Published 11/02/2023 by Joanne Jones

Three of Wands

The Meaning of the Three of Wands Cards in Tarot

The Three of Wands is one of the most powerful tarot cards because it signifies primal energy power, expansion, and opportunity. It also encourages you to hold a positive approach to life for the future and be patient while waiting for your hard work and determination to produce new opportunities for your life.

The Three of Wands is a card of success that indicates that you will be rewarded with success through your perseverance, willpower, and personal vision when facing obstacles.

The three wands represent forward momentum and commitment, whether this is for your career goals, personal growth, or relationships. By remaining focused, you will soon see the rewards of effort and strategic thinking.

The Three of Wands: Visual Symbolism and Key Imagery

In the Three of Wands imagery, a man stands on a cliff top looking across an ocean. This image inspires a strong state of meditation and expectation, as it embodies an awareness of the future and the unseen.

• The Vast Ocean: The ocean holds infinite possibilities, unknown worlds, and opportunities for a new start. It teaches us to dare to dream beyond the present moment.
• The Ships: When viewed in water, the ships represent expansion, travel, and progress. They are the outward manifestation of work, showing that the plans being enacted are unfolding successfully.
• The Three Wands: The three wands in the image are rooted in the soil, representing stability, foundation, and solidity. They highlight the need to ground your goals in real-world preparation while still accepting new challenges.

The Wands imagery encourages balance when seeing new opportunities by ensuring that the foundation for those dreams is sound. If you bring the Three of Wands into your journey, you can tap into the forces of growth, possibility, and success.

Upright Meaning of the Three of Wands

The upright meaning of the Three of Wands indicates growth, development and success and represents the time of preparation and readiness for the future. When this powerful card appears in your tarot reading, it means the next phase of your journey and that you're amid a growth spurt and new possibilities.

• Readiness and Preparedness: The Upright meaning of this tarot card tells you that your work is finally coming to fruition, and you're ready to take advantage of the opportunities. It encourages embracing extra responsibility and being confident in your abilities.
• Exploration Stage: The Three of Wands represents an exploration stage in which you actively prepare for new opportunities on your next adventure. Whether it's a career change, self-improvement or a new romantic relationship, this stage is about moving forward through perseverance.
• Vision and Hope: This card embodies the idea of creative vision. The upright card meaning reminds you that your long-term aspirations and ambitions are accurate and that success is near. It teaches you to stay focused and believe in the outcome when your work is rewarded.

The upright Three of Wands encourages you to keep moving forward to achieve growth, progress, and success. It signifies preparation and readiness for new opportunities. The card of insight and positivity indicates that your vision is becoming visible and success is approaching.‎

Reversed Meaning of the Three of Wands

In a tarot reading, the reversed meaning of the Three of Wands can indicate a lack of direction or personal energy to achieve your ambitions. Such challenges can cause uncertainties, delays, and frustrations, leaving you without any sense of the future.

• Blocked Progress: The reversed card typically refers to a lack of progress and obstacles that stop forward momentum, including external forces, lack of capital, or unexpected difficulties.
• Uncertainty and Insecurity: You may feel uncertain about various aspects of life and have insecurities about achieving success. This can result from a high level of expectations, confusion, a lack of confidence, or a lack of preparation.
• Missed Opportunities: This can refer to opportunities missed due to a lack of strategic planning or effort and requires more foresight and planning.
• Review and Reflection: The reversed meaning of the Three of Wands indicates that it's essential to focus on the lack of progress in achieving your goals and take the opportunity to investigate any negative aspects of your life that may be holding you back from achieving success.

The reversed wands can represent difficult challenges but are also a place of opportunity. Recognising failure and taking steps to fix it will align you with your goals and lay a stronger foundation for success in the future.

Astrological, Elemental, and Numerological Associations for the Three of Wands

• Astrological Association: Aries

The Three of Wands is generally associated with the fire sign Aries, which signifies courage, vision, drive, and progress.

Aries is compelled to seek, command, and venture into new horizons. As a sign of expansion and certainty, Aries encourages people to move in hope and fortitude.

Like Aries, this powerful tarot card stresses the willingness to take a chance and venture into new territory; it encourages you to act with a positive outlook.

• Elemental Association: Fire

Fire lies at the core of the Three of Wands and carries the meanings of passion, vitality, and inspiration. Fire fuels ambition, inspiring you to pursue your aims with drive and tenacity.

The Fire aspect of this card tells you to follow your passion and never lose the drive to achieve success. It represents the spark of energy that drives the forward flow, reminding you to be committed to tackling challenges as soon as they appear.

• Numerological Association: The Number 3

The number three in numerology, which represents creativity, dialogue, development, and teamwork, resonates directly with the Three of Wands energy.

The Three of Wands celebrates the number three by inviting us to engage in new ideas and experiences. It inspires imagination and creativity, pushing people to imagine and create larger plans. This card also stresses teamwork and creating solid foundations for future success.

With Aries' courage, Fire's ferocity, and Three's creativity, the Three of Wands is a card of growth, ebullience, and daring action. It encourages you to work confidently, collaborate and dream big as you discover new possibilities.

Suit of Wands Tarot Card Meanings

The suit of Wands in the Tarot is closely linked to the fire element, representing creativity, desire, action, and passion. This suit symbolises our motivation, the will to succeed, and the flame of inspiration that drives our personal and professional lives. The Wands suit of cards gives us a glimpse into the stages of development, difficulty, and achievement in all aspects of life.

Core Themes of the Suit of Wands

• 1. Energy and Passion

It represents the drive and motivation that drives you to your goals.

Attracts the spark of light within that inspires initiative and action.

• 2. Ambition and Progress

It symbolises the desire to develop, spread, and move on.

Encourages setting goals and determination to succeed with confidence.

• 3. Creativity and Inspiration

Focuses on new ideas, creative visions and innovative projects being developed.

Encourages new creative energy and personal vision to develop new opportunities.

• 4. Challenges and Burnout

Prevents challenges, detours, or the danger of overworking.

It calls for harmony, contemplation, and adjustment when vitality is exhausted or out of balance.

The Suit of Wands is a unique roadmap that shows you how to ride the peaks and valleys of life with gusto and intention. It allows you to tap into your own Fire while ensuring you maintain balance and purpose.

Suit of Wands: Card-by-Card Meanings

• Ace of Wands

Upright: New beginnings, transformation, inspiration, and achievement.

Reversed: The Ace of Wands lacks progress and missed opportunities.

• Two of Wands

Upright: Strategic planning and decision-making. Opportunities for growth and expansion.

Reversed: Indecisiveness, uncertainties, lack of growth.

• Three of Wands

Upright: Growth, progress, and belief in success.

Reversed: Missed opportunities, delays, and lack of growth.

• Four of Wands

Upright: Celebration, stability, and milestones. A golden age of peace and triumph.

Reversed: Lack of solid foundations, cancelled celebrations, domestic turmoil.

• Five of Wands

Upright: Conflict, competition, or challenges. A need to find resolutions.

Reversed: Avoidance of conflict, resolution, or struggles.

• Six of Wands

Upright: Victory, recognition, and success. Achievements and public acknowledgement.

Reversed: Doubts, not being valued, lack of progress, lack of excitement.

• Seven of Wands

Upright: Commitment, courage, and resistance. Overcoming obstacles.

Reversed: Stress, lacking motivation, or weakness.

• Eight of Wands

Upright: Swift actions, promotions, excellent communication. Events unfolding rapidly.

Reversed: Confusion, lack of direction, burnout.

• Nine of Wands

Upright: Resilience, perseverance, and caution. Preparing for challenges ahead.

Reversed: Overwork, burnout, or a desire to quit.

• Ten of Wands

Upright: Truthful: Hard work, accountability, and responsibility.

Reversed: Overwhelming, delegating, the need to reduce stress.

• Page of Wands

Upright: Motivation, commitment, determination, and adventure.

Reversed: Unpredictability, attitude, lack of determination.

• Knight of Wands

Upright: Confidence and determination. Taking bold steps toward goals.

Reversed: Haste, carelessness, or non-commitment.

• Queen of Wands

Upright: Confidence, independence, and charisma. Leadership and creative expression.

Reversed: Insecurity, jealousy, or introversion.

• King of Wands

Upright: Straight-faced. Visionary leadership, vision, and dominance. Inspiring others and leading the way forward.

Reversed: Overconfidence, haste, or bad management.

How to Interpret the Three of Wands in Love Tarot Reading

The Three of Wands in a love reading indicates that you could develop, expand, and be given new possibilities in your romantic life.

In a relationship, that might mean preparing for the future and being committed to creating a strong bond of understanding and trust.

For singles, this card might mean someone new unexpectedly coming into your life through travel, social activities, or common desires. When reversed, the Three of Wands could indicate obstacles to love, for example, having trouble continuing a relationship or doubting commitment. It forces you to ask yourself if your present career trajectory is compatible with your romantic ambitions. This card, regardless of its placement, shows you how important it is to always be open-minded and optimistic about your romantic life.

Discover what the Three of Wands mean in your life. Contact a professional Tarot reader at Trusted Psychics for a deeper insight into love and relationships.

Why Get a Tarot Reading?

A professional Tarot reading is a powerful way to gain intuitive insights, clarity, and guidance so you can make the best decisions for your relationships, careers, and family life.

Tarot becomes your mirror, reflecting your current reality and showing you how to overcome obstacles. With its fresh insight, Tarot empowers you to act based on your true values and intentions to lead your life with certainty and direction.

A Tarot Reading with Trusted Psychics gives you access to the best insight from highly trained, experienced psychics who have been vetted for reliability and expertise.

These expert tarot card readers are known worldwide for their remarkable capacity to make sense of difficult situations and offer clear, accurate readings. Their interpretations are not merely superficial; they provide a bespoke approach to what matters to you as an individual.

Receive expert support from top tarot readers. Get a professional Tarot reading from Trusted Psychics today.

FAQs for the Three of Wands

Is the Three of Wands a Positive Card?

In most interpretations, the Three of Wands represents good fortune. It stands for development, fresh chances, and the possibility of progress. The meaning of the Three of Wands usually signals that your efforts to prepare for something are starting to pay off. Also you should maintain a positive attitude towards what you want.

Does the Three of Wands Indicate a New Relationship?

The Three of Wands is not typically a love card; it suggests growth, advancement, and new beginnings, including relationships. The card can point to something about to happen, or that will lead to a connection, whether romantic or not. It's usually about forming a bond through a goal or project.

What Spreads Work Well With the Three of Wands?

The Three of Wands lends itself well to spreads involving preparing for the future, planning a task, or reflecting on achievements. It works perfectly with layouts that foster strategic planning.

• The Celtic Cross: For long-term goals and how to go about them.
• Three-Card Spread: Great for short-term past, present, and future views.
• Career or Goal-focused Spread: This spread's purpose is to make it easy to understand what success requires, making it appropriate for the Three of Wands' themes of growth and progression.

The Three of Wands is a particularly potent card for ruminating and forward-planning and is a useful guide to discussions about goals, strategy, and opportunities.

Learn more about the Suit of Wands and how it may impact your life. Speak to an expert tarot card reader at Trusted Psychics today for a professional Tarot reading tailored just for you.

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