The Queen of Wands represents the maturation of the Suit of Wands’ themes—passion, growth, and creativity—in the form of archetypally feminine energy. Symbolically, this can be understood as representing the qualities of receptivity, magnetism, and an emotional depth of feeling.
As the Queen of her element, fire, she represents the ability to hold the intensity of the heat while remaining firmly grounded on earth. She is linked to the astrological zodiac sign Aries and the ambition of her ruling planet Mars.
Where the key meanings of the Major Arcana focus on life’s overarching themes and events, Minor Arcana cards like the Queen of Wands explore and reveal the more subtle changes impacting one’s day-to-day life and near future. The Queen of Wands also bears similarities with its sister court cards the Queen of Cups, Queen of Pentacles, and Queen of Swords, in that all four deal with creative expressions of power.
Queen of Wands Keywords
Upright Keywords | Reversed Keywords |
|---|---|
confidence, creative self-expression, courage, leadership | lack of self-confidence, fear of self-expression, insecurities, passivity, outsized ego |
Description of the Queen of Wands Tarot Card
After the Knight of Wands takes action toward his dreams, the Queen of Wands emerges as a symbol of wisdom and grounded confidence around her ability to channel her energy toward what she desires. The frenetic haste of the Knight has matured into the Queen’s calm confidence, mastery of her creative self-expression, and ability to relate to others with emotional depth and warmth.
The Queen of Wands sits on a throne with carved lion head armrests and a tapestry of dancing lions behind her. The lion is the animal of the zodiac sign Leo, which is associated with pride, self-expression, and big-heartedness. Leo’s ruling planet is the Sun, which is alluded to in the sunflower that grows beside her. Sunflowers are also depicted on the Sun card (Major Arcana #19) and symbolize optimism and joy.
In the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, leaves emerge from her crown, symbolizing fertility and the life-giving qualities of the Sun. Her yellow robe and crown radiate warmth, while her white cloak symbolizes purity. In her right hand, she holds her wand with self-assurance and poise. The queen also sits with her legs open to signal confidence and self-assertion.
The pyramids in the background echo those which are featured in the Knight of Wands and suggest that she’s built her empire on her accomplishments of the past. The black cat that guards her feet seems to be a protective symbol of friendship.
Queen of Wands Upright Meaning
In the upright position of a tarot card reading, the Queen of Wands symbolizes self-confidence, creative self-expression, and a natural ability to relate to others with charisma and warmth. You are connected to your own life force and want to share it with others. You are determined to actualize your ideas in the world and feel a sense of connection to your creative purpose.
The Queen of Wands asks you to gather your courage and boldly pursue your dreams. Draw on your natural optimism and faith as you move toward building what you envision. Your ability to draw others in with warmth and charisma helps you attract what you desire and strengthens your feeling of connection to others.
The upright Queen of Wands also indicates your ability to inspire others and assume a position of effective leadership within your work, family, and community. Channel your natural enthusiasm and passion to influence others with your vision and determination. Your ability to draw others in helps you achieve your goals and inspires others to feel confident.
Love and Relationships (Upright Meaning)
In the upright position, the Queen of Wands symbolizes your ability to attract others to you through your self-confidence, charm, and emotional warmth. You can create authentic and deep connections with others and allow others to feel seen and valued. Your sense of vitality and joy is an attractive force that draws your desires close.
The upright Queen of Wands is an encouragement to let your light shine without apology or self-consciousness. If you have dimmed your light in the past in order to receive love or validation, this card reminds you that when you radiate your authentic essence, you will attract those who naturally appreciate you. It’s an encouragement to put yourself out there and enjoy the attention you receive.
Love/relationships upright keywords | Career/finance upright keywords |
|---|---|
self-confidence, charm, emotional warmth, authentic connections | knowing your worth, refusing to settle, sharing creative talents with others, taking center stage |
Career and Finance (Upright Meaning)
The Queen of Wands represents knowing your self-worth and refusing to settle for jobs, projects, or collaborations that don’t meet your needs. She emanates self-empowered confidence and knows that what she has to offer is valuable. This card is an encouragement to stand in your worth and to pursue goals that draw upon your natural talents and abilities.
The upright Queen of Wands is an encouragement to take a cue from the sunflower pictured in this card, a flower that opens its petals to the Sun’s light, representing the ability to open to life’s blessings. The lions on the Queen’s throne represent the zodiac sign Leo, a sign which isn’t afraid to take center stage and share their creative talents and heart with the world.
Queen of Wands Reversed Meaning
The Queen of Wands reversed suggests that you are hiding your authentic self from others due to fear of rejection or out of concern for what others will think. When you dim your light, you miss the opportunity to connect with others who will appreciate you for who you really are. This card encourages you to have the courage to embrace your true self and to share it boldly with the world.
In the reverse position of a tarot reading, the Queen of Wands can also signify that you are playing it safe by waiting for opportunities, relationships, and people to come to you. The Queen of Wands upright knows her worth and is unafraid to make the first move, reach out to someone she admires, or extend an act of kindness to a stranger.
The Queen of Wands reversed can speak to an inward process of building self-confidence and self-worth. You may be focused on an internal journey of self-discovery and are working to build yourself back up, possibly following an experience that dented your confidence. You can nurture an authentic connection to yourself by turning your attention away from the opinions of others and toward your own inner voice.
Love and Relationships (Reversed Meaning)
The Queen of Wands reversed may signify that in your love life, you’re projecting an incomplete or inauthentic version of yourself to others out of an outsized concern for how you will be perceived. This card can speak to the fear of putting yourself out there and of insecurities related to self-worth. This card is an encouragement to cultivate a sense of internal value so that you can meet others from a place of empowered confidence and positive energy.
The key meanings of the reversed Queen of Wands can also speak to a temperament that runs hot, is easily angered, or is excessively prideful. There may be difficulty sharing space with others or allowing differing opinions to co-exist. It can speak to a person who is easily triggered and lashes out with a fiery passion when their pride is wounded.
Love/relationships reversed keywords | Career/finance reversed keywords |
|---|---|
fear of putting yourself out there, insecurities around self-worth, excessive pride, uncontrolled anger | inhibition, difficulty taking risks, a need to be more assertive, standing up for oneself |
Career and Finance (Reversed Meaning)
The Queen of Wands reversed signals a lack of self-confidence and difficulty taking risks. You may have experienced judgment from others in the past that is inhibiting you from expressing your true self. This card is a reminder that you will make the gains you desire when you gather the courage to stop playing small and start sharing your gifts with others.
The reversed Queen of Wands can also signify a need to be more assertive and stand up for your worth. You may be dealing with authority figures in the workplace who don’t respect your boundaries or don’t compensate you fairly for the work that you do. This card is an encouragement to take a stand for what you know you deserve.