The Queen of Wands

The Queens of Tarot

The Queens in tarot are mature and empathic representatives of their suits. They encompass all the suit qualities and display them in their characters and their interactions with the world. Unlike the Kings, who are outward-looking, the Queens are more inward-looking. The Kings are leaders; the Queens are facilitators and, as such, are just as powerful as Kings. The Queens are better in one-to-one situations; Kings stand up and give rousing speeches and enact laws. Queens advise and campaign.

Meet the Queen of Wands, an enigmatic, charming, and extroverted character who would give any King a run for his money.

Queen of Wands - Description of the card in the Rider-Waite Tarot

She is seated, forward-facing but with her head turned slightly to the left. Her legs are hidden by her robe but are almost shockingly spread wide. She wears a yellow robe and a blueish grey cloak. Her crown is decorated with jewels. She holds a sunflower in her left hand and a staff sprouting leaves in her right. Her throne is carved with two lions, facing left and right. Behind her is a tapestry embroidered with lions and sunflowers. At her feet sits a black cat and in the distance are three pyramids.

Her Symbolism

Symbol	Meaning	ㅤ	Correspondences
Yellow	Optimistic, cheerful	ㅤ	Fire
Sunflower	Loyalty, warmth, sun	ㅤ	Summer
Lion	Strength, personal power	ㅤ	South
Cat	Mystery, supernatural, independence	ㅤ	Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Pyramid	Light	ㅤ	Sun, Mars

The word "pyramid" is composed of the Greek words "pyra" meaning fire, light, or visible, and the word "midos" meaning measures.
— Tim G. Hunkler

Symbols that appear in a Court card are revealing and can give subtle hints about the qualities of the card. Some of this card's symbols indicate strength, light, and a sunny personality. However, there are also hints at a deeper and darker side to the Queen of Wands. She looks to her left - sinistre - which has long represented the mysteries. She also has a black cat, the witches' familiar, again representing a mysterious other world, magic, and psychic abilities. So all is not as it seems on the surface.

In a Reading

When this Queen appears in your reading, she either represents a real person, or she is exhorting the querent to adopt some of her energy and focus in order to deal with the current situation. As an actual person, she is popular, warm, and outgoing. To take on some of her characteristics, read the section below to see what kind of person she is.

In my experience, this card almost always reflects someone who has influence over the querent's situation, a good friend, the querent themselves, or sometimes, depending on the position of the card and the question, she could be 'the other woman.'

The Queen of Wands from the Robin Wood Tarot (scanned image).

Queen of Wands Characteristics

The Queen of Wands is strong-minded, fiercely independent, intelligent, popular, and enthusiastic. She is like an irresistible magnet, attracting people to her constantly. She shines brightly, often progressing quickly along her chosen career path. She is charismatic; when others are considering people for a certain position or project, she will immediately come to mind. She has a way of demonstrating authority but, at the same time, is completely without guile. She is open and honest and always fair in her dealings with others.

The Queen of Wands does well in the public eye, which is why you will see so many of them in the media or the movies. She is confident in her abilities yet is always ready to learn something new. She is passionate and determined, creative and fiery. She knows what she wants and pursues her goals single-mindedly.

In business, she is competent and reliable and can be counted upon for new ideas. She is compassionate towards others and loves animals and her family. In domestic matters, she is a little scattered. She can sometimes be downright slovenly. She can't see the point of housework because, after all, it's just going to get messy again. The Queen of Wands loves to sleep and is often running late.

When she is on her own, she may be almost a different person. This doesn't mean that she is deceptive or two-faced; it simply means that, like many of us, she has both a public and private persona. She is interested in things that many people steer clear of. She may well be a witch or have psychic abilities. This may also explain why she is usually successful at what she does. I don't mean that she has sold her soul, but that she understands Law of Attraction and has the ability to harness energy and use it.

Reversed

The reversed Queen of Wands is a difficult woman. She is a drama queen for sure. She over-reacts. She acts impulsively. She is thoughtless and often angry. She suffers from anxiety, burn-out, or hysterics. She is not as manipulative as the reversed Queen of Swords, nor as depressive as the reversed Queen of Cups, but she can leave a trail of devastation in her wake. Aspects of her personality clash, leaving her confused and very likely substance-dependent.

Love and Relationships

The Queen of Wands has a lively love life. She seldom mates for life before middle age. She sometimes rushes into a committed relationship before she is completely certain. Of course, this often results in acrimonious break-ups and divorce. She is a passionate partner and can be blinded to her lover's faults. Her friends can see that it is headed towards disaster but are powerless to do anything in the face of such determination. The Queen of Wands often falls for older, and sometimes, married men —hence her appearance in readings as the 'other woman'

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As she matures, she becomes more aware of her wayward tendencies and realises what she truly wants in a partner is not always what she goes after. Her man should offer a calming influence; he needs to be self-sufficient and confident, as he will find himself being the supporting actor in the production of their marriage.

As a friend, the Queen of Wands is loyal, fierce, protective, and great fun. She has the most original ideas, and the most outrageous suggestions and knows where all the best parties are.

Career and Money

As I've already said, this Queen is usually career-minded. She is particularly suited to jobs where she is involved with other people. She is a conscientious employee who is already setting her sights higher. She is a good manager of people and a wonderful company representative. She does not shy from the limelight, so any job where the spotlight is on her is ideal.

She can be a little careless with money, and it's not unknown for her to get into difficulties when in her twenties and thirties. However, she soon gets her financial act together and accumulates money quite easily. She operates instinctively, knowing where to invest and who to trust, and has great confidence in the universe providing for her. And it does.

Key Points

Queens as Inner Power Figures: In tarot, Queens represent mature, empathic mastery of their suit’s qualities. They are powerful facilitators—more inward-focused than Kings—and excel in personal influence rather than public command.

The Queen of Wands’ Appearance: In the Rider-Waite deck, she sits confidently with bold body language. Symbols surrounding her—sunflowers, lions, a black cat, and pyramids—reflect both brightness and mystery.

Symbolism & Dual Nature: She embodies fire, summer, the South, and astrological fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius). Though she radiates warmth and charisma, the black cat and her sideways gaze hint at magical or psychic depth.

Role in a Reading: The Queen may represent someone in the querent's life—or the querent themselves—urging action, confidence, or influence. She often appears as a significant other, friend, or sometimes as “the other woman.”

Character Traits: She’s magnetic, confident, intelligent, charismatic, and reliable. She's both passionate and practical, blending strength with openness and honesty.

Private vs. Public Persona: Despite being socially outgoing, she has a hidden, possibly spiritual or witchy side. Her understanding of energy and the Law of Attraction may explain her success.

Reversed Meaning: When reversed, she can be impulsive, dramatic, anxious, or emotionally volatile. Though not necessarily manipulative, she may be self-destructive or suffer from burnout.

Love Life: Her relationships are passionate and intense, often tumultuous in youth. She's drawn to older or unavailable partners, and often plays the “other woman.” With age, she seeks more stability.

Friendship Qualities: Loyal, fiercely protective, and fun-loving, she’s known for unique ideas and knowing all the best places to go.

Career and Finances: She thrives in people-centred roles, often in the public eye. Though she may mishandle money early on, she gains financial confidence and success through intuition and trust in abundance.

Note: Originally published by the author at HubPages.

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