This is the first Ace I’ve written about in a card-of-the-day post here on the blog, so I want to talk about Aces generally first. They can be overwhelming cards, and because the energy is so large and holds so much possibility, it’s often difficult to pin down what they’re really telling us within the context of a reading. The main thing to know is that they are very positive omens: they offer us tons of potential energy, and are often seen as ‘gifts from God’ (note that each Ace in the RWS deck is held out by a hand emerging from the heavens). So, when they come up for us they are not a guarantee (we do, after all, have to take the gift that’s being offered here), but they do show that if we choose to work with this element we will likely find success and fulfillment. So the element of the suit of Wands is fire, and there are a lot of qualities we can work with here. Ambition, creativity, desire, sex, anger, hope, optimism, grit, determination—these are all found in the suit of Wands, and they are seeded within this Ace. It’s BIG energy. To narrow it down a bit, what I have found to be most true is that the Ace of Wands appears when we are asked to have faith. Not necessarily in a religious sense (though that can also be true) but in ourselves. The suit of Wands relates to our ‘gut center’ (think ‘digestive fire’), and that is where we find both our Will and our appetite for life. When we’re “on fire” we TRUST ourselves, and we are unstoppable. When we’re “on fire” we can both attract what we desire, and we can also keep away predators. This Ace asks us not to be afraid, but to shine brightly.

To read further on the Ace of Wands as the “kernel of the erotic”, inspired by Audre Lorde, you can become a Patron here and have access to long-form weekly posts which include a spread for every card.