.
Aspiration and the will to succeed. Ambition and ego.
Intuition
Some Tarot cards liken the man depicted on the Two of Wands to Alexander the Great. This time it is Alexander the Great.
We see Alexander on the battlements of a castle and looking out to an early morning red sky, denoting early planning for the day ahead.
This card is similar to the Major Arcana Magician card. It represents the start of ‘making things happen’.
Reversed
Fear or trepidation in making the first step. Rushing without a plan. Wanting too much.
Viewing the prize or goal from afar, then quickly moving towards it without planning.
Restlessness or lack of contentment with the current situation.
Conflict with the older generation through greed of the younger generation.
Astrologia
Strong and independent, impulsive. A born leader. Taking the initiative. Independent. Courageous with bold planning. Can become overconfident and aggressive, leading to reckless action.
Two of Wands
The Two of Wands represents making plans and forming a strategy while in a position of safety. These plans usually relate to a leadership role or a passion project. This is reflected in the Astrologia section as Mars in Aries (representing boldness, competitiveness, and passion): this person is more than capable of fighting for what they want.
The figure holds a world globe in his hands, and one of the two poles (wands) is a flagpole bearing a red flag. This denotes grand plans, high emotion, and passion. This passion leaks into the air itself, coloring the sky red.
Yet the character himself is not yet outwardly passionate; he is carefully considering his next move. He has started (or inherited) a working plan and operates from a position of power within an organization (represented by the castle), but he contemplates desiring more. To further his lot, he must make an 'either/or' decision, or undertake a highly ambitious task.
Remember the 'Mars in Aries' connection. This will stand you in good stead when considering the next card (often seen as very similar). The Three of Wands features the slightly less aggressive placement of Sun in Aries.
The setup feels like a great warrior prince setting out from his ancestral homeland to better his parents and conquer the entire world. This seems far-fetched, perhaps, but one man came quite close.
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon inherited the throne at the early age of 20 in 336 BCE. Prior to that, he had been tutored by some of the greatest minds in ancient history, including Aristotle.
Upon seeing his son ride a horse that nobody else could tame (Bucephalus), Alexander’s father, Philip II, was overjoyed at the boy's skill and determination. He is said to have exclaimed: 'My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedon is too small for you!'
‘… you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions …’
By the age of 30, Alexander had conducted continuous military campaigns, creating a vast empire that far exceeded the kingdom he inherited. He died undefeated in battle, falling instead to disease or subterfuge.
Description and Symbology
The card depicts someone with great aims in mind. This person holds a position of power or influence and enjoys a stable, safe foundation. Depending on the question asked, this could represent a facet of your own ambition, a family patriarch, or a leader or manager known to you. If the subject of the card is not your own ambition, it indicates that another person's plans will likely affect your future.
The figure on the ramparts
We see a great general with a wand in one hand (representing his ambition) looking out from the castle. He has a world globe in one hand, suggesting he has big plans. He is well-dressed and already successful.
The Red Flag
The second pole has a red flag on it and suggesting strong passion. The man is passionate in what he believes.
The man holds one pole himself, giving us two wands. This suggests two sets of thoughts (one is more about emotion, and the other is more about planning). A decision has to be made between them. Only one path can be chosen.
The Red Sky
We see a low sun and a red morning sky. The day is young and the man is making early plans that will come to fruition later. Like the red flag, the red sky represents passions are in the air. There will either be big changes or a reckoning later in the day.
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
This card can be viewed in two ways.
If the relationship is very strong or in a very early phase, then it can mean moving forward together.
If there are problems in an existing relationship, then the card suggests opposing directions or life goals that may break the relationship unless addressed.
There may be important sticking points or even one person beginning to look elsewhere. For the single person, this could mean more than one love interest on the horizon.
You are struggling to make decisions because of a lack of priorities or simply confusion on where you stand in the relationship.
There is a need for the person asking the relationship question to be clear on the above before moving forward.
You are reaching an important point in career. There has been some success so far, but now face an either-or option in front of you. This may involve moving or pushing for promotion. If you don’t do either, you will become bored and listless in your current position.
The card may also represent a person in power who will affect your career.
Stagnation or avoiding making decisions. Lack of ambition.
This card may denote a plan or business that has gone well in its early stages, but this success may get harder or even reverse.
Rushing forward without making plans. Are you sure you are ready?
You have a desire to better yourself and will become passionate about it, making it achievable.
Setting bold targets and routines may be preferable to starting slow. Otherwise, that passion will dissipate.
You have a desire to better yourself, but something is preventing you from getting started.
You may already be in decent health and not seeing any sense of priority in increasing health, or may just not think it is important.
Make sure your decision is the right one!
A time for forging ahead and making changes in the way you see things. Your ambition is strong and this will push away previous self-defeating ideas about yourself.
Be wary that your ambition does not push away things you hold dear.
A time to reassess your beliefs. Are they even yours?
You may have fallen in with the orthodox views, and such beliefs do little to add or subtract to your life.
It may be time to rethink and be a little bolder on how you see your place in the world.
Taking hold of your finances and making bold changes will work well, especially if your money is earning steadily, but you feel it could be working harder for you.
You may be making bold moves without proper thought, or are leaving your money in low earning accounts because your fear of losses exceeds your ability to take any chances on gains.
Either reassess your plans or get an expert opinion.
Yes, through passion and ambition.
A weak ‘yes’. Your heart may not be in it enough to follow through with the work.
Reading the Card
Both the Upright and Reversed cards represent ambition (or its lack) leading to a decision. There are two routes: one of high risk with the potential for great gains, and one of remaining in a position of safety.
The Upright Card
The Upright card represents the character planning to 'leave the castle and seek their own fortune'. They are moving from a position of comfort toward an even better position. This move is driven by passion, obsession, or ambition.
This is a significant decision requiring courage, as they risk losing the safety of their starting position. However, not following this route will have repercussions later. In hindsight, staying in the castle will be seen as a lack of ambition and a lost chance for great success.
The Reversal
The Reversed card represents the character 'staying in the castle' for whatever reason: a lack of motivation, complacency with their current lot, or a fear of failure.
In any of these cases, this decision will likely be regretted in the future. The root cause of the inaction will be remembered as a lack of ambition and drive.
The card can also represent wanting success for the wrong reasons. This includes striving merely to outdo your parents or peers, or believing that any dissatisfaction in your current life can be fixed simply by owning more than you currently do.
Card Design Process
This was a very straightforward card to create, although it presented a significant underlying problem that changed the way the entire deck was structured. The difficulty was: 'How do we differentiate between the Two of Wands and the Three of Wands in a way that is immediately obvious?'
One idea was to show the astrological meaning of the cards, translating it into an easy-to-read archetype based on planetary alignments. This resulted in the creation of the Astrologia section for every card in the deck.
Final Words
The card represents a prince or general looking over the battlements, deciding whether to forge out and seek their fortune, or stay put in the safety of the castle. This is a vital 'either-or' decision. Ultimately, the outcome depends entirely on how passionate and ambitious the seeker truly is.
