The Ace of Wands
The Most Powerful Card in the Deck!
This brief article will first explain the energy of the Tarot’s Aces and then expand specifically on the Ace of Wands, with a detailed description of its symbols and their meanings.
The Ace’s correspond to the 1st sefirah on the Kabbalah Tree of Life called Keter, which is ruled by Pluto. Known as the crown of will, Keter is associated with the crown chakra and is associated with new beginnings. Keter is the still small voice in your head that some refer to as the Higher-Self. This can be understood better by comparing this sefirah to certain aspects of a human being. The will of a human being is the most all-encompassing power of his soul, since it gives rise to and motivates all the other powers of the soul. If a person has a will for something, he begins to invent ways in which to achieve his goal. Once he has discovered a theoretical method of achieving his goal, he starts to plan out how to manifest it. From there he initiates the action. If he has not yet achieved his desire, it’s his will that drives him onwards until he does so. Keter is the topmost of the sefirot on the Tree of Life, and this is where the Light is drawn from the Source and down into the human vessel. The roots of the Tree are located at Keter. Therefore, all the #1 cards are considered the roots of the tarot, and this includes the Ace’s as well as the Magician. The Fool is assigned to the Hebrew letter Aleph, which has a numerical value of 1, associating it to the root and new beginnings — seed level of things. The Fool, the Ace’s, and the Magician all portray the root-seed level of creation, which involves, what the Kabbalists refer to as, the will to receive pleasure.
The Ace’s correspond to Pluto, the planet associated with transformation and rebirth.
Pluto rules over Scorpio, and because the Ace’s are associated with Keter, who’s ruled by Pluto, they encompass Scorpio traits. Scorpios are known to be ambitious, determined, and brave. When their minds are set, they can accomplish anything. They experience highly emotional new beginnings that are fueled with intensity when starting new projects or relationships. When a Scorpio wants something, they go for it, and they don’t hold back. There’s not much that can stop a Scorpio once they have their mind set on something, and they have unmatched focus when they pursue a goal.
ACE OF WANDS:
The Ace of Wands’ fire energy ignites new and creative ideas, sparking up the motivation needed to manifest your goals. It sparks a lust for life. The big wand here is symbolically depicted as a tree of life with its 10 leaves that are like the 10 sefirot on the Kabbalah Tree of Life.
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With closer examination, you will notice 8 green Hebrew letter Yod’s (that look like leaves) floating in the air. There being 8 identical symbols connects them to the energy influence of the 8th sefirah Hod. The energy aspect of Hod alludes to the brilliance of the mind. Therefore, this card portrays a brilliant idea being ignited. With a closer look at this card, you will notice that there are 37 rays surrounding God’s hand. 37 is the value for the word Chokmah, meaning wisdom. This reiterates the concept of God igniting a brilliant idea here. There is a mushy clay castle located in the background. This is the same exact clay castle that is depicted in the 10 of Pentacles and in the 7 of Cups. Each instance the clay castle represents the brilliant idea for building an actual castle. It is a clay mush, and therefore it is still in its imagination state, and not yet formed or solidified. The clay castle evolves into an actual castle, which represents the idea fully realized into something substantial, bringing lasting fulfillment.
Furthermore, when you add the 8 Yod’s to the number of leaves on the wand’s branches you get 8+10 = 18. The number 18 is significant, because it is the value of the Hebrew word Chai, meaning life, as in the Jewish saying, “L’chaim!”, meaning “To life!”
Wands symbolize aspects that relate to core belief systems, grounded opinions, and ideals deeply rooted within an individual’s character. Wands correspond with the element fire. This fire energy is what drives us to manifest the things that we are passionate about — things that we enjoy spending time on developing. The more time and energy we put towards our passions, the more knowledgeable we become on that subject. In time, we gradually become experts. The knowledge we obtain throughout our lives, obtained either from life-lessons or from simple curiosity, builds upon our character and shapes us into the person we believe ourselves to be. We are made up of our values, morals, ethics, as well as the virtues we possess. We are what we know, and what we know to be true.
The wands are like trees, and trees relate to agriculture. The god of agriculture is Saturn, who also happens to be the lord of time. By counting the number of branches on each Wand card, it alludes to the timing significance conveyed within the illustrations.
The ancient Hebrew word for tree is Etz. The Hebrew word for advice is Etzah. You can see the similarity. Therefore, each card in the suit of Wands (trees) offers us practical advice.
Whenever the Ace of Wands is drawn in a reading it suggests a brilliant idea is coming soon, and it will ignite creativity. Such epiphany is rare. Whenever the lightbulb goes on in your head, it’s time to go to work, and such excitement gives you the willpower to see it through. The suit of Wands also reflects upon lust, passion, attraction, and a desire to go after what you’re excited about. This can regard romantic endeavors, higher education, and ambitious pursuits.
Thanks for reading!
Below is a video of me explaining all four of the Tarot’s Ace’s.
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